Tag Archives: HISD

HISD Board of Education approves inclusive practices for special education students

The Houston Independent School District Board of Education on Thursday approved a resolution to strengthen current services provided to HISD students with special needs to succeed in the general education classroom.

This resolution lays out a set of best practices for increasing the time that special education students spend in the general education classroom, while providing additional services and the support needed.  The district recognizes the need to raise expectations for students with disabilities and educate them in the least restrictive environment.

“As the district focuses on equity in every classroom, we understand our special needs students deserve every resource we can offer to ensure they succeed,” Superintendent Richard Carranza said.  “This resolution is a necessary next step to delivering the services they need.” Continue reading →

Trustees approve extended school day for 12 campuses, eliminate early dismissal days for all schools

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At its first regular Board meeting since Hurricane Harvey forced a delayed start to the school year, the Houston Independent School District Board of Education approved extended school days for 12 campuses to make up instructional time.

The Board also eliminated five early dismissal days scheduled throughout the school year for all campuses.

Download the revised 2017-2018 Academic Calendar

The Texas Education Agency approved waivers that exempt students from making up the first nine days of missed classes. However, students at 12 schools starting after Sept. 11 will have to make up lost time beyond those days.

“There is no perfect solution,” Superintendent Richard Carranza said. “And as we talked about over the course of this weather event, flexibility will be key. But we are also making sure the extra time is not just seat time.” Continue reading →

HISD to open nine meal centers

The Houston Independent School District will be supporting relief efforts in communities across Houston by providing meals to families and individuals affected by the recent floods.  Starting on Saturday, Sept. 2, HISD’s Nutrition Services will be serving breakfast, lunch and dinner free of charge at nine sites in the Houston area.  The meals will be available on a first-come, first-served basis to all community members. Continue reading →

Thousands turn out across the district to learn more about rightsizing classrooms

Parents get answers to questions about proposed changes to attendance boundaries

Thousands of parents and community members turned out at a series of community meetings this week to provide parents with an overview of proposals designed to reduce classroom overcrowding at certain elementary schools.

The proposal for each school was discussed during regional meetings that took place on Tuesday, Feb. 17, and Thursday, Feb. 19. District officials will use the feedback to finalize the proposals and present them to the HISD Board of Education in March. If approved, the changes would be implemented for fall 2015.

Options under consideration include attendance boundary adjustments, program enhancements, and limiting the number of students each school may accept from outside its own neighborhood. District officials are also considering ways to improve internal practices such as adding a layer of additional scrutiny to the waiver request process and eliminating waivers for district charter schools.

The proposals would primarily affect new, incoming students. Current students would be grandfathered and allowed to stay at their current schools when possible.

The move is a result of a directive from the Texas Education Agency, which requires kindergarten through fourth-grade classes to have no more than 22 students per classroom. Classes that exceed that number must request a state waiver.

This school year, HISD had to submit nearly 1,500 class-size waiver requests to the TEA. District officials aim to cut that number in half by the 2015-2016 school year, with plans to continue the decrease incrementally through 2019.

Here is a list of the meetings that took place and the schools that may be affected by proposed boundary changes:

Tuesday, Feb. 17, 6 to 8 p.m.
Briar Forest Area Community Meeting
Location: Revere MS, 10502 Briar Forest
Affected Schools: Ashford, Askew, Bush, Daily, Emerson, Shadowbriar, Walnut Bend

Northwest Area Community Meeting
Location: Waltrip HS, 1900 West 34th St.
Affected Schools: Crockett, Highland Heights, Love, Memorial, Sinclair, Smith, Stevens

288 Corridor Community Meeting
Location: Attucks MS, 4330 Bellfort
Affected Schools: Bastian, Kelso, Young

Thursday, Feb. 19, 6 to 8 p.m.
Northline Area Community Meeting
Location: Sam Houston MSTC, 9400 Irvington Blvd.
Affected Schools: Burbank, Lyons, Northline

Tinsley and Halpin Area Community Meeting
Location: Tinsley ES, 11035 Bob White Dr.
Affected Schools: Anderson, Tinsley, Halpin ECC

Medical Center Area Community Meeting*
Location: Pershing MS, 3838 Blue Bonnet Blvd.
Affected Schools: The Rice School, Roberts, Twain, West University
*Only programmatic changes  under consideration.

