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225 prospective teachers came out to the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center on Tuesday for HISD’s Summer School Job Fair. 25 secondary schools interviewed teachers to provide support for 9th and 12th grade students who will be required to re-take the STAAR End of Course exams or the Exit Level TAKS. Students must pass these exams to get their diplomas.
The Houston Independent School District has been selected as the winner of the 2012 National School Public Relations Association ‘Gold Medallion’ Award for its exemplary communication plan to create awareness on the new state-mandated STAAR exams implemented during the 2011-2012 academic year.
NSPRA’s Gold Medallion Award is the top national competition recognizing superior education public relations programs, and HISD was selected from a field of 54 public relations programs throughout the United States and Canada.
This award recognizes the district for the multilingual, multimedia, communication plan it implemented to inform parents, students and the community about the new state-mandated STAAR exams and their implications on students.
This communication plan included various strategies ranging from traditional mail outs, TV and radio interviews and public meetings, to internally produced live TV forums, social media campaigns, phone banks and interactive web events.
In addition, HISD established partnerships with local media such as Univision to help reach out to the community through various live interviews, weekly educational segments and a live phone bank during prime time.
The entries submitted were evaluated on the ability to successfully execute the following: research, analysis and planning, communication and implementation, and evaluation.
Houston ISD Superintendent Terry Grier is presenting the Board of Education today with a plan to offer intensive summer school programs specifically for students who did not pass the new State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) exams on their first try.
The plan entails hiring as many as 228 extra summer school teachers to help students pass the state exams required for graduation. These exams include the new STAAR end-of-course exams taken by ninth-grade students in the spring, and the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills exit-level exam that is still required for students who entered high school before 2011-2012.
Summer school begins for HISD students on Monday.
This spring, more than 12,000 HISD high school freshmen were the first to attempt the tough end-of-course exams required under STAAR. Much more rigorous than the old Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), STAAR is the first state assessment system designed to measure whether students are on track to graduate, prepared for success in college and in the workplace.
The Texas Legislature required school districts to prepare students for the tougher STAAR exams in the same year that districts lost $5.4 billion in state funding. HISD campuses operated in 2011-2012 with 835 fewer teachers than in the previous school year and the district has lost about $120 million in state funding.
Students who did not pass the STAAR end-of-course exams or the TAKS exit-level exam get their next opportunity July 9-12. Summer school is not mandatory for students who have not passed the STAAR exams, but attendance is highly encouraged, because passing averages are required for graduation. Texas students now must pass a total of 15 STAAR end-of-course exams by the time they complete high school to receive a diploma.
HISD still had not received complete STAAR exam results from the Texas Education Agency as of Thursday morning, but plans are moving forward to bolster summer school offerings for students in need of help. Under the plan approved Thursday, the district is offering teachers who are chosen to work with students in need of help on the STAAR and TAKS exams an increased pay rate of $50 an hour and bonuses ranging from $150 to $250 for each student who meets performance goals on the STAAR and TAKS retest in July. The maximum bonus payout per teacher is $10,000.
The money to pay for the program is coming from unspent funds in the district’s pool of money set aside for teacher performance pay.
Preliminary First-Year STAAR End-of-Course Exam Results
Because the STAAR exams are in their first year of use, the Texas Education Agency is not using results from the 2011-2012 administration for accountability purposes. This means that school ratings will not be based on this year’s scores and results are not being used to determine whether students are promoted to the next grade level.
Scores on the STAAR End of Course exams taken by ninth-graders, however, will be used to determine their eventual eligibility for graduation. The majority of HISD freshmen took end-of-course exams this spring in five subjects: English I reading, English I writing, Algebra I, biology, and world geography. HISD is still awaiting full results for all students from the state, and the preliminary results listed below are still subject to change. The preliminary results are as follows:
Reading: 59 percent passing
Writing: 47 percent passing
Algebra I: 79 percent passing
Biology: 84 percent passing
World Geography: 73 percent passing
The number of HISD students who must retake each exam ranges from 6,100 students on the writing exam to 2,100 students in biology.
