2010 Annual Report

HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT

STATE OF THE SCHOOLS2010 ANNUAL REPORT

2010 BOARD OF EDuCATIOn

greg Meyers

President District VI

Paula M. Harris

First Vice President District IV

Diana Dávila

Second Vice President District VIII

Carol Mims galloway

Secretary District II

Anna Eastman

Assistant Secretary District I

Michael L. Lunceford

District V

Lawrence Marshall

District IX

Harvin C. Moore

District VII

Manuel Rodríguez Jr.

District III

MESSAgE FROM THE BOARD PRESIDEnT

How proud I am to be a part of the Houston IndependentSchool District (HISD) and to reflect upon the signifi-cant achievements of 2010. I want to thank all themembers of Team HISD for their role and participationin these accomplishments.

Over a six-month period last year, the Board of Education worked with districtstakeholders to develop a formidable strategic plan. In a series of publicmeetings, we had the opportunity to hear from students, parents, teachers,and staff, as well as representatives from community, business, and variousnonprofit organizations.

Thousands of people from all walks of life participated and offered their feed-back. Some came straight from work, others had children in tow, but all camebecause they care about Houston schools and they take their role in helpingto chart HISD’s course seriously. It was so inspiring to see such passion forpublic education and to be a part of this process. I was also proud that anumber of students stepped up to make their voices heard, because afterall, they are who the plan is all about—and what better stakeholders to giveinput than our very own students. It was both moving and humbling to watchthe depths of so many individuals’ genuine interest in HISD.

As a result of this process, HISD’s Strategic Direction was developed. It istruly a community blueprint, consisting of five core initiatives to propel thedistrict forward and to maximize student achievement:

• An Effective Teacher in Every Classroom

• An Effective Principal in Every School

• Rigorous Instructional Standards and Supports

• Data-Driven Accountability

• A Culture of Trust through Action

When taken together these key objectives will no doubt impact studentachievement and transform our schools. You will see several new pro-grams highlighted in this report. Each one is designed to address one ormore of these five core initiatives.

Thank you for your continued commitment to HISD. We are grateful for yourdedication to public education and to the children of our district. Your on-goingsupport is crucial as we strive to provide the best education possible for ourstudents and to make HISD the best school district in the nation.

greg Meyers

President, 2010 Board of Education

The Houston Independent School District is determined to be the best districtin America. In 2010, we created a bold plan to change public education andtransform Houston’s schools. We are raising expectations, moving forward,and producing results.

At the core of our plan is a fundamental belief that every child, regardless ofhis or her background, has the ability to learn. We are committed to increasingstudent achievement. If a child is having trouble with a lesson, we re-teach it—using a different approach. We invent new methods of instruction, tutor stu-dents one-on-one, and work with them over-and-over again until they succeed.

Research shows, and I believe, that the single most important way to improvestudent achievement is by having an effective teacher in the classroom. Weknow that great teachers challenge and inspire students. When HISD createdthe Strategic Direction, a multi-year plan for success it identified five core ini-tiatives to support academic achievement. The first is an Effective Teacher inEvery Classroom. We have some outstanding teachers in HISD. We mustrecognize and reward them; and we must attract dynamic, new teachers.

Yet, we know even the best teachers will only have a limited impact if theydon’t have the support they need. That’s why the Strategic Direction also callsfor effective principals, rigorous instructional standards, the use of data todrive decisions, and a culture of trust. Each one of the initiatives is designedto help us reach our goal of ensuring that all students graduate from highschool ready to succeed in college or the career of their choice. In order toget to that level of success, we need to move forward on multiple platformsat once and we need the help of every member of TEAM HISD. Students,staff, parents and community members all have an important role to play, rightnow, in our transformation.

We are making significant progress as evidenced by the information in thisreport. I am proud that in a city of educational options, HISD stands out as adistrict of choice. Parents and students choose HISD because of our strongneighborhood schools and innovative programs. They believe, as I do, thatwe are the best in Houston. Now, we must be the best in America.

Terry B. grier, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

MESSAgE FROM THE SuPERInTEnDEnT OF SCHOOLS

OuTSTAnDIng STuDEnTS

Dummy text when Brandon Kimble jumped out of an airplaneto go skydiving, he decided to face his fear of heights head on. Itwas an exhilarating moment for him and one that’s encouraginghis students to reach new heights in the classroom. “I have somestudents who say they are afraid of math,” Kimble said. “I tellthem they just need to tackle it. We all have to face our fears, likeI did when I went skydiving.”

