Monthly Archives: January 2014

HISD Teachers and Campus Staff Earn $18.2 Million Based on Students’ Academic Progress and Achievement

Superintendent Terry Grier recognizes teachers and staff

Students across the Houston Independent School District achieved significant success in the classroom during the 2012–2013 school year, and the educators most responsible for the gains recently earned financial awards.

Earlier this month, HISD awarded a total of $18.2 million to 5,180 campus-based teachers and staff under the ASPIRE Award Program. ASPIRE award payouts for teachers in core subjects, such as math, science, social studies, and language arts, are based on their students’ academic gains compared to their peers.

“Our teachers embody our core belief in the ability of every child to succeed in the classroom, under the guidance of effective teachers,” HISD Superintendent Terry Grier said. “Every day, campus leaders, peers, parents, families and students thank their teachers for their hard work. This is another way HISD leadership can recognize the highest levels of effective teaching.”

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HIPPY empowers parents to be their children’s first teacher

HISD parent Victoria Bryant had never even heard of the district’s Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) until she tried to enroll her three-year-old daughter at the TSU Charter Lab school recently—but today, she is one of its biggest fans.

“My daughter’s learning a lot of the things that I take for granted, but forget someone actually had to teach me, such as knowing the difference between ‘over’ and ‘under,’” she said. “It’s really broadened her vocabulary.”

Bryant was referred to HIPPY by a TSU Charter staff member after learning that the school was full and could not accept additional students. “She told me there was a program for parents to be their children’s first teachers,” said Bryant, “and while I was trying (to teach my daughter) at home, I really didn’t know what to do, so this came along at the right time. It was perfect. And it’s cool, because it gives me all of the tools that I need.”

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Sterling, YMCPA design progress featured in 2 videos

The planning and design phases of Sterling High School and the Young Men’s College Preparatory Academy are highlighted as community building efforts in two videos released by HISD.

Both schools are being rebuilt into 21st century learning environments under the district’s 2012 $1.89 billion bond program.

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/84870808/ w=320&h=205]
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/84865201/ w=320&h=205]

The videos include input on the projects from students, staff, parents, architects, alumni and community members.

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Dual-language program expanding to 14 more schools this fall

Studies have shown that children enrolled in dual-language programs can benefit tremendously from receiving instruction in two languages. Students in such programs routinely outperform their peers on standardized tests, do better on college-readiness exams such as the SAT, and can earn up to 20 percent more in wages as adults.

That’s why HISD is expanding its dual-language offerings to an additional 14 elementary campuses this fall, and has a six-year plan in place to make the program available in at least half of its elementary campuses by the year 2020.

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‘Kids with Character’ Mentoring Program Debuts in Select HISD Schools

HISD Police, Aramark Education partner to promote character building

The HISD Police Department, together with Aramark Education, has launched a new partnership devoted to promoting positive character building in HISD schools.

The “Kids with Character” mentoring program will recognize elementary students who have displayed outstanding citizenship in their classes. The program kicks off with a festive event on Monday, February 3, at 11 a.m. at Sherman Elementary School, 1901 McKee, Houston, Texas, 77009.

“The Kids with Character program is a wonderful opportunity for HISD police officers to interact with and mentor students in HISD,” HISD Police Chief Robert Mock said. “Students gain valuable perspective from the officers for doing the right things for the right reasons.”

The kick-off will include a celebratory lunch for the first group of “Kids with Character” from Sherman and HISD police officers, as well as a training session for participating campus coordinators. A “Kid with Character” is a student who promotes responsibility, fairness, citizenship, caring, honesty and respect in their school.

Twenty schools will participate in the program, which aims to reduce disciplinary issues and absences by recognizing students for being role models for their peers. Each month, 10 students at each participating school will be recognized during a celebratory lunch with the HISD police officer assigned to their school.

“For 15 years, Aramark Education has provided management of the food service program at HISD, serving healthy meals that fuel students’ academic day,” said Ray Danilowicz, Executive General Manager of Aramark Education/HISD Food Services. “This latest initiative is just one of the ways Aramark Education is committed to helping all students flourish.”

During the monthly lunch, students will receive special certificates from the assigned police officer for becoming a “Kid with Character.” Students who maintain their “Kid with Character” status will be recognized during a special end-of-year program. Lunch for all participating officers will be provided by Aramark Education.

Mark your calendars: Makeup days have been finalized

HISD schools will now be open April 18 and May 26 for students, faculty and support staff to make up the days lost to wintry weather last Friday and this Tuesday.

The decision, made Thursday, adheres to the district’s 2013-2014 calendar adopted by the HISD Board of Education, which designated the Spring Holiday and Memorial Day as makeup days.

The Texas Education Agency mandates procedures for setting calendars and for designating and publicizing makeup days, and the public has an extended opportunity in advance of adoption of the calendar to comment on those days.

The calendar, as well as the 2014-2015 calendar, are posted on this website, as well.

For FAQs on makeup days, go to https://blogs.houstonisd.org/news/2014/01/27/your-make-up-day-questions-answered/.

Students at low-performing HISD schools eligible for transfer

According to the state of Texas, if a student is attending a low-performing school, that student is eligible to transfer to another school. In order to request this transfer, the student must be enrolled in a school that meets either of the following criteria:

• Fifty percent or more of the students at the school did not perform satisfactorily on the STAAR or TAKS tests in any two of the preceding three years;
• The school was identified as low-performing by the Texas Education Agency’s Commission of Education at any time in the preceding three years.

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Attendance matters: Improvement strategies show promising results at two HISD elementary schools

More and more, educators are realizing that attendance is critical to a child’s academic success. In fact, attendance is directly tied to performance – in general, the lower a child’s attendance rate, the lower their grades. Chronic absenteeism (missing 10 percent or more days a year) leads to a greater chance of that child dropping out of school.

HISD’s Family and Community Engagement Dept. (FACE) has been using a new initiative to increase attendance at Franklin and Whittier elementary schools, with positive results. FACE provided professional development for teachers and attendance clerks, a workshop for parents on the importance of attending school, and programs to promote attendance. The attendance plan had three major components: a data-tracking system, a rewards program, and chronic-absenteeism intervention.

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Crews making progress on Delmar Fieldhouse demolition

Exterior views of Delmar Field House, October 25, 2013. (Houston ISD/Dave Einsel)

Before demolition

Construction crews made progress on the demolition of Delmar Fieldhouse on Monday as part of HISD’s plans to level the 55-year-old athletic facility and replace it with a modern complex.

The building, located at 2020 Magnum Road adjacent to the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, will be replaced with a new three-story facility funded by the district’s 2012 $1.89 billion bond program. The 139,000-square-foot facility will include a basketball and volleyball arena, additional locker rooms, training rooms, and athletic storage to accommodate the existing athletic stadium and ball fields.

Workers continue the demolition of Delmar-Tusa Fieldhouse, January 27, 2014. (Houston ISD/Dave Einsel)

Demolition underway

Construction of the new facility, designed by PBK Sports, is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2014 by DivisionOne Construction, the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) selected by HISD to construct the new athletic complex. The design team, the district’s athletic department and HISD’s bond department are developing design concepts and exploring construction phases for the $44.7 million project that is expected to be complete by mid-2015.

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