Monthly Archives: January 2012

100 HISD high school athletes to make it official on National Signing Day

Decision time arrives for more than 100 HISD Prep-School Athletes who have braved the courtship of college recruiters seeking their talents in sports including football, basketball, baseball, track and field, swimming, and wrestling. The students will seal their commitments to colleges and universities of their choice on National Signing Day, Wednesday, February 1, 2012.

HISD will hold its National Signing Day Ceremony at 1 p.m. at the Delmar Field House located at 2020 Mangum. (Watch video of Bellaire standout Bianca Winslow.)

National Signing Day is the first day students can sign a letter of intent to play sports for colleges and universities of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The day is widely anticipated by the athletes and fans of college sports.

“We are very excited for our students who have the opportunity to further their education in this way,” said HISD Superintendent Terry Grier. “We want our scholar-athletes to be prepared for the academic rigor and to make the responsible decisions that come along with this opportunity.”

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Report on school breakfast shows Texas outperforms most states; Houston ISD third among big cities

The Center for Public Policy Priorities highlighted two national reports on the National School Breakfast Program. Among the findings:

  • Texas has the highest percentage of schools offering breakfast to students of any state in the nation, with 100 percent of schools offering a School Breakfast Program.
  • The Houston Independent School District ranks 3rd among urban school districts in the percentage of eligible students eating breakfast at school. In the 2010-2011 school year, almost four out of five (78.1 percent) low-income students at Houston ISD participated in the school breakfast program, compared to just over half (56.2 percent) in the previous year.

Click here for the full press release.  

 

 

HISD names new chief high school officer

Orlando Riddick brings experience as teacher, principal, and district administrator to new post

January 30, 2012 – Orlando Riddick, the Austin Independent School District’s director of high school operations, has been named Houston ISD’s chief high school officer.

In Austin, Riddick oversaw 16 high schools serving 15,000 students. Riddick will now guide 67 Houston Independent School District campuses with a combined enrollment of 55,000 students.

HISD Superintendent Terry Grier said Riddick has a history of raising academic achievement levels for students from all backgrounds.

“Mr. Riddick has high expectations for all children and a genuine belief that any student can succeed under the guidance of a quality teacher working in a school led by a great principal,” Dr. Grier said. “He is the ideal person to lead our efforts to raise the achievement bar at every HISD high school.”

Riddick began his education career in 1997 as an English literature teacher in Dallas. He later served as an assistant principal on the middle school and high school levels in Fort Worth ISD. At Thomas A. Edison High School in San Antonio, Orlando served as the lead instructional coordinator with duties that included budgeting, data analysis, and staff development.

Riddick was appointed principal of Warren Travis White High School in Dallas ISD in 2007. He led that predominantly Hispanic campus of 2,500 students to produce the district’s largest measurable academic gain in all areas, creating an environment in which 82 percent of students were college bound. Sixty percent of the students enrolled in Warren Travis White High School were taking advanced-level courses when Riddick was hired to oversee high schools in Austin.

“I am excited to join HISD and continue the transformative work that is already under way in Houston’s high schools,” Riddick said. “HISD’s efforts to boost the level of rigor at all campuses through the Advanced Placement program, the Houston Innovative Learning Zone, and other innovative initiatives are setting a high standard for the rest of the nation.”

A U.S. Army veteran, Riddick grew up in El Paso and is proficient in Spanish. He and his wife Yvette have three children, ages 14, 12, and 10. Riddick will report for duty in HISD after Spring Break in March.

HISD accepting applications for Mandarin Chinese magnet school in Bellaire

HISD’s first ever Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion Magnet School will open in time for the 2012-2013 school year. It will be located at 6300 Avenue B in Bellaire and will initially serve students in the early elementary school grades, with additional grades to be added in subsequent years.

HISD Trustee Harvin Moore, who took the lead in proposing the new school, said it will serve students from throughout the city. “This is a program for everyone,” Moore said, adding that such programs in other U.S. cities have drawn heavy interest from families of all racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Mandarin Chinese is the most spoken language in the world and Texas trade with China has increased more than 600 percent over the past decade. Texas is second only to California among states that do the most business with China.

