This research brief is Part III of a four-part study of decentralization in Houston Independent School District (HISD). This part examines the impact of decentralization on student outcomes. In hopes of improving student performance, HISD implemented decentralization throughout the 1990s (see Part I of this project for a detailed discussion of the…

According to the Texas Education Code §29.121 and the Houston Independent School District (HISD) Board Policy, Gifted and Talented (G/T) students are "those identified by professionally qualified persons, who perform at, or show the potential for performing at a remarkably high level of accomplishment when compared to others of the same age,…

This annual report provides information for the 2015-16 school year on grade-level retention in the Texas public school system. Data on retention are provided by student characteristics, including grade level; race/ethnicity; gender; degree of English proficiency; and economic, at-risk, immigrant, migrant, and overage statuses. Data also are…

According to the Texas Education Code §29.121 and the Houston Independent School District (HISD) Board Policy, Gifted and Talented (G/T) students are "those identified by professionally qualified persons, who perform at, or show the potential for performing at a remarkably high level of accomplishment when compared to others of the same age,…

According to Section 29.123 of the Texas Education Code, the "Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students" (G/T) forms the basis of program accountability for state-mandated services for G/T students. In the Houston Independent School District (HISD), G/T students were served through one of two program designs:…

This annual report provides information for the 2012-13 school year on grade-level retention and student performance in the Texas public school system. Student retention and promotion data are reported with data on the performance of students in Grades 3-8 on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) reading and mathematics…

According to the Texas Education Code §29.121 and the Houston Independent School District (HISD) Board Policy, Gifted and Talented (G/T) students are "those identified by professionally qualified persons, who perform at, or show the potential for performing at a remarkably high level of accomplishment when compared to others of the same age,…

This annual report provides information for the 2012-13 school year on grade-level retention in the Texas public school system. Data on retention are provided by student characteristics, including grade level; race/ethnicity; gender; degree of English proficiency; and economic, at-risk, immigrant, migrant, and overage statuses. Data also are…

The HOPE Foundation (HOPE) commissioned the American Institutes for Research (AIR) to conduct an exploratory study of the implementation and impact of the Courageous Leadership Academy (CLA). In this report, the authors introduce the school reform model, describe the study methodology, present findings for each of the three research questions…

State Compensatory Education (SCE) is a supplemental program designed to eliminate disparities in (a) student performance on assessment instruments administered under chapter 39 of the Texas Education Code (1995, amended 2007), and (b) the rates of high school completion between students who are at risk of dropping out of school, as defined by…

Stakeholders of the educational system assume that standardized tests are transparently about the subject content being tested and therefore can be used as a metric to measure achievement in outcome-based educational reform. Both analysis of longitudinal data for the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) exam and agent based computer…

Criticizes claims by proponents of effectiveness of Success for All, New American Schools, and other schoolwide reform policies and programs. Argues that evidence from a substantial body of research indicates that these reform efforts have not raised the reading scores of low-performing students. (Contains 33 references.) (PKP)

Disputes conclusion of previous author that Success for All has not been successful. Argues that when Success for All is viewed in the context of its wide adoption and evaluation over a 15-year period, the program has been largely successful in raising the reading scores of low-performing students. (PKP)

Discusses whether accountability testing improves public schools. Uses Florida's A+ program, which makes vouchers available to students attending low-performing schools, as evidence that it does. Examines and evaluates current research into testing and accountability systems. Analyzes Florida program; argues evidence suggests accountability…

Argues that while flawed, value-added high-stakes testing holds schools accountable for student performance. For example, the use of the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills, a criterion-referenced assessment, has significantly improved student achievement in Houston. (PKP)