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| Learning From Kindergarten to College |
One of the highest priorities for relocating families is locating a new school for their children and providing a smooth transition so that learning can continue and new friends can be formed. This chapter will provide a good overview for learning more about the many educational resources available in the Houston area. You’ll also find information about private schools, a list of recommended immunizations for children from newborn to 18 years of age and data about Houston area independent school districts.
The Texas Education Code provides the framework for the current public education system, which is overseen by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) (www.tea.state.tx.us) and the State Board of Education. Led by the commissioner of education, the TEA is the administrative unit for primary and secondary education and, among other duties, develops a statewide curriculum, administers statewide assessment programs and rates school districts under the statewide accountability system.
State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR)
The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) is a standardized test that will be replacing the current Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS). The STAAR test was created to fulfill the new requirements of House Bill 3, which was passed by the 81st Texas Legislature and incorporated into Texas Education Code (TEC) Chapter 39. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is developing the new State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR).
The STAAR test is a more rigorous assessment program that will provide the foundation for a new accountability system for Texas public education. The following guide will provide implementation information based on current legislation.
STAAR will replace the TAKS test beginning in spring 2012. The STAAR program at Grades 3–8 will assess the same subjects and grades that currently are assessed on TAKS. At the high school level, however, grade-specific assessments will be replaced with 12 end-of-course (EOC) assessments: Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English I, English II, English III, World Geography, World History and U.S. History.
Education in the Houston Region
There are 67 school districts and 66 independent charter schools in the 10-county Houston area that includes Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, San Jacinto and Waller counties. The Top 20 districts combine to educate more than 755,000 students each year. Houston educators and the community are committed to creating a high-quality educational environment to serve the needs of an increasingly diverse student population.
As the largest city in Texas and the fourth largest city in the United States, Houston is home to the Houston Independent School District (HISD), the largest public school district in the area as well as in Texas and the seventh-largest public school district in the country. HISD educates more than 203,000 students, employs 24,440 full- and part-time professional and support personnel and operates 306 campuses and educational programs within a 301-square-mile area. HISD schools are organized within five geographic regions (North, East, South, West and Central) by feeder patterns composed of specific elementary, middle and high schools; an Alternative and Charter Schools Office oversees those types of schools. Each regional office is managed by a regional superintendent who coordinates a team of executive principals to ensure the quality of instruction throughout the region’s feeder patterns. Regional managers serve to strengthen the district’s outreach to parents by handling parental concerns and working to improve parent, volunteer and business-partner programs. Each of the five regions manages four or five of HISD’s 23 feeder patterns. HISD’s organization is designed to emphasize teaching and learning, align school goals and programs for sustained improvement, eliminate duplicated services and provide greater oversight of data and compliance with state laws and regulations.
All Houston-area ISD operate with the basic premise that every child can and should learn. Composed of a diverse student population, Houston educators and the community are committed to creating a high-quality educational environment.
Similar to other U.S. schools, Houston-area schools are divided into three levels: elementary schools for pre-K through fifth grade, middle schools for sixth through eighth grade and high schools for ninth through 12th grade. State law requires that each school district employ enough teachers to maintain an average teacher-to-student ratio of 1-to-20 and that a school district cannot enroll more than 22 students per teacher per classroom from kindergarten through fourth grade. English language arts, fine arts, languages other than English, mathematics, science and social studies compose the core curriculum.
Generally, teachers use numerical grades, with report cards sent to parents of elementary students every nine weeks and to parents of middle and high school students every six weeks. Students are promoted based on academic achievement, measured in certain years by statewide tests.
The Texas Education Code established the charter school concept—a type of public school operated under a state-granted charter or contract. TEA charter schools are autonomous, open-enrollment institutions that use state funding to offer innovative learning opportunities with greater flexibility than traditional public schools. Although subject to fewer state laws, charter schools still are monitored and accredited under the statewide testing and accountability system. Many school districts in the area also have charter schools that operate with the approval of the State Board of Education and within the jurisdiction of their particular district.
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