HIDALGO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT

VIEWBOOK

Hidalgo Early College District Toolkit  

Introduction to Hidalgo ISD

 

Superintendent’sMessage

Welcome to Hidalgo Independent School Dis-trict, rated the “#1 School District in Texas” through the HEB Excellence in Education Award. Hidalgo Independent School District is located in South Texas and has a southern boundary that parallels the Rio Grande River. Student demographics are 99.7% Hispanic, 0.1% White, and 0.2% Asian/Pacific Island-er, 92.2% Economically Disadvantaged, and 54.1% Limited English Proficient. Despite these challenges, Hidalgo ISD has garnered recognition at the local, state, and national levels including: Board of Trustees Honors: 2006­­-2007 TASB/TASA Honor Board, 2007-2008 American School Board Journal Magna Award Recipient; Hidalgo ISD Honors: 2005-2006­­ Top Five Finalist HEB Excellence in Education Award, 2006­­-2007 Finalist HEB Excellence in Education Award, 2006­­-2007 District and all campuses Met Adequate Year-ly Progress, Nine consecutive years of Exem-plary or Recognized performance; Campus Honors: Hidalgo Early College High School: US News and World Report Gold Medal School; Hidalgo Elementary, Dr. Alejo Salinas Jr. Elementary, J.C. Kelly Elementary: Texas Business and Education Coalition/Just 4 Kids Honor Roll Schools.Hidalgo ISD considers itself the Hidalgo Early College School District and initiated efforts fo-cusing on college readiness with support from the Gates Foundation to begin the Hidalgo Early College High School (HECHS, ECHS) project. The Hidalgo ECHS project focuses on providing EVERY high school student with the opportunity to earn up to sixty col-lege hours upon graduation from high school. Our Early College High School has been re-structured into two Academies: The Acad-emy of Human Services and the Academy of Health, Science and Technology. To achieve long-term success we have involved the entire

Pre-K through 12 educational community in our school district and our middle school and elementary schools have initiated inno-vative programs aimed at developing a col-lege-going culture across all grade levels. Key instructional programs include our Pre-Kindergarten where Hidalgo ISD is one of a handful that offers all day Pre-kin-dergarten to ALL three and four-year-olds. Our Dual Language program provides stu-dents with the opportunity to attain strong biliterate skills. The Parental Career Path-way Academies focus on a four-year pro-cess to empower parents as greater partners in their children’s education. Parents learn pre beginning and beginning adult literacy, intermediate and advanced adult literacy, GED training, occupational skills training, college readiness test preparation, and en-rollment in college. Finally, our Education/Business collaborative project (Academic Leadership Alliance) focuses on providing teachers/counselors with three-week sum-mer work readiness experiences leading to enhanced levels of relevance and rigor in the classroom.Our exceptional team of Board Members, Teachers, Administrators, Support Person-nel, and Supportive Community together exemplify our “Total Team Effort” and continually strive to ensure every student in Hidalgo ISD is provided with the highest quality educational experience. These are but a few examples of what makes Hidalgo ISD a “Treasure on the Border.”

1Eduardo Cancino, SuperintendentHidalgo I.S.D.

Sincerely,

2

Table of Contents

Superintendent’s Message Pg. 1

A Look at HISD Pg. 3

HISD School Directory Pg. 5

Community of Learners Pg. 6

Leaders of Learning Pg. 7

Parental Involvement Pg. 8

Dual Language Program Pg. 9

Migrant School Program Pg. 9

Special Education Program Pg. 9

Early College High School Pg. 10

Achievements Pg. 11

HISD Features Pg. 13

School & Community Pg. 14(Photo Collage)

The Hidalgo Independent School District is an exemplary community dedicated to educate ALL students in a culturally diverse environment to become lifelong learners and productive citizens.

Hidalgo ISD was established in 1925. It encompasses 36 square miles in Hidalgo County and is located parallel to the Rio Grande River. The school district demographics are as follows: 99.5% Hispanic, 0.1% White, and 0.3% Asian/Pacific Islander, 91.5% are economically disadvantaged, 54.4% Limited English Proficient and a total of 3,000 students are served by the district.Hidalgo ISD is guided by three key principles: “Total Team Effort”, “No Excuses”, and “Exemplary: One Student at a Time”. This philosophy has earned the school district either Exemplary or Recognized ratings on the Academic Excellence Indicator System for each of the past nine academic years.

