Houston ISD sees 66% reduction in F-rated schools with state guidance

Dive Brief:

• Houston Independent School District has seen a significant reduction in the number of failing schools, with a decrease of nearly two-thirds from the previous year, according to school-level accountability ratings released by the district on Monday.
• After being taken over by the state in 2023, Texas’ largest school district has reduced its F-rated schools from 121 in 2023 to 41 in 2024. Meanwhile, the number of schools rated A or B saw an 82% increase, rising from 93 in 2023 to 170 in 2024.
• Over the past year, 55 district schools serving more than 27,000 students have improved from a D or F rating to an A or B rating.

Dive Insight:

“We are exceptionally proud of our accomplishments in the past year,” stated HISD Superintendent Mike Miles on Monday. “Schools across the district have made significant gains in student achievement on state assessments.”

Miles had predicted in June that a substantial number of the 123 schools previously rated D or F would demonstrate improvement, potentially initiating a positive trend in student and school performance.

Initial data indicated that students in grades 3-8 and high school achieved one of the district’s highest academic growth rates.

The boost in accountability ratings follows a contentious takeover last year, preceded by political upheaval between district and state authorities and within the school community.

The takeover was partly due to the underperformance of Wheatley High School, which had received consistently poor academic ratings from 2011 to 2019. Although it attained an acceptable rating in 2021-22, the prior performance issues lingered, leading to a D rating by 2023 and eventually to a B in 2024.

The positive outcomes coincided with the district’s New Education System initiative, implemented in 85 out of 274 targeted schools for comprehensive reform rather than piecemeal changes often observed in state takeovers.

In 2023, 11 NES schools secured A or B ratings, surging to 53 the following year.

For the upcoming 2024-25 school year, an additional 45 campuses have joined the NES program, totaling 130.

Miles expressed optimism in June that continued improvement could lead to HISD’s early exit from state involvement and a shift toward an elected board in the near future.