A recent policy revision means that HISD students will have more equitable access to the district’s gifted and talented (G/T) program. Under new board policy, once a child qualifies to receive gifted-and-talented services, they will continue to receive services unless a parent or guardian requests otherwise.
Category Archives: Assessment
Twenty-nine HISD schools awarded by TEA for top performance in 2014-2015
Campuses receive every distinction designation available from the state.
Twenty-nine schools from across the Houston Independent School District earned the maximum number of distinction designations from the state for their top performance throughout the 2014-2015 school year.
The campuses – 17 elementary schools, six middle schools and six high schools – earned every distinction designation awarded by the Texas Education Agency. Schools are eligible for distinctions if they are rated as having “Met Standard” — the highest rating under the state accountability system — and meet various other performance standards.
HISD earns “Met Standard” rating from state for the 2014-2015 school year
Almost 80 percent of HISD campuses also receive “Met Standard” designation.
The Houston Independent School District earned an overall “Met Standard” rating, according to 2015 state accountability data released Friday by the Texas Education Agency.
The district received the rating — the highest offered under the state’s current accountability system — despite increasing performance targets on the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, test.
Next round of STAAR EOC exams May 4–8
HISD high school students will be taking portions of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) beginning Monday, May 4.
High-school students who are either currently enrolled in or have completed algebra I, biology, and U.S. history will be taking the end-of-course (EOC) exams associated with those subjects.
Make-up test opportunities will also take place during that period (May 4-8). This is the final test administration of the spring season. Re-testing opportunities for EOC exams have been scheduled for early July.
Questions? Visit HISD’s newly updated STAAR website, which has a new FAQ (.pdf), a complete schedule of testing dates, and helpful tips on how to combat test anxiety. Students may also consult with their school counselors with any questions or concerns not addressed on the STAAR website.
Your Voice feedback paves way for school improvement
HISD recently released the results of the 2013-2014 “Your Voice” survey, which gave thousands of students, parents and instructional staff the opportunity to share information on how HISD and individual schools have progressed toward district and campus goals.
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The survey, which was conducted for the second year in a row this past May, measures perceptions of safety, rigor and environment within the district. The survey also allows HISD to better understand the needs of its schools and to foster a culture of community engagement that will help guide future initiatives. Continue reading
SAT School Day offered at no cost to high school juniors
Houston ISD students will take the SAT college admission test at district high schools Wednesday, during what is a called SAT School Day. The district-wide initiative gives juniors the opportunity to take the test during a normal school day at no cost.
“This is a great opportunity for high school juniors to overcome barriers of any kind and focus on taking the SAT,” said Assistant Superintendent for College Readiness Rick Cruz. “More than 9,000 students at all HISD high schools will take advantage of the testing day.”
HISD Board of Education votes to support course in Mexican-American history, culture
The Houston Independent School District Board of Education approved two key resolutions Thursday that will affect high school students across the district. A resolution to include a high school level Mexican-American history and culture elective in the state’s graduation plan passed unanimously. Board members also approved a resolution not to double-test middle school students who are taking Algebra I.
Parents urged to talk with their teens about PSAT/NMSQT scores
Last October, thousands of HISD freshmen, sophomores, and juniors took the PSAT/NMSQT college-readiness test, and campus staff began distributing the results this month.
Parents are strongly encouraged to discuss these scores with their children, as they can not only help gauge a student’s readiness for college but also identify good candidates for Advanced Placement (AP) classes next semester and, in some cases, determine a student’s eligibility for scholarships.
What it means if your student’s report card has an ‘NG’
When HISD parents from grades K-12 receive report cards on Jan. 10, they may be finding a new notation – “NG” – that blocks the grade from being seen because of poor attendance.
NG isn’t a reflection of failure – in fact the grade may be passing – but under expanded state requirements for school attendance, the student didn’t put in enough time in class to receive a grade in it.
“Excessive, unexcused absences,” is the official explanation parents will see – meaning the student was missing 10 percent or more of the time the class met. A grade will actually be assigned and recorded by HISD, but it will, in effect, be masked on the report card.
EMERGE Students See Significant Gains in SAT Scores
Although HISD will not receive SAT results from the College Board until later this year, individual seniors who retook the SAT in October after attending the EMERGE SAT Boot Camp in July are getting their scores and seeing significant improvement – more than 300 out of 2,400 possible points in some cases.
“We are very pleased with the results,” said Assistant Superintendent for College Readiness Richard Cruz, who launched EMERGE in 2011 and continues to oversee it. “We are about to expand the program from 100 to 300 students.” EMERGE is a districtwide initiative aimed at getting high-achieving HISD students in underserved communities into Ivy League and other Tier 1 schools.