Team Project XLR8
Faculty - Biology
Dawn Richar dson, Caty Thomas, Al Bur r s
Faculty - Chemistry
Alan Kaster, Tamiko Por ter
Faculty - English/Language Arts
Tr aci Toler, Mar cella Schombur g, Stella
Thompson
Faculty - Mathematics
Tr udy Dur ham, Sandr a Br own, Cynthia
Gor ton, Natalia Hr itonenko, Laur ette Foster
Faculty - Physics
Sion Mitchell, Pr emkumar Saganti, Br ian
Cudnik, A. Anil Kumar
Faculty - Social Sciences
Amanda Day, Stan Kitzman, Kacie Theusen,
Ar temesia Stanber r y
Contact Information
Prairie View A&M University
(A Member of the Texas A&M University System)
M. Paul Mehta, Pr oject Dir ector
Dean, College of Education
Tel: 936-261-3600
E-mail: mpmehta@pvamu.edu
A. Anil Kumar , Co-Pr oject Dir ector
Head, Physics
Pr ofessor , Electr ical Engineer ing
Tel: 936-261-3130
E-mail: aakumar @pvamu.edu
Royal High School
Nathaniel Richar dson, Pr incipal
Tel: 281-934-2215
E-mail: nr ichar dson@r oyal.isd.esc4.net
PROJECT XLR8
(ACCELERATE)
A High School Redesign Project
A Par tner ship Between
Royal High School and
Pr air ie V iew A&M Univer sity
Mission:
“To provide an environment that
facilitates graduation from high school
and prepares every student for college,
career and life. Every student. No
exceptions!”
Administrators
M. Paul Mehta, Pr oject Dir ector
A. Anil Kumar , Co-Pr oject Dir ector
Edwar d L. Mason, Depar tment Head
Nathaniel Richar dson, Pr incipal
Rick Stor ey, Assistant Pr incipal
Cher yl Fenn, Counselor
Joyce Byar s, Counselor
Walter Fenn, Super intendent
Lawr ence Br andybur g, School Boar d Member
Joy McMahan, Community Repr esentative
Thurgood Marshall College Fund
Eve M. Hall, V ice Pr esident of Pr ogr ams
E-mail: ehall@tmsfmidwest.or g
Jasmin Car ter , Pr ogr am Assistant
E-mail: jcar ter @tmsfmidwest.or g
Tel: 414-273-5245
Funded by the
Thurgood M arshall College Fund
with support from the
Bill and M elinda Gates Foundation
“Nearly everythin g n eeds to chan ge in
s trugglin g s econ dary s chools : curriculum,
in s truction , s tructure, relation s hips , culture
an d leaders hip.” - All Students College-r eady:
Findings fr om The Foundation’s Education Wor k
2000-2006
How is Project XLR8 addressing these
complex issues?
• Customizing lear ning envir onments to
individual student’s pr epar ator y needs and
goals.
• Empower ing the teacher s to go beyond
minimal standar ds in designing and
implementing a r elevant cur r iculum.
• Setting and implementing unifor m r igor in
science and mathematics r equir ements. For
example, consumer math cannot be a
substitute for calculus or technology for
physics.
• Involving students, par ents and community
in the r edesign pr ocess.
“Our high s chools were des ign ed fifty years
ago to meet the n eeds of an other age.
Un til we redes ign them to meet the n eeds
of the 21s t cen tury, we will keep limitin g –
even ruin in g – the lives of million s of
American s every year.” - Bill Gates
W hat are the specific activities of
Project XLR8??
Enhancing the Environment
Redesigning classr oom inter action, making the
inter face mor e conducive for lear ning, with
univer sity faculty in each discipline teaching at
high school at least one day ever y week, and
with labor ator ies designed for enhanced, handson exper ience.
Enhancing the Rigor
Jointly developing lesson plans that incr ease
the depth of topics cover ed, incor por ate
mor e independent and team pr ojects for
concept- and activity-based lear ning designed
to integr ate ideas and knowledge fr om diver se
disciplines, including exper ience with r epor t
wr iting.
Enhancing the Relevance
Exposing the students to car eer s of the futur e,
assisting with car eer plans, demonstr ating
connections of class mater ial and the r eal
wor ld, incor por ating technology.
Enhancing the Relationships
Establishing and sustaining a mentor ing
pr ogr am for students involving school and
univer sity faculty, staff and students.
“In man y other in dus trial coun tries , by the en d of
eighth grade s tuden ts are two years ahead of
American s tuden ts : That's why European s view the
firs t two years of our un ivers ity s ys tem as bas ic
high s chool catch-up” - Annual Winter Meeting of
the National Gover nor s’ Association, 2007
W hy is Project XLR8 Unique?
The Project:
• Addr esses the student’s educational
pr epar ation in a “systemic” manner .
• Builds the cur r iculum fr om the “bottom-up”
while meeting the “top down” standar ds and
r equir ements.
• Incor por ates elements of globalization at
incr easing levels.
• Pr ovides explicit classr oom tr aining and
pr ofessional development oppor tunities to
school faculty and involves univer sity faculty
in the school’s r edesign pr ocess.
W hat are the Elements That Make Project
XLR8 Successful?
• Passionate and dedicated faculty committed
to a common goal.
• Outstanding suppor t fr om administr ation:
school boar d, pr incipal, super intendent,
community and univer sity.
• Peer Mentor ing thr ough the G-For ce and
other gr oups.
• Excellent over sight and suppor t fr om the
sponsor s.