| Two new achievement systems have been | | | | down to the classroom teacher. The system is |
| developed and implemented for the Houston Schools | | | | objective and quantifiable, allowing the board to focus |
| -- a school board monitoring system and a new | | | | their attention on the performance levels the |
| appraisal system for the superintendent. The district | | | | Houston schools need to reach. It requires more |
| is committed to improving student achievement, as | | | | in-depth reporting and analysis of educational issues |
| well as earning the confidence and support of the | | | | than the state of Texas currently requires. Specific |
| community. The two systems set new standards for | | | | goals of the appraisal system are to improve |
| the administrative structure and systematic | | | | academic performance, management efficiency, and |
| improvement process for higher scholastic | | | | public and employee confidence and satisfaction. |
| achievement in the Houston schools. | | | | The specific Houston schools educational issues that |
| In 2001, Houston schools instituted a Declaration of | | | | directly impact students and addressed by both new |
| Beliefs and Visions, which defined for school | | | | systems are:o Dropout and graduation rates -- the |
| employees and the community what the district | | | | aim is an 85 percent graduation rate by the 2006-07 |
| stands for and where it is going. The five goals put | | | | school year;o Achievement gaps by student groups, |
| forth in the declaration are to:o Increase student | | | | broken down by ethnicity, economic status, and |
| achievement,o Increase management efficiency,o | | | | gender;o Number and percentage of students:o Who |
| Bring all school facilities up to standard,o Improve | | | | are promoted to the next grade, as well as those |
| public support and confidence in the Houston schools, | | | | held back,o Served by special education programs, as |
| ando Create a positive district culture. | | | | well as those who have moved out and no longer |
| The declaration determined to accomplish these goals | | | | need these programs,o Receiving the highest scores |
| through:o An educational structure built upon the | | | | on the state-mandated achievement test, ando Who |
| relationship between teacher and student,o | | | | take exams for advanced placement courses and |
| Decentralization and shared decision making,o A | | | | those who pass these courses; ando Student college |
| common core of academic subjects for all students, | | | | readiness, including:o The college-ready scores from |
| ando Focus upon performance, not compliance. | | | | the state-mandated achievement test,o Number and |
| The two new systems for the Houston schools | | | | percentage of students taking dual-credit courses, |
| provide a roadmap to achieve and measure the | | | | earning college credit while in high school,o Number |
| progress of these goals. Both are detailed and | | | | and percentage of students who graduate under the |
| objective, providing a systematic means for | | | | state's Recommended High School Program, ando |
| meaningful and quantifiable organizational | | | | Number and percentage of students who score |
| improvement. | | | | above the national average on the S.A.T. |
| Board Monitoring System | | | | Other issues addressed that indirectly affect student |
| The monitoring system is comprehensive and | | | | achievement are:o Teachers' attendance rates;o |
| demanding with data-driven accountability. It requires | | | | Number of teachers teaching outside of their areas |
| the superintendent to submit regular reports to the | | | | of certification;o The effectiveness of tax dollars |
| trustees on key education issues. These issues are | | | | spent on teaching and the learning process;o The |
| student academic progress and readiness for college, | | | | effectiveness of educational programs costing $1 |
| quality of teachers, and how effectively funds are | | | | million or more, and whether they should be modified |
| used in support of student instruction. | | | | or discontinued;o School employee attitudes toward |
| The reports must be in a specific, standardized | | | | the Houston schools board and their work |
| format for future comparison. This includes what | | | | environment;o Progress in bringing Houston schools |
| exactly is to be reported, how it is to be reported | | | | facilities up to standard;o Public perceptions about the |
| (using easy-to-understand data and bar charts), and | | | | Houston schools board and its direction; ando |
| how often the reports are to be submitted. The | | | | Progress in achieving a "recognized" status as an |
| board wants nothing to be left to interpretation or | | | | accountable school district. |
| guesswork, believing this too often is the cause of | | | | Both systems outline expectations, set clear direction |
| misperceptions formed of large, urban school districts. | | | | for action and improvement of quality education, |
| The information is to be used by the board for | | | | facilitate regular and ongoing discussion for program |
| monitoring purposes, as well as provided to students, | | | | effectiveness, use straightforward data, and hold the |
| parents, teachers, the community, and the news | | | | entire organization of the Houston schools |
| media. | | | | accountable. Both systems were developed to |
| Superintendent's Performance Appraisal System | | | | evolve and change in response to the Houston |
| The complement to the Board Monitoring System is | | | | schools board and community's demand for better |
| the new performance appraisal system for the | | | | education for the students and ever-increasing |
| superintendent, which is expected to drive the focus | | | | accountability. |
| for the Houston schools from the superintendent | | | | |