Tag Archives: technology

Attucks Middle School Wins T-STEM Designation

Teachers and students at HISD’s Attucks Middle School will soon be reaping the benefit of a new STEM-based partnership, thanks to the campus’ newly acquired status as a Texas Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (T-STEM) Academy.

The school was designated a T-STEM Academy for the 2012–2013 school year by the Texas Education Agency, which means educators there can now access professional development opportunities, receive technical assistance, and network with other STEM academies to share best practices.

The school has already forged such a partnership with nearby Jones High School, which became a magnet school for STEM studies in the 2011–2012 school year (see related story here). Called the Jones-Attucks Collaborative (JAC-STEM), this arrangement will enable teachers and leaders from Jones to work directly with their peers at Attucks.

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HISD to Launch Parent Super Centers powered by Microsoft technology

The Houston Independent School District and Microsoft are partnering to launch new Parent Super Centers across the district in an effort to promote parent engagement on campus.  The district will be unveiling one of the five new Parent Super Centers on Friday, May 25 at 10 a.m. at Sam Houston MSTC High School (9400 Irvington).

“Research shows that increased parent engagement on campus leads to increased academic performance of students,” said HISD Superintendent Terry Grier. “HISD is committed to providing resources on campus to help parents become more involved in their children’s education.”

Each new HISD Parent Super Center will have 12 desktop computers fully loaded with the latest version of Microsoft Office, internet access, laser printers and other software.

In today’s digital world it’s essential for parents, students and members of the community to have access to technology, which is why we are delighted to partner with HISD,” said Lori Aulds, Microsoft’s education sales director. “Microsoft has been and will always be committed to providing people with the training, education and tools needed to improve their digital literacy skills and grow in today’s economy.”

In addition, parents will receive computer training through Parent Engagement and curriculum provided by Microsoft to help them be computer savvy and master basic computer skills. 

These centers will be available for parents to use before and after school, during summer school and on Saturdays during tutorials. 

In addition to Sam Houston, HISD Parent Super Centers will be located in the following schools:

  • Sutton Elementary, 7402 Albacore Drive
  • Kelso Elementary, 5800 Southmund
  • Deady Middle School, 2500 Broadway
  • Hartman Middle School, 7111 Westover

HISD Hosts National Education Leaders for League of Innovative Schools Gathering

The Houston Independent School District hosted some of the country’s most innovative education leaders on Monday, March 19 for the second meeting of the League of Innovative Schools.

The League is an alliance of school districts committed to working with entrepreneurs, researchers, thought leaders and leading education companies to dramatically increase student achievement.  The League was launched in partnership with the U.S. Department of Education and Digital Promise, the new national center created by Congress to advance breakthroughs in education with technology.  The purpose of this initiative is to spur innovation in education and prepare all students to thrive in a 21st century economy.

HISD is one of 35 school districts across the country chosen to join this initiative.

Monday’s meeting explored the League’s role in transforming the education technology market.  Some of the League’s key initiatives include: accelerating the innovation cycle with real-time evaluations of education technologies, scaling innovation and sharing best practices on how to effectively use technology, and improving the K-12 marketplace by informing consumers and aggregating demand.

Among the speakers were Brad Allan, program manager from Harvard Education Innovation Laboratory; Jonathan Guryan, associate professor of human development and social policy and economics at Northwestern University; and Zoran Popovic, director of the Center for Game Science.