This four-part series examines the first-year implementation of the Houston Independent School District’s (HISD) Sunrise Centers. Launched in 2023-24, the Sunrise Centers provide essential noninstructional resources to students and families across seven centers in the district. This series, a collaboration between the Kinder Institute for Urban Research's Houston Education Research Consortium and HISD’s Family and Community Engagement department, explores initial strengths, challenges and recommendations to enhance the program’s impact on family and student well-being.
Key findings
Brief 1 looked at the accessibility of transportation to Sunrise Centers.
- For most HISD students, Sunrise Center locations are accessible within a 10-minute drive or 15-minute walk of several bus stops.
- There are some accessibility challenges, particularly for students living in the Third Ward and Denver Harbor/Port Houston neighborhoods, as well as parts of northwest Houston.
Brief 2 explored the integration of centers with existing on-campus supports.
- Campus staff reported low familiarity with the Sunrise Centers, the services they provide and the process for referring students to them.
- Unfamiliarity and perceptions of inaccessibility were frequently reported barriers for staff to connect students with Sunrise Centers.
Brief 3 focused on data collection and utilization.
- Time-consuming data-entry processes and technology challenges were barriers to efficient service provision.
- Existing data systems were not reliably tracking the services provided, nor the characteristics of students being served.
Brief 4 examined collaboration among stakeholders.
- Sunrise Center staff focused on building rapport with families, although they faced time constraints and often worked longer hours to fulfill their other responsibilities.
- Close relationships with Wraparound Services facilitated service delivery.
- To improve service delivery, Sunrise Centers worked with the community partner organizations they were co-located with.
