Category Archives: Achievement/Recognition

Houston ISD Named a Finalist for Largest Education Prize in the Country

The Houston Independent School District was recognized today by the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation as one of four finalists for the 2012 Broad Prize, an annual $1 million award that honors urban school districts that have made the highest gains in student achievement and in closing the achievement gap.

The award is the largest education prize in the country and HISD is one of only two school districts in the country to return as a finalist after receiving the honor.

A 2012 Broad Prize win would mean HISD’s 2013 graduating seniors would receive $550,000 in college scholarships. As a finalist, they are guaranteed at least $150,000.

Among the reasons the Broad Foundation listed for naming Houston ISD as a finalist were:

  • HISD’s African-American graduation rate improved faster than in other urban districts nationally. The graduation rate of Houston’s African-American students, as shown by the average of three nationally recognized graduation rate estimation methods, increased 13 percentage points from 2006 to 2009.
  • HISD increased the percentage of Hispanic and African-American students taking college readiness exams more quickly than other urban districts nationally.
  • Between 2008 and 2011, SAT participation rates for HISD’s Hispanic students increased by 15 percentage points.
  • In this same period, Advanced Placement (AP) exam participation by Hispanic students increased 13 percentage points, an average of about 4 percentage points per year-an improvement rate that ranked in the top 10 percent of all 75 Broad Prize-eligible districts.
  • And in 2011 alone, the percentage of HISD’s African-American students taking an AP exam-23 percent-ranked in the top 10 percent of Broad-Prize-eligible districts.
  • Similarly, the percent of HISD’s Hispanic students taking an AP exam in 2011—29 percent—ranked in the top 20 percent of eligible districts.
  • A greater percentage of Hispanic and low-income students reach advanced academic levels in Houston than in other urban districts in Texas.  In 2011, the percentage of HISD’s Hispanic students that performed at the highest achievement level (Commended) in math and science at all school levels (elementary, middle, high school) ranked in the top 30 percent statewide compared to Hispanic students in other Texas districts. In addition, the percentage of Houston’s low-income students that performed at the highest achievement level in math at all school levels and in elementary and middle school science ranked in the top 30 percent statewide compared to low-income students in other Texas districts.

The other finalists this year are: Corona-Norco Unified School District in Riverside County, California, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida.

Educational researchers will be conducting a four-day visit to each finalist district over the next two months to interview parents, community leaders, school board members, and union representatives. They will also review qualitative data for each finalist.  A selection jury will then choose the winning district after reviewing each of the reports. The announcement will be made on Tuesday, October 23.

Eastwood Academy students win “Best of Show” at career/technical education competition

A group of students from Eastwood Academy won “Best of Show” at the annual Skills USA Competition in Corpus Christi. The students had the highest score in their category, Computer Maintenance Modification.

Skills USA is a national student organization that supports career and technical education by serving as a bridge between public education and private business. The nonprofit serves 15,500 student and professional members enrolled in trade, technical, industrial, and health occupational programs.

On Eastwood’s winning team: Carlos Valdez, Odaly Palacios, Jesus Castillo, Estefany Perales, Richard Rebollar, and Emilio Martinez.

Education leaders tour Apollo 20 campuses to see how HISD is incorporating technology

Some of America’s most innovative education leaders gathered at the Houston Independent School District’s headquarters on March 19 for the second meeting of the League of Innovative Schools.

Fondren Middle School Principal Charles Foust (far left) explains to members of the League of Innovative Schools how his campus is using technology to drive instruction.

Designed to give educators a chance to dramatically increase student achievement through the wise use of technology, the league was launched by President Barack Obama in 2011 in tandem with Digital Promise, a new national education center created by the Congress and the U.S. Department of Education.

Superintendents from across the country attended the Houston meeting, where they—along with dozens of respected researchers and entrepreneurs—adopted the league’s membership charter, took part in break-out sessions on various topics, and toured one of five Apollo 20 campuses to see how HISD is using technology to drive instruction.

“Mr. McNairy, one of our history teachers, can get instant assessments and download data to his grade book immediately using the Classroom Performance System,” explained Fondren Middle School Principal Charles Foust, “while Ms. Perry can be anywhere in the classroom and her writing will appear on the SMART Board up front.”

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HISD Receives ‘Leadership in Action’ Award

HISD’s Green District Challenge energy conservation program was recognized with the 2012 Leadership in Action Award for Environmental Improvement earlier this week during the Leadership Houston awards luncheon.  The annual award recognizes Houston corporations and nonprofits that have made extraordinary contributions to the greater Houston community, through programs and projects in 10 different categories, including Environmental Improvement.

 “We are proud of our efforts to model for our students what it means to be good stewards of our financial and natural resources,” said HISD Superintendent Terry Grier. “Our schools are long term investments, so it’s important that we build facilities that use less energy. And through our Green School Challenge, our students are learning the important role they play in energy conservation.”

HISD Chief Operating Officer Leo Bobadilla accepted the award on the district’s behalf.

