Public Schools partnered with A+ to build capacity
Educators have strengthened skills & knowledge through A+ programs
Students served by stronger teachers & school leaders
OUR MISSION
Texas A+ Challenge is an Education Initiative of CHILDREN AT RISK, dedicated to educators to ensure every child in Texas receives an equitable and high-quality education.
At Texas A+, we empower educators by providing a supportive and focused environment to identify strengths and areas for growth. Together, we co-create measurable goals, and develop strategic action plans to guide participants toward success.
Our approach combines proven instructional and leadership coaching practices with comprehensive professional development, planning, and preparation.
We are committed to fostering excellence in education through personalized one-on-one and collaborative approach.
Our WORK
On Campus
On-site coaching, professional learning, & more.
Customized support for real academic growth.
Professional Learning
Professional learning workshops that help teachers, coaches & specialists drive gains through research-supported best practices.
TESTIMONIALS
“My A+ coaches are my trusted source for highly-knowledgeable and relevant PD and coaching that I would not be able to provide otherwise and the sole instructional leader on my campus. They understand my vision, and they work well with my teachers, some of whom they have been supporting for multiple years.“
– Samyra Rogers, Principal
“You’ve NEVER experienced effective coaching from a third party until you’ve worked with A+ Challenge. Everyone grows with the coaching and is empowered to succeed after the coaching concludes. The A+ relationship endures – not because the growth is only possible when the coaching is happening, but because teachers have grown to a new place and seek out answers/collaborations to advocate for themselves in the areas they are now able to identify for their students with the content/curriculum.”
-Erin Chavez, Principal
“This coaching experience has made me feel cared for and supported to be able to access and implement new knowledge, participate in deep reflection and learning, and to be comfortable taking risks as a new instructional coach.”
-Raymond Mason, Instructional Specialist
CONTACT TEXAS A+ CHALLENGE
Our Latest Pk-12 EDUCATION Research & Resources
CHILDREN AT RISK Releases 2022 Annual Report
2022 was a year of huge growth for CHILDREN AT RISK, both in our work and as an agency! In addition to our main office in Houston, we are proud to report C@R now has multiple staff members based in North Texas, Central Texas, and El Paso. Having this statewide...
Supporting Opportunity Youth for an Inclusive Economy
Despite a decades-long drop in the opportunity youth population, which decreased from 5.8 million to 4.4 million between 2011 and 2021, the number of opportunity youth rose dramatically during the pandemic to more than 6 million. The term opportunity youth (OY)...
Education in Transition: Reshaping America’s Schools in a Post-Pandemic World
Reshaping America’s Schools in a Post-Pandemic World
REPORT: Classrooms in Crisis
COVID-19 changed our public education landscape nearly overnight. Thousands of Texas schools and nearly 5.5 million students faced a school year like never before. Schools had to quickly develop tools andresources that would support the pivot to a virtual classroom...
OP-ED: More Accountability for School Vouchers
As published in Dallas Morning News, August 31, 2022.Even as families are enjoying the first weeks of the school year, the challenges facing our education system remain more of the same. Many schools still have teacher vacancies and don’t have subject-certified...
Full STE(A)M Ahead Summit
This annual summit again dove into the issues of STEM education, focusing on building a robust and qualified pipeline of professionals in the wake of the pandemic.
C@R Celebrates Plyler V. Doe and DACA on June 15th
In 1982, the Court decided that “education has a fundamental role in maintaining the fabric of our society” and “provides the basic tools by which individuals might lead economically productive lives.” As the 40th anniversary of the ruling of Plyler v....
CHILDREN AT RISK and Texas Family Leadership Council Host Second Annual State of Black Children in Texas
On Thursday, February 24, the Texas Family Leadership Council and CHILDREN AT RISK hosted the second annual State of Black Children summit. The summit, sponsored by Amazon and Amerigroup, explored the challenges Black children face growing up in Texas and how to best...
Which Texas Schools Were Most Resilient?
For more than a decade, CHILDREN AT RISK (C@R) has ranked and graded Texas public schools to help parents, educators, and community members understand how schools in their community are performing, and to spark dialogue on the quality of public education across Texas....
C@R Hosts HISD Trustee Candidate Forum
Elections for Trustees for the Houston Independent School District Board are this November! On October 21st, CHILDREN AT RISK hosted a virtual candidate forum. Watch the recording linked below to hear how they plan to address educational inequity, the challenges for...
Attendance & Learning in the time of COVID-19
IN THE TIME OF COVID: Attendance & LearningResearch shows that students who attend school regularly earn higher grades are more likely to graduate and are better prepared for college. The pandemic made it difficult for many students to attend and engage in school,...
Special Education in the time of COVID-19
IN THE TIME OF COVID: Special EducationSpecial education policies help ensure students with disabilities are placed in the most appropriate environments with the accommodations necessary to meet their learning needs. How has COVID-19 affected special education?For...