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| CASE Report
Smart Brevity ®
count: 3 mins...733 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’s STAAR Growth Paces Region
 Newly-released STAAR scores show that Houston ISD improved in both elementary math and reading this year, while other large Houston-area districts lagged, according to a report from the Houston Landing.
HISD saw growth of 3 percentage points in both reading and math from 2023 to 2024, while no other district had growth higher than 1 percentage point for either subject, and most even showed some negative growth.
The graphics below illustrate the stark differences in student achievement between districts:
 HISD shows growth of 3 percentage points in 3-8 math, far outpacing similar Houston districts.
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 HISD shows growth of 3 percentage points in 3-8 reading, far outpacing similar Houston districts.
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Why it matters:
These scores show that HISD is doing something profoundly different which is producing great results for students. They also show that HISD students are becoming more competitive with students from surrounding districts and across the state, since HISD’s scores are closing in quickly on top Houston-area districts and are fast approaching state averages.
What they’re saying:
“HISD still has much work to do to increase proficiency for all students, but STAAR tells us that we are headed in the right direction,” said HISD Superintendent Mike Miles.
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Chronicle’s Ed Board Lauds Miles with a Few Caveats
 It has been a very good week for HISD. The past several days have been packed with positive news about STAAR scores
, achievement gaps closing
, increases in student achievement
, and HISD outpacing other districts in academic growth.
While the Chronicle’s Editorial Board
does Mike Miles some justice in their recent editorial
, they do pose a wild question: “Yes, the students are doing better than they ever have, ‘ but at what cost
?’"
The board surmises:
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“Even if students are gaining more knowledge in class, is that truly a net benefit after all they’ve lost, from libraries to beloved principals and teachers?”
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“Why is Miles fixing what doesn’t seem to be broken by removing principals at non-NES schools?”
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“Miles faces the very real possibility that he’ll simply run out of great educators.”
But, but, but:
The Chronicle’s own reporting makes evident that the changes made by HISD’s new leadership have benefitted students’ academic achievement.
Notable:
Even in this opinion piece, the authors acknowledge that student achievement is clearly improving at the same time staffing changes are happening.
Reasonable thought:
We shouldn’t condition our support for HISD on whether adults are satisfied with leadership. We cannot afford to lose sight of the purpose of public education - for students to learn and gain skills that will help them succeed and contribute to society.
The bottom line:
Let’s take this moment to celebrate the teachers and students that are committed to continuing HISD’s unprecedented turnaround.
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Panel Reacts to STAAR Gains
 Local TV personality Greg Groogan and a panel of influential Houstonians discussed the news of HISD’s impressive STAAR test results on a recent segment of What’s Your Point.
This panel represents a broad cross-section of the Houston community, comprised of different ethnicities, ages, and professions, yet all agreed that the scores were impressive and a positive development from the intervention.
Check out the full segment here.
What they’re saying:
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“The improvements are significant, they’re substantial…you don’t see many turnarounds like this in urban districts. I went out and visited one of the NES schools and what goes on there is impressive” - Bill King, Columnist and businessman
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“It just sounds like the schools are being more intentional about teaching the kids, and that’s maybe what you’re seeing. And you shouldn’t overlook data.” - Chau Nguyen, Journalist and Social Worker.
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“There’s been a large turnaround in one year. He does need to…keep working in the right direction.”- Bob Price, Assoc. Editor, Breitbart Texas.
Why it matters:
Interviews like “What’s Your Point” are quick illustrations of the Houston community’s opinions on important topics. The fact that all panelists agreed that student achievement is on the right track signals that the broader Houston community is supportive of HISD’s turnaround.
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