Tag Archives: strategic direction

HISD Board of Education to Consider Continuing Advanced Placement Initiative

Houston ISD students are earning more college credits through tough Advanced Placement exams than ever before thanks to an initiative that the Board of Education is set to consider continuing during its regular meeting scheduled for today, April 12.

Beginning in the 2009-2010 school year, HISD pledged to pay the AP and International Baccalaureate exam fees for all students enrolled in those college-level courses.  That policy, combined with expanded professional development opportunities that have given more teachers the tools they need to teach the more rigorous courses, has brought the total number of passing AP exam scores in HISD to 6,657, a 35 percent increase over a two-year period.  A score of 3 or higher on an AP exam is accepted by most colleges and universities.

This significant progress in AP exam achievement is among the many reasons why HISD was recently named among four national finalists for the prestigious Broad Prize for Urban EducationHISD’s senior class of 2013 is now guaranteed $150,000 in Broad scholarships. That figure would rise to $550,000 if HISD were to beat out the other three finalists.

“Efforts such as our AP initiative demonstrate the HISD Board of Education’s commitment to providing every student in every high school access to classes that will prepare them for success in college and in the workplace,” said Superintendent Terry Grier.  “This $1.6 million investment is saving our graduates and their parents millions more dollars in college tuition bills that they won’t have to pay.”

Providing every student at every school with an academically rigorous education is one of the five Core Initiatives outlined in HISD’s Strategic Direction.

In addition to voting on whether to continue paying students’ AP exam fees, the board is expected to vote today on a proposal to spend as much as $338,800 on summer programs that will train more teachers to prepare students for the tests.

The HISD Board of Education will also consider a resolution and policy brought forward by HISD parents that recommends elementary schools offer daily recess in addition to physical education classes. As written, the resolution and policy would not mandate that all schools follow this recommendation.  However, all HISD elementary schools are expected to comply with a state law that requires elementary students receive at least 135 minutes per week of physical activity, which may include recess and/or PE.

The board’s regular monthly meeting begins at 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 12, 2012 in the board auditorium of the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 West 18th St., 77092).

The board is scheduled to receive status updates on a number of projects and vote on several programs, contracts, and grants. For a full copy of the Board meeting agenda, click here.  The board meeting will be carried live on HISD’s website and on the HISD Channel, which can be found on Comcast Channel 18 or AT&T Channel 99.

Grier: “Quality should not be determined by ZIP code”

Superintendent Terry Grier addressed attendees at the American Association of School Administrators’ National Conference on Education at the George R. Brown Convention Center recently to tell them about HISD’s goal to ensure every child in the city is taught by a highly effective teacher. In partnership with The New Teacher Project, Dr. Grier said the Effective Teachers Initiative is producing promising results.

An article on the AASA website provides a recap:

“Quality should not be determined by zip code. Every child should have the same exposure to excellence,” he said. “Every child is entitled to have a quality teacher in every classroom.”

Grier reported that in 2009 the district leadership discovered nearly all teacher evaluations were the same, with only 3.4 percent rated “below proficient.” “But we had students performing below level — the data was not consistent,” said Grier. Continue reading

Highly effective teachers from other districts invited to “Experience HISD”

Recruiting event designed to showcase the advantages of a career with HISD to external candidates

The Recruitment and Selection team from Human Resources held an interactive info session exclusively for experienced teachers from outside the district on Feb. 11. Placing an effective teacher in every classroom is part of HISD’s plan to transform the district – called the Strategic Direction.

Almost 120 participants attended the event, which included breakout sessions on certification requirements, district benefits, and the new Teacher Development and Appraisal System.

Attendees were also invited to participate in a panel discussion with HISD school improvement officers, principals, and current veteran teachers, after which they met one-on-one with principals and representatives from 44 different schools.

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