The Latest

CASE Report: A Deep Dive into NES Curriculum

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 16:03:26 GMT

Of the myriad changes the TEA intervention brought to Houston ISD, changes to curriculum have been amongst the most important.

CASE Report: HISD Funnels Money Into Classrooms

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 15:27:20 GMT

HISD’s annual financial report has just been released, and it shows focused investments in teaching and learning, overperformance in revenue generation and cost reductions, and healthy fund balances going into 2025.

CASE Report: HISD Schools Earn Top National Ranks

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 16:10:51 GMT

Two Houston ISD middle schools ranked among the best 10 public campuses in the state, according to the 2025 rankings from the U.S. News & World Report.

CASE Report: “Dramatic Improvement in Scores” at HISD

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 22:12:02 GMT

Another day, another confirmation that Mike Miles’ NES system is working.

CASE Report: Miles Reflects on Bond Results

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 14:51:11 GMT

Mike Miles recently sat down with KPRC to react to the HISD bond election results and forecast the next steps for the district.

CASE Report: VOTE YES - Support HISD Bond on Tuesday

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 16:11:07 GMT

Questions about the HISD bond? Good news, the Houston Chronicle’s Megan Menchaca provided an excellent breakdown of the most commonly asked questions along with detailed answers for each. Additional resources are also available in the article, which can be accessed here.

CASE Report: Class in Sheds? Not if HISD's Bond Passes

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 19:20:43 GMT

HISD’s proposed bond includes plans to remove 351 temporary buildings across 32 campuses.

CASE Report: “Unsubstantiated” SPED Complaints Waste Resources

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 17:51:41 GMT

HISD’s proposed bond will not only benefit its large, fast-growth schools, but it will also support the district’s smaller schools, including 25 schools with declining enrollments.

CASE Report: Community Rallies in Support of Bond

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 17:50:37 GMT

Several community organizations came together yesterday as a show of unity in support of HISD’s proposed bond that will be on November’s ballot. Children at Risk, the Houston Food Bank, the Center for School

CASE Report: Miles Explains “Wholescale Reform”

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 19:42:50 GMT

Houston ISD’s challenges are not unique - most large, diverse, urban school districts suffer from achievement gaps, underinvestment, and enrollment declines.

CASE Report: Credibility Thins for Local HISD Reporters

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 20:01:14 GMT

No matter how high the test scores, how improved the student support systems, or how glowing the reports from students, teachers, and families, the Houston Chronicle just can’t seem to bring themselves to give HISD’s leadership an unequivocal “congratulations.”

CASE Report: “Co-locations” Signal Progress, Not Prejudice

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 19:49:21 GMT

It would be unreasonable for a person to claim that they want to go swimming, but only if they don’t get wet.

CASE Report: Low-Performing Teachers Leaving HISD

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 16:03:01 GMT

Teacher turnover in HISD has been decried as a “travesty” in local reporting, but new data shows that the majority of teachers that did not return had the poorest ratings.

CASE Report: Details Out for Bond Oversight Committee

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 14:52:07 GMT

HISD is now accepting applications for the Bond Oversight Committee.

CASE Report: Chronicle Confirms HISD’s Gains Are Real

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 19:43:30 GMT

Since the HISD intervention began, there has been a steady drumbeat of good news coming out of the district regarding student achievement.

CASE Report: “Dramatic improvement” Observed in HISD’s Accountability Scores

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 17:32:33 GMT

HISD’s newest, unofficial state A-F school accountability ratings are out, and the results are remarkable: of the 264 rated schools, 193 campuses earned higher scores compared to 2023 and 149 HISD schools improved by a letter grade over last year.

CASE Report: Transparency, Communication Prioritized for Bond

Fri, 16 Aug 2024 15:38:35 GMT

HISD’s board of managers approved a $4.4 billion bond proposal at last week’s board meeting.

CASE Report: HISD Reduces Failing Schools by Two Thirds

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 15:45:57 GMT

Houston ISD announced Wednesday that the number of schools that earned a D or F rating in the Texas Education Agency’s accountability ratings dropped by about two-thirds compared to last year under revamped, harder standards introduced by the state.

CASE Report: Inaccuracies Mar Community Meeting

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 15:48:40 GMT

Earlier this week, the local teacher’s union hosted state lawmakers for a community meeting in which HISD parents and students discussed their thoughts on the HISD intervention.

CASE Report: HISD Progressing Toward TEA Objectives

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 13:00:16 GMT

he HISD intervention has brought significant change to the district.

