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| CASE Report
Smart Brevity ®
count: 3.5 mins...873 words
CASE is a collective of Houstonians committed to ensuring every student within Houston Independent School District (HISD) has the opportunity to receive a high-quality education.
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HISD Progressing Toward TEA Objectives
 The HISD intervention has brought significant change to the district. Test scores are up
, teachers are earning more than ever before
, innovative courses are being offered
, and a culture of high performance has been implemented. Despite the positive developments within HISD, the intervention is meant to be temporary. So, what will it take for the district to return to local elected control?
The Texas Education Agency outlined three metrics that HISD must meet in order for the intervention to end:
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No consecutive failing grades- The intervention was initiated because Wheatley High School posted failing accountability scores for seven consecutive years. Now, in order for the TEA to end the HISD intervention, no HISD school may have failing scores for consecutive years.
Due to a pending lawsuit, it’s unclear when, or if, the TEA will release accountability ratings based on data for the 2023-2024 school year. However, the district improved its STAAR scores significantly this past school year, so this metric appears to be on track for whenever the lawsuit concludes.
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Special education compliance- A 2020 TEA investigation found that HISD had “significant, systemic and widespread” issues
with its special education services, including failures to identify all students who needed special education services, give students the support they were entitled to and hold staff accountable for poor performance.
HISD reported that it has “significantly improved” its services
for special education students since the intervention began, although state-appointed conservators wrote in May that the district still remains slightly “off track” to meet full compliance with all its goals and legal mandates. (Full compliance would be 100% of SPED evaluations and meetings taking place on time - HISD is at 99%.)
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Improved board governance- Prior to the intervention, HISD’s board had come under fire from TEA for violating the Texas Open Meetings Act, meddling with vendor contracts, exceeding authority, and lying to investigators. Since then, HISD’s state-appointed conservator has written monthly reports that indicate the appointed board is “on track” to meet this criteria based on their progress this year toward goals set by the TEA. The objectives are largely based on Lone Star Governance
, which is an improvement model for school boards focused on improving student outcomes.
The Houston Chronicle’s story is here.
What they’re saying:"If we keep up growth like this, we'll be able to transition out into an elected board soon. Hopefully, it won't take seven or eight years. Maybe now it'll only take a few years," said Superintendent Miles.
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HISD Streamlines Student Transportation
 HISD is right-sizing its school transportation operations by reducing certain bus routes and improving management of bus dispatches.
HISD had previously outlined several inefficiencies regarding student transportation in its landmark Efficiency Report
from earlier this year and is now putting its improvement plan into action.
The updates were announced in a district email to parents on Tuesday and reported by ABC13.
Why it matters:
The changes will not only save money, but will also allow students to learn more since they will spend more time in class and less time in transit to and from school. The average student ride time will be reduced from 105 minutes to 75 minutes.
What they’re saying:
HISD’s statement stated that these changes were guided by a few key principles:
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HISD is one of the only districts in the region to transport students who elect to attend a school other than their zoned school. HISD will continue to provide transportation to families who participate in [the] school choice program.
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HISD needs to reduce ride time for school choice students.
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HISD must use transportation resources more effectively.
By the numbers:
As part of the $10 million in total transportation cost reduction, HISD says streamlining routes will save an estimated $3 million. Additional cost savings will reportedly come from improving the way the district dispatches and manages buses.
What’s next:
Families should learn their new route before the end of July.
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HISD Launches Communications App
 HISD has launched a new mobile app with the goal of keeping the HISD community informed about district news and updates. The app, called HISD Source, will serve as a “one-stop destination” where students and parents can stay updated with announcements, events, stories, and alerts.
KHOU’s story is here.
Why it matters:
There have been lots of changes at HISD since the intervention began, so effective communication has been critical for students, parents, and the community. Through this new app, which consolidates information available on the district's website, news blog, newsletter and social media, the HISD community will be able to easily stay up to date with the latest information.
What they’re saying:"The HISD Source app marks a significant step forward in our commitment to transparent and effective communication with our community," said Alex Elizondo, HISD Chief of Public Affairs and Communications.
Where to find:
The HISD Source App is available for download in English and Spanish for Apple
and Android.
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