Other Preliminary STAAR Exam Results
Students in grades 3 through 8 took STAAR exams for the first time this spring as well. The Texas Education Agency has not yet determined the percentage of questions that each student must correctly answer in order to pass those exams. Therefore, each exam’s results are being reported in terms of the average percent of questions answered correctly by students at each grade level and in each subject. The average number of questions answered correctly on each exam is as follows. It is important to note that these percentages DO NOT represent passing rates:
Grade 3 Reading: 63 percent; Math: 63 percent
Grade 3 (Spanish-language test takers) Reading: 60 percent; Math: 63 percent
Grade 4 Reading: 64 percent; Math: 59 percent
Grade 4 (Spanish-language test takers) Reading: 61 percent; Math: 65 percent; Writing: 61 percent
Grade 5 Reading: 65 percent; Math: 66 percent; Science: 73 percent
Grade 5 (Spanish-language test takers) Reading: 48 percent; Math 40 percent; Science: 50 percent
Grade 6 Reading: 65 percent; Math: 58 percent
Grade 7 Reading: 64 percent; Math: 46 percent; Writing: 60 percent;
Grade 8 Reading: 65 percent; Math: 52 percent; Science: 61 percent; Social Studies: 52 percent
TAKS Exam Results
The percentage of HISD 10th-grade students passing each subject – English language arts, math, science, and social studies – increased compared to the 2010-2011 school year. The percentage of 11th-grade students passing the math and science TAKS exams increased, while the social studies passing rate remained unchanged at 98 percent. The 11th-grade passing rate in English language arts now stands at 90 percent, a 2-point decline.
Who: The June 2012 edition of HISD Up Close hosted by HISD Board of Education President Michael Lunceford takes viewers on a hard-hat tour of the new Carnegie Vanguard High School campus. This summer, HISD Construction and Facility crews are finishing up the state-of-the art facility so students and staff can move in for the start of 2012-2013 school year. The show also features interviews with Carnegie Principal Ramos Moss and the HISD 2011-2012 Principals and Teachers of the Year.
What: Monthly HISD UP Close television show hosted by Board President Michael Lunceford.
When: Throughout the month of June at www.houstonisd.org and on HISD-TV (Comcast channel 18 and AT&T U-verse channel 99) on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sunday at 8:30 p.m.
Why: HISD Board President Michael Lunceford is committed to showcasing some of the amazing things happening at HISD schools across the district, in addition to highlighting district initiatives and accomplishments. His monthly show features a tour of an HISD school or project, and segments showcasing the academic accomplishments of HISD students and the dedication of HISD staff.
Coming on the heels of a $25,000 grant from Devon Energy, The Rusk School received another hefty check for its science efforts last week.
State Farm presented the school with $25,000 from its “Cause An Effect” program, an online contest that generates votes for local causes through social media. The school was chosen for its geodesic dome solar-powered greenhouse.
State Farm presented a $25,000 check to The Rusk School for its geodesic dome solar-powered greenhouse.
It’s a project that middle school math teacher Brenda Boyer said is rooted in community service. Boyer said the students will use the dome to grow organic food to donate to the Star of Hope homeless shelter and a local food bank.
“This project will allow our students to help others in the community in a positive way. The dome will also be utilized as a science lab for all our Pre-K through eighth-grade students,” Boyer said.
A State Farm student panel chose 100 finalists from a field of 3,000 entries, then voters on State Farm’s Facebook page chose the top 40.
On Memorial Day weekend, when her family was gathered around the grill, Rebecca Babb was at work on the computer.
The Waltrip High School senior was determined to finish the only course standing between her and graduation. “I told my mom, ‘I am going to try, I am going to see what I can do,’” Rebecca said.
Rebecca Babb, who graduated from Waltrip High School on Sunday, credits her school’s Grad Lab with helping her to receive her diploma with her class.
Rebecca knew the stakes: Pass the online math class and walk the stage or fail and report to summer school. She had already failed Algebra II twice.
Waltrip Graduation Coach Brett Rusnock, who works in the school’s Grad Lab, identified the online class as an option that would allow her to graduate with her class.
Her hard work and extra effort were rewarded on Sunday night as she walked the stage in her red cap and gown to receive her diploma.
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The Houston Independent School District held its Volunteers in Public Schools breakfast and awards ceremony at the Kingdom Builders’ Center on May 30. The annual event honors exceptional volunteer contributions by individuals and organizations and was sponsored by the HISD Foundation and Randalls.
The Jean Davis Myers award, which is the highest honor, was presented to Urban Harvest and Pilar Hernandez, an Urban Harvest parent volunteer at Kolter Elementary. The organization was recognized for its volunteer work in improving the quality of education in greater Houston. The organization’s district-wide outdoor learning environment initiative helps teachers create curriculum for outdoor classrooms. The program also provides students hands-on learning in science, math, history, and other subjects.
A Special Lifetime Achievement award was presented to George W. Black for his service to HISD’s Volunteers in Public Schools for more than 25 years. Mr. Black, a retired Marine, oversees the student safety patrol and is a member of the Safety and Security Committee at Barrick Elementary.
Here is a list of the other honorees.
