HISD is producing some of the brightest students in the nation—and now those students are attracting attention from some of the most prestigious universities in the country.
Two deans and a professor from Yale visited two HISD campuses recently to spread the news that an Ivy League education is well within even the most financially challenged student’s reach—and that they want HISD students in particular.
Ten percent of Texas winners are from HISD
April 10, 2013 – Seven Houston Independent School District students have been named National Achievement Scholarship winners and will each receive a $2,500 scholarship for their undergraduate studies.
Each year the National Merit Scholarship Corporation awards scholarships to African-American students who have excelled in academics and have demonstrated the potential for academic success in college.
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These students from the Houston Academy for International Studies are earning credits before college. How many do you have? Click the photo to see more of HISD's Early College students and find out how many credits they've earned before graduation.
Houston ISD’s five early college high schools are celebrating student success as part of Early College High School Week from March 25 thru March 30. Early college high schools allow students to earn a college associate’s degree for free while earning their high school diploma. HISD’s Challenge Early College High School was the first to open at HISD and in the state of Texas.
“Our goal at Challenge is to provide the students the support and resources they need to be successful high school and college students,” Challenge Principal Tonya Miller said. “The expectations are high but the students that come to this campus know that already and are highly motivated to succeed.”
What: The free New Futuro Road to College Workshop hosted by H&R Block will give HISD students and their parents the tools they need to plan for college and beyond. This half-day workshop will help students and their parents understand how to prepare, apply and pay for college. Attendees will learn about financial aid, FAFSA completion, entrance exams, ACT/SAT, community colleges, college admission and much more. In addition, the students who attend will be entered for a chance to win a $1,000 scholarship from H&R Block.
Eight Houston ISD high schools are among Texas’ top 100 in U.S. News’ Best High Schools Rankings issued today, and six HISD schools are listed among the nation’s top 400.
The magazine produced the rankings based on an analysis of data from nearly 22,000 U.S. high schools. The rankings’ methodology gives considerable weight to the percentage of graduates who are considered college-ready based on students’ performance on college-level Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams. Using the magazine’s standard, 27 of HISD’s 33 rated high schools – 82 percent — meet or exceed the state average when it comes to college readiness.
The rankings are based on data from the 2009-2010 school year, when the Board of Education and Superintendent Terry Grier launched an aggressive expansion of the district’s AP program in all high schools. Since then, the number of AP exams scored 3 or higher (the generally accepted passing score) has increased 35 percent.
“This is great news as we celebrate National Teacher Day,” Dr. Grier said. “Teachers across HISD are proving that the AP program is not just for the academically elite students. AP is for prepared students.”
The news also comes on the heels of the latest Children at Risk rankings of Texas high schools that included eight HISD campuses among the top 50.
In addition, the strong all-around performance of HISD students has placed the district among four national finalists for the coveted Broad Prize for Urban Education, which recognizes the top urban school district in America. As a finalist, HISD is guaranteed a minimum of $150,000 in college scholarships for students graduating in 2013. The scholarship total will climb to $550,000 if HISD wins the award.
The nine HISD schools that earned spots in the magazine’s national rankings were:
Carnegie Vanguard (U.S. rank: 33; Texas rank: 3)
DeBakey High School for Health Professions (U.S.: 36; Texas: 4)
Eastwood Academy (U.S.: 121; Texas: 14)
Bellaire (U.S.: 349; Texas: 29)
Lamar (U.S.: 376; Texas: 32)
The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (U.S.: 377; Texas: 33)
High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice (U.S.: 950: Texas: 81)
Challenge Early High School (U.S.: 1,069; Texas: 90)
Empowerment College Prep (U.S.: 1,947; Texas 159)
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