The District earned the Leadership in Action award for its precedent-setting  implementation of  a three-pronged initiative and comprehensive approach to energy efficiency, including capital improvements, process improvements, and behavioral change programs.  The District initiative features energy-efficient building designs, green building practices, fuel-efficiency initiatives, and behavioral change programs at the school campuses, and is complemented by a new energy performance contracting program that will allow district wide retrofits of facilities with emerging technology in energy-efficient lighting, building controls, HVAC equipment, and other building systems.

 HISD is also committed to building new facilities to the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance “green” buildings. 

In 2011, HISD’s transportation department was named as the top school district green fleet by Government Fleet magazine, a first for HISD. HISD’s energy-efficient programs in transportation include outfitting special GPS equipment for idle reduction and route efficiencies, the use of alternative fuels such as biodiesel and propane, and the installation of emission reduction devices on 490 buses. 

This January, HISD implemented the Green School Challenge, a competition among schools, designed to inspire students to track their school’s energy use, and form campus ‘Green Teams’ to increase single stream recycling and decrease energy use.   

For more information about the district’s single stream recycling program, and other information on energy efficiency, visit www.houstonisd.org/greenschoolschallenge.

Seven HISD students named as U.S. Presidential Scholar candidates

Seniors from Bellaire, Westside, and The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts make the cut

Seven HISD seniors have been selected as U.S. Presidential Scholar candidates, one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students. 

Six of these candidates were identified for the academic component of the program based on having scored exceptionally well on the SAT or the ACT college entrance exams. These students are Alexandra Gibner, Weiting Ji, Daniel A. Yun, Amy W. Jiang, and Vincent P. Su from Bellaire High School, and Lenzi C. Daniel from Westside High School. Victor Lozano, a student at The High School for Performing and Visual Arts, is a Presidential Scholar in the Arts candidate.

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“Healthiest Employer” recognition cites HISD’s new wellness centers, preventive care

In 2010, the district opened the first of two HISD Employee Health & Wellness Centers, one at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center and another at Attucks Middle School.

The Houston Independent School District has been named one of the top 25 healthiest employers in Houston, as rated by the Houston Business Journal. Rankings of the top 25 businesses will be announced at the first annual Houston’s Healthiest Employers Symposium on March 1.

“We’re proud to be one of Houston’s healthiest employers,” said Benefits General Manager Brad Bailey, “and we remain committed to providing our employees with access to high-quality wellness programs so they have the very best opportunities to stay healthy and enjoy life.”
 
The “Houston’s Healthiest Employer” award recognizes organizations that are committed to creating a healthy workplace. The award measures wellness programming in six key categories:

1. Culture and Leadership Commitment

2. Foundational Components

3. Strategic Planning

4. Communication and Marketing

5. Programming and Interventions

6. Reporting and Analysis

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Johnston MS students win video contest celebrating “Five Ways Ed Pays” – see top entries

Johnston Middle School student Charli McBean is already actively looking at what colleges she wants to attend once she graduates. So when the College Board announced an HISD video contest celebrating the benefits of higher education, the teenager was quick to round up some of her fellow classmates and enter.

Click image to play Johnston's winning video.

“We all worked together as a group and we sat there and brainstormed and brainstormed until we finally came up with an idea,” McBean said. The end result is a music video that celebrates the “Five Ways Ed Pays” – better health, greater wealth, closer family, more security, and stronger community.

McBean and her Johnston teammates Zoe Caballero, Alicia Bozeman, and Anthony Okoro were recently honored for their creative efforts at the February HISD Board of Education meeting. Their winning video was shown to a packed crowd and all the students received new iPads from the College Board.

Also receiving iPads and iPods for their winning videos were two other student teams from Johnston and a team from Furr High School.

First place video produced by Johnston Middle School students Zoe Caballero, Alicia Bozeman, Charli McBean, and Anthony Okoro.

Second place video produced by Johnston Middle School students Josenique Gerard, Caroline Cweren, and Danielle Thompson.

Third place video produced by Furr High School students Alma Garcia, Jeffery Burgess, and Carlos Gerardo.

Fourth place video produced by Johnston Middle School students by Janet Asante, Tena Lewis, Payton Campbell, and Erin Parkin.

More HISD students excelling on SAT and Advanced Placement exams

The number of Houston ISD students earning college credit on Advanced Placement Exams and posting top scores on the SAT has never been higher, Superintendent Terry Grier announced today.

In the 2010-2011 school year, HISD high school students scored a 3 or better – the score most colleges require to grant course credit – on 6,657 college-level AP exams, a 35 percent increase from 2009. The number of AP Scholars – students who passed three or more AP exams before graduation – reached 1,070 last year, more than triple the number of AP Scholars in 2010.

At the same time, the number of HISD students scoring 500 or higher on each of the three subjects tested on the SAT college entrance exam is up significantly from the previous year – 18 percent in math, 13 percent in reading, and 10 percent in writing. The 500-point threshold is important because research shows that students who achieve this score are more likely to succeed in that subject in college.

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HISD named a 2012 Healthiest Employer by Houston Business Journal

The Houston Independent School District has earned the distinction of being a 2012 Houston’s Healthiest Employer by the Houston Business Journal. HISD will be honored at a symposium sponsored by Humana and the Houston Wellness Association on Thursday, March 1.

HISD is one of 25 organizations recognized for “outstanding achievement in creating a top notch wellness program.” The rankings will be announced at the symposium.