Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott says he has made a cursory review of the Austin school district's plan for the Johnston High School campus and is happy with what he has seen. Last week, Scott ordered Johnston closed for failing to meet state dropout and academic standards for five years. The district plans to put two separate schools — a technology-focused program and an early college start program — on the Johnston campus by the start of the 2009-10 school year. The district is scheduled to meet with the community to discuss the process for naming the campus and gather ideas on future improvements.
To read The Austin American-Statesman article, click here.
EARLIER: The state of Texas has ordered Johnston High School in Austin closed for failing to meet standards for the fifth year. It is the first school to be closed under the state's accountability law. The state has rated Johnston "academically unacceptable" for the past four years based on on state achievement test scores and dropout rates. The Austin school district plans to reopen the campus with a new name and new faculty members to serve a different mission. At least 50 percent of the students previously served at Johnston must be reassigned to other campuses and at least 75 percent of the teachers must also be reassigned, according to state law.
To read The Austin American-Statesman article, click here.
SIDEBAR: Texas officials will allow Pearce Middle School in Northeast Austin to remain open, but district administrators have been ordered to bring in private help for students. The school has failed to meet state standards, based on early results from the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, for the fourth year.
To read The Austin American-Statesman article, click here.
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Forced to overhaul Sam Houston High School, the Houston district has unveiled a $3.6 million plan to attract top teachers and to split the school in two. Freshmen, who traditionally have entered the high school unprepared, would be housed in their own area on campus and would be expected to attend school for an extra hour a day. Students in grades 10 through 12 would get intensive math and science instruction and would be encouraged to take a series of classes focused on one of four careers: engineering, medicine, information technology or the automotive industry.
To read The Houston Chronicle article, click here.
EARLIER: The Texas education commissioner has ordered Sam Houston High School in Houston to close. The school has not met minimum academic standards for six straight years. The Houston district plans to reopen the campus in August with a new principal, mostly new teachers, a different academic focus and perhaps a separate school for freshmen.
To read The Houston Chronicle article, click here.
