Cadence McShane Construction held a pre-bid meeting Wednesday for companies interested in working on the new building for the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA).
HISD Board of Education considers giving more academic weight to college-level courses
The Houston Independent School District Board of Education on Thursday will consider a change in policy that could give students taking college credit courses a boost to their grade point average.
The proposal is designed to provide additional academic weight to dual credit courses, which HISD offers through partnerships with colleges and universities. As the name implies, dual credit provides students with the opportunity to earn high school and college credit at the same time. Continue reading
Six new officers, sergeant welcomed to HISD Police Department
The Houston Independent School District Police Department kicked off 2015 by welcoming six new police officers and promoting one of its own to sergeant on Wednesday.
About 60 family members, friends and local law enforcement officers attended a ceremony at HISD Police headquarters.
AVID program supports low-income students’ quest for college
The desks in seventh-grade teacher Zachary Cummings’ AVID classroom at Hamilton Middle School are arranged so that students can work in groups. Collaboration is one of the five hallmarks of AVID, along with reading, writing, inquiry, and organization.
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Cummings’ students recently quizzed each other on Cornell notes they took on a PowerPoint presentation about the history of Apple Inc. Cornell notes are just one example of college-level study techniques students learn in AVID, a global nonprofit organization directed at students who are capable of completing a college-preparatory path if they receive the proper support. The focus is on low-income students whose families don’t traditionally attend college.
ReelEducation shows students that disabilities do not define their lives
ReelAbilities, the Houston Disabilities Film Festival, will be coming to the Bayou City Feb. 9–12, 2015, and all secondary teachers are invited to take advantage of it by scheduling free movie screenings on their campuses or at local movie theaters. Teachers can begin signing up for a screening on Jan. 15. Continue reading
After-school programs get boost from new city grant
HISD’s Chávez High School and Henry Middle School became two of the first local organizations to benefit from a new initiative recently, when they received grants for $15,000 and $5,000 from the City Connections program.
City Connections, a partnership between the City of Houston and the Center for Afterschool, Summer, and Expanded Learning (CASE) for Kids, is designed to help fight juvenile crime and promote child safety by providing much-needed funding for after-school programs. Continue reading
HISD students at 14 high schools receiving laptops
Beginning this week, the Houston Independent School District will be distributing laptops to more than 18,000 students at 14 high schools as part of the second phase of the district’s PowerUp initiative.
PowerUp is a comprehensive,K-12 initiative aimed at digitally transforming teaching and learning throughout the district. It includes the one-to-one distribution of laptops to all high school students, the transition to districtwide digital content and curriculum, and the adoption of a K-12 online teaching and learning platform. Continue reading
Reagan students excited to receive laptops for school and home use
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All 2,234 students at Reagan High School received laptops on Monday, Jan. 12, as part of the district’s one-to-one plan to give all high school students a digital device to use for learning at school and at home. The one-to-one laptop program is a key component of HISD’s PowerUp initiative, which aims to digitally transform teaching and learning throughout the district.
Reagan is one of 14 HISD high schools distributing laptops to students during the month of January and early February. Others high schools include Davis, Lamar, Milby, Scarborough, South Early College, Waltrip, Westbury, Westside, Wheatley and Yates, as well as the Futures Academies at Jones, Jane Long Academy, and the High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice. Continue reading
Class of 2014 IB diploma candidates receive their degrees
More than 100 members of HISD’s Class of 2014 took home their International Baccalaureate (IB) diplomas recently. Ninety-six graduates from Lamar High School (some of whom are pictured here) and 10 from Bellaire High School accepted their degrees during special ceremonies held on Jan. 5 and Dec. 17, respectively.
Since IB diplomas are not conferred until late summer, students are generally presented with them while at home, on break from university.
Lamar and Bellaire were the first two HISD high schools to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, which is composed of academically challenging and advanced curriculum. Lamar’s IB Diploma program is the largest in Texas and one of the top 10 IB Diploma programs in the United States. Reagan High School received its IB authorization for the Middle Years Programme in the fall of 2013. It is currently in the process of obtaining authorization to offer the IB Degree Program. The first students eligible to graduate from that campus with IB diplomas will be the Class of 2018.
Beijing educators tour HISD schools, observe classrooms
Educators from China’s Beijing School #20 began a two-day visit of HISD schools and the central office building on Jan. 12 to observe various classrooms, explore opportunities for collaboration, and discuss school management and curriculum.
The group toured Sharpstown International School on Jan. 12 and will visit the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center and Carnegie Vanguard High School on Jan. 13. The special guests participated in discussions with district board trustees, administrators, curriculum directors, and school support officers.