HISD is once again seeking energized and motivated candidates to join Team HISD’s Apollo 20 initiative!
Dr. Roland Fryer’s report to the National Bureau of Economic Research showed that HISD students at our Apollo 20 schools made extraordinary gains in math — gains that were “strikingly similar” to those seen in charter schools. Continue reading
An individual’s ability to acquire knowledge is usually contingent on one simple fact: whether or not he or she is literate. Without the ability to read and write with ease, even the simplest of concepts can remain stubbornly—and maddeningly—out of reach. That’s why HISD has made this critically important topic the focus of its annual Summer Leadership Institute.
The Institute got started this year on June 17 at the NRG Center, and the district’s Literacy By 3 movement—which aims to have all students reading at or above grade level by the end of third grade—was in the spotlight.
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Engineering students at Booker T. Washington High School cut straws into triangles and fastened them with tape to build a two-foot bridge that could hold a little extra weight.
“We need to build a sturdy platform that can withhold everything,” said student Nakiyah Scott while working with her teammate Monday on a bridge-building challenge that helped kick off a summer-long design team internship program at Washington.
As a member of HISD’s inaugural EMERGE class in 2012, Chavez HS alumna and Tufts University sophomore Phuong Ta (far left, front row) helped coordinate the top-tier university tours for this year’s EMERGE students.
When I graduated from Chávez High School two years ago, I was the “first” in many ways—the first one in my immediate family to go to a four-year college (as my family had only moved to the United States two years before that), one of the first students from Chávez to attend a private institution outside of Texas, and one of the first students to graduate from the pilot cohort of the EMERGE program. Along with the immense sense of pride and joy I felt upon my acceptance to Tufts University, I was also under the stressful realization that it was my responsibility to be successful, not just for my family and myself, but also for my community.
Being a first-generation college student was far more challenging than I prepared myself for. Continue reading
Baton-twirling’s heyday may be about 60 years behind it, but a group of 14 girls from HISD’s Whidby Elementary School is bringing back that lost art with an amazing run for the national title next month.
The Whidby team, which just ended its very first year under the guidance of teacher Crystal Evans, is already headed to the state finals in Dallas at the end of June, after earning the first-place prize and the highest possible ranking (a “one”) at a regional competition of the National Baton Twirling Association in Corpus Christi. Continue reading
Figuring out how to do something for the first time can be tricky, but having an expert on hand to show you the ropes can make it a lot easier. That’s why HISD has asked the principals of eight elementary schools with effective Guided Reading programs in place to offer tours to other campus leaders.
Guided Reading is a critical piece of the district’s Literacy By 3 initiative, which aims to have all elementary students reading at or above grade level by the end of grade 3. A big part of its successful implementation will depend upon the creation of both individual classroom libraries and a central storage area for Guided Reading materials that all teachers can use as a resource. Continue reading
Kody Ford
For recent Reagan High School graduate Kody Ford to even be alive today is nothing short of a miracle.
The Class of 2014 member not only confounded doctors by proving virtually every grim prognosis about him wrong as a baby, he also managed to graduate last month with a perfect 12-year attendance record—less than nine weeks after being ejected through the sunroof of his own car during a collision with a drunk driver.
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The Houston Independent School District recently was honored for its outstanding service and dedication in supporting military personnel working for the district.
The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve organization (ESGR), a U.S. Department of Defense office, presented the district with its “Above and Beyond Award” at the June 12 regular Board meeting.
Revised 2014-2015 calendar, Mark White Elementary also passes
The Houston Independent School District Board of Education on Thursday approved a draft plan for redrawing the boundaries for trustee districts. The public is now able to provide comment and input on the draft redistricting plan for HISD’s nine trustee districts. Continue reading
New formula is designed to improve equity across programs
Next week, the HISD Board of Education will vote on a district-wide magnet funding formula that is designed to improve equity across programs and increase transparency in the magnet and specialty program funding process. These changes will be presented to the HISD Board of Education for their consideration on June 19 during a special budget meeting.