La Promesa: NewSchools’ Video Features How the School Builds a Culture Where Students Excel

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The Aldine ISD campus’ student attendance rates and math scores far exceed their peers in the district and state.

Click on the image to hear Javier’s story and success at La Promesa.

NewSchools, a nonprofit venture philanthropy working to reimagine public education so that all children have the opportunity to succeed, supported Aldine ISD in developing and creating La Promesa, which means “The Promise” in English. The newcomer and dual language experience Choice School opened in August 2021 as a stand-alone school housed within Aldine High School. The Class of 2025 will be the first group of graduates from La Promesa.

Since opening, the campus has shined. In the state’s standardized testing system, STAAR, La Promesa student attendance rates, and math scores far exceed their peers in the district and state. It was among the top-rated campuses in the district in 2022, testing, too, earning a B rating within its first year of opening. Due to the success of La Promesa, NewSchools created a video featuring the campus and a student’s personal and inspiring journey.

VIDEO

According to NewSchools, “La Promesa” is a short film that challenges us to think deeply about how we can build schools that truly cater to the needs of every student. After leaving Honduras, Javier, 16, finds La Promesa, a dual-language high school in Houston that opened with support from NewSchools. Click on the image of Javier or the video below to watch the video below how the school builds a culture where Javier and other newcomers to the United States not only excel academically but also feel empowered to embrace their identities fully and freely.

Executive Director of Transformation Gaby Sierra, La Promesa Principal Ana Fernanda Flores-Bolívar, and Javier joined NewSchools in San Francisco in early October, where the film was screened for the first time. The short film about La Promesa was widely released on NewSchools’ media channels on October 26.

LA PROMESA: NEWCOMER AND DUAL LANGUAGE EXPERIENCE

La Promesa specializes in working with students new to the U.S. (for students who have lived in the U.S. for three years or less) learning English and students who know English but want to strengthen their Spanish skills. In addition to college and career readiness, students learning English and Spanish will sharpen their reading and writing through our innovative dual language program; students receive 50% of their instruction in English and 50% in Spanish. To be considered for admission into the dual program, students must have either already exited the bilingual program or received Spanish instruction previously. Students advancing from a Spanish-English dual language program can also apply for admission.

All students learn in an environment that celebrates diversity and leverages cultural experiences to enhance learning and develop their skill set for today’s interconnected world. La Promesa provides a strong sense of community by building positive relationships with students to ensure strong communication to support their academic and social-emotional needs. We promise to empower students and give them access to high-quality learning experiences and opportunities to help them achieve their dreams and determine their future as high school graduates and bi-literate citizens.

La Promesa Offers

• • Rigorous academics and college-career-readiness
  • Innovative dual language program to perform at or above grade level in academic areas in both languages
  • Career exploration and college field trips
  • Graduate with Seal of Biliteracy — bi-literate, bilingual, and bicultural
  • Sports, competitions, student organizations, and more
  • Social services for families based on need (e.g., health screenings, counseling services, housing assistance)

CAMPUS HISTORY

The ribbon-cutting ceremony of La Promesa in the fall of 2021.

When it opened in the fall of 2021, La Promesa had 150 ninth graders. Starting in the fall of 2023, La Promesa has nearly 350 ninth-, 10th-, and 11th-grade students. The campus has been increasing one-grade level each school year until it becomes a Grade 9-12 program in the 2024-2025 school year.

La Promesa has students from over a dozen countries, including Argentina, Honduras, Mexico, Venezuela, and more. The school also has staff from various Latino and Vietnamese backgrounds. Vietnamese is Aldine ISD’s second-largest newcomer student group.

Principal Ana Fernanda Flores-Bolívar

Principal Flores-Bolívar shared that every day, she sees joy in students’ eyes as they walk our hallways with confidence. Flores-Bolívar shared that students know every staff member at La Promesa has their back and is rooting for them. I can speak for the whole team when I say this is not a job; this is a calling. Every teacher here has their story, their own experience, and their reason for being at La Promesa.

Flores-Bolívar promises every student at La Promesa that the school, which provides a one-of-a-kind experience, will build a solid foundation that prepares them for their future.

For Flores-Bolívar, multiculturalism is the future. Not just here, in the world. The principal and district leaders see La Promesa as an opportunity to be the blueprint for the future. The principal believes that Aldine ISD and La Promesa are creating something special. Everyone knows that “history has its eyes on us, and we will not disappoint.”

CHOICE SCHOOLS APPLICATION FOR THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR

Applications are available online for parents/legal guardians to apply. Find the best school for your child. The programs are open to all students who live in Aldine and the surrounding districts. Our First Choice Schools Lottery is on December 13, 2023. The deadline to guarantee entry into the lottery is December 6, 2023.

LEARN MORE

Learn more about La Promesa by visiting the campus website LaPromesa.AldineISD.org. You can also follow the school on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @LaPromesa_AISD.