Amid a backdrop of decreased performance on SAT and ACT scores, Houston ISD saw a dip during the 2022-2023 academic year – a worrying trend paralleled at both the state and national levels. The district's average scores on the SAT dropped to a composite score of 935, while ACT scores sagged slightly to an average composite of 23.8, according to a Houston Chronicle report.
While HISD struggles with testing performances, controversy swirls around the district's leadership after an ultimatum was issued to 120 principals to improve their act or risk potential removal. This came on the heels of a substantial upswing in failing schools from less than 10 to over 100 in a single year. Their principal evaluations, heavily based on student test scores, landed them below "proficient." The district used this as a cudgel for performance improvement, Love Elementary principal Sean Tellez told Houston Public Media.
In light of these performance pressures, SAT participation saw an uptick to 87% of HISD seniors tackling the exam, but this increased engagement hasn’t yet translated into better results. Brushing against this undercurrent of scoring setbacks and accountability concerns, HISD students did manage to mark up a win with increased passage rates on Advanced Placement exams—a silver lining in an otherwise challenging academic climate.
Houston ISD's efforts to impose stringent evaluations have not been without their disputes, including a run-in with the Houston Chronicle over the publication of a list detailing principals targeted for possible dismissal, which led to legal threats from HISD and the eventual takedown of the list by the newspaper. Superintendent Mike Miles cast these measures as necessary to "raise expectations for everyone" working in the district, setting a tone some perceived as intimidating, extending to a warning against "Do not go outside the chain of decision-making." He was emphatic in remarks obtained by an anonymous principal witness via Houston Public Media.
Meanwhile, as confirmed by the same Houston Public Media interview, a principal who preferred to stay anonymous described the situation as demoralizing, further arguing that the opaque evaluation system offers little in the way of actionable feedback, leading to a culture more focused on compliance over the quality of instruction. The principal expressed uncertainty regarding the future of many educators caught in the crosshairs of the district's new performance evaluation scheme.
Such pressures and policy shifts within Houston ISD have undeniably fostered an environment of high stakes and stress among school administrators. As this atmosphere persists, the eyes of students, parents, and faculty remain fixed on the evolving educational landscape, seeking stability and clarity in the face of what many feel is an over-emphasis on test scores and performance metrics over holistic educational development.
