Click here to watch coverage of HISD’s STAAR information session.
If you have questions about STAAR, please email them to STAAR@houstonisd.org.
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Tune in to HISD Up Close with Board President Michael Lunceford
Learn more about some of the amazing things happening at HISD schools across the district, in addition to districtwide initiatives and accomplishments on HISD Up Close, a monthly show hosted by Board of Education President Michael Lunceford. HISD Up Close is available online and broadcast on the district’s cable television channel.
The February 2012 edition features a tour of Horn Elementary, a replacement school built as a result of the $805 bond referendum passed by voters in 2007. The show also features an interview with fellow board trustee Larry Marshall who shares some of the great things happening at schools in district IX, as well as interviews with Westside High School students who recently competed in the district’s annual PetroChallenge.
When and where to watch: Every Sunday and Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. on the district’s cable television channel. To view online, click here.
HISD Superintendent Terry Grier to announce College Readiness Data
Superintendent Terry Grier on Tuesday will visit Westside High School to announce the latest data showing HISD’s progress toward preparing all students to succeed in college and for rewarding careers. The number of HISD students achieving success on college-level Advanced Placement exams has never been higher, and the number of students demonstrating their college readiness on the SAT exam is on a sharp upward trend.
Who: HISD Superintendent Terry Grier and Westside HS Principal Michael McDonough
What: Dr. Grier recognizes the progress HISD students are making toward college and career readiness.
When: Tuesday, February 14, 2012; 10:30 a.m.
Where: Westside High School, 14201 Briar Forest Drive
HISD’s Living Legends Honored for Black History Month
Trustee Lawrence Marshall (left) and administrators Faye Bryant (center) and Felix Cook were honored as HISD's Living Legends.
The HISD Board of Education recognized three “living legends” from the Houston Independent School District – Lawrence Marshall, Faye Bryant and Felix Cook – at its regular monthly meeting in observance of Black History Month.
Attend a STAAR Parent Info Session
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/36489794]All HISD parents are invited to attend a STAAR informational session on Thursday, February 16, from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. in the board auditorium of the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center. The session will also be broadcast live on HISD-TV (Comcast channel 18 and AT&T U-verse channel 99) and on the district website.
Click here for more information on STAAR.
Schools stress tolerance, respect during districtwide Anti-Bullying Awareness Week
[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/35911522 w=320&h=180]
Learn what staff at Jackson Middle School are doing to prevent bullying on their campus and to educate parents and students.
Campuses across Houston ISD are encouraging students, faculty and staff to create a safe, friendly and positive school environment as part of a districtwide Anti-bullying Awareness Week, February 6 – 10. Through a variety of student games and activities, schools will stress the importance of creating a culture of respect and trust, while providing a friendly campus where bullying is not tolerated. Subjects addressed include identifying bullying behavior, teasing and name calling, steps to stop bullying and examples of emotional and social bullying. For more information on ways to take part in Anti-Bullying Awareness week, contact your school principal.
HISD gets down to the grain, talks school lunch reform
Brian Giles, Houston ISD Food Services Administrator, was a guest on Great Day Houston today. Giles talks about the new Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, which limits calories, trans fat, and sodium in school meals, while adding fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. HISD has already added healthy options to the district’s cafeterias and is working hard to curb childhood obesity.
Chronicle editorial: HISD ‘willing to lead in the right direction’ with proposed Houston Innovative Learning Zone
An editorial in the Houston Chronicle praised the Houston Independent School District for showing that it understands the need for strategic vocational education in high schools.
For decades most people assumed that a college education meant a good career. As we have learned, that isn’t necessarily true, and there has been a push to return vocational training to high school classrooms. We have advocated for more strategic vocational education in high schools (“Jobs under the radar,” Page B6, Jan. 8), and we’re pleased that the Houston Independent School District, with its proposed Houston Innovative Learning Zone, shows that it understands this current conversation and is willing to lead in the right direction.
Under the proposal, students at five HISD campuses would have the chance to earn associate’s degrees and receive career training in high-demand technical fields. The editorial pointed out that HILZ goes beyond classroom training and includes steps to “help students get a foot in the door for future jobs.” For students who pursue college after HILZ, the resulting associate’s degree will leave them “well-placed to apply to a four-year program.”
And while HILZ promises to be an excellent job-training program, its proposal also demonstrates that HISD has been listening to its constituents. The push for greater career and technology education offerings hasn’t just been from politicians, but from students and the Houston community. HISD has heard this call and responded appropriately. We hope that school leaders maintain this program at top standards, turning it into one of the school district’s key achievements.