Kimble has the same level of determination when it comes toteaching his students. “Every single child has the ability tolearn—but how they learn, that could be different from child-to-child. We’re not teaching to a class, we’re teaching to the indi-vidual student,” Kimble explained.

Kimble teaches Pre-AP Math and Algebra I at Pershing MiddleSchool and spends a significant amount of time tutoring studentsone-on-one. “I always give (the students) real-world situationsand real-world scenarios to show them how to use math whenthey are out and about.” Kimble’s students can relate to savingmoney at the grocery store—and when he puts lessons in the contextof the real world, the lessons start to make sense. “Their eyes getbig and they just start smiling. They’re like, “Oh, I get this.”

STuDEnT, Student

J.P. Henderson Elementary

HISD Student Academic Achievement:

• The number of HISD schools receiving the state’s

highest accountability rating of Exemplary, jumped

from 84 to 101. 74 percent of HISD schools have

the top two ratings of Exemplary or Recognized.

• 93 percent of HISD schools met Annual Yearly

Progress as approved by the Federal government.

• The percentage of students achieving commended

status on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and

Skills, (TAKS) increased in all but one subject area,

and was led by the number of Hispanic students

who received commended status in all five subject

areas of, Reading/English Language Arts, Math,

Science, Social Studies and Writing

• Over the past three years, the number of HISD

students graduating from high school jumped from

64 percent to 70 percent. At the same time,

the dropout rate decreased from 22 percent to

15 percent.

• The number of students scoring 500—or higher—

on the SAT increased in each of the three subjects

tested on the exam.

• The number of AP Exams scoring a 3 or higher has

increased every year since 1999. It jumped from

4,915 in 2009 to 6,262 in 2010.

GRAPH

In August, the Board of Education unanimously adopted HISD’s Strategic Direction, a long-term plan

designed to dramatically improve student achievement. It was crafted over six months and is based on

analysis and conversations with staff, parents and community members. The Strategic Direction brings

all the district’s goals into alignment and identifies five core values that will guide improvement efforts

for years to come.

Core initiatives:1. An EFFECTIvE TEACHER In EvERY CLASSROOM

2. An EFFECTIvE PRInCIPAL In EvERY SCHOOL

3. RIgOROuS InSTRuCTIOnAL STAnDARDS AnD SuPPORTS

4. DATA-DRIvEn ACCOunTABILITY

5. CuLTuRE OF TRuST THROugH ACTIOn

Every instructional program and every dollar spent must support at least one of the coreinitiatives. In this report, you will see how HISD is moving in a Strategic Direction andtransforming Houston’s schools.

To view a video about the Strategic Direction,

visit www.houstonisd.org/strategicdirection.

STRATEgIC DIRECTIOn: A COMMunITY PLAn TO TRAnSFORM HISD

Angel Wilson’s classroom is never quiet. “I have a class full ofsingers, rappers and dancers,” Wilson said. A lot of my studentslearn best through rhythm and movement.” Wilson’s fifth-graders at John Codwell Elementary use music and theater toreinforce virtually every lesson in the curriculum—from actingout a skit about the Boston Massacre, to writing and performinga song about the water cycle.

“In this generation, they’re not used to sitting still. I think a lotof movement is necessary to keep their attention and keep them actively engaged.”

Wilson comes from a family of educators and is in her fifth-yearof teaching. She first got the idea to use music in her lesson planwhen she was trying to teach students about figurative language.

She asked them to listen to their favorite songs and identify similesand metaphors. In hit singles from Beyonce and Miley Cyrus,students also discovered idioms and alliteration. Eventually, theystarted writing their own songs and rap.

“It’s an attention getter,” Wilson explained. Students snap andclap—and come up with catchy phrases for key concepts. “Thenwe go back and discuss the process, the explanation and providemore depth.”

Wilson gives each child an end-of-the-year-DVD of his or herperformances but she says the students aren’t just starring intheir own music videos, “they’re directing their own learning.”

OuR gOAL: EFFECTIvE TEACHIng In EvERY CLASSROOM,

Strategic Direction: Core Initiative 1

AngEL WILSOn, HISD 2010 Elementary Teacher of the Year

John Codwell Elementary

EFFECTIvE TEACHER

No other school district has made such

a comprehensive, long-term effort to put

an effective teacher in every classroom.

