Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Chinquapin Prep is Texas’s premier private college preparatory boarding school for underserved students in grades 6-12. The co-ed upper school students and faculty families reside on the 60-acre campus that they proudly maintain and call home. The school is almost exclusively privately funded and all students are on sliding scale scholarships. Acceptance to a four-year college program is a graduation requirement, and 86% of Chinquapin graduates go on to receive college degrees and to be contributors and catalysts for positive change in their communities. The mission continues to thrive because Chinquapin upholds the promise that our students are the leaders who will transform future generations.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Chinquapin Preparatory School
Chinquapin is a positive, uplifting, familial community working towards the same goal - college acceptance and graduation. Our day students are bussed in and out of Houston daily, while our 5-day boarding students are members of Living-Learning Communities in our on-campus dormitories. Through our wide range of elective and sporting activities, students learn to work together in a creative and respectful environment which helps them develop leadership skills that translate into the real world.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
TAAPS 2022
External reviews

Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of teachers involved in school-wide decisions about student learning
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Chinquapin Preparatory School
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of students who demonstrate writing ability
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Chinquapin Preparatory School
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of teachers retained after 12 months
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Chinquapin Preparatory School
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of educators who have opportunities to attend programs offered by professional organizations
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Chinquapin Preparatory School
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of administrators and staff who plan and experience professional development activities together
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Chinquapin Preparatory School
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of children who have a sense of their own feelings and an ability to express empathy for others
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Chinquapin Preparatory School
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of students per teacher during the reporting period
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Chinquapin Preparatory School
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of students who feel their program structure provides opportunities to engage in interdisciplinary work
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Chinquapin Preparatory School
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of program participants who receive a secondary school diploma or GED
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Chinquapin Preparatory School
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of children who have the ability to use language for expression and to communicate with others
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Chinquapin Preparatory School
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of students per classroom during the reporting period
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Chinquapin Preparatory School
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of students enrolled in service-learning courses
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Chinquapin Preparatory School
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Through its rigorous curriculum and an emphasis on community service and earning what one receives, Chinquapin Prep aims to produce responsible, well-educated citizens who will become constructive leaders in the community.
Chinquapin’s emphasis on rigorous academics in a supportive community results in a variety of impressive outcomes:
Year after year, our ACT average is 20% higher than the national average.
100% of our seniors are accepted into at least one four-year college, and many students are accepted to top schools such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Columbia, Rice University, Notre Dame, among others.
Over 85% of Chinquapin grads earn a four-year degree or are on track for completion, far higher than the typical success rate of 10% for low-income students nationally. Of that 85%, more than one-third go on to earn post-graduate degrees. Alumni have served as President and Treasurer of our Board of Trustees.
Our students receive a remarkable array of scholarships. The 17 graduates of the 2020 class earned nearly $700,000 in college scholarships and grants for their freshman year.
In the last eight years, 16 students have been named Posse Scholars by The Posse Foundation. The Class of 2020 includes two Posse students, one at Carleton College and another at Colby College.
Each student is given opportunities that develop a sense of responsibility and leadership skills through the Student Leadership Committee, the National Honor Society, Interact Club, chore and kitchen crews, athletics, our Campus Ambassador Program and Ladies of Chinquapin, a high school group that promotes women’s empowerment.
Chinquapin students participate in a demanding college-preparatory program with educational opportunities designed to cultivate a lifelong enthusiasm for learning. They have access to advanced courses and receive college counseling and faculty support to ensure success in their classes and to attain their postsecondary goals. A low student-teacher ratio (7:1) means students receive a great deal of personalized attention. Students mentor one another, creating a culture of peer support and encouragement. We offer AP courses in the following areas: English Literature and Composition, English Language and Composition, Calculus AB, Environmental Science, Biology, Physics, U.S. History, Spanish Language and Composition, Spanish Literature and Composition, and Computer Science. Teachers live on campus and are available to help with homework and life lessons.
