Austin Leaders Engage Community in High School Improvement to Prepare More Local Students for College and Career Success

AUSTIN, TX — A new initiative will ensure that the parents, students, community and business leaders across Austin’s diverse community are engaged partners in the Austin School District’s high school redesign plan. The effort, led by three local organizations, recognizes the important shared responsibility of the community and the district in the implementation of high school improvement efforts.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is providing grants totaling more than $830,000 to three Austin organizations: Austin Voices for Education and Youth; Austin Area Urban League, Inc (AAUL); and the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Over the next year, the three groups will develop and implement coordinated community outreach efforts targeting Austin’s African-American and Hispanic populations. The work will include extensive bilingual and multifaceted outreach through newsletters, e-mails, student, civic and business presentations, mentoring programs, media outreach, and student and community-led forums. The organizations are working closely with the school district as an outgrowth of district efforts to improve communications and build stronger relationships with families in those schools directly impacted by the transformation plans.

“The partnership of Austin Voices for Education and Youth, Austin Area Urban League, and the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation will help ensure that our community members play the critical role they should in improving our schools,” said Jeffrey Richard, president and chief executive officer, Austin Area Urban League. “We are looking forward to helping the community and the district to work together to ensure our young people have the bright future they deserve.”

As part of Austin’s continuing mission to prepare all students to graduate from high school prepared for college and life, the Austin Independent School District (AISD), with previous support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is transforming high schools across the district to improve academic performance. Elements of AISD’s redesign plan include the creation of small learning communities, advisory periods, and mentoring programs to raise academic performance. These strategies will help ensure that Austin students graduate from high school “college ready,” with the skills and knowledge they need to be successful.

“The Austin School District is committed to launching all of our students on the path to success, by ensuring they graduate ready to meet the demands of college and career,” said Austin School Superintendent Pat Forgione. “Community involvement is essential to the success of our school improvement plan, and we are excited to be working with these three organizations to ensure all voices are heard, and all students are served.”

The three partners in Austin’s community engagement initiative receiving grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will engage in coordinated, yet diverse, efforts.

Austin Voices for Education and Youth will build on work funded through a previous grant from the foundation to continue and broaden existing communications and youth outreach activities to five high school campuses and create a community-wide Youth Council to give students a voice in local decision making. 

Austin Area Urban League, Inc. (AAUL) will target outreach and engagement efforts to the African American community, working closely with partners to host community and faith-based gatherings, increase parents’ involvement in education and sponsor forums to bring together influential leaders to help raise awareness and generate support for the reform plan.

The Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GAHCC) Foundation will leverage its ties to the local business and civic communities to spark a dialogue on the high school reform plan among the Hispanic community and the school district.  With the help of grassroots and business leaders, the GAHCC Foundation will sponsor four town hall meetings about the redesign plan and the importance of college readiness. The GAHCC Foundation will also train 40 students and parents at Johnston High School in Austin to lead school mentoring to help increase academic achievement.

“The success of Austin’s school improvement work will require rebuilding bridges between many in the minority communities and the school district,” said Steve Seleznow, program director of education for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “With these organizations working to help the district implement high school improvement plans, more parents, students and leaders will have the opportunity to build long-term support for high school graduation, and ultimately, college and career success for all of Austin’s students.”

Nationally, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and its partners are focused on increasing graduation and college readiness rates by supporting the creation of new high-quality high schools and the transformation of existing low-performing high schools into more focused and effective learning environments. To date, the foundation has invested more than $1.7 billion to improve high schools, supporting more than 1,800 schools in 47 states and the District of Columbia.

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Austin Voices for Education and Youth
Austin Voices for Education and Youth mobilizes the community to strengthen schools and expand opportunities for Austin’s youth. We work alongside community members, young people, parents, and educators to improve our schools and neighborhoods.

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Austin Area Urban League
The mission of the Austin Area Urban League is “to assist African Americans and disadvantaged citizens in the achievement of social and economic equality.”  The mission is capsulated in the slogan “Empowering Communities…Changing Lives” and is symbolized by the equal sign centered within a circle.

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Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation
The GAHCC is dedicated to promoting a vibrant economic environment for Hispanic businesses, entrepreneurs and professionals in Central Texas. The Chamber assists members to develop business and management skills and serves as a catalyst facilitating access to financial capital. All GAHCC initiatives are informed by our cultural values and our integrity.