The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has launched an investigation into Katy Independent School District (Katy ISD) following a formal complaint filed by local advocate Karen Mayer Cunningham on behalf of an elementary student. The complaint alleges violations related to special education services provided to the student between October 30, 2023 and the filing of the grievance in November of this year. view article

Two new principals at Harvard were named in the span of a week, with the first backing out because of “bullying on social media,” according to the district. The previous campus leaders, Shelby Calabrese at Harvard and Alvin Goldman at Pershing, were placed on leave last month for reasons the district has declined to specify. view article

The Fort Worth ISD school board meeting in September was packed. Community members were eager to voice their concerns about books, principals and pay. view article

Education officials say the materials were designed to be age appropriate but critics argue they repeatedly omit key context and oversimplify history.  

Leadership at Cy-Fair ISD has decided not to move forward on most of the academic changes proposed in August for secondary students, including eliminating honors-level classes, according to a report at last week's board work session. view article

La Porte Independent School District has received its 22nd consecutive “A” rating for “Superior Achievement” under Texas’ School FIRST financial accountability rating system. The rating is the state’s highest, demonstrating the quality of La Porte ISD’s financial management and reporting system. The district scored a total of 98 out of 100. This is the 22nd year of School FIRST (Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas), a financial accountability system for Texas school districts developed by the Texas Education Agency in response to Senate Bill 875 of the 76th Texas Legislature in 1999 and amendments under House Bill 5, 83rd Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2013. The primary goal of School FIRST is to achieve quality performance in the management of school districts’ financial resources, a goal made more significant due to the complexity of accounting associated with Texas’ school finance system. -30- view article

As officials in the Fort Worth Independent School District look for ways to improve academic progress, they’re pinning hopes on a new staffing model designed to ensure that more kids get a high-quality teacher. The model, called Opportunity Culture, is based on the idea of having a few highly effective teachers spend part of the day acting as coaches and mentors for other educators in their building. The district is piloting the model at three campuses this year, with plans to expand if it’s successful. Read more at: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/education/article294884724.html#storylink=cpy view article

It wasn’t just any coach though, this was Vincent Grayson, who was nominated for High School Coach of the Year at the Houston Sports Awards and was said to have an impact on the basketball court at Booker T. Washington High School by leading their team to the first ever UIL state tournament in 2023. view article

Katy ISD’s 2024 State of the District event, held October 25 at the Leonard Merrell Center at 6301 S. Stadium Drive in Katy, was a celebration of excellence, collaboration, and appreciation for the many stakeholders that continue investing in the future of students, the district said in a press release. For the fourth consecutive year, Katy ISD has been named the #1 public school district in the Houston area by Niche, and this is the result of the many volunteers, elected officials, organizations, and businesses that keep the district strong, the press release said. view article

Texas high school students can now see which of the state’s public universities would accept them before they submit college applications, state leaders announced Oct. 11. Students who submit academic information—like their grade point average, class rank and standardized test scores—to the state’s new Direct Admissions portal will receive a list of where they qualify for automatic acceptance, according to a news release. Thirty-one of Texas’ 37 public universities participate in the program. Students can begin using Direct Admissions at the end of their junior year of high school. Once a student receives their admissions list, they must still submit an application to verify their information and help schools determine if they qualify for scholarships. If students do not qualify for direct admission at a specific university, they can still go through the traditional application process, according to the release. Students can submit a single application to Texas institutions through ApplyTexas. view article

Houston area school districts have received high marks in Niche’s annual rankings, with Katy ISD leading the pack, securing the #7 spot as one of Texas’ top-rated school districts. Tomball ISD follows closely at #18, while Friendswood ISD, Pearland ISD, and Clear Creek ISD have also earned places within the top 30. view article

The Fort Worth school district is at risk of another year of lackluster academic progress if its teachers and leaders don’t do something differently, the district’s interim superintendent told the school board Tuesday. Karen Molinar, who was appointed to lead the district earlier this month after former Superintendent Angélica Ramsey’s departure, emphasized that the district is both morally obligated and legally required to accelerate students who have fallen behind. If the district doesn’t intervene, she projected that nearly three quarters of all students will perform below grade level on next spring’s STAAR exam. “We can’t do everything at once, but we need to do something immediately,” she said. During the meeting, Molinar presented MAP assessment scores from the beginning of the year, broken out by student subgroups. Across all student groups, the district’s scores this year were almost identical to those from the beginning of the last school year. African American students and special education students lagged well behind the rest of the district — gaps Molinar said the district needs to do more to close. The district’s needs are too great for leaders to be able to focus on every student who needs extra help, she said, but student achievement data can help them figure out which students are furthest behind and target their efforts there. view article