3

A Look at Hidalgo ISD

Hidalgo ISD engages all students in rigorous academic programs in order to achieve educational excellence. The curriculum is diversified so students are prepared for the academic demands of a post-secondary education. The participation of students in the Advanced Placement Program has increased over the past eight years at a rate of 36.2% - higher than the state rate of 21% in 2006.

Hidalgo ISD has set a standard for high academic achievement and has earned either a Recognized or Exemplary accountability rating since 1999. Similarly, the district has met federal Adequate Yearly Progress requirements since its nationwide inception in the 2002-2003 school year.

For their Spring 2005 performance on TAKS, SDAA II, and TELPAS, Hidalgo ISD was one of only four districts in Region I to be awarded with a Recognized status by the Texas Education Agency. In addition, among the 187 (3A) districts in Texas, Hidalgo ISD was one of only eight districts to receive a TEA Recognized rating.

Hidalgo ISD is the only district in Texas with a student enrollment greater than 1,000 that serves a primarily Hispanic, economically disadvantaged student body, to be rated either Recognized or Exemplary.

4

2006-2007

Hidalgo I.S.D.Met Adequate Yearly Progress

Hidalgo Early College High SchoolMet Adequate Yearly Progress

Hidalgo AcademyMet Adequate Yearly Progress

Ida Diaz Jr. HighMet Adequate Yearly Progress

Hidalgo ElementaryMet Adequate Yearly Progress

J.C. Kelly ElementaryMet Adequate Yearly Progress

Dr. Alejo Salinas, Jr. ElementaryMet Adequate Yearly Progress

Hidalgo Park ElementaryMet Adequate Yearly Progress

Ethnicity HISD # HISD % REGION 1 % STATE %African American 1 0.4% 0.3% 9.3%Hispanic 203.2 83.2% 84.3% 20.8%White 16 6.6% 14.1% 68.5%Asian/Pacific Islander 17 7% 1.2% 1.2%Native American 7 2.9% 0.1% 0.3%

Gender HISD # HISD % REGION 1 % STATE %Female 163.3 66.9% 71.1% 77.2%Male 80.8 33.1% 28.9% 22.8%

HISD Teachers By Gender and Ethnicity

Staff Information HISD REGION 1 STATETeachers with Masters 12.9% 12.9% 21.1%Turnover Rate for Teachers 14.8% 11.4% 15.6%# of Students Per Teacher 13.6 15.5 14.7

Staff Demographics

5 Produced and Designed by: Alberto Rosales Korrea, PR Specialist

Hidalgo I.S.D.324 E. Flora St.

Hidalgo, Texas 78557956.843.4404

Eduardo Cancino, Superintendent of Schools

Hidalgo Early College High School910 E. Pirate Dr., Hidalgo, TX. 78557

O.956.843.4300--F. 956.843.3322

Ida G. Diaz, Jr. High School1312 E. Pirate Dr., Hidalgo, TX. 78557

O.956.843.4350--F. 956.843.3198

Hidalgo Academy1410 E. Pirate Dr., Hidalgo, TX. 78557

O.956.843.4390--F. 956.843.3339

Hidalgo Elementary School311 E. Flora, Hidalgo, TX. 78557

O.956.843.4225--F. 956.843.3158

J.C. Kelly Elementary School201 E. Las Milpas Rd., Pharr, TX 78577

O.956.843.4200--F. 956.787.59.72

Dr. Alejo Salinas Jr., Elementary School411 E. Ebano, Hidalgo, TX. 78557O. 956.843.4250--F. 956.843.3357

HIdalgo Park Elementary8700 S. “I” Rd., Pharr, TX 78577

O. 956.8434275--F. 956.781.4631

Community of Learners-Since 2002-2003, Hidalgo ISD created the Academic Leadership Alliance, a partnership with the McAllen Economic Development Corporation, TechPrep of the Rio Grande Valley, South Texas College, Region One ESC and local area businesses to search for innovative ways to connect business and education in an effort to provide students a quality education.

The partnership resulted in Hidalgo ISD’s Career Pathways Program which contributed to initiatives that helped enrich students’ awareness of future opportunities. It also provided them with a seamless alignment between business and education.

Currently, within the umbrella of the program, teachers as well as counselors participate in a three-week summer educator internship where they are provided mentoring opportunities within the business sector.

To enrich the process, educators also spend an additional week aligning their course curriculum with their business work experience. They also plan for career related activities to use during the next academic year.

“No Excuses”6­­

7

Leaders of Learning-To strengthen leadership capacity, Hidalgo ISD offers district staff , campus administration, and classroom teachers various opportunities to develop their leadership skills.

