The Holdsworth Center

What it reported doing in 2024

The holdsworth partnership is a multi-year investment designed to help school districts grow a strong bench of outstanding leaders at all levels - with a focus on sitting and aspiring principals. The partnership begins with the district leadership program. Superintendents and their team embark on a two-year journey that includes learning sessions with some of the nation's top leadership experts, intensive leadership training from the organization's expert program team, and study of high-performing organizations in and outside the education sector. Executive coaching is integral to reinforce on-the-job application of learning and to support crucial issues impacting their district. A cornerstone of the organization's model, its district support team embeds in partner districts throughout the partnership, working together with central office leaders to strengthen their principal pipeline. In year two of the partnership, the campus leadership program begins. Cohorts of school principals and their teams take a two-year learning journey similar to district leaders. Principals also receive executive coaching to help them set and reach leadership development goals. Campus teams also tackle a significant challenge tied to school culture and student outcomes. Rolled out in four phases, the program aims to serve approximately 50% of campuses in each partner district over the course of the partnership. The holdsworth leadership collaborative is an 18-month program designed to help district leaders build a strong bench of aspiring principals who are ready to step into school leadership positions when they arise. A team of three, the superintendent and two district leaders, work with holdsworth staff to define what great leadership looks like in their district and to design systems and structures to sustain their school leadership pipeline. The superintendent leadership program is an 18-month program that supports superintendents as they navigate unprecedented challenges while serving in a role that impacts educational quality for scores of Texas students. The program provides development in the most challenging, high-stakes and high-leverage aspects of the superintendent's job, as well as support from a network of peers and executive coaching from holdsworth's superintendents-in-residence. The aspiring superintendent accelerator is a yearlong program for aspiring superintendents designed to help them master the skills needed to be an exceptional superintendent from day one. Aspiring superintendent insights is a two-day experience designed to give leaders insight into the superintendent role and their own strengths and areas of growth as they consider pursuing the position. The Texas school board institute is a three-day institute that offers leadership training to superintendents and their newly elected trustees.the holdsworth center's campus on lake austin serves as a permanent home for public school educators to develop as leaders, a place they will return to time and again to grow, learn, collaborate, reflect and gather inspiration to take back to their districts.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 75%; rating input score 75
• Program expense ratio: 79.4%; rating input score 79
• Fundraising efficiency: $30.14 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 88.2%; rating input score 88; 20th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 14.5%; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 6.26; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 9.3%; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 23.5% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 0% per year; rating input score 100; 8th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 18.2% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings