According to a recent report that ranks all 307 Texas Charter Schools, we are proud to announce that the Big Springs Charter School system, operated by Hill Country Youth Ranch, has been ranked in the top 14 out of 307 state-certified charter schools. The Big Springs Ranch Charter School System is comprised of three school campuses – Ed Brune High School and Ed Brune Middle School (both at Big Springs Ranch for Children near Leakey), and Cailloux Elementary School (Hill Country Youth Ranch, Ingram).

This top 5% ranking for the Youth Ranch Charter School system was determined by high academic accountability ratings and strong fiscal accountability ratings.

The report on exceptional schools was documented in a Policy Brief on February 14, 2007 by the Charter School Policy Institute (CSPI). This Institute is funded by the Walton Foundation, the Gates Foundation, and the Houston Endowment for the purpose of providing high quality information and analysis to policymakers in Texas and across the nation.

Youth Ranch Executive Director Gary Priour says he is extremely proud of the wonderful team of students, teachers and counselors that has made this ranking possible.

Priour declares, "This is an extraordinary achievement. As you can see in the table (below), the other schools in the top 14 are college preparatory schools and magnet schools for the gifted, in mostly affluent neighborhoods. Here at HCYR, we have taken some of the state’s most damaged students, with severe academic deficits, and helped them to get back on track, advancing to grade level at an accelerated pace, in just a few years. Many have excelled beyond what anyone thought possible. That is the primary reason for the high ranking.

"It’s about a committed, high-quality team," Priour adds. "Credit goes to our unique partnership of professional education staff, ranch childcare and clinical staff, and friends like Ed and Trudy Brune and Ken and Sandy Cailloux who saw a need for a quality facility to go with the dream of a quality program in order to give underprivileged and traumatized kids a complete package – the best classroom teachers, loving and trained healers, and a state-of-the-art physical environment.

"It’s working," says Priour, "Superintendent Mike Wood has assembled the finest group of teachers I’ve ever seen in one place. Working with 6 - 8 students at a time, with a professional aide nearby, and professional counselors just down the hall, teachers are helping the students break the patterns of failure that have hounded them in their school lives. Individual students are getting the best out of their days, and becoming what was previously missed by the public school system. Their uniqueness is flowering."

Mike Wood credits the high academic ratings to "hard working students and the highly qualified teachers who have a deep commitment to helping their students achieve. Close collaboration of school staff and ranch residential staff during the school day, along with state-of-the-art educational resources make effective student achievement possible."

Gary adds, "We had some doubts at first – taking on both the education and the treatment of emotionally disturbed children. Could we bring these two disciplines together effectively?"

The answer seems to be clear. Children are thriving; they’re stars of their classrooms. They’re staying in school all day. The test numbers are high. "And," Gary concludes, "we can all breathe a sigh of relief. Any lingering doubts about the wisdom of taking these children into our on-campus Charter Schools can be laid to rest. Many of them would not have stayed in school in the public system. Without an environment that allows them to feel safe enough to risk being embarrassed by revealing the deficits in their knowledge, the simple act of raising a hand to answer a question can be terrifying. Unaddressed, such fears can lead to compounded academic and social failures – and eventually to dropping out."

The lingering trauma of abuse, combined with falling behind in school, are a prescription for failure. And there is only so much time in a child’s life to address the snowball of recurring emotional disturbance and absenteeism in the classroom. Emotional and academic healing must be accomplished simultaneously, and as early as possible in a child’s life.

Hill Country Youth Ranch and Big Springs Ranch for Children received a Charter in 2001 to provide accredited public education for students in an atmosphere that promotes and affirms success. To accomplish this, a team of professionals was gathered from a variety of disciplines. Together, they emphasize the progress of the individual as he or she learns to deal with emotional issues, while continuing to work on academics. Since the opening of the Charter School at Big Springs Ranch in 2001 with a handful of middle schoolers, enrollment has expanded from 16 to 130 students in grades 1 - 12.

Below is a table showing the fourteen top ranked charter schools in the state of Texas.

Right: School librarian Marcy Dorman makes reading hour a special treat at the Mabee Library each day. Above, she reads to the children from a Dr. Seuss book. During the week of March 5 - 9, Marcy and the children celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday through dramatic readings from his books, as well as sharing biographical stories about his life.

Left: Miss Jeannie, 2nd Grade teacher, works one-on-one with Nicole to help her improve her reading skills. Like most of our children, Nicole had not been to school on a regular basis before coming to live at HCYR. Now, she is reading and writing at a level above Texas’ standards for a 2nd Grader. And just as important, she likes going to school!

Right: Austin recording artist Sara Hickman performs for school children during a visit to the Ranch. Sara has been a long-time friend of the program, singing and writing songs for The Children’s Music Project. Through this ongoing Project, artists like Sara help children turn their poetry into songs. Sara has sung on both Youth Ranch CDs (see website, www.youth-ranch.org). Recently, Sara brought her daughter Lily to visit the Ranch and meet the children she has worked with. During the trip, Lily composed and recorded a song in honor of the children, to be used on the Ranch’s next CD, Heart Like a Flower.