Special Education records which have been collected by the Houston Independent School District (HISD) related to the identification, evaluation, educational placement, or the provision of Special Education in the district, must be maintained under state and federal laws for a period of five years after Special Education services have ended for a given student. Special Education services end when the student is no longer eligible for services, graduates, completes his or her educational program at age 22, or moves from the district. Continue reading
Author Archives: HISD Communications
HISD holiday schedule for Thanksgiving
The Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center and all HISD schools and district offices will be open on Monday, Nov. 23, and Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015.
All HISD offices and campuses will be closed from Wednesday, Nov. 25, through Friday, Nov. 27, 2015, in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Normal school and business operations will resume on Monday, Nov. 30, 2015.
HISD wishes you a safe and happy Thanksgiving.
Westbury HS faculty and staff demonstrating how much ‘relationships matter’
Westbury High School has rebranded its truancy office to better reflect its mission, and already the “Student Success Center” is living up to its new name.
Designed to help students graduate by accentuating the positive aspects of the team’s efforts, the rebranding was launched this fall in conjunction with other campus initiatives, including “Relationships Matter: Every Student Needs a Champion.” That schoolwide awareness campaign spotlights teachers who have made powerful connections with students and who have created classroom environments in which those young people thrive.
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“A lot of times, students don’t want to tell you their problems,” explained teacher Robert Lyle, who prevented student Adrian Hernandez from dropping out by helping him land a job in his chosen career field. “It’s digging deeper with each student that you have that relationship built with to find out what really matters to them.” Continue reading
Worthing HS volunteers to serve neighborhood with food drive, hot meals
Worthing High School once again is giving back to the community with its annual Sunnyside Community Project food drive, a two-part event kicking off on Friday to help feed the community and create a healthier and safe neighborhood.
Construction set to start soon for new Energy Institute HS
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Energy Institute High School students, staff, and community members on Tuesday attended the second community meeting to hear about progress on a new $37 million school for the nation’s first energy studies high school.
New HISD buses to be equipped with three-point seatbelts
Measure follows new guidance from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
All new school buses purchased by the Houston Independent School District will include three-point seatbelts, effective immediately.
The HISD Transportation Department made the recommendation last week, just days after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provided new guidance on the issue, updating their position to suggest that students should have access to three-point seatbelts.
HISD construction projects moving forward
All but one project expected to be under construction contract by the end of 2016.
Houston Independent School District construction projects are continuing to move forward with Sharpstown High School slated to soon become the 16th bond project with active construction underway.
The HISD Board of Education voted Thursday to hire a new contractor for Sharpstown, unanimously agreeing to let district administrators negotiate and finalize a construction contract worth up to $46 million with ICI Construction.
Starting next fall, college-bound athletes must ‘earn 2.3 or take a knee’
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has changed its initial eligibility requirements to play Division I and II sports, and college-bound high-school athletes will need to take note so they don’t end up on the sidelines warming the bench.
“The biggest change is to the minimum grade point average (GPA) requirement for core courses, which will increase from 2.0 to 2.3 as of the fall of 2016,” said HISD Director of Athletics Marmion Dambrino. “That means students who are on the edge in those areas will really have to buckle down to be eligible to participate in athletics programs or receive athletic scholarships as freshmen in college.” Continue reading
Up Close: See the latest videos from HISD Board President Rhonda Skillern-Jones
In the newest edition of Up Close, President Rhonda Skillern-Jones looks at HISD’s preschool program, how digital transformation is improving student learning, and the Pro Unitas Youth Council’s volunteer work at Kashmere High School.
Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY)
In this video about the HIPPY program, Skillern-Jones talks with members of HISD’s Family and Community Engagement department about how parents can help prepare their young children for the rigors of learning before they start school. Parents are provided simple educational activities that they can do with their children ages 3-5 at home. Members of the HIPPY work with parents in their home at no charge.
“We want to build the capacity of our parents as partners,” said Jorge Arrendondo, assistant superintendent of Family and Community Engagement. “We want to empower them to be their child’s first teacher at home.”
The benefit for children is a boost to their confidence, which affects their attitude and enhances their learning. Statistics confirm that students who have gone through the HIPPY program outperform their peers. More than 600 HISD families are receiving free lessons in their homes. To learn more, call 713-967-5298.
Digital Transformation in HISD
Skillern-Jones talks with HISD Secondary Director of Instructional Technology Angela Borzon, Westside High School Principal Peggi Stewart, and Sam Houston High School chemistry teacher Nichole DuPaul about HISD’s digital transformation in this video and how the growing variety of digital resources is increasing student achievement.
Pro Unitas Youth Council
In this video, Skillern-Jones visits with members of the Pro Unitas Youth Council, which serves the Kashmere High School neighborhood. The young people serving on the organization’s Executive Youth Council discuss the importance of living a life of service.
HISD Up Close and the HISD Board of Education meetings are broadcast on HCC TV and HoustonTV.
Chemistry teacher has a secret alter-ego: professional bowler
In this week’s “I Am HISD,” which features district students, graduates, employees, volunteers, and other team members, Sam Houston Math, Science & Technology Center chemistry teacher Nichole DePaul-Miller talks about how she got involved in the world of professional bowling, what led her to a career in education, and why she still acts as a consultant for various bowling centers.
Nichole DePaul-Miller; Photo credit: Jaime Foster
I hear that you’re a professional bowler, but you’re also teaching pre-Advanced Placement (AP) and AP chemistry at Sam Houston Math, Science & Technology Center. Which came first, the bowling or the chemistry?
Actually, they both kind of happened at the same time. I started bowling when I was three. My mom and dad bowled while they were dating, and I was practically born in a bowling center, so you might say I come from a bowling family. I bowled collegiately at Illinois State, too, while getting my degree in chemistry. Originally, I was going to try to stay in that field and work as an engineer, but the women’s tour disbanded in 2003 due to lack of funding, and I switched from being a chemist working in the bowling industry to an educator who just loves bowling. Continue reading