National leaders in Chinese language and culture education recently visited HISD to discuss the district’s plan to expand programs that teach Chinese language and culture.

Applications are currently being accepted for Pre-K, Kindergarten, first, and second grades for the 2012–2013 school year. Click here for Magnet applications and submit a completed application to the Office of School Choice located at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center. 4400 West 18th St.  Houston, Texas 77092. Telephone: 713-556-6947

Read the full press release (.pdf).

University of Houston partnership gives high school students glimpse of college life

Austin High School student Gwen Martinez has always dreamed of becoming a teacher—and thanks to the school’s magnet program, she is well on her way. Once a week, Martinez and dozens of her classmates visit Cage Elementary School to tutor students and get a feel for what it’s like in the classroom.

 (WATCH VIDEO)

“I believe kids are our future and they deserve the best,” said the high school senior. Martinez plans to attend the University of Houston (UH) in the fall to pursue her career goal. She chose UH in part because of a new collaboration between Austin and the emerging Tier One school.

Through a partnership started this academic year, students at Austin are being paired with students at the local university to get a feel for college life. They’re also getting a chance to interact with professors from the school’s College of Education.

“Not only are the professors collaborating with our students at mini-workshops, but our teachers are being exposed to the university’s research-based strategies,” said Austin Principal Jorge Arredondo. “Our teachers are then putting theory into action, with the goal of raising our standards of instructional delivery and ultimately increasing student achievement.”

Leaders at the University of Houston say they are excited about the opportunities it creates for those pursuing a career in education.

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Peck Elementary among energy-efficient campuses built using $805 million bond program

Peck Elementary, at 5001 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., is LEED certified, with a projected energy savings of 16.5 percent per year.

 HISD Superintendent Terry Grier and Chief Elementary Schools Officer Sam Sarabia joined a host of community notables, activists, elected officials, and former teachers on Jan. 20 to dedicate the new Lora B. Peck Elementary School.

Nearly 350 guests, including former HISD trustee Arthur Gaines, U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, City of Houston Controller Ron Green, Houston Defender Editor Sonceria Jiles, and Melody Ellis, HISD’s first African-American school board president, came to admire the new, energy-efficient campus.

Dr. Grier thanked Peck Principal Carlotta Brown for her dedication and leadership, citing recent challenges with flooding during the weeks leading up to the ceremony. “She was supposed to be celebrating her anniversary, at dinner with her husband,” he said, “but she was here at Peck, making sure each student was safe.”

The dedication program, entitled “Dreams Do Come True,” featured performances by Hanq Neal, minister of music at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, and Ballet Folklorico by Compania Alegria Mexican.

The new Peck campus, which was built with funds from the 2007 Bond Program, is considered a “high-performance” or “green” building, built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.

Key features in LEED schools include the installation of water-conserving plumbing, energy efficient systems and controls, improved air quality, and use of natural light. Peck, which will use 38 percent less water than a similarly built, less-energy-efficient elementary school, is projected to have an energy savings of 16.5 percent per year.

 
New Campuses, Renovations Across the District
Major facility upgrades are happening at schools across the city thanks to the $805 million bond proposal that voters approved in 2007. Thousands of students at 15 elementary schools are enjoying newly constructed campuses, and many more students will have the same opportunity as HISD works to complete six new campuses in 2012 and expands an additional 10 campuses in time for the 2012-2013 school year. To see what’s changing in your neighborhood, visit hisdprojects.com.

After-School Events Cancelled, HISD Transportation Monitoring Road Conditions

All Houston Independent School District after-school events scheduled for today are cancelled because of heavy rains and potential flooding. This includes, but is not limited to, athletics events, club activities, and tutorials.  School administrators will decide at a later date whether those events will be cancelled or rescheduled.

HISD schools will conduct dismissal at their regular time today. Teachers and staff will be released once dismissal is completed.

Employees  in the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center will be dismissed from work at 4 p.m. The HISD Transportation Department is monitoring the weather and road conditions to ensure that students return home safely. Here is a clip from our conversation with Chester Glaude, senior manager of transportation operations.