The proposals for each school are available online: http://www.houstonisd.org/Page/125328

Student laptop distribution underway as part of PowerUp initiative

More than 18,000 students to receive computers this month to use at school and at home

More than 18,000 students are receiving laptops this month as part of HISD’s one-to-one initiative that will eventually give every high school student a computer. The initiative, called PowerUp, not only will offer students 24-hour access to a laptop and a variety of software, but to digital-age instruction that will transform teaching and learning both inside and outside the classroom.

“PowerUp is not about the device,” said Superintendent Terry Grier. “This is about creating anytime-anywhere learning for our students so they can have the world at their fingertips. We want to make sure they learn the skills that complement technology so they aren’t replaced by technology.”

Continue reading →

Board of Education approves mascot policy update

Mascots at affected schools will be respectfully retired, replaced during the 2014-2015 school year

On Thursday, the Houston Independent School District Board of Education voted 7-0 with one abstention and one member absent to approve the second reading of a policy update to prohibit the use of any race or ethnic group as a mascot or nickname.

This policy update affects four schools — Lamar High School Redskins, Westbury High School Rebels, Hamilton Middle School Indians and Welch Middle School Warriors.

During the 2014-2015 school year, each school will be required to select a new mascot and respectfully retire its existing mascot. HISD administration will work closely with the affected schools to help them retire their mascots with respect and dignity, taking into consideration the history and tradition surrounding them.

Continue reading →

Houston Endowment to release remaining $3 million in Apollo funds to HISD

Houston Endowment informed the Houston Independent School District this week that it will release a $3 million payment for the district’s Apollo school turnaround program in January.

The Foundation deferred the final payment on its three-year, $6 million grant to the HISD Foundation pending its review of the project’s third year report by Dr. Roland Fryer of Harvard University.

Continue reading →

Longfellow Elementary Students Reveal Top 10 Toys for this Holiday Season

Separate lists provided for boys’ and girls’ most desired gifts

Every year, HISD’s Longfellow Elementary students take it upon themselves to find the top gifts for children to help parents tackle their holiday shopping. Today, after more than a month of research, the fifth-grade students revealed this year’s top 10 most-wanted holiday gifts for boys and girls.

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/80401731/ w=320&h=205]

“My favorite part about the toy survey was working in teams,” said fifth-grader Dasani Godfrey.  “We got together and came up with the different toys we thought students would want for the holidays.”

Continue reading →

HISD’s Longfellow Elementary Students to Announce this Year’s Top 10 Toys for Boys and Girls

Lists to be released just in time for holiday shopping

What:                 For the fourth consecutive year, fifth-grade students at Longfellow Elementary School will host a press conference to release their top toys for children this holiday season based on the results of their surveys.  For more than a month, the students worked in teams to survey classmates in the playgrounds, hallways, and cafeteria and then tallied up the results.  Based on their own research, they have determined the most popular toys among young boys and girls that are also cost-effective for parents.  In addition to the findings, the students will showcase samples of the top 10 toys for boys and girls, provided by Target.

Who:               Longfellow fifth-grade students

When:             Tuesday, November 26 at 10 a.m.

Where:           Longfellow Elementary School, 3617 Norris

HISD Elementary Schools Kicking Off Thanksgiving with a Special Lunch

Nearly 20,000 meals to be served today

What:              HISD elementary schools will be getting a head start to Thanksgiving celebrations today with a specially prepared lunch by HISD Food Services.  Today’s menu includes homemade turkey and dressing with gravy, seasoned green beans, steamed corn and diced pears. Each year’s Thanksgiving lunch is a huge success with thousands of family members attending.  Last year HISD served 15,000 meals, and today they are prepared to serve up to 20,000.

Reporters are invited to attend and cover the Thanksgiving luncheon beginning at 10:15 a.m. at Kennedy Elementary School.

Who:               Elementary school students and parents

When:             Thursday, November 21 at 10:15 a.m.

Where:            Kennedy Elementary School, 400 Victoria