84 HISD grads now have diplomas plus degrees or workforce certifications
Many of the students who graduated in the first cohort of the HISD Futures Academy are the first in their family to attend college, aspire to be leaders, and have big dreams for their future.
Some dream of leaving behind their old neighborhoods and leading their families to a better livelihood by becoming architects, engineers, entrepreneurs or computer game developers. Continue reading
The Houston Independent School District earned an overall “Met Standard” rating, according to school accountability results released today by the Texas Education Agency (TEA).
The number of HISD campuses awarded a Met Standard rating also grew. Nearly 83 percent of the schools met all required performance standards, compared to 78 percent in 2012-2013.
“The work we are doing to address schools that were falling behind in student achievement is paying off,” said HISD Superintendent Terry Grier. “There is still more work to be done, but we are headed in the right direction. We will continue to find ways to close the performance gap and improve student achievement.”
Even though it was billed as a “Welcome Back” rally for HISD administrators Friday at Chavez HS, Superintendent Terry Grier was quick to make a distinction. “It’s a ‘we never went anywhere’ event,” he said, thanking the hundreds of employees who worked through the summer.
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Among those Grier acknowledged were the principals at 29 of the district’s schools that offered extended-year programs for students through last week, and those who worked on the district’s new Linked Learning approach that creates a single pathway for academic rigor and career preparation with 40 pilot schools, the second phase of the PowerUp one-to-one laptop initiative, which will add 18 high schools, and expansion of dual language programs to a total of 28 HISD campuses.
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More than 700 teachers from 38 schools in Houston ISD and surrounding districts got together at Lamar High School on Aug. 7-8 for International Baccalaureate training.
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The districts collaborated on this training because it is cost effective. Workshop leaders came from across the U.S., Canada and Mexico to share their knowledge and experience.
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More than 60 educators spent the first week in August exploring ways to implement science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities in their classrooms.
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The emphasis of the STEM Summer Institute, which was hosted by Office of Innovative Curriculum and held at the Kingdom Builders Center, was on building capacity in engineering, coding, and robotics, as well as 3D printing. The goal is to implement components of the program in third- through eighth-grade classrooms throughout the district.
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Houston ISD students saw an increase in their SAT math, reading and composite scores during the 2013-2014 school year, according to a recent college readiness report from the College Board. Students who took the college entrance exam on HISD’s SAT School Day in April improved their reading scores by six points and their math scores by four points. Continue reading
Long Academy student Jheysson Menendez imagined what his life would be like if he was a mail clerk with an annual salary just over $29,000.
“I have to cut back on my phone and cable bill,” Menendez said while making a budget during a financial literacy session Wednesday at the Junior Achievement Finance Park, an interactive community with business models created to teach students about career readiness, entrepreneurship, and money management.
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Students were given real-life scenarios that consisted of a job, family, and home during the session, which was part of the Futures Academy Enrichment Week held Monday through Wednesday for rising 10th graders interested in applying for the academy. The academy offers students the opportunity to receive college credit, career training and industry credentials to provide them with options for a promising future after high school. Continue reading
An organization is dubbing the first day of school National Fathers Take Children to School Day.
The “Million Father March” movement is being organized by The Black Star Project, which is based in Chicago, to encourage fathers to take an active role in their children’s education. The Black Star Project is requesting employers to give men a few hours off of work, with pay, so they may take their child to school and participate in any activities for parents a school may have planned.
Many Houston ISD schools, including Jack Yates High School, are encouraging fathers of students to take part in the movement. Continue reading
Help HISD get dropouts back in school by volunteering for the 2014 Grads Within Reach walk.
This year’s event will be held at 24 high schools from 8 a.m. to noon on Sat., Sept. 6, 2014. Volunteers will be placed in teams and fan out across the city, based on the school to which they are assigned, and visit the last known address of students who dropped out or didn’t show up for the first weeks of school. Continue reading
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The new Booker T. Washington High School being built under the 2012 bond program will showcase the school’s engineering program through dynamic academic spaces that encourage collaboration and project-based learning.
