Category Archives: Achievement/Recognition

HISD Trustee Anna Eastman wins public elected official award

Houston Independent School District Board of Education Trustee Anna Eastman has been honored as the 2016 Public Elected Official of the Year by the Texas chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.

Houston ISD District 1 Trustee Anna Eastman

Houston ISD District 1 Trustee Anna Eastman

The award recognizes outstanding service and contributions of an elected official who has shown leadership in the formulation of public policy, particularly areas that affect social justice, health care, education, civil and human rights, and social practice. The award is bestowed by the Texas chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, which has nearly 6,000 members and is committed to advancing the social work profession across the state.

The organization recognized Eastman for her role in supporting the expansion of a non-discrimination policy to include sexual orientation and gender identity within HISD, only the second district in Texas to do so. Eastman also introduced the Human Rights Campaign Welcoming Schools program to the district to provide educators with professional development tools to support LGBT youth and prevent bullying. Continue reading →

HISD’s Procurement Services receives national recognition

HISD’s Procurement Services has been honored with the 2016 Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Award  from the National Procurement Institute. HISD is one of a select group of school districts in the U.S. to receive this award, which recognizes excellence in the field. Achievement of Excellence in Procurement2

Procurement Services is made up of a team of experts who facilitate everything related to the purchasing of materials and supplies for HISD. This prestigious award acknowledges the team’s support of HISD students, faculty, and staff. Procurement Services will be recognized at the 48th Annual NPI Conference, which takes place Oct. 9-12 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

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College Readiness wraps up 2015–2016 with resounding success

The HISD College Readiness Dept. works closely with HISD high schools to create and maintain a college-bound culture. The district saw a major increase in college applications and FAFSA completions this past school year, with a 23-percentage-point increase in college applications over last year and a 10-percentage-point increase in financial-aid applications.

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Twenty-eight new College Success Advisers (CSAs) and 15 new College Success Managers (CSM) were definitely a factor in the increases. Last summer, thanks to a Houston Endowment grant of $3 million, the college advisers and managers were hired and trained to assist district seniors with applying for college and scholarships.

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PowerUp initiative receives national curriculum award 

Cross-functional collaboration at HISD honored by Council of the Great City Schools

powerUp award (2)Various departments and members of Team HISD were recently recognized by the Council of the Great City Schools for their collaboration on PowerUp—the district’s initiative to digitally transform teaching and learning.

HISD was presented with the Making Strides Together Curriculum Award for Excellence in Urban Education at a luncheon July 10, at the Council’s Academic, Information Technology and Research Conference held in Palm Beach, Florida.

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Students receive scholarships, iPads, Target shopping spree  

Foundation led by ex-NFL player, Madison HS grad Moran Norris continues commitment to HISD students for 11th year

Thanks to the Moran Norris Foundation’s “Shopping for Good Character” program, 150 HISD middle-school students won a $100 shopping spree at Target in May. The students were selected by their teachers for great character, as well as excellent attendance. Of those students, six received iPads for their essays on good character. Another six students won athletics scholarships for college.

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The foundation handed out the awards at its 10th-anniversary fundraising gala, “Follow Me to the Stars,” in late June. In addition, HISD representatives presented Moran and Tamara Norris with a Certificate of Recognition for their outstanding support of HISD students over the years with scholarships, charitable initiatives, and the “Shopping for Good Character” program.

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Teacher at Arabic Immersion Magnet School to be recognized on World Refugee Day

Asinja Badeel

Asinja Badeel

Every refugee has a story, and they do not all have happy endings. Former refugee Asinja Badeel, however, came to the U.S. in 2008, and hers is a story of perseverance and success.

Badeel is being honored at World Refugee Day 2016 on Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. at Houston Community College, 1300 Holman. She will speak about leaving Iraq with her family and spending a year in Istanbul before coming to Houston.

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HISD boasts half of 8-county region’s top elementary, middle and high schools

District is home to No. 1 schools at every level in statewide rankings

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Houston Independent School District campuses occupy half of the top 10 slots on the 2016 Children at Risk public school rankings of the region’s best public schools.

Additionally, HISD schools took the statewide No. 1 ranking in every category, with River Oaks No. 1 among elementary schools, T.H. Rogers No. 1 in the middle school category, and DeBakey High School for Health Professions No. 1 at the high school level.

The rankings were publicly released Monday at a ceremony conducted at HISD’s Pilgrim Academy, which received special distinction as a Gold Ribbon school, recognizing the region’s highest-performing, high-poverty campuses. Continue reading →

South Early College HS selected as state STEM academy by TEA

South Early College High School was named one of 23 new Texas Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (T-STEM) Academies for the 2016-2017 school year by the Texas Education Agency.

T-STEM academies are rigorous secondary schools focusing on improving instruction and academic performance in science and mathematics-related subjects, with a goal of increasing the number of students who study and enter STEM careers. Designated T-STEM campuses serve students in grades 6-12 or 9-12. Continue reading →

Six HISD students win National Merit College-Sponsored Scholarships

Six Houston Independent School District students from four schools were announced this week as winners of National Merit Scholarships financed by U.S. colleges and universities.

The students — from Bellaire, Carnegie Vanguard, DeBakey, and Lee high schools — received college-sponsored National Merit Scholarships from the University of Houston, University of Oklahoma, University Texas at Dallas, Texas Tech University, and Vanderbilt University.

The scholarships provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study. Many post-secondary institutions also award additional scholarships to students who are recognized as National Merit scholars. Continue reading →