Category Archives: Magnet/School Choice

Energy Institute High School Still Accepting Applications

At least 80 people applied for entry into one of Houston ISD’s newest high schools, the Energy Institute High School, on Wednesday afternoon at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center.

The Energy Institute High School will capitalize on Houston’s renowned energy industry, representing the fields of geoscience, alternative energy, and offshore technology. Corporate partnerships at the full magnet school will help provide a strong foundation in chemistry, engineering, science and mathematics. Students will be encouraged to see how professionals operate and are provided with numerous real-world experiences which provide an edge for future college coursework.

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New magnet school ‘attracts’ dozens of students to inaugural summer camp

Approximately 100 students in the inaugural class of the Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan are spending part of their summer vacation becoming acclimated to their teachers and course load.

The sixth-grade students are taking classes in math, science, art, reading, and more among the summer school students at DeBakey High School, which is housing the Academy students until their facility is ready later this summer.

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Photos: Behind-the-scenes of an HISD graduation

Graduating seniors put on their cap and gown while friends and family held back tears before their loved ones crossed the stage and received their diploma.

We went behind-the-scenes at Delmar Field House for a bit of the action before the ceremony for the High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice commenced.

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HISD holds school choice fairs for North Forest students

The Houston Independent School District is holding two school choice fairs for North Forest students and their parents.

Earlier this year, the Texas Education Agency ordered North Forest ISD to be closed and annexed by HISD effective July 1. North Forest has approximately 7,000 students, and those students will become HISD students.

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HSPVA Selected For Jazz ‘Peer-to-Peer Education’ Tour

The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) is among two schools in the nation selected by the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz to participate in a national “Peer-to-Peer Education” tour.

Six HSPVA students will be in Indianapolis May 20-24, 2013, to present jazz “informances” in public schools. Continue reading →

HSPVA designated Exemplary School by Arts Schools Network

The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts has been designated a 2013-2015 Exemplary School by Arts Schools Network, the nation’s largest professional membership organization of specialized art schools.

The designation signifies that HSPVA has successfully completed a self-evaluation in the areas of strengths, areas for improvement, consistency with school-wide or program purpose, aspirations, and future challenges.

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Ten HISD Seniors Awarded National Merit Scholarships

Winners selected from talent pool of more than 15,000 finalists

Ten Houston Independent School District students from five high schools have been named National Merit Scholarship winners and will each receive a scholarship for their undergraduate studies.  The winners, selected from a pool of more than 15,000 finalists nationwide, were awarded based on their ability to demonstrate the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills and potential success in rigorous college studies.

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Energy Institute High School Open House on May 2

Parents and students interested in attending The Energy Institute High School are invited to attend an open house on Thursday, May 2, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 West 18th Street). The new HISD magnet school is currently recruiting ninth grade students for the 2013-2014 school year. Subsequent grades will be added each year so that the campus will eventually serve students in grades 9-12.

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HISD School Choice Fair Offers Parents Opportunity to Explore Education Options for Students

Representatives from more than 70 HISD schools will be on-site

April 25, 2013 – When it comes to selecting a school, parents and students at the Houston Independent School District have a multitude of options from magnet programs to preschool programs to career and technical education academies and early college high schools.  Houston families will have the opportunity to meet with representatives from more than 70 HISD schools at the upcoming HISD School Choice Fair on Saturday, April 27 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Hattie Mae White Education Support Center (4400 West 18th Street).

“In HISD, we are committed to providing equity in access to quality educational programs for all students,” said Assistant Superintendent of School Choice Dave Wheat.  “We want to help families choose an ideal school for their children based on the students’ interests, talents, and needs.”

The schools at the fair are those that still have space for the upcoming 2013-2014 school year.  The representatives from these schools will be available to answer questions, provide detailed information about their campuses and help parents fill out the application on site.

Information will be provided about HISD’s magnet schools, early colleges, vanguard programs for gifted and talented students, preschool programs, multilingual programs and other specialty programs, including the district’s newest additions to its portfolio, the Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan and The Energy Institute High School.   Parents and students have until May 16 to apply for these two new magnet schools that will feature a highly rigorous curriculum emphasizing science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

For more information about the School Choice Fair, please contact the Office of School Choice at 713-556-6947.