Just saw on the news, HISD failed to meet the state average on every test in every grade level HISD's response, "we did better than we expected" Why anyone would send their child to an HISD school (except Bellaire High), I'll never understand.
Before I get jumped, I know there are circumstances in which people have no choice other than HISD for their children. But that doesn't stop me from saying HISD officials are stupid.
No one wants to send their child to an HISD school. The majority of them just cant afford other options.
Don't worry, the rest of the country will catch up with HISD with Rod Paige at the helm. Hmmm, I was zoned for Bellaire; instead where I'm at avg. test scores are probably 30% lower than HISD. Sweet Home Alabama, Woo Hoo!!!
HISD is the Houston Independent School District. TAKS (don't know what it stands for) is the state assessment test given in different subjects for different grade levels.
Maybe TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) was a way of the state not being able to spell "task"?
The Chronicle has picked up on the story... http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/1935916 --- Only 36 percent of HISD sophomores pass TAKS By JO ANN ZUÑIGA Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle Only 36 percent of Houston's 10th graders passed the entire Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test. The sophomores had the toughtest time with the test's science component. The only bright spot was elementary students who took the Spanish-language TAKS and exceeded statewide scores, scoring 93 percent in reading. Some 52 percent of Houston 10th graders passed their TAKS science component. Statewide, 69 percent of 10th graders passed science. Houston Independent School District superintendent Kaye Stripling, releasing the scores today, acknowledged that much improvement is needed in math and science, but said HISD did better than expected. "We need to concentrate instructionally, do more hands-on experiments and update science labs," Stripling said. Although that improvement may be difficult during a budget-cutting year, Stripling said, "We will find the money." The State Legislature recently passed a science initiative bill that will provide certification for master science teachers and stipends for concentration in that subject. "Our test scores are actually something to be proud of. The TAKS is about twice as hard as the TAAS," Stripling said while at Wharton Elementary on West Gray where 99 percent of its students passed math and 96 percent passed reading. TAKS, which was introduced this past spring in tests taken in March and April, replaced the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills. "TAAS had mostly computation, while TAKS is quite strenuous requiring more reading even in the math section as well as conjecture and problem-solving," Stripling said. School board member Esther Campos pointed out that elementary students taking the Spanish-language TAKS tested at higher than the statewide scores. Third-grade Spanish TAKS had 93 percent of Houston students pass reading compared to 91 percent of state scores. About 85 percent of Houston students in Spanish passed math compared to 82 percent statewide. "I'm very proud that our Spanish-language category surpassed the state scores," Campos said. About 20 percent of HISD students took the TAKS in Spanish. Jacel Morgan, assistant superintendent of Houston's multilingual department, said this proved the strength of the local bilingual education program. Gayle Fallon, Houston Federation of Teachers spokeswoman, said both teachers and students did well for the first time in taking the TAKS. "Given the dire predictions of gloom and doom all over the state, we didn't do badly the first time around," Fallon said. "We're an urban district and many times students' academics are tied to the economics of their parents. So I'm satisfied that we almost hit the state average," she said. "It will help that the state will be putting more money into science teachers. Outstanding teachers are the best purchase," Fallon said.
That's pretty sad. But...hmm.....what about Los Angeles and New York and Chicago? That's why..COME TO FORT BEND ISD!
The answer isn't to throw more money at the problem. The answer is to see how the teachers are teaching and what is actually being taught.
THE TAKS WAS SO FREAKIN EASY. I don't know how anyone could fail it. That's pretty sad...of course...we have a lot of kids living in poverty in bad families in bad situations in bad neighborhoods. Or maybe the teachers are just horrible. Maybe they had bad foundations or something. Well anyways...if you fail the TAKS, I think you have to repeat the grade you are in.
Actually in cases such as this (which occur quite often) I send the Kronikal repetitive e-mails until it's fixed on their site. Someone should get fired for that.
