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Alief ISD says Young Innovators Summer Academy enrollment rose and students outperformed district averages on STAR
Summary
District officials reported that the Young Innovators Summer Academy (YISA) expanded from 55 to about 130 participants across additional campuses and that participating students outperformed district peers on STAR assessments, according to the presentation to the board.
Alief ISD presented results Tuesday for its Young Innovators Summer Academy (YISA), reporting increased enrollment, expanded sites and higher assessment performance for participating students.
Brandy Brotherton, director of Advanced Academics and Postsecondary Outcomes, told the board that YISA grew from serving 55 students in its first year to about 130 students this past summer after adding additional campuses. Brotherton described this as an enrollment increase of 160% and said participating students “outperformed the district by 38 points in RLA reading and by 31 points in math” on STAR comparisons for the same elementary feeders named in the presentation.
Katrina Harris, YISA coordinator, said the program’s growth allowed expansion to a second site and that YISA students consistently scored higher than peers on STAR, SIA and CBA measures in both reading/language arts and math. Harris framed the program as part of a feeder strategy intended to increase access to accelerated coursework—such as Algebra I in eighth grade—while also deepening family engagement.
Instructor Charice Ponder and student Christopher Gonzales spoke to the program’s classroom experience. Gonzales, a Horn STEM Elementary student, described building a robotic dog in the academy and said the experience helped him build confidence, collaboration and public speaking skills. His father, Isaiah Carras Correa, told the board that he had seen changes in his son’s confidence and teamwork after YISA participation.
Brotherton and Harris asked the board to view the program as an investment in students’ academic trajectories and said they plan continued expansion in year three. The presentation did not include new funding requests during the meeting; it was provided for the board’s information.
