Yearly Archives: 2012

Grier: “Quality should not be determined by ZIP code”

Superintendent Terry Grier addressed attendees at the American Association of School Administrators’ National Conference on Education at the George R. Brown Convention Center recently to tell them about HISD’s goal to ensure every child in the city is taught by a highly effective teacher. In partnership with The New Teacher Project, Dr. Grier said the Effective Teachers Initiative is producing promising results.

An article on the AASA website provides a recap:

“Quality should not be determined by zip code. Every child should have the same exposure to excellence,” he said. “Every child is entitled to have a quality teacher in every classroom.”

Grier reported that in 2009 the district leadership discovered nearly all teacher evaluations were the same, with only 3.4 percent rated “below proficient.” “But we had students performing below level — the data was not consistent,” said Grier. Continue reading →

Principals “are on the front lines,” crowd is told at Almeda Elementary dedication

Hundreds of students, parents, staff and community members gathered at an official dedication ceremony for Almeda Elementary School’s new building. Among those in attendance were HISD Board of Education Trustee Larry Marshall, HISD School Improvement Officer Karla Loria and Texas State Representative Alma Allen, who recognized Principal Beverly Cage for her commitment to students and education.

“It’s very challenging to move an entire school community, and it’s our principals who are on the front lines,” said Allen, who also donated several books to the school library, including the children’s classic Curious George. “When you have a building with this much new and advanced technology in it, the children will be curious.”

Click here to learn more about new school construction and renovation projects, or visit hisdprojects.com.

Highly effective teachers from other districts invited to “Experience HISD”

Recruiting event designed to showcase the advantages of a career with HISD to external candidates

The Recruitment and Selection team from Human Resources held an interactive info session exclusively for experienced teachers from outside the district on Feb. 11. Placing an effective teacher in every classroom is part of HISD’s plan to transform the district – called the Strategic Direction.

Almost 120 participants attended the event, which included breakout sessions on certification requirements, district benefits, and the new Teacher Development and Appraisal System.

Attendees were also invited to participate in a panel discussion with HISD school improvement officers, principals, and current veteran teachers, after which they met one-on-one with principals and representatives from 44 different schools.

Continue reading →

HISD teachers help develop curriculum for the district

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/31161260]Approximately 280 teachers from across the district have been collaborating with HISD’s Curriculum Department for the past several months to develop a high-powered, standards-based curriculum for all students in the Houston Independent School District.

They meet after school and on weekends, and educators involved in the Curriculum Writing Initiative report that their work has given them fresh insight into the necessity of focusing on standards.

“The curriculum-writing experience has opened my eyes to the importance of aligning our curriculum to the TEKS,” said Kolter Elementary School teacher Sharon Grimm. “This process will make me a better teacher and will ensure that all my students’ needs are met.”

Continue reading →

Dr. Grier Shares Positive Results of Effective Teachers Initiative With American Association of School Administrators

Dr. Grier addressed attendees at the American Association of School Administrators’ National Conference on Education at the George R. Brown Convention Center to tell them about the Houston Independent School District’s Effective Teachers Initiative (ETI), a research-driven plan to ensure that every child in our city, regardless of where they live, is taught by a highly effective teacher. In partnership with The New Teacher Project, Dr. Grier said ETI is producing promising results and allowing our teachers to get the most out of their students.

Click here for the presentation.

BREAKING: TEA Commissioner Defers STAAR 15% Requirement

Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott announced today that is he deferring implementation of the new 15 percent grading requirement connected to the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness end-of-course examinations. The 15 percent rule requires that State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) exam performance count for 15 percent of a student’s final grade.

Click here to read more.

“Healthiest Employer” recognition cites HISD’s new wellness centers, preventive care

In 2010, the district opened the first of two HISD Employee Health & Wellness Centers, one at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center and another at Attucks Middle School.

The Houston Independent School District has been named one of the top 25 healthiest employers in Houston, as rated by the Houston Business Journal. Rankings of the top 25 businesses will be announced at the first annual Houston’s Healthiest Employers Symposium on March 1.

“We’re proud to be one of Houston’s healthiest employers,” said Benefits General Manager Brad Bailey, “and we remain committed to providing our employees with access to high-quality wellness programs so they have the very best opportunities to stay healthy and enjoy life.”
 
The “Houston’s Healthiest Employer” award recognizes organizations that are committed to creating a healthy workplace. The award measures wellness programming in six key categories:

1. Culture and Leadership Commitment

2. Foundational Components

3. Strategic Planning

4. Communication and Marketing

5. Programming and Interventions

6. Reporting and Analysis

Continue reading →

Parents bring questions to HISD’s STAAR info session

School Improvement Officer Anastasia Lindo speaks to parents about the STAAR test.

HISD parents attended an information session Thursday night, hearing directly from a panel of experts representing elementary, middle and high schools; curriculum; and special education. After viewing an overview presentation outlining the differences between TAKS and STAAR and the new requirements high schoolers will face, the session opened up to questions.

Presenters Anastasia Lindo and Richard Barajas, both school improvement officers, emphasized the importance of preparing for the new, more rigorous accountability test.

“STAAR does count,” Lindo said.  HISD will receive a raw score this year, and some students may be required to take summer school as a result of their performance.

Members of the audience asked questions about the new discussion around delaying the 15 percent requirement – which would affect this year’s ninth-graders. Barajas acknowledged there is growing support around an effort to postpone that requirement until next school year.

Questions were also submitted via email and the STAAR Q&A blog.

Several parents asked about provisions for students in special education. Assistant Superintendent Sowmya Kumar spoke to those concerns, emphasizing that accommodations are made on an individual basis. Kumar also emphasized the importance of students working toward the recommended graduation plan.

“Students who take anything but regular STAAR are working toward a minimum high school diploma,” Kumar said. That can limit a student’s choices in the future.

Kumar encouraged parents to contact HISD staff members directly with any questions: “We’ll be happy to talk to you directly.”

House letter to TEA: 15% requirement in first year of STAAR “not fair or good policy”

The Chair of the House Committee on Public Education, Rep. Rob Eissler, has invited House members to co-sign the following letter formally requesting the commissioner to defer implementation of the 15% rule.

Letter to TEA

The letter says the suspension of ratings for districts during the first year – while students are held accountable – is “not fair or good policy.”

For the 2011-2012 school year, districts will not receive an accountability rating as we transition into the new system, but unfortunately our students are being held accountable for all provisions immediately. This is not fair or good policy.

Current law requires that an end-of-course assessment be counted as 15% of a students final grade in a course. We would like to formally request that you defer the 15% provision for the 2011-2012 school year. ……. We strongly believe this action is in the best interest of our ninth grade students.