A decade after HISD won the inaugural Broad Prize for Urban Education, committee members for the 2012 Broad Prize have arrived at HISD to evaluate the district again as a finalist for the largest education award in the country given to school districts.
See photos of the committee visit to J.P. Henderson Elementary School below:
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On Tuesday, HISD honored the top students (based on class rankings) from each of its high schools with a banquet celebrating their academic achievements.
See photos of the ceremony below:
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The Houston Independent School District and Microsoft are partnering to launch new Parent Super Centers across the district in an effort to promote parent engagement on campus. The district will be unveiling one of the five new Parent Super Centers on Friday, May 25 at 10 a.m. at Sam Houston MSTC High School (9400 Irvington).
“Research shows that increased parent engagement on campus leads to increased academic performance of students,” said HISD Superintendent Terry Grier. “HISD is committed to providing resources on campus to help parents become more involved in their children’s education.”
Each new HISD Parent Super Center will have 12 desktop computers fully loaded with the latest version of Microsoft Office, internet access, laser printers and other software.
“In today’s digital world it’s essential for parents, students and members of the community to have access to technology, which is why we are delighted to partner with HISD,” said Lori Aulds, Microsoft’s education sales director. “Microsoft has been and will always be committed to providing people with the training, education and tools needed to improve their digital literacy skills and grow in today’s economy.”
In addition, parents will receive computer training through Parent Engagement and curriculum provided by Microsoft to help them be computer savvy and master basic computer skills.
These centers will be available for parents to use before and after school, during summer school and on Saturdays during tutorials.
In addition to Sam Houston, HISD Parent Super Centers will be located in the following schools:
| What: | National educational experts will tour the Houston Independent School District on Wednesday to gather information for a jury of former U.S. secretaries of education, governors, university presidents and CEOs to decide whether HISD will win the 2012 Broad Prize for Urban Education, the nation’s largest education award that carries with it $550,000 in college scholarships. This four-day “site visit” will include interviews with district officials, principals, teachers, staff, parents, students and community representatives, as well as classroom observations. Best practices collected during the site visit will also be shared with urban districts nationwide.
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| When:
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Wednesday, May 23
10:30 a.m. School and classroom tour with Superintendent Terry Grier, panel of national education experts, and Principal Herlinda Garcia. 11:15 a.m. Media availability, Q&A with researchers, Broad Foundation rep and superintendent
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| Where:
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J.P. Henderson Elementary School, library 1800 Dismuke Street 713.924.1730
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| Why: | HISD is one of only four urban school districts nationally to be in the running for the 2012 Broad (rhymes with “road”) Prize for Urban Education and $550,000 in scholarships. Houston was chosen as a finalist in April for having topped 71 other large urban districts nationwide in making student gains. This is HISD’s first time returning as a Broad Prize finalist since winning the inaugural award in 2002.The Broad Prize is awarded annually by The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, a national education philanthropy based in Los Angeles that seeks to ensure that every student in an urban public school has the opportunity to succeed. The award honors urban school districts that demonstrate the greatest overall performance and improvement in student achievement in the nation while reducing income and ethnic achievement gaps.
The winning school district, which will be announced on Oct. 23 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, will receive $550,000 in college scholarships for high school seniors who graduate in 2013. Each finalist district will receive $150,000 in scholarships. Seventy-five large urban school districts nationwide were eligible for the 2012 Broad Prize. Other finalist districts this year are: the Corona Norco Unified School District in Southern California, Miami-Dade County Public Schools and the School District of Palm Beach County, Fla. For more information, please visit www.broadprize.com. The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation was founded by self-made entrepreneur Eli Broad and his wife Edythe, both graduates of Detroit Public Schools. Bringing together top education experts and practitioners, the foundation funds system-wide programs and policies that strengthen public schools by creating environments that allow good teachers to do great work and enable students of all backgrounds to learn and thrive. |
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Students from Furr High School recently held Civility in the Park, an event to celebrate the new spirit of community that exists in their corner of the east side. The area that was once plagued with gang violence and crime has been transformed in recent yaers thanks to dedicated citizens.
Civility in the Park featured musical performances, face painting, dancing and food. See photos from the free event below.
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Beginning this week there will be several recognition events held for Houston Independent School District students, faculty, and staff honoring exceptional academic achievements and contributions during the 2011-2012 school year.
HISD Superintendent Dr. Terry Grier will also be making remarks at all of the events.
Houston ISD high schools are well represented on two national lists issued today that seek to identify the top high schools in America.