Parent Partner of the Year
– Samuel Pratt Jr.: Thompson Elementary School
– Martha Jenkinson: Bellaire High School
– Wharton PTO: Wharton Language Academy
– Parents on Patrol: Sam Houston, Math, Science, and Tech Center
Community Partnership of the Year
– Neighbors in Action: Port Houston Elementary School
– St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church: Black Middle School
– BBVA Compass Bank: Milby High School
– Westbury Baptist Church: McNamara Elementary School
– Grace Presbyterian Church: Paul Revere Middle School
– NASA Hunch Program: Barbara Jordan High School for Careers
Community Volunteer of the Year
– Janet McMasters: Poe Elementary School
– Joe Guzman: McReynolds Middle School
-Victor Marte: Sam Houston Math, Science, and Tech Center
– Dimitri Ferrier, Jr.: Hope Academy Charter
Youth Volunteer of the Year
–Bellaire MENS Club: Gabriela Mistral Early Childhood Center
– Steven Lara: Pilgrim Academy
– Girl Scout Troop: Grady Middle school
– Aaliyah Mason: Barbara Jordan High School for Careers
Charles Harding VIPS Senior of the Year
-Wilbert Brown: Foerster Elementary School
– Magaret Cobb: Revere Middle School
– Diana Vasquez: Sam Houston Math, Science, and Tech. Center
-Monroe Meinen, Jr.: Oates Elementary School
School Volunteer Coordinator of the Year
-Magine Fernandez: Southmayd Elementary School
-Brenda Oliveria: T.H. Rogers Middle School
-Hermelinda Carzares: Sam Houston Math, Science, and Tech Center
-Katherine Arbiter: Poe Elementary School
Board Trustee Anna Eastman and Superintendent Terry Grier presented the awards. Dr. Grier said he would challenge anyone to find a more dedicated group of individuals than the honorees and thanked them for their service to the children and schools. “You represent the best of the best: those who contribute their time and energy to Houston’s children every day, without any thought of recompense,” said Grier.
Members of HISD’s VIPS program serve as tutors, mentors, teacher partners, speakers, security patrols, chaperones, interpreters, and cafeteria monitors and help in libraries, media centers, clinics, and offices. For more information about how you can become a volunteer, contact Tina Thompson at 713-556-7206 or visit www.houstonisd.org
Houston Independent School District Superintendent Terry Grier personally called some of HISD’s most effective educators on Friday to thank them for their hard work this school year.
The teachers were all identified as highly effective educators under HISD’s new teacher appraisal and development system. HISD recently launched the Effective Teacher Initiative to transform the way the district recruits, trains, evaluates, and recognizes teachers. Through the program, educators are now receiving valuable feedback that will help them improve their instruction in the classroom.
Dr. Grier says the new system is helping identify the strongest teachers and puts HISD closer to achieving its goal of having an effective teacher in each classroom. “These teachers are the backbone of HISD,” said Dr. Grier. “They believe in their students, hold them to high expectations, and are relentless in their drive to make sure each student is learning. Teaching is extremely tough work and we appreciate the dedication that these teachers show on a regular basis.”
Last May, the Board of Education approved the new appraisal and development system, which appraises teachers on several measures in three performance areas: instructional practice, professional expectations, and student performance.
Dr. Grier has asked the Board of Education to consider approving pay raises ranging from 1.75 percent to 2.25 percent for all staff and teachers next school year.
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It was a sea of purple at Davis High School on May 29, as the class of 2012 celebrated its first ever College Decision Day. One hundred percent of the senior class has applied to a two- or four-year college, and 100 percent has been accepted. It’s a major milestone for the campus that was once labeled as a dropout factory.
“It really is something to be proud of, not only for Davis but for the whole neighborhood surrounding the school,” said senior David Paredes, who is headed to Iowa State in the fall. The Davis Class of 2012 has also set a new scholarship record for the school with more than $2.1 million being offered to students.
Joining in the celebration were U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and fellow U.S. Rep. and Davis alumnus Gene Green. “There is a great history at this school and you young folks are going to make new history,” Green told the excited crowd.
Jackson Lee and Green presented a proclamation to the students, encouraging them to graduate from college no matter how difficult things get. The students also signed individual pledges.
“It’s something that they can treasure and keep,” said Davis College Access Coordinator Laura Jeffery. “If they ever get to a point where they are thinking college is not for them, they can always look back to that certificate.”
Future Davis students from nearby Marshall Middle School were also invited to take part in the Decision Day celebration to get a glimpse of their future. The students were given purple shirts and flags to wave at the event and were welcomed by Principal Jaime Castaneda.
“This was cool,” said eighth-grader Jose Ticas as he headed back to Marshall Middle. “It gave me a good idea of what high school is really like and how I need to start thinking about my future and what college I want to attend.”