Texas high school students can now see which of the state’s public universities would accept them before they submit college applications, state leaders announced Oct. 11.  Students who submit academic information—like their grade point average, class rank and standardized test scores—to the state’s new Direct Admissions portal will receive a list of where they qualify for automatic acceptance, according to a news release. Thirty-one of Texas’ 37 public universities participate in the program. Students can begin using Direct Admissions at the end of their junior year of high school. Once a student receives their admissions list, they must still submit an application to verify their information and help schools determine if they qualify for scholarships. If students do not qualify for direct admission at a specific university, they can still go through the traditional application process, according to the release. Students can submit a single application to Texas institutions through ApplyTexas. view article

The TEA began a investigation after Spectrum News Texas reported that Third Future Schools Texas had inappropriately diverted state funds from Texas public school students through partnerships with three school districts.   view article

Elizabeth Hornbeck watched her daughter struggle for years before she finally filed a special education complaint against Houston ISD.  As a first-grader, her daughter Alex, who is diagnosed with ADHD, dysgraphia and dyslexia, often came home from school crying. In second grade, Alex had three teachers, including a two-month substitute and new teacher with little special education experience. In third grade, her daughter was placed in a self-contained classroom of children with special-needs students for part of the day, which Hornbeck worried was understaffed and too restrictive for her daughter's abilities. view article

Elizabeth Hornbeck watched her daughter struggle for years before she finally filed a special education complaint against Houston ISD.  As a first-grader, her daughter Alex, who is diagnosed with ADHD, dysgraphia and dyslexia, often came home from school crying. In second grade, Alex had three teachers, including a two-month substitute and new teacher with little special education experience. In third grade, her daughter was placed in a self-contained classroom of children with special-needs students for part of the day, which Hornbeck worried was understaffed and too restrictive for her daughter's abilities. view article

Emotions high during HISD's frequent 'spot checks' required under Mike Miles' New Education System. State-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles paused briefly to dab his eyes with a handkerchief after touring Houston ISD's Thompson Elementary last week, apparently overwhelmed with the campus' recent success.1   view article

During Tuesday evening’s workshop meeting, the College Station ISD Board of Trustees heard more about a new plan to incentivize campuses to boost its average daily attendance rate. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, schools across the nation have seen a rise in what‘s called ’chronic absenteeism,' which was defined by the district as when a student misses more than 10% of school days. view article

The College Station ISD Board of Trustees met Tuesday evening to discuss several major topics that could have big impacts on the district. During the workshop meeting board members discussed the issues they’re focused on for the upcoming state legislative session. School vouchers are again on the list of legislative priorities for 2025, according to information on Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick’s website. This comes after voucher legislation failed to pass over four special legislative sessions in 2023. view article

Elizabeth Hornbeck watched her daughter struggle for years before she finally filed a special education complaint against Houston ISD.   As a first-grader, her daughter Alex, who is diagnosed with ADHD, dysgraphia and dyslexia, often came home from school crying. In second grade, Alex had three teachers, including a two-month substitute and new teacher with little special education experience. In third grade, her daughter was placed in a self-contained classroom of children with special-needs students for part of the day, which Hornbeck worried was understaffed and too restrictive for her daughter's abilities. view article

Women’s Storybook Project brings “hope inside dark places.”   Many children have a fond memory of their mom reading them a book before bed, flipping through the pages and pausing to explore pictures. Children with incarcerated parents, however, may miss out on this comforting experience.  “If you think about the library story time, or someone reading to you in school, or even just a mom sitting down with her children in the evening to read a book, it’s a comfortable and joyful experience,” Jill Gonzalez, executive director of Women’s Storybook Project, said. view article

In recent weeks, the Fort Worth ISD has faced renewed scrutiny. Public comments by Mayor Mattie Parker and the abrupt resignation of Superintendent Angélica Ramsey after just two years in the role have left many families concerned. The message from our civic leaders emphasizes data points and test scores. This leads some to believe that our public schools are failing. However, many parents of FWISD students believe this narrative is harmful and overlooks the successes happening at numerous campuses across the district. Read more at: https://www.star-telegram.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/other-voices/article293776654.html#storylink=cpy view article

Pearland ISD received an “A” rating from the state of Texas through its financial rating system, FIRST. It’s the highest rating available to school districts, according to district documents. view article