We are investing in what matters most:

our teachers.

• HISD is developing a comprehensive plan to bring

the most-talented new teachers to HISD through

smart, focused recruitment and high selection stan-

dards. HISD is designing a new appraisal and

development system for teachers that will give

them meaningful feedback regarding their perform-

ance and the individualized support they need to

accelerate student progress. The system is being

designed with input from thousands of educators

and the broader community.

HISD IS BUILDINg A NEW TEACHER

APPRAISAL SYSTEM TO HELP TEACHERS

ACHIEVE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL.

THOUSANDS OF TEACHERS, PRINCIPALS,

PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE

HAD INPUT IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

THE NEW SYSTEM WILL SET CLEAR

EXPECTATIONS, gIVE TEACHERS AN

ACCURATE PICTURE OF THEIR STRENgTHS

AND WEAKNESSES AND IDENTIFY A CLEAR

PATH TOWARD SUCCESS.

In EvERY SCHOOL, EvERY DAY

When Brandon Kimble jumped out of an airplane to go sky-diving, he decided to face his fear of heights head on. It was anexhilarating moment for him and one that’s encouraging his students to reach new heights in the classroom. “I have somestudents who say they are afraid of math,” Kimble said. “I tellthem they just need to tackle it. We all have to face our fears,like I did when I went skydiving.”

Kimble has the same level of determination when it comes toteaching his students. “Every single child has the ability tolearn—but how they learn, that could be different from child-to-child. We’re not teaching to a class, we’re teaching to the individual student,” Kimble explained.

Kimble teaches Pre-AP Math and Algebra I at Pershing MiddleSchool and spends a significant amount of time tutoring studentsone-on-one. “I always give (the students) real-world situationsand real-world scenarios to show them how to use math whenthey are out and about.” Kimble’s students can relate to savingmoney at the grocery store—and when he puts lessons in the con-text of the real world, the lessons start to make sense. “Their eyesget big and they just start smiling. They’re like, “Oh, I get this.”

BRAnDOn KIMBLE, HISD 2010 Secondary Teacher of the Year

8th-grade math teacher, Pershing Middle School

In EvERY CLASSROOM

• More than 16,500 HISD teachers, principals and

staff received performance awards for their efforts

to help boost student achievement in 2010. The

district handed out $42.4 million dollars in ASPIRE

Awards to teachers, principals and other staff. The

ASPIRE (Accelerating Student Progress Increasing

Results & Expectations) Award Program measures

teacher and school impact on student academic

progress from year to year using both achievement

data and value-added analysis.

• The average award for teachers is $3,614.

• The average award for principals, assistant principals

and deans is $4,980.

EFFECTIvE PRInCIPAL

School principals play a vital role

in helping to ensure high quality

instruction for every student. Since

launching the Strategic Direction,

HISD has taken steps to attract new

principals, support existing school

leaders, and create pathways for

internal candidates who show lead-

ership potential. Key efforts include:

OuR gOAL: EvERY SCHOOL HAS A STROng, DECISIvE LEADER

Herlinda Garcia has a fundamental belief that every child hasthe ability to learn. “I’ve always believed that regardless of eco-nomic status, race, or ethnicity, that all of us are capable of takingour minds to the limit, if someone is going to believe in us andencourage us,” Garcia explained.

For 30 years, she has served as principal of JP Henderson Elementary. 90 percent of the school’s students qualify for freeor reduced price lunch and 70 percent are learning English as asecond language. Garcia has clear expectations for the studentsand teachers: “We are striving for perfection. We are aiming forhigh achievement,” she said. The hard work is paying off. Garciaand her staff were recognized in 2010 when Henderson toppedthe list of elementary campuses earning performance awardsthrough HISD’s ASPIRE (Accelerating Student Performance Increasing Results & Expectations) Program.

Garcia rarely takes the time to celebrate her accomplishmentsand is consistently looking for innovative ways to help studentsreach new levels of academic achievement. “The mindset is veryimportant,” Garcia said. It’s not about whether they can or they

can’t. It’s about how we are going to make it happen because weare serving them.”

For Garcia, perhaps the greatest reward is watching a child suc-ceed. “It validates my whole life,” she said. “I’ve dedicated mywhole life to education.”

