General 4 — Wonder Works

Our Solution

“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 to be addressed in Houston for the growth and prosperity of all our citizens and our economy, and to truly embody Houston’s reputation as the city with no limits.

The Texas Education Agency’s 2020 Report on Public Schools STAAR test results revealed:
• The percentage of Black 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 Black 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, Black 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 Black 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 exposures 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:

BMI outperforms area HISD schools as measured by state testing.
2018 8th grade STAAR exam results: 100% passed the Math STAAR; 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.

Wonderland Schools: Top Performers in City and State

    School
    % Black
    % Economically disadvantaged
    Total Schools
    % Schools A or B
  


    Beatrice Mayes Institute
    97
    75
    2
    100
  

    Arrow Academy
    74
    73
    3
    33
  

    KIPP
    69
    88
    4
    0
  

    The Rhodes School
    84
    72
    4
    0
  

    Two Dimensions Preparatory
    94
    94
    2
    0
  

    Ambassadors Preparatory
    54
    88
    2
    0
  

    Brazos School
    73
    96
    2
    0
  

    Meyerpark Elementary
    76
    94
    1
    0
  

    Texas College Preparatory
    74
    89
    4
    0
  

    The Lawson Academy
    89
    57
    1
    0
  

    The Varnett Public School
    66
    95
    1
    0
  

    YES Prep Public Schools
    62
    89
    1
    0
  

School	% Black	% Economically disadvantaged	Total Schools	% Schools A or B
Beatrice Mayes Institute	97	75	2	100
Arrow Academy	74	73	3	33
KIPP	69	88	4	0
The Rhodes School	84	72	4	0
Two Dimensions Preparatory	94	94	2	0
Ambassadors Preparatory	54	88	2	0
Brazos School	73	96	2	0
Meyerpark Elementary	76	94	1	0
Texas College Preparatory	74	89	4	0
The Lawson Academy	89	57	1	0
The Varnett Public School	66	95	1	0
YES Prep Public Schools	62	89	1	0

Fiscal responsibility

The Wonder Works campaign is the first large-scale fundraising initiative from Wonderland in its 55-year history, because our 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.

TEA Solvency Scores