Author Archives: HISD Communications

SAT scores up for HISD students, despite declines in state and national averages

Number of graduates scoring at college-ready level is up in all subjects and across all student groups

Sept. 30, 2015 — The Houston Independent School District saw an upswing in graduating seniors’ overall reading and math scores on the 2015 SAT college entrance exam, bucking state and national trends that showed slight decreases in all subjects.

The increase in scores coincides with an increase in the number of students taking the SAT. The total number of participating students has more than doubled in the last six years, largely because of Superintendent Terry Grier’s decision in 2011 allowing all high school juniors to take the SAT for free at their home campus during regular school hours. Students also receive free access to the College Board’s online SAT test preparation materials. As a result, more HISD students than ever are scoring at the college-ready level in all three subject areas and across all racial and ethnic groups.

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Schools host fourth annual Green Apple Day of Service

Students, parents, staff, and community members throughout HISD celebrated the fourth annual Green Apple Day of Service on Saturday by hosting beautification service projects that promote healthy and productive learning environments.

Green Apple Day of Service, sponsored by The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council, is a designated day where school communities throughout the nation come together to work on projects favorable to the environment.

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HISD school wins 2015 National Blue Ribbon Award

North Houston Early College High School on Tuesday received its first-ever 2015 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award from U.S Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan. The school was among just 335 schools nationwide and 25 public schools in Texas to receive the honor.

The National Blue Ribbon Schools Award honors public and private elementary, middle, and high schools where students either achieve very high learning standards or are making notable improvements in closing the achievement gap, especially among disadvantaged and minority students. Continue reading →

Personalized literacy activities help build student excitement about reading

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A big part of getting secondary students excited about the idea of reading for pleasure is finding the right incentives.

That’s why East Early College High School’s (EECHS) librarian and principal invited popular young adult author Rosemary Clement-Moore to be the keynote speaker at the campus’ second annual Literacy Day celebration on Sept. 25. It’s also why they awarded a free autographed copy of the author’s latest novel to senior Alejandra Guerra, the student who read the most books over the summer.

“A lot of our students come from neighborhood schools that don’t have budgets to invite authors to come speak, so this is a new experience for many of them, particularly the freshmen,” said EECHS librarian Cynthia Ramos. “Events like this build enthusiasm among students for wanting to read, as opposed to being required to read. Hopefully, that will lead them to texts they wouldn’t normally have chosen. This is only our second author visit, but last year, students told me they really enjoyed the talk.”

Personalizing instruction will be a key aspect of the support provided to secondary students this fall through HISD’s Literacy By 3 movement.

“We want to meet students where they are,” said Mechiel Rozas, the district’s director of secondary literacy, “so a big part of the proposal we’ll be making to the superintendent and Board of Education will deal with continuing the personalized aspect of the curriculum as students move into middle school, because that’s what they have come to expect. We want there to be multiple ways to engage with the content, so we can meet the needs of all students.”

 

HISD Police Department welcomes six new officers

Six police officers became the newest members of the the Houston Independent School District Police Department on Friday after being sworn in during a ceremony.

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Condit ES students and community sign steel beam to be used in new school

With the new school construction as a backdrop, students, parents, staff and neighbors came out on Friday to add their signatures to a steel beam that will be used in the construction of the new Condit Elementary School.

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The school, located at 7000 South Third in Bellaire, is being built adjacent to the existing building while students continue to attend classes. Throughout the afternoon, a steady stream of stakeholders turned out for the opportunity to sign the beam and view the latest construction progress.

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Campus tours, open houses help families pick the right school

It’s almost that time of year – the time when you have to decide which school you’d like your child to attend next year. There are several steps involved in choosing an appropriate school for your child.

The first thing you should do is identify a handful of schools that meet your child’s interests. If your child has a love for fine arts, we have several schools at all levels. If science, technology, engineering, and math spark your child’s interests, a STEM school might be a great fit.

Next, map out a plan to tour all the schools on your list. Be sure to swing by your neighborhood school to see what it offers, too. All of our schools are offering tours every Thursday between Oct. 8 and Dec. 3 (except on Thanksgiving). Click here for details about tours. Continue reading →

First bond community meeting for Scarborough HS outlines ideas for renovated campus

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Scarborough High School students, parents, and community members on Thursday evening learned more about plans to renovate the nearly 50-year-old campus in northwest Houston.

Under HISD’s bond program, $12.6 million is designated for the Scarborough project, which will include renovations and site improvements to the existing facility.

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HISD kicks off student reading challenge with NCAA, Houston Public Library, UH

The Houston Independent School District announced Thursday a partnership with the Houston NCAA Final Four Local Organizing Committee, Houston Public Library and the University of Houston on a bracket-themed reading challenge that encourages students to read at least 30 minutes a day.

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Nearly 6,800 third-graders will participate in the reading challenge known as the NCAA Team Works Read to the Final Four Literacy Program leading up to the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four that will be held in Houston April 2-4 at NRG Stadium. Continue reading →