HERLInDA gARCIA, Principal

J.P. Henderson Elementary

Strategic Direction: Core Initiative 2

J.P. Henderson Elemen-

tary is one of 75 HISDschools to earn a place on the National Center forEducation Achievement(NCEA) List of Higher Per-forming Schools. HISDhad more schools on thelist than Dallas, Austin,San Antonio and El Pasocombined.

In EvERY SCHOOL FOCuSED On STuDEnT SuCCESS.

• Developing a new appraisal system for school

leaders. This system will be implemented in the fall

of 2011 for all principals.

• Creating of multiple university partnerships to iden-

tify individuals who will be ready to serve in district-

wide leadership positions.

• Launching of a new recruitment effort to attract

principals from around the nation.

• Designing leadership development programs for

both first time and experienced assistant principals

and deans, to prepare them to become principals.

HISD’S HEALTHY SCHOOLS

One of the goals of the Effective Principal Initiative is to haveprincipals promote health awareness and healthy options in theirschools. Here are some accomplishments from 2010:

• Expanded “First Class Breakfast,” a classroom breakfast program, to all HISD Middle Schools. The program, firstlaunched in HISD Elementary schools, provides studentswith hot, nutritious entrée, fresh fruit and one percent, or skim milk. Studies show children who eat breakfast aremore focused on learning and are more productive in theclassroom. First Class Breakfast is funded by the state andfederal governments.

• Began serving more whole grain breads, and dark green andorange fruits and vegetables. Selections include steamedspinach, bok choy, and acorn squash

• Started offering a vegetarian entrée at every grade level,every day.

gRAD LABS AnD

TWILIgHT ACADEMIES

In 2010, HISD launched several initiatives to help strugglingstudents finish school and earn their diplomas. Every large, tra-ditional high school in HISD has a Grad Lab, a computer labwhere students can receive online tutoring and take part inweb-based supplemental learning opportunities. 1,719 studentshave completed the program since it was launched in January.

HISD’s Twilight Academies were created in October of 2010to help students who find it difficult to attend class during theregular school day. The program, offered at seven different lo-cations across the city, has courses at night and on the week-ends. Currently, there are 290 students enrolled in TwilightAcademies. The first graduate of the program earned his highschool diploma in December and is now enrolled in college.

APOLLO 20 PROJECT

The Apollo 20 Project is a major school reform initiative createdin August of 2010 through a partnership between HISD and,the Education Innovation Laboratory at Harvard University, ledby Dr. Roland Fryer. The current nine Apollo secondary schoolshave a longer school year, longer days and extensive tutoringprograms. Students who are behind in math or English LanguageArts receive double the standard amount of time in those courses.According to a mid-year report, Apollo 20 students are showinggreat academic progress. They are benefitting from effective tu-tors, increased expectations and strong leadership. In additionto increased academic achievement, the report also highlightedhigher student attendance rates and lower suspension rates. The$29 million Apollo 20 initiative is funded by a combination offederal, state and local money. The district has also received $2million worth of investments from businesses and charitablefoundations to support the transformation of the educational experience for the district’s most needy students.

Andres Balp, a bilingualteacher at Lyons Elemen-

tary, received HISD’slargest performance awardthrough the ASPIRE (Ac-celerating Student ProgressIncreasing Results and Expectations) Award Pro-

gram. It recognizes teachers, principals and staff memberswho help students make academic progress.

RIgOROuS InSTRuC STAnDARDS AnD Su

Strategic Direction: Core Initiative 3

OuR gOAL: EvERY STuDEnT WILL HAvE THE RIgOROuS InSTRuCT

HISD is a district of choice. Families have an array of different

educational options from strong neighborhood schools to

innovative and specialized programs. Our goal is to provide

rigorous academic instruction at each one of those cam-

puses. We want all of our students to have access to quality

educational programs and opportunities, so they graduate

ready for college or career of their choice.

“Together We Can, What-

ever It Takes, No Excuses!”

That’s the motto at Sharp-stown High School, one ofHISD’s Apollo 20 schools.Stop any student in the halland they’ll be able to tellyou the motto, not becausethey learned to recite it—

but because they believe it. Principal Rob gasparello

brought his own brand of change to the campus. He is cre-ating a new, no excuses culture where students and staffare holding each other accountable for academic success

ADvAnCED PLACEMEnT

PROgRAM

Schools across the country offer AP courses, but HISD hasformed a unique partnership with the College Board to createAP High Schools and Pre-AP Middle Schools. The programswill offer a greater number of AP and Pre-AP courses. In 2010,nearly all HISD high schools offered at least one AP course andthe district began covering the cost of AP Exams. The number ofstudents taking the exams increased from 11,594 in 2009 to16,556 in 2010. The AP Program was once seen as an option forelite students. It is now recommended as part of the academic ex-perience for every HISD student.