CASE Report: HISD Hopeful to Solidify Gains

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 15:28:58 GMT

CASE Report: New Scores Show Narrowing Literacy Gaps

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 13:14:33 GMT

HISD’s youngest students made significant progress on early literacy assessments during this past academic year, according to new testing data.

CASE Report: National Implications Underscore HISD’s Turnaround

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 13:12:42 GMT

The Houston Landing wrote about the HISD intervention, which has been a bold experiment in urban public education reform at a scale never seen before in the U.S. Rather than merely tweak around the edges, HISD has taken the approach of “wholescale systemic reform” and overhauled about half of its 270 campuses into “New Education System” schools with profoundly different ways of teaching students.

CASE Report: Principals Hopeful for Bond

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 13:09:50 GMT

Several HISD principals are hopeful that the Houston community supports HISD’s proposed bond, according to a new report from the Houston Chronicle.

CASE Report: HISD’s STAAR Growth Paces Region

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 14:17:05 GMT

Newly-released STAAR scores show that Houston ISD improved in both elementary math and reading this year, while other large Houston-area districts lagged, according to a report from the Houston Landing.

ALERT: Houston Chronicle Editorial Board Praises HISD Progress

Sun, 16 Jun 2024 18:55:09 GMT

The Houston Chronicle editorial board offers praise for the progress made under the leadership of the Board of Mangers and Superintendent Mike Miles.

STAAR Scores Show Extraordinary Progress

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 18:53:29 GMT

HISD Superintendent Mike Miles took a moment to praise the district’s students and teachers for their remarkable academic gains this school year in a recent opinion piece published by the Houston Chronicle.

Secretary Rod Paige says hope has emerged in HISD

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 18:51:24 GMT

In case you missed it, Sunday’s edition of the Houston Chronicle included an op-ed on the HISD intervention penned by Dr. Rod Paige, former US Secretary of Education and former HISD superintendent.

Unprecedented Growth for HISD Students

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 18:49:34 GMT

HISD’s preliminary high school STAAR scores were released this week, and the results were fantastic: English I saw a 3 percentage point increase for “meeting or exceeding grade level”; a 5 percentage point increase was seen for Algebra I and English II; and Biology saw a 14 percentage point increase.

HISD's Intervention Reaches One-Year Milestone

Fri, 31 May 2024 20:18:04 GMT

The first year of the HISD intervention is complete, and there is a lot to reflect on.

Bond Advisory Committee Established

Fri, 24 May 2024 16:01:27 GMT

The HISD community will have its first chances in the coming weeks to weigh in on the district’s anticipated bond proposal.

TEA Responds to Bogus Report

Mon, 20 May 2024 13:45:59 GMT

Debunking HISD Hit Piece

Wed, 15 May 2024 18:21:32 GMT

Spectrum News recently published a story that has gained attention in the community. The story included numerous allegations of wrongdoing related to Mike Miles’s involvement with Third Future Schools, his former place of employment.

HISD Right-Sizing its Budget

Mon, 13 May 2024 13:44:56 GMT

HISD’s Board of Managers voted to approve a reduction in force due to budget constraints at last night’s board meeting. Although almost every department will experience cuts, teachers will not be laid off due to budgeting concerns.

"Run through the finish line"

Mon, 06 May 2024 16:06:33 GMT

HISD announced this week that it would be adjusting the timing of end-of-year progress testing in an effort to maximize the amount of time that students are receiving high-quality instruction.

HISD Faces Infrastructure Changes

Mon, 06 May 2024 16:03:03 GMT

There are myriad infrastructure and safety challenges at nearly all HISD schools, according to a new report commissioned by the district.

New Teacher Evaluations Underway

Mon, 06 May 2024 15:56:48 GMT

HISD has rolled out a new, innovative teacher evaluation system that aims to identify and reward its most effective teachers.

HISD to Explore Bond

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 20:28:50 GMT

HISD’s Board of Managers passed a resolution formally approving the exploration of a 2024 bond at last night’s board meeting. The bond would raise money to address decades of deferred maintenance at several of HISD’s aging campuses.

Teacher Salaries Continue to Rise

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 18:40:22 GMT

HISD announced this week that significant raises are on the way for its special education teachers. This move will position HISD’s special education teachers among the highest-paid teachers in the region.

Students Prioritized in New Budget

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 14:09:54 GMT

HISD 2024-2025 announced its budget this week. The new budget prioritizes students by reducing administrative costs while maintaining student-facing investments.

HISD Outlines Action Plan

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 14:09:53 GMT

HISD is expected to build upon many of its recent innovations according to a draft plan presented by Superintendent Miles last week.

