Author Archives: HISD Communications

HISD announces new college and career readiness initiatives

The Houston Independent School District on Thursday announced the creation of new programs to expand college and career readiness opportunities for students across the district:  Launch HISD and Project Explore.

The new programs are under the newly established Office of Strategy and Innovation led by EMERGE founder Rick Cruz.

Launch HISD is a comprehensive college and career readiness and advising program. The program will serve students at every middle and high school campus in the district, expanding advising and college and career exploration for larger groups of students. The Launch HISD curriculum will incorporate college visits and career exploration, and will include a capstone college or career readiness project that every middle school participant will have to complete to develop their personalized graduation plan.

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HISD fifth- and eighth-graders make strides in math and reading on STAAR exams

Fifth- and eighth-grade students in the Houston Independent School District achieved significant gains in both reading and mathematics on the first administration of the STAAR test.

Passing rates in math showed improvement from last year, as both fifth- and eighth-graders posted an increase at every performance level. Of note, HISD fifth-grade students saw their strongest growth in math at the Meets Grade Level Standard with a gain of 6 percentage points. Eighth-grade students showed the most growth in math at the Approaches Grade Level Standard with a gain of 5 percentage points from the previous year.

From 2015 to 2018, HISD students have achieved double-digit gains at the Meets Grade Level Standard in mathematics. HISD fifth-graders reaching that level increased 13 percentage points, while eighth-graders improved by 15 percentage points.

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Austin HS undergoes demolition to make room for new facility

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Demolition is underway at Austin High School, where crews are working to bring down the back section of the building along South Lockwood Drive, making way for a new $79.6 million campus.

Asbestos abatement will be completed this month, and demolition already has been completed on the water tower, agriculture building, and workshop. The remainder of the demolition is expected to wrap up in June. Continue reading →

New Washington HS set to open for the 2018-2019 school year

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When students enter the new Washington High School this fall, they will be greeted by a prominent image of civil rights activist and educator Booker T. Washington.

This year marks the 125th anniversary for the school, which was built in 1893 as the city’s first African-American high school.

Washington Principal Carlos Phillips said he is excited to move into the new school and looking forward to presenting the facility to the community.

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HISD Board of Education to consider recommendation for external audit

Trustees to be briefed on preliminary STAAR results and plans for possible November bond referendum

The Houston Independent School District Board of Education on Thursday will consider a recommendation from the Audit Committee calling for an external performance audit.

The board’s regular monthly meeting begins at 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 10, 2018, in the Manuel Rodríguez Jr. Board Auditorium of the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, 4400 W. 18th St. Click here to view the full agenda.

The Audit Committee is recommending an external performance audit be conducted in order to ensure HISD is utilizing scarce resources as efficiently and effectively as possible to inform decision-making and budgeting by the board and administration for the 2019-2020 school year and beyond, and to build public trust by exhibiting good stewardship of public dollars.

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Worthing HS students lead Bastian ES scholars on School to College Pipeline

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Students from both campuses participate in five college tours

College-bound students from Worthing High School are reaching back to the elementary students coming behind them to cultivate a college-bound culture throughout the entire Worthing feeder pattern.

“We want the older kids to mentor the young students so they understand credits, extracurriculars, volunteer work, and that you need to perform well on SATs,” said Worthing High School Principal Khalilah Campbell. “We also want our program to grow and for relationships to keep growing so students who will eventually attend Worthing will be focused on college before they even walk through our doors.” Continue reading →

May 9 is National School Nurse Day

This week is National Nurses Week, and May 9 is National School Nurse Day, a time to recognize and honor nurses’ daily contributions to education. HISD school nurses provide invaluable services across the district every day to keep students healthy and ready to learn.

“School Nurses are trailblazers for children’s health,” said Gwendolyn Johnson, HISD’s manager of Health and Medical Services. “They find innovative ways to help students and their families deal with diagnoses of chronic illnesses like diabetes or asthma and manage symptoms and administer medication.”    Continue reading →

HISD’s Workshop Wednesday: Protecting Yourself and Your Company from Liability

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Gathered in the Milby High School library, Risk Mitigation Worldwide President and CEO Eartha Jean Johnson engaged local small business owners in an interactive training session focused on helping them protect themselves from liability issues.

Johnson spoke to the group as part of Workshop Wednesday, a monthly series for minority- and women-owned businesses that is hosted by HISD’s Business Solutions Supplier Diversity department. Continue reading →

Summer of Fun METRO Pass offers students free rides all summer long 

The Summer of Fun pass is a unique fare card offering K-12 (and college) students free rides on all METRO light-rail, local bus, and Park & Ride service June 1 through Sept. 1, 2018.

There are four ways to get your Summer of Fun pass:

  • Apply online at RideMETRO.org
  • Apply by mail by filling out the registration form on the attached flyer
  • Apply by mail by calling 713-635-4000 to request a form
  • Apply in person at METRO RideStores, 1900 Main St. or 1001 Travis St. (weekdays 8 a.m.-5 p.m.)

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HISD celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week

HISD is celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week May 7-12 and encourages students, parents, and the community to “Thank a Teacher” in person or on social media using #ThankATeacher and #HISD.

The district is celebrating with a royal theme this year, which matches the theme for this year’s Educators of the Year banquet, which will be held on Friday, May 18, at the Hilton Americas Hotel.

Teacher Appreciation Week

During the event, the district will announce its 2017-2018 Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year, as well as the recipients of the Beginning Teacher of the Year honors for elementary, middle school, and high school. The Fan Favorite Teacher, who was selected by survey, also will be announced. Continue reading →