FREE SAT ExAMS FOR

ALL JunIORS

Eleventh-grade students will be given the opportunity to takethe SAT college entrance exam free of charge during regularschool hours. HISD is only the third district in the nation tooffer such a program. It is expected to double the number ofgraduates who have taken the SAT.

June is College Preparation Month for students at Ener-

gized for STEM Academy Inc. They spend a month oncollege campuses earning high school and college credit.Incoming juniors participate in a residential program that al-lows them to stay in dorms and take courses at universities,such as Harvard and Texas A&M.

TIOnAL PPORTS

IOnAL PROgRAM REQuIRED FOR COLLEgE AnD CAREER SuCCESS.

“Grier knows that true transformation

won’t happen in our schools without

talented, driven educators running the

show. His plan for getting that done

revealed a true CEO's mindset.”

—Larry Kellner, vice chairman of

the greater Houston Partnership. Houston Chronicle, Dec. 2010.

HISD CHARTER SCHOOLS

It is a well kept secret that HISD is a charter leader and HISDcharter schools are every bit as successful as their more well-known counterparts. The district operates 44 internal and ex-ternal charter schools. The majority that received stateaccountability ratings in 2010 were rated either exemplary orrecognized and none rated below acceptable.

DATA-DRIvEn OuR gOAL: EvERY DECISIOn In SCHOOLS AnD OFFICES IS

Strategic Direction: Core Initiative 4

DATA-DRIvEn InSTRuCTIOn

How well does a student understand a particular lesson? Is ateacher presenting information in a clear and effective way?HISD uses data to help answer those questions and to shapeclassroom instruction. The data includes assessment results, dis-trict exams scores and quick end-of-class reviews conducted ona daily basis to see how well students understand the material.The information is regularly reviewed by board members, ad-ministrators and teachers to help identify areas where studentsand educators have been successful and where more targeted in-struction is needed.

A teacher at Milby High School tracks student per-formance. The school was recognized by Newsweek

magazine as one of America’s Best High Schools. Studentdata is maintained in a single room to make it easier to

access records and chart progress.

DATA-DRIvEn DECISIOnS

HISD’s Construction and Facility Services department is usingdata to improve service and save millions of dollars. GeneralManager Issa Dadoush said when he was hired in April that hisemployees told him the department was understaffed. They pre-sented a plan to hire 300 additional workers. Dadoush reviewedHISD’s data and similar information for other large school dis-tricts and found that, by comparison, HISD was actually over-

staffed and wasspending waytoo much—$7m i l l i o n—ono v e r t i m e .Dadoush devel-oped a plan thatcut overtime by60 percent,eliminated 84p o s i t i o n s—most of which

were vacant— and improved service. He did so by assigningeach custodian to clean an additional 5,000 square feet, whichis roughly the size of eight classrooms. After the departmentalrestructuring, how do the classrooms look? “As good, or betterthan before,” according to Dadoush.

Janitor

ACCOunTABILITY MADE uSIng REAL-TIME DATA TO SuPPORT STuDEnT SuCCESS

HISD Spends a Smaller Percentage of its Budget on Central administration than other Urban SchoolDistricts in Texas.

• Houston ISD (4.6 percent)

• Austin ISD (6.84 percent)

• Dallas ISD (6.85 percent)

• San Antonio ISD (7.47 percent)

HISD Chief Financial Officer Melinda Garrett was recognized with the prestigious Bill Wise Awardby the Council of the Great City Schools for her distinguished service to urban education.

CuLTuRE OF TRuST OuR gOAL: EvERY MEMBER OF TEAM HISD IS EngAgED AnD

Strategic Direction: Core Initiative 5

THROugH ACTIOn COMMITTED TO STuDEnT SuCCESS

Mail: Information Center, Level 1–West, 4400 West 18th Street, Houston, Texas 77092

Telephone: 713-556-6005

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The 2010 State of the Schools Annual Report is produced by the Houston Independent School Dis-trict. Writing and design by Communication Services, printing by Printing Services.

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©2011 Houston Independent School District

Houston Independent School DistrictHattie Mae White Educational Support Center4400 West 18th Street, Houston, Texas 77092