Houston Independent School District

1
Houston Independent School District

• Town Hall Meeting
• Sharpstown Feeder Pattern
• November 27, 2007

2
District Goals

• Goal 1 Increase Student Achievement
• Goal 2 Provide a Safe Environment
• Goal 3 Increase Management Efficiency
• Goal 4 Improve Public Support and Confidence
  in Schools
• Goal 5 Create a Positive District Culture
• Goal 6 Provide Facilities-to-Standards
  Program

3
Goal 1 Student Achievement

• Eight out of 10 HISD schools make AYP in 2006
• Student test scores reflect impressive gains
• HISD puts more money in classrooms to support
  achievement, magnet programs, and fine arts
• On-line Virtual School offers flexibility
• HISD puts more computers in classrooms and
  strengthens teaching in science labs
• HISD establishes International High School at
  Sharpstown

4
Did You Know

• The Nations Report Card
• shows HISD near the top with HISD Students
  outperforming peers in most other big-city school
  districts.

5
Goal 2 Safe Environment

• HISD puts defibrillators at every school
• Emergency and crisis response plans are
  strengthened
• Buses get Global Positioning Devices and drivers
  receive anti-terrorist training
• Radio and communication upgrades improve HISD
  Police Departments ability to respond

6
Did You Know

• The HISD Police Department was
• re-accredited again last year as a
• law-enforcement agency.
• HISD is the only school district
• in the US and Canada with
• an accredited police department.

7
Goal 3 Management Efficiency

• School and classroom overcrowding is cut to
  record low levels
• Partnership with the University of Houston is
  helping HISD recruit math and science teachers
• Earlier, larger sign-on bonuses helps in effort
  to secure good teachers
• HISD Tax Office merges with Harris County

8
Did You Know

• To lower the cost of the districts
• outstanding debt, HISD refinanced
• and saved more than 15 million.

9
Goal 4 Improve Public Confidence

• Fundraising for schools and college funds is
  streamlined with Upromise and DonorsChoose
• Earlier magnet notification helps parents make
  placement decisions
• Survey says community has a high opinion of HISD
• Vanguard program is open to more students
• District checkbook is online

10
Did You Know

• Twenty-nine HISD schools made the
• Best Public Schools list compiled by the
  National Center for Education Accountability and
  published in Texas Monthly.

11
Goal 5 Positive District Culture

• District launches performance program, ASPIRE,
  supporting professional learning communities
• District continues to make improvements to
  nationally-recognized performance pay program for
  teachers and principals
• District launches and supports Changing the Way
  We Think Campaign
• HISD Board wins award for excellence

12
Did You Know

• The U.S. Department of Education and
• the Broad Foundation help fund the ASPIRE
  performance program.
• Last year, the federal government gave HISD a 12
  million grant and this year,
• the Broad Foundation gave HISD a
• 3.6 million grant.

13
Goal 6 Facilities-to-Standard

• Taxpayers pass 805-million bond program to build
  24 new schools, renovate 134 schools, and upgrade
  safety at all schools
• A six-year 232 million pay-as-you-go Facilities
  Improvement Plan requires no tax increase and
  will start by improving roofs, air conditioners,
  and heaters at 141 schools in 2007-2008
• New HISD headquarters saves district money and
  provides better service

14
Did You Know

• HISD is committed to building
• green schools.
• In HISDs West Region, the newly-opened
• Walnut Bend Elementary and soon-to-be-opened
  Sugar Grove Elementary are built to be
  environmentally responsible, healthier,
• and cost-effective.

15
Houston Independent School District

• Upon the subject of education, not presuming
  to dictate any plan or system respecting it, I
  can only say that I view it as the most important
  subject which we as a people may be engaged in.
• -- Abraham Lincoln