HISD reports no F-rated schools for 1st time
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Two years after the state took control of Houston ISD, the district says no student in the district is attending an F-rated school — a first since Texas introduced A–F accountability ratings in 2018.
Why it matters: More students in the state's largest district, which has about 175,000 pupils, are attending higher-rated schools, including in historically under-resourced neighborhoods.
Driving the news: Houston ISD released preliminary 2024-2025 state accountability ratings Tuesday based on Texas Education Agency methodology. While the official scores are expected later this month, the district says its internal calculations align with the state's.
By the numbers: 197 of the 273 HISD campuses earned A or B ratings — more than double the 93 with such ratings in 2023, before the state takeover.
- Zero schools received an F — down from 56 two years ago.
- 82 schools that were D or F last year are now A or B.
- Just 18 campuses remain D-rated (considered failing), down from 121 in 2023.
Zoom in: The schools under the district's New Education System (NES), launched in 2023 as part of the takeover, were among the most improved schools, according to the district's accountability ratings.
- In 2023, only 11 NES campuses were rated A or B. This year, that number jumped to 94, with 17 A-rated and 77 B-rated schools, per state-appointed superintendent Mike Miles. He added that "of the 130 NES campuses, 108 were D or F two years ago. Today, there are zero F schools and just seven D campuses among them."
What they're saying: It marks a turning point for the district: "ZIP code is no longer destiny in HISD," Miles says.
- "The real magic here is that the kids have a better opportunity... we're closing gaps... We are creating a proof point for transformation, and we're giving hope to people that it can be done," Miles tells Axios.
- He adds the district has "more than recovered" from COVID, noting the test results are above prepandemic levels.
What's next: The TEA plans to continue its oversight of HISD for two more years.
- Miles says the district's focus is to "institutionalize change" and push innovation to prepare the students for the future — including scaling new electives like "AI in the Workplace."
- "We've got to continue to work hard, we've got to continue what we've been doing. You cannot pull the supports and the strategies now," he says.