The strong showing on the Washington Post High School Challenge rankings and Newsweek’s America’s Best High Schools of 2012 are the result of HISD’s Advanced Placement initiative that began with the 2009-2010 school year. That was the year Superintendent Terry Grier called on all high schools to expand student access to college-level AP courses and the district agreed to pay the exam fees for all students in those classes.
“This is great recognition of the hard work being done by teachers and students at high schools across the Houston Independent School District,” said Superintendent Terry Grier.
Today, all HISD high schools offer a minimum of 10-15 AP classes, and the number of exams earning a score of 3 or higher, which is the score most colleges require for course credit, is up 35 percent.
HISD’s strong AP progress is one reason the district is among four finalists for the Broad Prize for Urban Education, which recognizes the top urban school district in America. This week, a Broad Prize panel of experts is touring HISD schools as part of the evaluation process.
Washington Post High School Challenge
Twenty-one HISD high schools earned recognition in the Washington Post High School Challenge, a list of 1,800 schools representing the top 9 percent in the nation when it comes to preparing graduates for college. Only 125 Texas high schools made the list, and HISD campuses – Carnegie Vanguard, Eastwood Academy, and DeBakey High School for Health Professions – represent three of the national top 100.
HISD high schools that made the Washington Post list include:
2012 Rank School Name
10 Carnegie Vanguard
23 Eastwood Academy
96 Challenge Early HS
114 DeBakey HS for Health Professions
153 Bellaire
161 High School for the Performing and Visual Arts
168 East Early College
194 Furr
228 High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice
267 Lamar
275 Westside
548 Westbury
553 Lee
833 Chavez
1,001 Milby
1,062 Reagan
1,121 Scarborough
1,158 Washington
1,205 Davis
1,377 Waltrip
1,571 Austin
Newsweek’s list of America’s Best High Schools
HISD high schools also occupy 9 out of 1,000 positions on Newsweek’s list of America’s Best High Schools. Only 86 Texas high schools made the Newsweek list. HISD schools on the list are:
2012 Rank School Name
13 Carnegie Vanguard
72 Eastwood Academy
75 DeBakey HS for Health Professions
162 High School for the Performing and Visual Arts
439 Bellaire
446 Challenge Early College
685 High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice
883 Lamar
957 Mount Carmel Academy
HISD Board of Education President Michael Lunceford will join community leaders, administrators, alumni, staff and students during the official dedication ceremony on Wednesday, May 23 at 9 a.m. for the new Cunningham Elementary School, 5100 Gulfton.
“This is a great new school for the community, and it can now adequately handle the number of children attending,” Lunceford said. “This new facility will also have more of a ‘campus’ feel with the trees and large green space for the children to enjoy.”
This new facility is built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards and is projected to have a 35 percent reduction in water use and a 25 percent reduction in annual energy use. Every major learning space and classroom has at least one window. The district has committed to build all new construction projects to LEED standards.
“Our kids are so excited about the new space and have taken true ownership,” said Cunningham Principal Nancy Mercado. “We are proud to show everyone in our community what we are doing here, which is providing a first-rate education for our students.”
The $805 million bond referendum approved by voters in 2007 made the project possible. The new school includes:
• New library;
• New science labs;
• New computer lab; and
• Smart Board technology in all classrooms.
For more information about other school construction projects district wide, visit www.hisdprojects.org.
The Houston Independent School District is joining other state and local law enforcement officers and highway safety advocates across the country for the 2012 national Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement mobilization. The campaign kicks off May 21 in an effort to help save lives by cracking down on those who don’t buckle up.
“The goal of HISD’s Police Department is to ensure the safety of all our schools, but we need the help of the community when it comes to seatbelt safety,” said HISD Police Chief Jimmy Dotson. “Drivers need to ensure that they wear a seatbelt at all times for their own safety, and our officers are committed to enforce seat belt laws at all times.”
Seat belt use saves thousands of lives across America each year and HISD’s Police Department is helping spread the word.
NHTSA statistics show that in 2010 alone, seat belts saved an estimated 12,546 lives nationwide. However, in that same year 22,187 passenger vehicle occupants were killed in motor vehicle crashes, according to NHTSA, and 51 percent of them were not wearing seat belts at the time of their fatal crashes.
“School will be out for the summer very soon so it’s important we are aware of more children playing in neighborhood streets,” said Dotson. “We ask that all drivers take extra precaution when driving in their neighborhoods to ensure the safety of all our students during the summer break.”
While this year’s Click It or Ticket enforcement mobilization runs from May 21 through June 3, motorists should know that officers are out enforcing seat belt laws year-round.
For more on the national Click It or Ticket mobilization, please visit www.nhtsa.gov.