Category Archives: High Schools

Team HISD Is Hiring Exceptional STEM Teachers

HISD is actively recruiting STEM teachers who are invested in preparing our students to compete in this 21st century economy. By 2018, Texas will have added over 750,000 new jobs in STEM fields. STEM teachers are critical to ensure that Houston’s students are qualified and skilled for these positions. We are currently accepting applications for the 2013-2014 school year. The next application deadline is April 22, 2013.
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Board of Education Approves Two New Magnet Schools

New campuses will expand options for students seeking specialty schools with academically challenging courses 

The HISD Board of Education on Thursday approved creating two new magnet schools that will offer a highly rigorous curriculum emphasizing science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The newly created Energy Institute High School and the Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan will now begin enrolling students for the upcoming 2013-2014 school year. The Energy Institute High School will begin with ninth-grade students and add a grade level each year to eventually serve students in grades 9-12.  The Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan will open with a sixth-grade class and eventually serve students in grades 6-8.  Earlier this year, the Houston Independent School District Board of Education authorized the district to apply for $12 million in federal magnet school funds for these two new magnets and six others (click here for more information).

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Board of Education to Consider Two New Magnet Schools

Proposed campuses would expand options for students seeking specialty schools with academically challenging courses

The HISD Board of Education will consider a proposal Thursday to create two new magnet schools that will offer a highly rigorous curriculum emphasizing science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

If approved, the proposed Energy Institute High School and the Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan would immediately begin enrolling students for the upcoming 2013-2014 school year. The Energy Institute High School would begin with a class of ninth-grade students and add a grade level each year to eventually serve students in grades 9-12.  The Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan would open with a sixth-grade class and eventually serve students in grades 6-8.  Continue reading

Seven HISD Seniors Awarded National Achievement Scholarships

Ten percent of Texas winners are from HISD

April 10, 2013 – Seven Houston Independent School District students have been named National Achievement Scholarship winners and will each receive a $2,500 scholarship for their undergraduate studies.

Each year the National Merit Scholarship Corporation awards scholarships to African-American students who have excelled in academics and have demonstrated the potential for academic success in college.
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Westside HS to Compete in Shell Eco-marathon Americas

A group of Westside HS students work on a piece of their vehicle for the Shell Eco-marathon Challenge

A group of Westside HS students work on a piece of their vehicle for the Shell Eco-marathon Challenge

For students at Westside High School, it’s not slow and steady, but slow and energy-efficient that wins the race. Three Westside Engineering and Geosciences Academy (WEGA) teams will compete in the seventh annual Shell Eco-marathon Americas (SEMA) April 5-7, 2013 in downtown Houston.

The Shell competition recognizes students who design the highest miles-per-gallon performing vehicles. Student teams from around the world were tasked with designing, building, and testing ultra energy-efficient vehicles. The goals for the 2013 competition: surpass last year’s record of 2,188 MPG (awarded to a team from Indiana) and to take home the coveted win for “Best Electric Car”.
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April 5 Deadline Approaching for Magnet School Entrance Agreements

Students who have been accepted to a magnet school program for the 2013-2014 school year must sign and return the school’s entrance agreement postmarked by this Friday, April 5. On Monday, April 8, school magnet coordinators will begin making phone calls to offer spots to waitlisted students. Student positions on each school’s wait list were determined by a lottery.

Students who are still looking at school options, including waitlisted students, those who have recently moved into the district, students in private or charter schools and students who may want to apply to different types of magnet programs, are invited to attend the third annual Houston ISD School Choice Fair from 9 a.m. until noon on Saturday, April 27, at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, located at 4400 West 18th Street.
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HISD Celebrates Success of Students in District’s Early Colleges

These students from the Houston Academy for International Studies are earning credits before college. How many do you have? Click the photo to see more of HISD's Early College students and find out how many credits they've earned before graduation.

Houston ISD’s five early college high schools are celebrating student success as part of Early College High School Week from March 25 thru March 30. Early college high schools allow students to earn a college associate’s degree for free while earning their high school diploma. HISD’s Challenge Early College High School was the first to open at HISD and in the state of Texas.

“Our goal at Challenge is to provide the students the support and resources they need to be successful high school and college students,” Challenge Principal Tonya Miller said. “The expectations are high but the students that come to this campus know that already and are highly motivated to succeed.”

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Chavez High School Students Achieve ‘Complete Success’ at Texas Mile

Chavez Motor Sports members Jimmy Garcia, Walter Campos, eric Lopez and Juan Rodriguez work on their car during the Texas Mile held March 22-24, 2013, in Beeville, Texas.

Chavez Motor Sports members Jimmy Garcia, Walter Campos, Eric Lopez and Juan Rodriguez work on their car during the Texas Mile held March 22-24, 2013, in Beeville, Texas.

Last week, we introduced you to the Chavez Motor Sports Engineering team — a group of students from Chavez High School who put their math and science lessons to the test while working on a competitive race car.

The students in the after school program, led by ex-racer turned science and engineering teacher Greg Ditch, were on hand this past weekend in Beeville, Texas, for the Texas Mile competition.  Ditch filled us in today on how the students performed under pressure while trying to get their stock 2006 Pontiac GTO into top speed condition.

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NASCAR Driver Partners with Chavez High School

Members of the Chavez Motor Sports Engineering team stand next to their car March 21, 2013, to be driven by NASCAR racer Donnie Neuenberger in the Texas Mile competition held March 22-24, in Beeville, Texas.

Physics students at Chavez High School are revving up their math and science skills and putting them to the test in a real life application that has the potential to hit speeds of over 180 miles per hour.

Chavez science and engineering teacher Greg Ditch helped create Chavez Motorsports Engineering – an after school program in which students learn what it takes to engineer a competitive race car that will be put to the ultimate test run by a real NASCAR driver.

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32 HISD Schools Now Serving Free Dinner to Students

With more students spending most of their day at school, HISD’s Food Services has partnered with the 21st Century Community Learning Center program to serve dinner at various campuses to ensure students have access to healthy meals each day.

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