Leadership academies have been restructured to focus on “Teaching and Learning” by providing professional development sessions to principals, who then take what they learn to their respective campuses.

Annually, instructional staff begins the teaching and learning improvement process by asking all stake holders to identify academic needs that support and refine district initiatives. In recent years the focus has been on Curriculum Alignment, Data Analysis, Higher Cognitive Instruction, Effective Teaching Skills, and Effective Instructional Strategies for English Language Learners.

Approximately five years ago, Hidalgo ISD reinvigorated its “Grow Your Own” Teacher Development Program whereby paraprofessionals are encouraged to pursue and complete their college education. This initiative exceeds the requirements of No Child Left Behind “Highly Qualified” standards.

Parental Involvement- Hidalgo ISD recognizes the importance of a strong parental involvement program at the district and campus levels. Parents are provided with the skills and resources needed to empower their children to succeed academically and in life.

Parent centers are established at all seven campuses as a place where parents can learn strategies to support their childrens’ school work, understand the social system, and to coordinate volunteer work.

The centers’ activities include: English as a second language classes (ESL), parenting skills, computer basics, arts and crafts, research-based discipline tips, cooking and nutrition classes.

Hidalgo ISD has also partnered with South Texas College to establish the Parental Career Pathways Academy for parents.

Parents are provided with opportunities to obtain English Literacy, and a post-secondary education. The program is funded in part by the 21st Century Grant and South Texas College.

Hidalgo ISD is committed to a strong partnership with parents, in order to impact student learning.

“Total Team Effort”

“Impacting Student Learning”

8

9

Dual Language Program-Located on the border with Mexico, Hidalgo ISD is committed to producing a high level of bi-literacy among all graduates. Currently, the program runs through the 6th grade. It follows the 50/50 model where instruction is delivered in two languages to ALL students.

The goal of the Dual Language Program is for children to be proficient in two languages, understand and appreciate other cultures and have a high self-esteem among all students, families and the community. Literacy development and reinforcement mechanisms are in place to assist the linguistic and cognitive needs of all students.

Migrant School Program-Hidalgo ISD has 620 identified migrant students, of which approximately 200 do not migrate every summer. These students are served in part through the Home-Based Education Program.

Using a research-based curriculum, Project Matemática, certified teachers and paraprofessionals go to the homes of the migrant students in order to provide an uninterrupted quality education. The goal is to fill any educational gaps that may hinder the development of their academic skills.

Special Education Program-Hidalgo ISD serves over 190 special education students. The Special Education Program in the district is known for its overall low percentage of identified special education students and for successful academic programs for those who are identified. The special education students make up 5.2% of the total population compared to 8.5% of the state standard.

Hidalgo ISD has hosted the area Rio Grande Valley Special Olympics Track and Field Spring Games for 2 years where approximately 900 athletes competed.

10

Early College High School-

In the Spring of 2005, Hidalgo ISD was awarded two grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to establish two Early College High Schools.

Early College High Schools are schools designed so all students can earn both a high school diploma and an associate’s degree or up to two years of credit toward a bachelor’s degree.

The first class to start the program is the graduating class of 2010, which began with the 9th grade class in the Fall of 2006. In 2010 all graduating seniors will have between 30 to 60 hours of college credit.

Students will receive college level credit from South Texas College and The University of Texas-Pan American.

Hidalgo High School will be the only non-magnet school in the nation to have all of its student population enrolled in the Early College High School Program.

Hidalgo Early College High School is divided into two academies; The Academy of Human Services and the Academy of Science and Technology.

Hidalgo Early College High School enrolled its second cohort in the Fall of 2007. The first cohort which is the graduating class of 2010 is currently enrolled in their first college course.

Students in Cohort I will be eligible to earn 5 college hours in the Summer of 2008. The courses offered are Communications and Computer Information Systems.

Beginning in the fall of 2008, Hidalgo Early College High School will enroll Cohort III. This cohort will have the opportunity to earn a maximum of 16 college hours during their freshman year in high school.

The Gates Foundation offers all students free tuition, books, meals and transportation to and from South Texas College and the University of Texas- Pan American.

Class of 2010

Achievements-

11

Hidalgo Independent School District – Board of Trustees •AmericanSchoolBoardJournalMagnaAward:Oneofonlyfifteen schoolboardsinthenationtoreceivetheaward(2007-2008). •TexasAssociationofSchoolAdministrators/TexasAssociation ofSchoolBoardsHonorBoardAward:Oneofonlyfiveschool boardsinTexastoreceivetheaward(2006-2007). •EducationServiceCenterRegionOneSchoolBoardAward (2006-2007).

