American education is at a crossroads. Our students lag behind global peers
, achievement gaps persist
and teacher shortages loom large. It’s a bleak picture, but amidst the gloom, a glimmer of hope has emerged in an unlikely place: the Houston Independent School District.
HISD has long been beset by poor test scores
, governance issues
and failing schools that disproportionately impact minority students. In June 2023, the state of Texas intervened
, appointing a new superintendent and board. They implemented a suite of reforms dubbed the “New Education System” (NES)
at several dozen low-performing schools.
The early results of the NES have been nothing short of remarkable. The mid-year NWEA-MAP exam
, a national norm-referenceding test, showed significant improvement at all levels. Students in NES schools are outperforming their non-NES peers in growth measures, with some grades achieving a full year’s worth of reading growth. High school students have seen double-digit increases on state standardized tests across subjects including algebra, biology, English and U.S. history.
With another round of NWEA-MAP scores soon to be released and state STAAR test results expected soon, there is reason for cautious optimism the reform model is working. The data will likely suggest that we may be witnessing the start of something transformative — a narrowing of the stubborn racial and economic achievement gaps that have plagued urban districts for decades.
Of course, change is never easy, and some aspects of the NES model have faced pushback. The district has implemented a standard curriculum
across the NES schools. Cameras have been installed
in classrooms to facilitate remote learning and enhance security. Teachers’ salaries
are based on their effectiveness, as well as the subjects and grades they teach. Administrative expenses
have been cut and rededicated to classrooms. These changes have understandably ruffled some feathers.
Much about the NES is controversial, even risky. The emphasis on rote skills
goes against currents in curriculum theory. Deprioritizing nonacademic activities raises questions about nurturing the whole child. New courses like “Art of Thinking,”
while ambitious in introducing complex concepts to young students, are largely untested.
Yet many reforms have earned widespread support
from educators, parents and the community. Struggling schools are receiving long-overdue investments
, with teacher salaries
at NES schools now averaging roughly $85,000 (plus a $10,000 stipend), far above the national average. Extended school hours
provide enrichment and child care. Principals have opted in droves to join the program
, expanding it well beyond the district’s initial plans.
The Houston experiment should serve as a national case study in bold education policy innovation. For too long, reform efforts have focused on distant levers of standards, testing and accountability. NES represents a more comprehensive approach, tackling thorny issues of salary, staffing, safety, schedules and pedagogy head-on.
No single initiative can solve the deep-seated challenges facing many of America’s schools. HISD still faces daunting hurdles, from deferred maintenance costs to pockets of fierce NES resistance. But Houston’s story suggests that transformative change is within reach when local leaders are empowered to break the mold.
Not everything Houston tries will work, of course, and missteps and backlash are inevitable. But in education, the greater risk is not trying something drastically different. Our school systems are in dire need of a fundamental overhaul, not just piecemeal tweaks. We need more districts willing to reimagine what’s possible, as HISD is doing on a scale never before seen in this country.
As the nation grapples with the future of public education, we should look to Houston not just for inspiration, but for hard-won lessons about what works, what doesn’t and what it takes to shake up a stagnant system. The Houston story is still being written, but it may well be penning a new playbook for urban school transformation.
Dr. Rod Paige served as the seventh U.S. secretary of Education, and is a former superintendent of HISD.
