Author: The Hub

Texas raised its standards for mathematics and reading this year, and Dallas Independent School District eighth-grade students rose to the occasion with an improved passing rate in reading on the first administration of the 2016 STAAR exam. Overall, Dallas ISD eighth-graders taking the English version of the test improved their passing rate in reading by 3.4 percentage points from the previous year. A particular highlight is the 5.8 percentage point increase in reading for African-American students and an 8.4 percentage point increase for English Language Learners. Economically disadvantaged students also performed well, with a 3.1 percent increase in their passing rate. Passing rates…

Volunteers from City Year and AT&T this week completed a service project at H. Grady Spruce High School. Volunteer helped build two outdoor classrooms and some picnic tables in the large courtyard and painted murals in the performing arts hallway. Other projects included painting bulletin boards that student groups will utilize next year to broadcast their projects, achievements and news.

On multiple Saturdays over the past school year, hundreds of Dallas ISD Advanced Placement students have voluntarily spent part of their weekends at prep sessions working to become even higher achieving students. The prep sessions feature Dallas ISD AP teachers giving lessons in AP subjects that students often find difficult. Kelsey Karcher, Dallas ISD manager of Advanced Academic Services, said the AP prep sessions have become increasingly popular. Last Saturday’s prep session had 564 students attend from across the district. “The popularity of these AP prep sessions speak to the dedication of our teachers and the quality of our hard-working,…

On Saturday, April 30, the Adamson High School Alumni Association will hold its 16th Annual All-Class Reunion at the school from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. The program will include a number of activities for former students and friends of the school. Located at 309 E. Ninth in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas, the institution is the oldest continuously-active high school in the Dallas Independent School District. The reunion program starts in the school auditorium at 1 p.m. and will include induction of outstanding graduates and faculty into the Adamson Hall of Honor and a luncheon in the new school cafeteria. Prior…

This article first appeared in the Hillcrest Hurricane, Hillcrest High School’s student-run newspaper. Delaney Shiu, a junior at Hillcrest High School, wrote this article. This year, a main subject of concern at Hillcrest High School has been the upcoming implementation of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program for the 2016-2017 school year. Teachers of different subjects have been attending training sessions throughout the year in order to become certified IB teachers and so they can further our education. The questions remain: what changes will this bring to Hillcrest and how are we preparing for it? “We still need to submit two applications…

Eleven seniors from seven Dallas ISD high schools have been awarded scholarships by the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation. The students will receive $20,000 in financial support, a laptop and textbook assistance in addition to ongoing support to meet future challenges they may face in completing college. The Dell scholarship web page describes eligible candidates as first-generation college students from low income families who have demonstrated the drive to succeed in spite of obstacles, have overcome personal challenges, demonstrated the potential to succeed in post-secondary education and have the ambition to earn a college degree. To be eligible, scholarship recipients…

Take this time during School Library Month and nominate your school librarian for Librarian of the Year for Dallas ISD.   Each year Dallas ISD librarians promote and support reading, research, and academic excellence through lifelong learning. In support of their contributions to the district, and in partnership with the local professional organization of the Dallas Association of School Librarians and the Library and Media Services Department, please help select an outstanding librarian to represent the district as Librarian of the Year. If you wish to nominate a librarian from your campus, please use these guidelines for the nomination. The guidelines…

Planting a seed of future growth and success was a common theme at the annual Superintendent’s Scholarship Ceremony and Reception on Tuesday. The event, which honored 66 of Dallas Independent School District’s best and brightest academic achievers in this year’s class of graduates, was emceed by Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy Junior Taylon Owens and Esther Berrera, a senior at A. Maceo Smith New Tech High School. Scholarship winners and their families were joined by Superintendent Dr. Michael Hinojosa, Dallas ISD trustees, district officials, counselors and administrators to acknowledge and congratulate the night’s award winners. In total, the students received nearly $200,000 in district scholarship…

On Thursday, April 21, about 400 fifth-grade students from the Hillcrest Feeder Pattern representing Pershing, Dan D. Rogers, Preston Hollow, Kramer, and Anne Frank elementary schools joined together for team building activities at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The trip was partially sponsored by generous donors from around the metroplex and was designed as an opportunity to bring all the fifth-graders from across the feeder pattern to meet each other and to ease the transition from elementary school to middle school. Students took part in team-building activities with Group Dynamix, where they engaged in fun activities and were grouped with…

Teachers from the Dallas ISD ACE schools gathered last week at a spring mixer to celebrate their impressive accomplishments over the past year. Dallas ISD launched the ACE Plan, which stands for Accelerating Campus Excellence, as a way to provide strong leadership, effective teaching and high expectations at seven of the district’s most struggling schools. Jolee Healey, executive director of the ACE feeder pattern, said the spring mixer was a way to celebrate and rally the teachers going into the final part of the school year. “We are so happy to meet here today as an ACE family.” Healey said.…