Category Archives: Achievement/Recognition

HISD’s Achieve 180 program receives positive results for STAAR

HISD’s Achieve 180 program finished strong for the 2018-2019 school year, holding two of its biggest end-of-the-year meetings with district staff and campus principals to discuss best practices, modifications, and next steps. 

“As we start preparing for the 2019-2020 school year, we still have a great amount of work in outlining more progressive solutions and assessing the program’s strengths and weaknesses that will better support our students and campuses,” Achieve 180 Area Superintendent Felicia Adams said. “As we look to redefine our approach through the program’s academic and supportive services, it is my hope that we exceed the even greater expectations set for next school year.”  

The Achieve 180 cross-functional team, which includes district administrators, teacher development specialists, nurses, and wraparound specialists, received the first round of positive news as it relates to the turnaround program’s student performance.  

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Preliminary STAAR scores show significant gains in reading, math for HISD students in grades 5 and 8

At least 70 percent of Houston Independent School District fifth- and eighth-graders passed STAAR reading and math exams this year, according to preliminary numbers from the Texas Education Agency. On the math test, a slight majority of the eighth-graders, 51 percent, who passed with minimum scores last year, passed with scores well above the minimum this year.  

Overall, the most significant improvements on the STAAR exams were seen among students who attend some of the district’s lowest-performing elementary and middle schools: Blackshear, Dogan, Highland Heights, Mading, Wesley and Woodson elementary schools, along with Patrick Henry Middle School. 

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Eliot ES earns Lighthouse School distinction

Leadership, potential, change, motivation, education. These five core standards are on display at HISD’s Eliot Elementary School, which led the campus to become one of only two schools in the district to be named a Leader in Me Lighthouse School.  

This distinction, given by the FranklinCovey Foundation, is given to schools like Eliot Elementary that have produced outstanding results and student outcomes by implementing the Leader in Me Program.  

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DeBakey HS for Health Professions again tops Children at Risk’s list of top public schools

For the 11th consecutive year, DeBakey High School for Health Professions topped the 2019 Children at Risk list of best public schools in the Houston area.  

HISD’s Eastwood Academy ranked third in the Houston area, Carnegie Vanguard High School came in fourth, East Early College was sixth among local public high schools, and Challenge Early College ranked eighth regionally.   

“We thank Children at Risk for recognizing the work done by HISD and our neighboring districts to ensure academic equity for all students,” HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said. “Our city helps drive the nation’s economy and our public schools are the engine.” 

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Walnut Bend ES team earns first place at Odyssey of the Mind World Finals

For the first time in school history, a team of students from Walnut Bend Elementary School was crowned champions at the Odyssey of the Mind 2019 World Finals for its outstanding performance and problem-solving skills.  

The team, along with six other HISD schools, traveled to East Lansing, Mich., for the 40th annual World Finals held May 22-25. 

Teamwork and creativity helped the Walnut Bend team earn first-place honors in the “Structure Toss” category, in which students were required to “design, build, and test a structure, made only of balsa wood with the option of using glue to connect the parts, and to test it by placing weights onto it.” The Walnut Bend’s structure held an impressive 780 pounds. 

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Two HISD students named winners of Congressional District Art Competition

Two HISD students have been announced as winners of the 2019 U.S. Congressional Art Competition.  

Keren Reyes, a freshman from Sharpstown High School, was chosen as the 9th Congressional District’s winner. Her winning piece, ” La Creola,” is a pencil drawing of one of her closest friends who still lives in her home country of El Salvador. According to Sharpstown art teacher Guadalupe Hernandez, when asked why she decided to create the piece, Reyes said that she did not want to forget where she came from and the people she left behind to come to the United States.  

Julio Bautista, a sophomore from Mickey Leland Prepatory Academy, was selected as the 18th Congressional District’s winner. His original art work, “Mayan Mindbender,” pays homage to his Hispanic background and the beauty of the Mayan culture.  

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Elementary Teacher of the Year Finalist named Teacher of the Month for May

Dogan Elementary got to celebrate twice this month when their fourth-grade ELAR teacher Brittani Rideaux, who was crowned as an Elementary Teacher of the Year finalist was also named the Sterling McCall VIP Services Teacher of the Month for May. 

To help close out the school year, Sterling McCall VIP Services surprised Rideaux on Wednesday to celebrate her accomplishments in the classroom that have landed her multiple recognitions across the district.  

“Ms. Rideaux has a strong commitment and passion to Dogan students’ academic achievement,” Principal Sandra Menxueiro said. “Her growth mindset and grit are a motivation to her students and staff, which has resulted in classroom success.” 

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HISD celebrates 2018-19 Educators of the Year at western-themed banquet

The Houston Independent School District crowned the district’s top elementary and secondary teachers of the year during the annual, western-themed Educators of the Year banquet on Friday, which honors teaching excellence across the district.

Nazaret Chavez-Guerrero, a second-grade ESL math teacher at R.P. Harris Elementary School, and Jose Clemente, a math teacher at Westbury High School, were named the 2018-2019 Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year, respectively.

“I want you to know we appreciate the countless sacrifices and time you have spent in making sure every student knows their potential and greatness,” HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said. “You are the most important indicator of a student’s academic outcomes.”

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Longtime Washington HS educator wins HEB Excellence in Education award

Booker T. Washington Engineering teacher Nghia Le accepts the
Secondary Education Leadership prize at HEB’s Excellence in Education Awards on Saturday, May 4.

An engineering teacher at HISD’s Booker T. Washington High School and the High School for Engineering Professions is one of the eight educators statewide receiving this year’s HEB Excellence in Education Awards. 

Nghia Le was awarded HEB’s Secondary Education Leadership prize, which honors teachers with 10 to 20 years of classroom experience. The award comes with a $10,000 grant for his school and a $10,000 check for his personal use.  

“Dr. Le is certainly one of our shining stars in the classroom,” HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said. “He leads an out-of-this-world program and deserves this prestigious honor and the prize that accompanies it.” 

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HISD Police to celebrate Police Appreciation Week

This week, law enforcement officers in HISD and across the country will be celebrated for their service and sacrifice as part of Law Enforcement Appreciation Week.

The annual observance was created in 1962 when President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation designating May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day, and the week in which the date falls as Law Enforcement Appreciation Week.

“Every year we use this time to reflect on the value of peace officers to our society and the immense sacrifices they make on a daily basis to protect the community,” HISD Police Chief Paul Cordova said. “During this week we want to honor both the living and the dead who have dedicated their lives to serve others.”

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