The THSP Alliance
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The Texas High School Project Alliance has invested $261 million in Texas public schools to date through the Texas High School Project.
- The Texas Education Agency administers $118 million in state funding and $30 million in federal funding for a total of $148 million toward the Texas High School Project.
- The Communities Foundation of Texas manages $58 million in funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private funders on behalf of the project.
- The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation has committed $55 million to the project.
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The Texas Education Agency oversees primary and secondary public education in the state. TEA is comprised of the commissioner of education and agency staff. The TEA and the State Board of Education (SBOE) guide and monitor activities and programs related to public education in Texas. The SBOE consists of 15 elected members representing different regions of the state. One member is appointed chair by the governor.
Under the leadership of the Commissioner of Education, the TEA manages the textbook adoption process, oversees development of statewide standards, rates school districts under a statewide accountability system, operates research and information programs, monitors for compliance with federal guidelines, and serves as the fiscal agent for distribution of state and federal funds. The mission of the Texas Education Agency is to provide leadership, guidance and resources to help schools meet the educational needs of all students. In that capacity, the TEA has committed millions of dollars in state and federal funds to the Texas High School Project.
TEA funds student programs to improve graduation rates and increase college readiness and new and redesigned high schools. Examples of major programs include:
- Texas High School Redesign and Restructuring Grants
- Early College High School Grants
- T-STEM Academies and T-STEM Centers
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to promote greater equity in four areas: global health, education, public libraries, and support for at-risk families in Washington state and Oregon. The Seattle-based foundation joins local, national, and international partners to ensure that advances in these areas reach those who need them most. The foundation is led by Bill Gates' father, William H. Gates, Sr., and Patty Stonesifer. The foundation has invested $35 million to help launch the THSP in 2003, and has committed $20 million for the new TSTEM Initiative.
The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation was established in 1999 by the Dell family to improve outcomes for children living in urban poverty. Based in Austin, Texas, the Foundation funds programs that foster and improve education, health and safety for children around the world. With an endowment of more than $1 billion, the Foundation has committed more than $220 million to global children's issues and Central Texas community initiatives to date. MSDF has contributed $34 million to THSP-related projects since 2003 and committed an additional $20 million to the T-STEM Initiative.
The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation funds student programs to improve college readiness and access for historically underrepresented students.
Examples of major programs include:
- AP Strategies
- Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID)
- Project ADVANCE and Project SMART
Communities Foundation of Texas, a public charity founded in 1953, works closely with donors, nonprofits and other funding organizations. CFT offers specialized philanthropic resources, responsible asset management and effective grant making. As the largest community foundation in Texas and one of the largest in the country, CFT professionally manages more than 800 component funds. The foundation has combined assets of $800 million, and it has distributed more than $850 million in charitable grants since its inception.”
The Communities Foundation of Texas (the BMGF intermediary for the THSP) funds new and redesigned high schools and principal leadership programs. Examples of major programs include:
- Early College High School Initiative
- Redesigned High School Initiative
- New Schools Initiative (replication of high-performing charter schools)
- Leadership Initiative
The Wallace Foundation seeks to support and share effective ideas and practices that expand learning and enrichment opportunities for all people.
Its three current objectives are:
- Strengthen education leadership to improve student achievement.
- Improve out-of-school learning opportunities.
- Expand participation in the arts and culture.
National Instruments (NI) is a technology pioneer and leader in virtual instrumentation – a revolutionary concept that has changed the way engineers and scientists in industry, government, and academia approach measurement and automation. NI is committed to enhancing engineering and science education worldwide by providing educators and students with powerful graphical system design software and modular hardware to connect the curriculum with the real world. Professors and students benefit from industry-leading, professional tools such as NI LabVIEW graphical development software, which helps students visualize and implement engineering concepts. The integration of LabVIEW in the classroom creates an effective, dynamic learning environment – from primary schools to research laboratories in universities. NI also offers resources to universities to support laboratories, research, and student programs and competitions.
Greater Texas Foundation Located in Bryan, Texas and functioning as a charitable foundation since 2001, the purpose of Greater Texas Foundation is to improve education in the State of Texas through public-private partnerships and by providing funding to educational institutions. In addition to the creation of multiple scholarship endowments, the foundation currently supports excellence in education through initiatives that enhance math and science education at all levels; increase access to higher education; provide skill enhancement and induction-program opportunities for teachers; and/or encourage parental and community involvement in education. In 2007, Greater Texas Foundation invested $864,000 in THSP and CFT to fund establishment of the Northwest Early College High School in partnership with Canutillo ISD and El Paso Community College.
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