Hidalgo Independent School District •HEBExcellenceinEducationAward:Earned#1DistrictinTexas Award(2005-2006)

•RecognizedorExemplaryratingforTENconsecutiveyears •23rdAnnualTeachtheChildrenTelethon(KRGV-TV):District Recognitionformotivatingandteachingstudents.(2006)

•HEBExcellenceinEducationAward:Earnedoneoftopfive schooldistrictsinTexasaward(2004-2005)

Hidalgo Early College High School •USNews&WorldReport–BestHighSchoolsinAmerica: Rated#11inNationand#1inTexasforprovidingCollege ReadinessOpportunitiesforallstudents(2007-2008).

•HEBExcellenceinEducationPrincipaloftheYearAward(2006- 2007) •JustforKids/NationalCenterforEducationAccountability (NCEA): HidalgoHighSchoolnamedoneofthetopthreehigh schoolsinTexas(2004-2005). •TexasEducationalExcellenceProject:HidalgoHighSchoolis recognizedforqualityandequityineducatingAllstudents (2004-2005).

•CollegeBoard:RecognizesHidalgoHighSchoolasoneofthe top8highschoolsinthenationforstudentsuccessin AdvancedPlacementcourseworkandpercentofstudents continuingtoPost-Secondaryeducation(2003-2004).

Hidalgo Elementary •HEBExcellenceinEducationRegionalPrincipaloftheYear (2006-2007) •TexasBusinessEducationCoalition/JustforKids:HonorRoll forsustainedwhole-schoolacademicexcellenceinTexas. (2003-2004)

Hidalgo Park Elementary •TEARecognizedCampus

•AwardedTexasEducator’sExcellenceGrant(TEEG)(200708) (2008-09)

•SixGoldPerformanceAcknowledgmentsforAttendancerate, CommendedonWriting,ScienceandComparableImprovement inReading/ELA&Mathematics.(2007)

Dr. Alejo Salinas Jr. Elementary •TEARecognizedCampus •GoldPerformanceAcknowledgementsforAttendance, CommendedonReading/ELA,WritingandScience.(2007)(2005-06)

•TexasBusiness&EducationCoalition(TBEC)/JustforKids: HonorRollforsustainedwhole-schoolacademicexcellenceinTexas (2006-2007) •AwardedTexasEducator’sExcellenceGrant(TEEG)(2006-2007)

JC Kelly Elementary •TexasBusinessEducationCoalition/JustforKids:Honor

•CollegeBoard:RecognizesHidalgoHighSchoolasoneofthe top8highschoolsinthenationforstudentsuccessin AdvancedPlacementcourseworkandpercentofstudents continuingtoPost-Secondaryeducation(2003-2004).

Hidalgo Elementary •HEBExcellenceinEducationRegionalPrincipaloftheYear (2006-2007) •TexasBusinessEducationCoalition/JustforKids:HonorRoll forsustainedwhole-schoolacademicexcellenceinTexas. (2003-2004)

Hidalgo Park Elementary •TEARecognizedCampus

•AwardedTexasEducator’sExcellenceGrant(TEEG)(200708) (2008-09)

•SixGoldPerformanceAcknowledgmentsforAttendancerate, CommendedonWriting,ScienceandComparableImprovement inReading/ELA&Mathematics.(2007)

Dr. Alejo Salinas Jr. Elementary •TEARecognizedCampus •GoldPerformanceAcknowledgementsforAttendance, CommendedonReading/ELA,WritingandScience.(2007)(2005-06)

•TexasBusiness&EducationCoalition(TBEC)/JustforKids: HonorRollforsustainedwhole-schoolacademicexcellenceinTexas (2006-2007) •AwardedTexasEducator’sExcellenceGrant(TEEG)(2006-2007)

JC Kelly Elementary •TexasBusinessEducationCoalition/JustforKids:Honor

Achievements- Continued

12

Featured in-State/National Featured Articles:

•December11,2007 “America’sBestHighSchools;ReachingfortheDream-On theBorderofTexasandMexico,anexceptionalschool.” U.S.News&WorldReport •March29,2006 “UpwardJourney” EducationWeek

•February12,2006 “AcademicExcellenceintheValley;No-ExcusesEducation” SanAntonioExpress-News

Rollforsustainedwhole-schoolacademicexcellencein Texas.(2004-2005)

•RecognizedSchoolCampusforthelast9years.

Achievements- Continued

13

School

Making History

&Community

14

Doing What’s Right

UPWARDJourney

Hidalgo ISD

20082009