Information about the programs provided by the Harris County Department of Education, based on its web site.

Adult Education: Provides literacy services to educationally disadvantaged adults beyond compulsory school age in the Houston/Harris County metropolitan area to combat illiteracy. It includes literacy program providers, business and industry partners, community agencies, the local workforce development board, career development centers, 15 public school districts, and three learning centers.

Alternative Teacher Certification: Trains people to become teachers through a TEA approved program for alternative teacher certification.

Birth to Three Services: HCDE is the host agency for an early childhood intervention program in 13 school districts that helps families with infants who are developing later than other children their age in sitting, walking, talking or playing with toys.

Center for Safe and Secure Schools: Works with school districts to make their campuses safe and secure for children and adults; to provide a safe and secure environment for teaching and learning and to keep children safe during times of crisis.

Choice Facility Partners: A cooperative that brings legally and competitively bid facility contracts to schools, education-related organizations and other governmental entities. Those contracts provide choices so client members can select the contract that best meets their needs. CFP audits contract use and performance to ensure quality and customer service.

Copy Shop: For more than 30 years, the Printing and Visual Communications Department of HCDE has provided design, production, publishing to the educational community at competitive prices. It produces brochures, literary magazines, covers, note pads, business cards, curriculum guides, handbooks, notebooks, calendars, directories, invitations, programs, posters, multi-part forms, carbonless forms, envelopes, certificates, fliers, folders, forms, newsletters, classroom handouts, workbooks

Digital Learning and Instructional Technology: This division promotes educational achievement by providing on-line solutions to deliver quality, cost-effective learning and quality teacher and staff instructional technology training.

Education Foundation: The Education Foundation of Harris County (EFHC) works in partnership with HCDE. It is a conduit for charitable funds that support innovative educational programs and educational initiatives in the 26 Independent School Districts in the county. EFHC believes its mission is to create opportunities for all children with the vision that every child can learn and succeed given the opportunity and education.

Facilities Support Services and Construction and Acquisition: These experienced multi-disciplinary professionals offer professional services to public school districts and governmental entities across the state in the fields of construction management, facilities and building assessment, education adequacy assessment and long range facilities capital planning. They have the ability to increase the value of each dollar spent for real estate and educational facilities through in depth analysis of each project.

Fuel Cooperative: A state-wide program with ten major cities in Texas. It’s designed to work with school districts and government agencies by pooling motor vehicle fuel buying resources and allows them to reduce the administrative costs associated with advertising and costs of putting together and administering contracts.

Food Cooperative (Gulf Coast Cooperative): Allows local governments to save money by purchasing competitively bid food products during a school year.

Grants: The Texas Center for Grants is housed at Harris County Department of Education and is committed to helping schools, nonprofit and community-based organizations develop resources to better serve Texas residents.

Head Start: A federally-funded program for pre-school children from low-income families. It is operated by local non-profit organizations in almost every county in the country. Children attending Head Start participate in a variety of educational activities. They also receive free medical and dental screening, healthy meals and snacks and enjoy playing indoors and outdoors in a healthy setting.

Research: HCDE will collaborate with researchers in the design and implementation of evaluations or research projects to measure the perceptions of students, parents and teachers; needs assessment to identify potential service gaps and outcome studies to establish the degree to which an intervention is effective.

Instructional Technology: HCDE provides many technology training opportunities for teachers, administrators and office staff.

Instructional Support Services: HCDE provides professional development and instructional support to administrators, teachers, support personnel, students, parents, and the community to better provide excellence in education for all students.

Purchasing Cooperatives: The Cooperatives have sales of $100 million dollars combined with numerous cooperative members. The cooperative contracts satisfy the Texas Purchasing Bidding Laws and are available to members and potential members via the interlocal contract. Government Code 791, Interlocal Cooperation Contracts allows agencies to enter into cooperative contracts.

Records Management: Since 1992, HCDE, at the request of several Houston area school districts formed the Records Management Cooperative. The Cooperative provides a crucial service by assisting member school districts by developing records control schedules, providing training, consulting, electronic imaging, microfilming, vital records protection and commercial records center services in accordance with the State of Texas Government Records Act of 1989.

Research and Evaluation: This division works to improve education in Harris County through the scientifically rigorous examination of educational programs. That lets HCDE and districts utilize information to plan and strengthen programs, making them more cost-effective and tailored to client needs for the improvement of the education of children in Harris County.

Resource Development: The division’s purpose is to effectively and efficiently utilize public resources by designing, directing and implementing diversified funding strategies to support programs in Harris County. It also supports HCDE personnel and outside organizations by locating and obtaining funds for new programs and enhancing or expanding existing programs. Since 1999 it has helped bring more than $164 million to the Harris County community to help support county school districts.

Scholastic Art and Writing: HCDE is a regional sponsor for the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards that recognize and celebrate the outstanding talent of young writers and artists throughout Harris County. In 2007, 48 young artists and writers from Harris County won national gold or silver keys for their work.

School Governance, Executive Leadership, and Fiscal Accountability: Conducts research, management/performance reviews, strategic planning, and training/consultation to school board members and administrators. Aimed at providing technical assistance to school districts superintendents and boards regarding school governance, promising leadership practices, fiscal accountability, and current research.

Special Schools: Operates three programs - The Academic and Behavior Centers (ABC) are special education alternative schools that provide specialized instruction and behavioral management plans for special needs students age five through twenty-two. The Highpoint Schools serve expelled and adjudicated youths. The Zenith Project is a short term program for students with demonstrated deficiencies in basic social skills.

Therapy: The Therapy Services Division provides assessment, intervention, consultation, training, and direct service to or on behalf of more than 7,000 children with disabilities or who are at risk of developmental delays. It has a professional staff of more than 150 specialists including physical therapists, psychologists, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, art therapists, music therapists and counselors. They travel to schools, homes, and daycare centers to work with children and families from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds throughout the county.