Readiness | Access | Success

Readiness
Access
Success

RGV FOCUS is a collective impact initiative created in collaboration with Educate Texas and Communities Foundation of Texas. Founded in 2012, our mission is to transform college readiness, access and success in the four counties of the Rio Grande Valley: Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy. We have already achieved measurable improvements in educational outcomes across the region, and we look forward to a future when all Rio Grande Valley learners achieve a degree or credential that leads to a meaningful career.

Our Leadership Team includes representatives from school districts, institutions of higher education, community-based organizations and businesses. Working toward a shared vision, we align resources along the cradle-to-career educational pathway to improve outcomes for 440,000 learners, including pre-K-12 and higher education students. Results are measured along each step of the journey, from pre-K to higher education and into the workforce. Our ultimate goal is to improve quality of life in the Rio Grande Valley — and education is the first step.

Our Mission

Our mission is to transform college readiness, access and success in the four counties of the Rio Grande Valley: Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy.

Our Vision

Our vision is for all RGV learners to achieve a degree or credential that leads to a meaningful career.

We will achieve this by strengthening each step of the educational pathway; better connecting our education system, and aligning community resources to provide the support learners need to succeed throughout high school and postsecondary in order to pursue a meaningful career in the RGV and beyond.

Core Values

 
 
Student Focused
We are focused on students and their experiences, strengths, challenges, and aspirations.
Transformational
The strategies we pursue are transformational both for individual institutions and the RGV at large.
Community
Our work is community centered and depends on the voices of many organizations and individuals across the RGV.
Data-Driven
We are evidence driven in our approach and use shared data and metrics to drive constant improvement across the region.

Our Goals

Our Design: Leading Together

RGV FOCUS transforms college readiness, access and success in the Rio Grande Valley—and we need the support of the entire community to do it. We partner with many organizations and people who share our vision, using a framework called collective impact. In order for this framework to be effective in driving social change, our partnership must meet the following conditions:

Work toward a common agenda.

Our mission and purpose are aligned with those of our partner organizations.

Measure progress by the same yardstick.

We share common goals, and track success collaboratively.

Engage in mutually reinforcing activities.

Each partner’s assets and expertise are valued, and contribute to one another’s success.

Communicate openly.

We communicate with other organizations often, sharing ideas and collaborating.

Serve as a backbone for education initiatives.

RGV FOCUS is a central point that connects education partners and manages collaborations.

How it Works

Our organization’s structure includes the following four groups:

RGV FOCUS uses collective input from these groups to strengthen each step of the educational pipeline. At the core of our work is the Leadership Team, which meets regularly to identify regional assets and needs and to adopt a common vision, goals, strategies and metrics. Action Networks and Advisory Bodies support the Leadership Team’s work, and lead the implementation of the vision and strategy. We also employ an RGV FOCUS backbone staff, which serves the collective as a neutral convener, thought leader and facilitator.

Our Impact: Elevating Success

To learn more about key student achievement indicators across the Cradle-to Career Educational Pathway and view sources for the statistics presented, view the 2021 RGV FOCUS Annual Report.

2021 RGV FOCUS Annual Report