Category Archives: Magnet/School Choice

Upcoming School Choice Fair Provides Options, Answers for Parents and Students

These students chose Young Women's College Preparatory Academy. Which school will your children be attending next year? Learn more about the options available at the School Choice Fair on April 27.

These students chose Young Women's College Preparatory Academy. Which school will your children be attending next year? Learn more about the options available at the School Choice Fair on April 27.

At HISD, parents and students have a multitude of education options. From Montessori and magnet programs to preschool programs and early college high schools, representatives from over 70 different HISD schools will be on-hand at the third annual HISD School Choice Fair from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 27, at the Hattie Mae White Education Support Center (4400 West 18th Street).

Schools that have space for the upcoming 2013-2014 school year will be available at the fair to answer questions and provide more detailed information about their campuses, answer questions about the application and student transfer process, and assist parents with making the best school choice for their children.

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Apply Now for New HISD Magnet Schools

Two students learning parts of the body with a

These could be your students at the new Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan beginning next fall.

Applications are being accepted now through the application deadline of May 16, 2013 for the newly created Energy Institute High School and the Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan. The two new magnet schools were approved by the HISD Board of Trustees at a recent board meeting.

The Energy Institute High School will capitalize on Houston’s world-leading energy industry, representing the fields of geoscience, alternative energy, and offshore technology. HISD is expanding its existing partnership with the Independent Petroleum Association of America to enhance the school’s curriculum and instruction. 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.

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HISD’s Mandarin Chinese Language School To Share Virtual Classroom With Elementary School in China

Bryan Bordelon (L) and Zheng Ruifang, shake hands following the signing of a Sister School Agreement between their campuses.

Bryan Bordelon (L) and Zheng Ruifang, shake hands after the signing of a Sister School agreement between their campuses.

Students at HISD’s Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion Magnet School (MCLIMS) may soon be completing their projects with more than just their classmates a few desks over.

MCLIMS and The Elementary School Affiliated to Renmin University of China officially entered into a Sister Schools agreement on April 16, marked by a ceremony at the Bellaire area school. The partnership will enable students and teachers from both countries to share ideas and further develop language instruction in both English and Chinese, using technological resources to increase communication.
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HISD’s Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion Magnet School Forms Sister School Relationship with Beijing Campus

Partnership to expand international exchange programs and learning opportunities

April 15, 2013 – In an effort to expand international exchange programs and learning opportunities for the students of both countries, HISD’s Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion Magnet School is forming a sister school relationship with The Elementary School Affiliated to Renmin University of China during an official signing ceremony on Tuesday, April 16, 2013.

This partnership will enable the students to use their knowledge of both cultures to think and act globally and become responsible and successful global citizens. Meanwhile, the educators will develop their language and teaching abilities to a high global standard that will maximize learning opportunities for their students.  By signing this agreement, both schools commit to work together to improve the quality of education for all students and explore ways in which the two campuses can share a variety of resources, expertise and learning opportunities.

What:              Official signing ceremony between HISD’s Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion Magnet School and The Elementary School Affiliated to Renmin University of China

Who:                Harvin Moore, HISD Board of Education Trustee;  Bryan Bordelon, Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion Magnet School principal;  Dr. Andrew Houlihan, HISD Chief School Officer for Major Projects; Zheng Ruifang, The Elementary School Affiliated to Renmin University of China principal

When:              Tuesday, April 16, 2013, 1:30 p.m.

Where:             Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion Magnet School, 6300 Avenue B, Bellaire, TX 77401

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 →

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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Ryan Middle School Plan Approved By Board

Ryan students will move to nearby Cullen; Vote postponed on plan to merge Sterling and Jones high schools 

The HISD Board of Education on Thursday approved a transition plan that will allow historic Ryan Middle School to be repurposed as a magnet school designed to attract students from throughout the city.

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