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As 13 Investigates continues looking into the qualifications of Houston Independent School District teachers, the district told us hiring over the summer was "fast and furious." 13 Investigates was the first to report this school year that the number of uncertified teachers more than doubled since last year. Our investigation found that 7% of HISD's teachers were not certified last school year, but this year, that number is up to 20%, which means one in every five teachers is not certified. view article

Joy Wright, a student in Round Rock ISD, earned the highest possible ACT composite score of 36. Only about one-quarter of 1% of students who take the ACT earn a top score. Senior year is a busy time for many students ss some of them are getting ready to take their SATs and ACTs. view article

The school district behind one of the most famous high schools in the country now stands alone as the best in the state. Not only that, the school district known for producing some of the nation's best athletes was ranked among the Top 10 best in the country. view article

In 2023, less than half of Texas students met grade level standards on the standardized math assessment. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted previously existing issues with math education, experts say, including insufficient training for teachers and a lack of intervention for struggling students.  Low math achievement rates were widely reported even before COVID-19, said Gabe Grantham, an education policy adviser for nonpartisan think tank Texas 2036.  At Austin ISD, officials said they saw achievement fall amid learning loss and workforce turnover. view article

The largest charter school network in Texas is intervening in a lawsuit that has temporarily blocked the Texas Education Agency from releasing academic accountability ratings for the 2023-2024 school year. view article

Over 100 school districts sued the TEA in 2023 over concerns that the new system would unlawfully lower their ratings for the 2022-23 school year.  The STAAR test—which the state redesigned to feature more open-ended questions and be administered fully online—has become a “flawed assessment instrument” that the TEA failed to verify by a third party, according to the lawsuit. The state also began grading written test responses using an automated computer system, which the plaintiffs said caused the test to become “not valid and reliable.” Additionally, the TEA did not provide districts fair notice of changes to the accountability system and made it “mathematically impossible” for many districts to receive an A rating, according to court documents. One adjustment would’ve raised the requirement to receive an A for college, career or military readiness from 60% to 88%.  -  Lyttle sided with the plaintiffs in blocking the ratings for the 2023-24 school year after hearing oral arguments and witness testimony from the TEA and districts involved in the case Sept. 16-17.  A TEA spokesperson told Community Impact the agency plans to appeal; however, the injunction will remain in effect unless an appeals court issues a new ruling, according to court documents.  A full trial on the case has been set for Feb. 10 at 9 a.m. in Travis County.   view article

Aldine ISD Superintendent LaTonya Goffney inherited a struggling district when she took the helm in the 2018-19 school year, and the COVID-19 pandemic only made her job harder. Still, state data show that while similar school districts have somewhat bounced back, Aldine still lags behind them under Goffney’s leadership. view article

Even amid the chaos of the first day of school at Aldine ISD’s Reed Academy, Superintendent LaTonya Goffney radiates calm and confidence. She commands every space she enters, and not just because her outfit for the occasion is a striking jade green pantsuit. Children gleefully high-five the seventh-year superintendent as she strides through the halls. Teachers stop in their tracks to greet her, bouncing in excitement as they embrace. Her jokes, told through a beaming smile, send ripples of laughter through classrooms. view article

Katy Independent School District has been named the top public school district in Houston and across Texas, according to the 2025 Niche rankings. This marks the fourth consecutive year the district has secured the No. 1 spot in the greater Houston area. “Our educators and staff are dedicated to providing the best learning experience for our students,” said Dr. Ken Gregorski, Superintendent of Katy ISD. “For four years, Niche has confirmed what we already know — Katy ISD sets the standard for excellence in public education.” view article

For the second year in a row, Leander ISD will use waivers from the Texas Education Agency to hire and employ teachers without a teaching certificate. Texas school districts can apply for waivers allowing uncertified candidates to teach for up to three years, excluding prekindergarten, special education and bilingual teaching positions. Educators employed through the waivers are expected to work toward receiving their certification while teaching. The LISD board of trustees approved certification waivers for teachers in the 2024-25 school year at a Sept. 19 meeting. view article

Governor Greg Abbott today congratulated 31 Texas schools that have been recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2024. This recognition by the U.S. Department of Education highlights schools that excel in academic performance or make significant strides in closing achievement gaps. “Being chosen as a National Blue Ribbon School is a special distinction that reflects the hard work of teachers, staff, administrators, students, and parents in striving for academic excellence,” said Governor Abbott. “These schools represent the very best of what Texas education can offer. Texas will continue to be a national leader in education because we ensure our schools have the resources and support they need for young Texans to receive a high-quality education. Together, we will chart a course toward a bigger, brighter Texas.” view article