Chinquapin lives by its motto, quid pro quo, literally ‘something for something.’ Figuratively, it means paying it forward, having skin in the game, always being a contributor. All students give back to the school and their community in return for their education.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
What Sets Us Apart: High Academic Expectations and a Strong Emphasis on Giving Back
Chinquapin students participate in a demanding college-preparatory program with educational opportunities designed to cultivate a lifelong enthusiasm for learning. They have access to advanced courses and receive college counseling and faculty support to ensure success in their classes and to attain their postsecondary goals. A low student-teacher ratio (7:1) means students receive a great deal of personalized attention. Students mentor one another, creating a culture of peer support and encouragement. We offer AP courses in the following areas: English Literature and Composition, English Language and Composition, Calculus AB, Environmental Science, Biology, Physics, U.S. History, Spanish Language and Composition, Spanish Literature and Composition, and Computer Science. Teachers live on campus and are available to help with homework and life lessons.
Although Chinquapin’s primary focus is academics, athletics and extracurriculars provide important opportunities for students to gain confidence, learn about leadership, teamwork, and sportsmanship.
Chinquapin lives by its motto, quid pro quo, literally ‘something for something.’ Figuratively, it means paying it forward, having skin in the game, and always being a contributor. All students give back to the school and their community in return for their education. They all physically add to the school by performing daily chores: cleaning dorms/classrooms, washing dishes, or mowing lawns. Chore crews are cross-graded; upper class captains teach younger students by example.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Only a few other college preparatory boarding schools specifically for underserved students exist nationwide, and we are proud of the fact that Chinquapin is the only one in the state of Texas that is answering the needs of this population in such a specific way. Chinquapin’s emphasis on rigorous academics in a supportive community results in a variety of impressive outcomes:
Year after year, our ACT average is 20% higher than the national average.
100% of our seniors are accepted into at least one four-year college, and many students are accepted to top schools such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Columbia, Rice University, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Baylor, Smith, Duke, Bryn Mawr, Northwestern, The University of Virginia, Emory, The University of Texas, and Texas A&M, among others.
Over 85% of Chinquapin grads earn a four-year degree or are on track for completion, which is far higher than the typical success rate of 10% for low-income students nationally. Of that 85%, more than one-third go on to earn post-graduate degrees. Alumni have served as President and Treasurer of our Board of Trustees.
Our students receive a remarkable array of scholarships. The 17 graduates of the 2020 class earned nearly $700,000 in college scholarships and grants for their freshman year.
In the last eight years, 16 students have been named Posse Scholars by The Posse Foundation. The Class of 2020 includes two Posse students, one at Carleton College and another at Colby College.
Each student is given opportunities that develop a sense of responsibility and leadership skills through the Student Leadership Committee, the National Honor Society, Interact Club, chore and kitchen crews, athletics, our Campus Ambassador Program and Ladies of Chinquapin, a high school group that promotes women’s empowerment.
Chinquapin provides a rigorous and hands-on, college preparatory education in a supportive environment to students with high potential and the desire to attend college. Our emphasis on academic achievement and community service helps students develop a sense of ownership and strong ties to their community and creates heightened commitment to serving as an active, contributing citizen. Our rigorous college-prep curriculum is exclusively developed by our highly qualified teachers in science, mathematics, social studies, language arts, foreign language, and fine arts.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
About 25 miles east of Houston lies a small school full of success stories. Since 1969 this rigorous, college preparatory school has pursued the sole mission of serving students from Houston’s underserved communities. Here, we are a family of co-ed students in grades 6-12 and the faculty that not only instruct them but help them to develop life skills.
Chinquapin is a unique school on a 60+ acre campus, formerly a chicken farm. Here, a Quid Pro Quo or Something for Something mentality teaches us to develop skills for success in college and beyond. Through a rigorous education, Chinquapin students learn lessons on character development, community, self-reliance, grit, and integrated academics that all foster success as students and responsible citizens in today’s world. Chinquapin stands firmly amongst the top college prep schools in Texas. Five decades of graduates say Chinquapin defined them, positioned them for success, and changed their life trajectory. Chinquapin alumni see themselves as participants rather than spectators in their world.
Chinquapin is a positive, uplifting, familial community working towards the same goal - college acceptance and graduation. Our day students are bussed in and out of Houston daily, while our 5-day boarding students are members of Living-Learning Communities in our on-campus dormitories. Through our wide range of elective and sporting activities, students learn to work together in a creative and respectful environment which helps them develop leadership skills that translate into the real world.