HISD Raises Teacher Salaries

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 23:16:40 GMT

This week, HISD announced plans to raise its starting teacher salary to $64,000, which is “significantly higher” than surrounding districts. According to the district’s new compensation plan , released this week, all teacher salaries will increase. The highest raises will go to teachers that teach in the highest-need areas, including in underserved areas and in special education.

Pre-K to Expand

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 15:12:06 GMT

What’s new: In order to keep up with rising demand, HISD plans to add 500 pre-k seats by fall 2025. This aggressive expansion will boost enrollment (and its accompanying state funds), and allow for more students to receive high-quality instruction.

Efficiency Report Released

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 15:53:20 GMT

HISD released an Efficiency Report on Tuesday that outlined “long-standing operational problems and inefficiencies” within the district. The report detailed 8 areas of concern.

Chronicle editorial commends HISD leadership

Fri, 23 Feb 2024 16:03:39 GMT

What’s new: The Houston Chronicle Editorial Board released an op-ed entitled, “ Mike Miles doesn’t want to close your school. He’s got better ideas. ” The Editorial Board was pleasantly surprised at HISD’s financial stability despite implementing NES, which includes pay raises for teachers, increased student supports, and technology upgrades.

Special Education Strengthened

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 16:50:12 GMT

An investigative report by Houston Landing showed that special education services in HISD and across the state have steadily improved over the past several years. Investments in staff, training, and facilities have made it possible for record numbers of children with special needs to get the support they need.

HISD campuses apply to join NES

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 17:10:57 GMT

Dozens of HISD schools applied on Wednesday to be included in the new NES model. This comes on the heels of Superintendent Mike Miles’ announcement last month that NES would expand to more campuses.

What is NES?

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 20:51:42 GMT

What’s new: The New Education System (NES). We will explore how the model has, according to recent data, raised student achievement in HISD. How it works: Concentration of Resources to Highest-Need Students

NES Scales Up

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 20:51:41 GMT

HISD announced on Tuesday that the New Education System (NES) would expand to at least 26 additional campuses. NES campuses are the focal point of the HISD reform agenda. These reforms are aimed at improving student outcomes for the most underserved students.

SPECIAL CASE REPORT: Student data shows reforms are working

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 20:38:43 GMT

Recent district-wide exams released by HISD show that students on NES campuses demonstrated more growth in math and reading than students at non-NES campuses. Why it matters: The intensive effort to turnaround underperforming campuses through the NES model is the cornerstone of HISD’s plan to improve student outcomes. These data provide the first indications that the reforms are resulting in academic progress.

School Calendars to Change

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 17:19:28 GMT

New Semester Begins

Fri, 12 Jan 2024 18:24:05 GMT

As HISD’s students returned to class this week to start the Spring semester, many students are taking advantage of HISD’s new Sunrise Centers. Sunrise Centers are innovative service hubs located in high-need areas that operate as “one-stop-shops” for social service support.

Teachers Matter Most

Fri, 12 Jan 2024 18:21:53 GMT

HISD and Texas Southern University announced a partnership to provide TSU students who are aspiring teachers the opportunity to work as paid apprentices beginning this month.

MUST READ: Op Ed

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 20:04:30 GMT

CASE is a collective of Houstonians committed to ensuring that every student within Houston Independent School District (HISD) has the opportunity to receive a high-quality education. CASE emerged in response to the urgent need for a renewed focus on the fundamental goal of fostering an environment where all students can learn and thrive.

CASE Officially Launches

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 17:46:34 GMT

The Coalition for Advancing Student Excellence (CASE) has officially launched! CASE is a collective of Houstonians committed to ensuring that every student within Houston Independent School District (HISD) has the opportunity to receive a high-quality education. CASE emerged in response to the urgent need for a renewed focus on the fundamental goal of fostering an environment where all students can learn and thrive.

Nonprofit launches to champion Houston ISD reforms

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 17:43:36 GMT

A new advocacy group is launching Wednesday with plans to champion many of the reforms introduced by state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles this year in Houston ISD.

The Coalition for Advancing Student Excellence , or CASE, plans to aggressively support measures that they deem are good for HISD students while providing constructive feedback to district leadership as needed, said Max Moll, a public affairs specialist and spokesperson for the nonprofit.

"We’re going to use our voice to champion much-needed reforms at the district that are going to improve student outcomes," said Moll, an HISD administrator prior to the takeover. "Our hope is to be a new voice in an environment that there are tons of voices, but we want to make sure we’re refocusing folks on what I think everybody wants, which is improved outcomes for students and an improved school district."