Category Archives: College Readiness

Dream Summit to prepare HISD international students for college

The HISD College Readiness Department will hold its first-ever Dream Summit to assist international students with the college application and financial aid process on Saturday, Dec. 13.

“Students will have the opportunity to hear from Texas universities and community colleges and learn about admissions requirements and financial aid and scholarship opportunities for international students,” said HISD College Readiness specialist Josefina Trevino. “Our hope is that they leave the Dream Summit feeling more confident about the process for applying to college.” Continue reading

HISD announces commitment to expand college access at White House event

Houston ISD EMERGE students visit Boston College, June 4, 2014. (Dave Einsel / Houston ISD)

Houston ISD EMERGE students visit Boston College, June 4, 2014. (Dave Einsel / Houston ISD)

HISD College Readiness Assistant Superintendent Rick Cruz will join President Obama, the First Lady, and Vice President Biden along with hundreds of college presidents and other higher education leaders Thursday to announce new actions to help more students prepare for and graduate from college.

The White House College Opportunity Day of Action serves to strengthen the President’s commitment to partner with colleges and universities, business leaders, and nonprofits to support students across the country as they help the U.S. reach its goal of leading the world in college attainment. The event is being held at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C. Continue reading

HISD Futures Academy gives students head start on college, high-demand career industry

Challenging program lets students work in the field, earn college credit

The Futures Academy of Petroleum Engineering Technology at Furr High School is preparing students to pursue college degrees in fields such as engineering and business administration at four-year universities.

The academy was designed to train students to work as engineering technicians in the downstream and midstream petroleum industry. Students complete coursework in areas such as hydrocarbon safety, oil exploration and drilling and receive career training as part of a partnership with the Houston Community College and companies in engineering.

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Business professionals inspire HISD students to think beyond a bachelor’s degree

As high school students across HISD are deciding which college to attend next fall, students at Eastwood Academy are learning that a bachelor’s degree will only take them so far.

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“After I get my bachelor’s degree, I want to get into my career, get work experience for a year, and then go back to school for a master’s degree,” said Eastwood student Mauricio Aguilar. Continue reading

The Culinary Institute of America to offer college-level courses to HISD culinary students

The Houston Independent School District and The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) announced an educational partnership Friday at Westside High School that will allow students in the culinary arts program to earn a semester of college credit from a world-renowned culinary college.

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“HISD is excited to announce a new relationship with The Culinary Institute of America that will feed into the passion our culinary arts students have for cooking and give them more hands-on culinary experience and skills to  prepare them for college and a career,” said HISD Superintendent Dr. Terry Grier.

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‘First Generation’ documentary inspires students to see college as a possibility

The national “Go College!” tour made stops at Worthing, Sharpstown International, Sharpstown, and Sam Houston high schools this week to show students that they can go to college regardless of the challenges they may face at home. The tour features a screening of the documentary film, First Generation, which tells the story of four high school students who aspire to break their family’s cycle of poverty by pursuing a college education.

“College is so different from high school,” said Dontay Gray, a cast member in the film who spoke to students briefly after the screening at Sharpstown on Tuesday. “And as a first generation college student, I was really on my own. I had to find people who were like-minded and had similar goals to mine, so that I could stay focused.”
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A college visit to Texas A&M sparks students’ drive to succeed

The cadets in uniform, the large buildings, the football stadium, and students skateboarding and riding bicycles to class were some of the first things Yates High School senior Jason Covarrubias noticed upon arriving on the campus of Texas A&M University.

Until last week, he had never visited a college outside of Houston.

“I could go by myself on a college visit, but I’d be lost in the process,” he said. “My parents probably couldn’t go with me because they have to work, and I work on the weekends. So for HISD to do this, I really appreciate it.”

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HISD took about 120 12th graders to College Station last week to visit Texas A&M. Students from Davis, Furr, Kashmere, North Forest, Worthing, and Yates high schools and Young Men’s College Preparatory Academy boarded charter buses as early as 6:30 a.m. to participate in the day-long trip. Continue reading

Sharpstown seniors get help with college applications

Workshop guides students through ApplyTexas, HCC processes

While 9-11th graders were busy taking the PSAT College Board exam Wednesday, seniors at Sharpstown High School huddled over their PowerUp laptops and created an account on ApplyTexas, an online college application that allows students to apply to every Texas public university, plus some private and two-year schools.

“A lot of our students are low-income, first-generation, underrepresented, said College Guidance Administrator Aaron Rodriguez. “If there’s not someone there to guide them, to push them to apply, I think [the college application process] would be really challenging for them. That’s what we’re here for.”

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Yates HS community meeting planned to discuss academic programming

Education Through NumismaticsA special community meeting focusing on academics at Yates High School has been scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23, at the school.

HISD administration is hosting the meeting at the request of Board of Education Trustee Paula Harris. District officials will engage the Third Ward community on ways to strengthen the academic program at Yates.

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PSAT Test Day introduces students to the SAT, prepares them for college

HISD 9-11th graders took the PSAT during the school day on Oct. 15 at their campus as part of the district’s PSAT Test Administration Day.

The PSAT, a preliminary SAT and College Board exam that measures college readiness among students, is offered to HISD students free of charge on PSAT Test Administration Day at HISD. Students are scheduled to take the exam in the morning and could spend up to three hours completing the test that includes sections on math, critical reading, and writing.

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“There are a lot of opportunities for students to prepare for the PSAT in HISD,” said Jharrett Bryant with the HISD College Readiness Department. “The PrepMe platform is an online course that’s given to all students in the district. It’s actually an adaptive course, where based on a diagnostic you take at the beginning of the class, it customizes a study plan for you.” Continue reading