Our Solution

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“All of us ... in the culture as a whole are called to renew our minds if we are to transform educational institutions—and society—so that the way we live, teach, and work can reflect our joy in cultural diversity, our passion for justice, and our love of freedom.”

— bell hooks

Education Inequity

Inequality in teaching and schooling remains a critical issue that must be addressed in Houston to ensure the growth and prosperity of all our citizens and our economy.

  • The Texas Education Agency’s 2020 Report on Public Schools STAAR test results revealed:

    • The percentage of African-American students who tested at grade level or above on Grade 8 mathematics was 25 points lower than White students, and economically disadvantaged students scored 8 points lower than the State average

    • The percentage of African-American students who tested at grade level or above on Grade 8 science was 32 points lower than White students, and economically disadvantaged students scored 12 points lower than the State average

  • The National Center for Education Statistics reports only 67 percent of students in Texas performed at or above the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) Basic 8th grade reading level in 2019.

    • However, African-American students had an average NAEP score 29 points lower than that for White students, and

    • Low-income students (those who were eligible for the National School Lunch Program), had an average score that was 24 points lower than for non-eligible students.

 

The Wonderland Way

Wonderland schools have been creating opportunity for the African-American community to thrive in the Third Ward for over half a century—we call it the Wonderland Way.

Rigorous, well-rounded, mastery-based education...

  • Deep, long-term relationships between teachers, students and families, enabled by small class sizes and cross-grade “clusters”

  • A unified, collaborative, and interdisciplinary teaching team

  • A commitment to continuous improvement to bring every teacher to “expert” level

...delivered by passionate, highly experienced teachers...

  • “Above grade level” instruction

  • Honors cultural heritage and allows students to explore who they are

  • Infused with STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math

  • Intentional exposure to enriching career and civic engagement opportunities

...enabled by a nurturing, high expectations environment.

  • Safe, inclusive, joyful environment that fosters school spirit and a love of learning

  • “Sweat the small stuff“ culture—laser-focused on academic excellence and character-building

  • Close, open partnerships with families to support students on path to success

Academic Performance

At Wonderland Private School and the Beatrice Mayes Institute, we have created a supportive, culture-affirming environment that fosters educational excellence. This approach has resulted in extraordinary outcomes for our students:

  • 2018 8th grade STAAR exam results: 100% passed the Math STAAR and 97% passed the Reading STAAR.

  • The Smithsonian Science Education Center selected BMI school leaders to mentor peers in the effective implementation of STEM programming.

  • BMI regularly earns distinction designations in closing performance gaps, post-secondary readiness, Reading, Science and Social Studies from the Texas Education Agency.

  • For two consecutive years, BMI students have placed 1st in Robotics, Photography and other categories of the C-STEM Challenge, a highly motivating STEM competition.

  • BMI outperforms area HISD schools as measured by state testing.

A Children at Risk study from 2018 showed that there are 46 African-American majority charter schools in the state of Texas, and only 5 of them are A- or B-ranked schools. Beatrice Mayes Institute elementary and middle school programs represent two of those five programs.

Fiscal Responsibility

Wonderland’s leadership has always been fiscally prudent and committed to a self-sustaining model of fiscal governance. In fact, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) awarded the Beatrice Mayes Institute a Charter FIRST “A” grade and gave BMI’s financial operations a 100 score.

  • 100/100

    Overall Charter FIRST Score

  • 10/10

    Cash on Hand

  • 10/10

    Assets to Liabilities

  • 10/10

    Revenues Equal or Exceed Expenses

  • 10/10

    Debt Service Coverage Ratio

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“I believe that African American children need a place to call their own. They need opportunities to learn about their heritage from people who look like them and who understand the demographics of where they live. BMI has a reputation for expanding and broadening the student’s understanding of African American culture.”

— parent of a Beatrice Mayes Institute student