Chinquapin graduates are prepared to excel in college and beyond. Bob Moore, a former head of the English Department at St. John’s School in Houston and his wife, Maxine, founded to be a supportive, college preparatory community for Houston’s underserved students. The school relies on the work of its inhabitants to meet its basic needs. Each student has a daily job that develops a sense of usefulness and responsibility. Our students have a strong sense of who they are and what it takes to be a responsible and contributing citizen and member of the community. Today, Chinquapin’s largest class consists of 24 students with a 7 to 1 student to teacher ratio. At Chinquapin, every student belongs, each is successful, and all learn that what they do matters.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
This year’s diverse student body is made up of 146 sixth through twelfth graders (87% Hispanic/Latino, 6% African American, 4% Asian, 4% Caucasian). A majority of our students meet federal guidelines for nutrition assistance, so our tuition is set on a sliding scale (between $35 and $350+ a month), roughly 4% of the $18,000 annual tuition. All families receive financial assistance, with the average award amount totaling about 97% of the tuition. 80% of the students in the Class of 2022 will be the first in their families to attend college.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Community meetings/Town halls, Constituent (client or resident, etc.) advisory committees,
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
All professional development centers around: (1) social and emotional learning; (2) culturally responsive teaching; (3) anti-biased/anti-racist curriculum and instruction; and (4) mental health & trauma-informed instruction. Providing leadership and social-emotional learning skills are the foundation for students to benefit from an equitable education. Increased attention to developing soft skills results in achievement in other areas of the community, including academics. Character: Leadership courses Connection: Student-teacher, teacher-teacher, teacher-parent Community: Board, faculty/staff, students, parents, donors Collaboration: Partners, networking, donors, alumni, support network (counseling) Communication: All stakeholders board, faculty/staff, students, parents, donors
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,
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How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship?
By requesting feedback and implementing change as a result, we demonstrate our willingness to adjust to meet the needs of our community. We have also encouraged community stakeholders to take a seat at the decision-making table. We have alumni and faculty representatives on our board. Our parents' association assists with decision-making regarding student activities on campus.
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded,
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback,
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Chinquapin Preparatory School
Board of directorsas of 09/08/2022
Ms. Marcella Watkins
Mary Peterson
Community Volunteer
Alan Ratliff
StoneTurn Group LLP
Gardner Dudley
Valedor Partners
Sarah Callahan Baker
Community Volunteer
Williams W. Heinzerling
Breakthrough Houston
Reagan Kneese
Palisade Pipeline LLC
Byron Willeford
Mark Dalton
Cambridge Associates
Steven Salters
Grant Thornton, LLP
Ryan Synnott
UBS Investment Bank
Roger Greenberg
Sponsel Miller Greenberg
Jenny Lissonnet
Community Volunteer
Guadalupe Navarro
Law Office of Guadalupe Navarro
Brian Williams
Barton Bentley
Fizer Beck Webster Bentley & Scroggins, PC
Sarah Aguirre
Plains All American
Samuel F. Bowen, Jr.
SpillSystems
Christie Cardon
King & Spalding
Al Galik
NRG Energy
Luke Gilman
Jackson Walker
James Lewis
Community Volunteer
David D. Medina
Rice University
Michelle Nasser, Ph.D.
Dorothy Scrutchin
Chinquapin Prep
Robert Trainer, III
Gyrodata
Marcella Watkins
Community Volunteer
Jamila M. Brinson
Jackson Walker, LLP
Ryan Synnott
Morgan Stanley
Donald Johnson, PhD
Bristol Myers Squibb
Conra Gist, PhD
University of Houston
Rosemary Anthony, EdD
Ganesa Collins
St. John's School
Israel Favela
City of Houston
Tyrone Hill, III
Cristina Garcia Gamboa
Neste Renewables
Eileen Westerman, EdD
Mauricio Vazquez
Harris County Public Defender's Office
Jeffrey Wefel, PhD, ABPP
MD Anderson Cancer Center
William Musick, PharmD
The Methodist Hospital
Evelyn Valdez Capetillo
McKesson
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 05/12/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.