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| Feb 24th, 2011 |
HISD's Hispanic, African-American, and Anglo Students Outperform Peers on National Science Test
For Immediate Release:
District Aims to Help More Students Surpass Basic Level
February 24, 2011 – The Houston Independent School District’s Hispanic, African-American, and Anglo students outperformed their big-city school district peers in science on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test, according to figures released today.
The NAEP, also known as the Nation’s Report Card, is the country’s only federally authorized survey of student achievement in various subject areas. Participation in the exam is voluntary and Austin is the only other large urban district in Texas that gave the science test to a large enough sample of fourthand eighth-grade students in 2009 to be included in the report.
HISD 8th graders achieved a scale score of 138, which exceeds the national average among public schools in large cities by 4 points. Houston bested 12 of the 16 other urban districts that take participate in the NAEP Trial Urban District Assessment Program. The districts that HISD students beat include Miami-Dade, Boston, New York City, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Only Austin; Jefferson County, Ky.; and Charlotte, N.C. came out ahead of HISD. All three of those districts have significantly fewer students from low-income homes that Houston.
On the fourth-grade science exam, HISD students posted a scale score of 135, which was the average score for students in large cities. Most of the districts that outperformed HISD’s fourth-graders had lower percentages of low-income students and students who do not speak English as their native language.
HISD students from low-income families at both grade levels scored better than their peers in large cities.
While HISD students performed well when it comes to meeting “basic” standards, the science results highlighted the need to bring more students to the more difficult “proficient” standard. Among fourth-graders, only 16 percent of HISD students met the proficient standard, compared to the big-city average of 20 percent. In the 8th grade, 17 percent of students were considered proficient in science, which is average among large cities.
“We are encouraged that many Houston students are showing progress,” said HISD Superintendent Terry Grier. “But we also know students need to be hitting the higher mark if they are to do well in college and in the workplace. That will only happen with great teaching.”
HISD Superintendent Terry Grier has implemented several initiatives that aim to boost the level of academic rigor in Houston schools. Under the Board of Education’s direction, Dr. Grier has committed to staffing every classroom with a quality teacher and every school with an effective principal. The superintendent also recently announced plans to overhaul HISD’s curriculum to ensure that all students are being taught to the same high standards, while also continuing to give teachers the flexibility required to tailor lessons to their students’ needs.
“The Houston school district continues to strive for higher student achievement by virtue of volunteering for the rigorous national assessment,” said Michael Casserly, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Council of the Great City Schools. “With the latest science scores, HISD students outperformed their peers attending large city school districts in grade 8, and performed as well as their peers at grade 4. We anticipate measurable gains over time as the district's academic reforms accelerate.”
February 24, 2011 – The Houston Independent School District’s Hispanic, African-American, and Anglo students outperformed their big-city school district peers in science on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test, according to figures released today.
The NAEP, also known as the Nation’s Report Card, is the country’s only federally authorized survey of student achievement in various subject areas. Participation in the exam is voluntary and Austin is the only other large urban district in Texas that gave the science test to a large enough sample of fourthand eighth-grade students in 2009 to be included in the report.
HISD 8th graders achieved a scale score of 138, which exceeds the national average among public schools in large cities by 4 points. Houston bested 12 of the 16 other urban districts that take participate in the NAEP Trial Urban District Assessment Program. The districts that HISD students beat include Miami-Dade, Boston, New York City, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Only Austin; Jefferson County, Ky.; and Charlotte, N.C. came out ahead of HISD. All three of those districts have significantly fewer students from low-income homes that Houston.
On the fourth-grade science exam, HISD students posted a scale score of 135, which was the average score for students in large cities. Most of the districts that outperformed HISD’s fourth-graders had lower percentages of low-income students and students who do not speak English as their native language.
HISD students from low-income families at both grade levels scored better than their peers in large cities.
While HISD students performed well when it comes to meeting “basic” standards, the science results highlighted the need to bring more students to the more difficult “proficient” standard. Among fourth-graders, only 16 percent of HISD students met the proficient standard, compared to the big-city average of 20 percent. In the 8th grade, 17 percent of students were considered proficient in science, which is average among large cities.
“We are encouraged that many Houston students are showing progress,” said HISD Superintendent Terry Grier. “But we also know students need to be hitting the higher mark if they are to do well in college and in the workplace. That will only happen with great teaching.”
HISD Superintendent Terry Grier has implemented several initiatives that aim to boost the level of academic rigor in Houston schools. Under the Board of Education’s direction, Dr. Grier has committed to staffing every classroom with a quality teacher and every school with an effective principal. The superintendent also recently announced plans to overhaul HISD’s curriculum to ensure that all students are being taught to the same high standards, while also continuing to give teachers the flexibility required to tailor lessons to their students’ needs.
“The Houston school district continues to strive for higher student achievement by virtue of volunteering for the rigorous national assessment,” said Michael Casserly, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Council of the Great City Schools. “With the latest science scores, HISD students outperformed their peers attending large city school districts in grade 8, and performed as well as their peers at grade 4. We anticipate measurable gains over time as the district's academic reforms accelerate.”
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The Houston Independent School District is the largest school district in Texas and the seventh-largest in the United States with 298 schools and more than 200,000 students. The 301-square-mile district is one of the largest employers in the Houston metropolitan area with nearly 30,000 employees.
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