HISD Monitoring Strong to Severe Storms

HISD is monitoring a line of strong to severe thunderstorms that is expected to move through the Houston area. The district has eight safety investigators stationed across the city to watch for flooding. If water starts to rise, HISD’s transportation department will be ready to take students to neighboring schools outside the flooded area. Dispatchers closely track weather conditions and street closures. They also have immediate access to maps and data from the National Weather Service and the Harris County Flood Control District. The information is shared with bus drivers to help them avoid flooded areas and ensure students’ safety.

HISD teachers and campus staff earn $35 million for boosting student achievement

Superintendent Terry Grier will Visit Two Top Teachers on Wednesday

 January 24, 2012 – Students across the Houston Independent School District achieved unprecedented success in the classroom in 2010-2011, and the educators most responsible for the gains will receive their financial awards on Wednesday.

HISD is paying a total of $35 million to 12,390 campus employees under the ASPIRE Award program that aims to recognize those whose hard work resulted in students making more progress in one year than their peers elsewhere.

HISD students showed significant academic progress in 2010-2011. The number of students not just passing, but scoring at the tougher “commended” level on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills has never been higher. The district’s dropout rate has never been lower under the state’s current reporting system, and the percentage of students graduating from high school on time has never been higher.

Classroom teachers in HISD are receiving the bulk of the ASPIRE Award money – $30.5 million spread among 9,162 teachers. The average ASPIRE Award for teachers is $3,324.26.

This year, four teachers at four different campuses received the highest payout of $10,300. Those teachers are Debra Bunton (Highland Heights Elementary), Marcos Giannotti (Hobby Elementary), Chavis Mitchell (Osborne Elementary), and Stephanie Spurling (Hartsfield Elementary).

“These teachers personify the firmly held belief shared by all members of Team HISD that every child has the ability to excel in the classroom under the guidance of quality teachers working in schools led by great principals,” said HISD Superintendent Terry Grier. “The value that HISD educators bring to our city is immeasurable and these ASPIRE Awards are one way of recognizing the impact they have on our children.”

HISD principals, teachers prepare for new STAAR test

HISD staff review writing samples at Hattie Mae White in preparation for STAAR.

 Sharpen your No. 2 pencils – the state’s new accountability test, STAAR, is just two months away. Ever since the Texas Education Agency began releasing information about the new accountability system, HISD teachers and principals have been hard at work preparing students for the exam. Students in grades 3-8 will begin taking the tests on March 27, with more testing dates in late April. High school students will take the majority of their STAAR EOCs – “end-of-course” exams – during the month of May.

(Click here for STAAR overview video.)

Teacher Development Specialists have been training educators, developing assessments, and using feedback to recalibrate instruction in a way that prepares students for the more rigorous STAAR test. That work continued last week at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center.

STAAR is the new statewide, vertically-aligned, testing system that will replace the TAKS test.

Stephanie Rhodes, principal of Ray K. Daily Elementary School, joined other elementary school principals in reviewing writing samples to better understand the writing portion of the STAAR test.

“At first there was a lot of anxiety, because we didn’t have any release questions or a lot of information. We knew it was going to be more rigorous, but we didn’t know how far of a jump it was going to be,” Rhodes said. “We now have a better understanding of the expectations. I think the district has done a great job getting us information and people to train us on the direction we need to go and what we need to do as leaders to make sure our teachers and our students are successful.”

Rhodes said she is working to make sure her school is prepared. She’s meeting in professional learning communities with teachers during their planning time, helping teachers look at data, and holding parent meetings.

“I think the students know that it’s going to be a more difficult assessment, but they also know they are getting the preparation they need.”

