The Learning Curve: September 2024

Dear Partners,

Welcome to the September edition of the Learning Curve. As a new school year begins, we’re pleased to share a curated selection of education news and insights. This month’s collection touches on various aspects of public education, highlighting both encouraging developments and ongoing challenges in the field.

This month we highlight:

As we begin this new academic year, your involvement remains crucial in shaping Houston’s educational future. We hope this edition sparks meaningful conversations and inspires continued dedication to improving our schools.

Here’s to a productive school year ahead!

– The Good Reason Houston Team

Nearly 150 Houston ISD schools improve letter grades in unofficial 2024 TEA accountability ratings

Photo by Shutterstock, Inc.

↘️ Houston ISD reduced the number of schools with D or F ratings from 121 last year to 41 this year, a significant improvement tied to gains in student performance on state assessments. Superintendent Mike Miles credits this progress to enhanced instruction, training, curriculum, and a “high-performance culture.” However, challenges remain: HISD must move all D or F schools to receive at least a C rating to regain local control.

🚀 What it means for the city and students of Houston
While legal challenges have blocked the official release of state accountability ratings for the second consecutive year, HISD has calculated its preliminary ratings using the state’s methodology. Unofficial results show dramatic improvement under state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles. The number of HISD students attending A- or B-rated campuses rose from about 61,000 in 2023 to over 105,000 in 2024. While some community members argue the focus on test prep has come at the expense of more engaging learning opportunities, the difference between the relatively strong performance of schools in the HISD New Education System and the decline in the percentage of “Meets” on third-grade STAAR at non-NES campuses has given further momentum to the continued reforms at NES schools.

Extreme heat is making schools hotter - and learning harder

Photo by Shutterstock, Inc.

🥵 Extreme heat is severely impacting schools nationwide, particularly those with inadequate air conditioning, leading to uncomfortable and potentially dangerous conditions for students and teachers. An estimated 36,000 schools nationwide lack proper HVAC systems, with upgrade costs expected to reach $4.4 billion by 2025. Rising classroom temperatures are disrupting learning, reducing instructional time, and posing health risks.

🚀 What it means for the city and students of Houston
As climate change intensifies and temperatures rise, Houston’s schools face increasingly challenging conditions that disrupt learning. Addressing these challenges requires considering federal and state guidelines on managing extreme heat in educational settings. Some states are introducing legislation to mandate action plans or set temperature thresholds for class cancellations. In Houston, the Houston Independent School District’s $4.4 billion bond proposal offers a solution. $1.35 billion of the bond dollars would be allocated to upgrading cooling, heating, and ventilation systems in schools, a critical investment to ensure that rising temperatures don’t hinder student learning or well-being.

How a Podcast Toppled the Reading Instruction Canon

Photo by Patrick O’Donnell

🎧 Emily Hanford’s journalism has sparked a national shift in reading instruction, exposing the flaws in popular curricula and advocating for science-based methods. Her podcast “Sold a Story,” downloaded over 3.5 million times, critiques the widespread use of ineffective strategies and emphasizes that all children can learn to read with proper instruction. Hanford argues that relying on students to “discover” crucial academic skills has failed many, urging a commitment to direct, practical teaching.

🚀 What it means for the city and students of Houston
Hanford’s work has sparked a national movement towards evidence-based reading instruction, directly impacting Houston. With Texas mandating Science of Reading training and reassessing reading assessments, Houston schools have a clear path to improve literacy outcomes for all students. By embracing these cognitive science-based approaches, Houston can become a model for effective literacy instruction. This shift presents an opportunity for the city to lead in educational innovation, ensuring every student receives the instruction needed to succeed in reading and beyond.

Good Reason Houston STAAR Resources:

Where are All the Special Educators?

Photo from Getty Images/monkeybusinessimages

🗣️ Demand for Special Education teachers outpaces supply. Schools need to replace about 46,000 special education teachers annually, but teacher preparation programs only produce around 30,000 new candidates annually. Rising demand is the primary driver of the shortage. The percentage of students receiving special education services has increased, reaching 15% in 2022-23. While the number of special education teachers has grown 59% since 1999-2000, it has still not been sufficient enough to meet rising demand.

🚀 What it means for the city and students of Houston
Rising demand leaves many special education positions unfilled or filled by under qualified candidates. The shortage negatively impacts students with disabilities, who are more likely to be assigned novice teachers who are less effective at fostering learning and raising achievement. Addressing the shortage requires both supply-side and demand-side solutions. In April 2024, HISD raised salaries for Special Education teachers across the district: in the upcoming 2024-2025 school year, the minimum salary for a Special Education teacher will be $80,000. At New Education System (NES) campuses, that number will be $86,000. Policymakers hope this and other initiatives to improve working conditions will help recruit and retain special educators.

Do Timed Tasks Really Worsen Math Anxiety?

Source: NCES Digest ofEducation Statistics, Table 211.20

⏰ New research indicates that timed math fluency exercises do not worsen students’ math anxiety, challenging a common belief in math education. A recent study published in the peer-reviewed Journal of School Psychology found no statistically significant differences in reported anxiety levels between overtly and covertly timed tasks for simple and complex math problems. While these findings challenge prevailing notions about timed math tasks, researchers emphasize the need for further studies with more extensive and diverse samples to confirm the results.

🚀 What it means for the city and students of Houston
Experts suggest that some level of stress or challenge in math learning can be beneficial and motivating for students. Rather than avoiding timed tasks, the focus should be on thoughtfully incorporating them into a well-rounded approach to math fluency and overall learning. This aligns with the push for “rigorous instruction” by adopting HQIM, where timed math fluency activities can help students engage with this effective method. Our Key Education Predictions forecast that math would take center stage, and research like this may lead to a renewed emphasis on time-tested practices as part of a broader focus on fundamentals.

The Parent Report Card: Teachers Get an ‘A.’ The System? Not so Much.

🧑‍🏫 Despite low overall satisfaction with U.S. K-12 education quality, parents remain largely pleased with their children’s education. Parents across the political spectrum show high confidence in their children’s teachers and local schools, with 82% giving teachers top grades for their performance this year. However, this confidence decreases as parents consider higher levels of the education system, with approval ratings dropping for superintendents, school boards, and national figures like the U.S. Secretary of Education and the President.

🚀 What it means for the city and students of Houston
Researchers have for decades observed a long-standing trend whereby Americans view their local education more favorably than the national system. This national trend is mirrored in Houston, where 63% of parents are completely or very satisfied with their child’s school. Still, only 47% express the same satisfaction with their school system leaders. Experts attribute this disconnect to factors such as partisan divides, personal connections to local schools, and the tendency to view national issues more critically than personal experiences. For Houston, this gap highlights the need to strengthen community-school relationships and empower teachers while addressing systemic challenges. As the city pursues educational reforms, transparent communication and community engagement will be vital to aligning local and broader satisfaction levels.