How the district is preparing for the STAAR test:

  • Training for teachers, principals
  • Coaching, co-teaching, and model teaching based on STAAR
  • STAAR-focused assessments and feedback throughout the year
  • Revised spring teaching calendar focused on STAAR standards
  • Recruitment of tutors for high-need campuses

ABOUT STAAR

STAAR is the new statewide, vertically-aligned, testing system that will replace the TAKS test. STAAR will continue to be based on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills – known as the TEKS. The STAAR tests will be more rigorous than TAKS and are designed to measure a student’s college and career readiness. Key dates:

  • March 26-30:English I, II and III, Grades 4 & 7 Writing, Grades 5 & 8 Math and Reading
  • April 24-27: Grades 3, 4, 6 & 7 Math and Reading, Grades 5 & 8 Science, Grade 8 Social Studies
  • May 7-18: Assessment window for EOC subjects (except English I, II and III)

For sample questions, test dates and more information, please visit houstonisd.org/STAAR

HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT STAAR?

Post a comment on HISD’s STAAR Resources blog at hisdstaar.wordpress.com

Follow STAAR on twitter: twitter.com/HISDSTAAR

Trustee Michael Lunceford Elected 2012 HISD School Board President

Outgoing president Paula Harris recognized for her “outstanding leadership and advocacy on behalf of Houston’s school children.”

HISD District V Trustee Michael Lunceford was unanimously elected Thursday to serve as 2012 President of the HISD Board of Education.

The HISD Board of Education officers for 2012 are (L-R): Assistant Secretary Greg Meyers, Second Vice President Juliet Stipeche, President Michael Lunceford, Secretary Rhonda Skillern-Jones, and First Vice President Anna Eastman.

The father of two HISD graduates, Lunceford is a graduate of HISD’s Westbury High School and a Bellaire resident. Lunceford received a bachelor of science degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 1981 and is currently the vice president of engineering for Pedernales Energy.

In his acceptance speech, Lunceford said he chose to wear a neck tie adorned with the images of children, instead of a more traditional “power” tie, to send a message.

“We’re here for the kids. That’s what we need to focus on this year,” Lunceford said. “The power of the kids is going to empower us to do what’s right.”

Lunceford and the rest of the Board also took time to recognize Trustee Paula Harris for her service as president in 2011, presenting her with a plaque acknowledging her “outstanding leadership and advocacy on behalf of Houston’s school children.”

Other Board of Education officers for 2012 are:

  • Anna Eastman, First Vice President
  • Juliet Stipeche, Second Vice President
  • Rhonda Skillern-Jones, Secretary
  • Greg Meyers, Assistant Secretary

Two HISD Schools Win Chance to Test Projects in Space

Two HISD student science projects are cleared for lift off. Johnston Middle School and Parker Elementary School students will have their microgravity experiments included in Mission One to the International Space Station through the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program.

More than 1,000 students submitted proposals and 12 U.S. school communities were given the chance to compete. Johnston and Parker students recently learned that they were among a handful of winning schools whose projects will fly aboard a Soyuz rocket in the spring of 2013.

“The students are just ecstatic,” said Parker science teacher Rebecca Mitchell. “It’s a dream come true. They feel like they can do anything, that any dream can be realized.”

Johnston eighth-grader Emily H. Soice led her school’s winning project. Soice’s experiment explores whether a bioscaffold infused with the TGFB3 protein grows and forms cells faster in microgravity than in normal gravity. Bioscaffold is an artificial structure that can be implanted in the body to serve as a base where tissue can grow.

Soice’s research could lay the groundwork for the growth of replacement tissue, joints, and even organs.

At Parker Elementary School, fifth-grade students Maxx Denning, Michael Prince, and Aaron Stuart will test to see if liquid Vitamin C can preserve bone density in microgravity, which could be helpful to astronauts who stay in space over a long period of time.

Mitchell said the students worked after school, during their lunch break, and even on weekends to create their winning proposal. The students will conduct their Vitamin C experiment using a chicken bone.

“We are splitting a wishbone,” Max said. “Part of it will fly in space and part of it will stay here. It will float in a solution that includes Vitamin C for six weeks.”

Researchers, biologists, physicists and many others from institutions including Baylor College of Medicine, NASA, Rice University, University of Houston and Texas Southern University provided support for the project.

For more information, please visit www.ssep.ncesse.org.