HISD reports progress in Sunrise Centers and student performance after two years

The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is celebrating a significant milestone in its educational initiatives, particularly through the impactful Sunrise Centers program. During the recent school board meeting, Deputy Chief of Family and Community Partners Najah Callender reported that the centers have successfully served approximately 30,000 families since their inception two years ago, embodying Superintendent Miles' vision of community collaboration to support student needs.

Callender highlighted the centers' focus on providing essential services, including access to healthcare and enrichment activities, which were identified as critical needs through a comprehensive survey conducted by Rice University's Houston Education Resource Research Consortium (HERC). The data-driven approach utilized by HERC involved mapping out areas with the highest needs and assessing accessibility, revealing that 80% of families can reach a Sunrise Center within a 10-minute drive.

Dr. Gabriela Sanchez from HERC elaborated on the centers' demographics, noting that the majority of families served are economically disadvantaged, with a significant representation of Black and Hispanic students. Preliminary findings suggest that students who visited the centers multiple times showed improvements in attendance and behavior, indicating a positive impact on their educational experience.

In addition to the Sunrise Centers update, the board also reviewed the latest STAAR test results, which showed remarkable growth across all subjects. HISD students outperformed state averages, with notable increases in subjects like biology and algebra, where HISD saw improvements of 23 and 17 points, respectively. This achievement marks a significant turnaround for the district, which had previously struggled with academic performance.

The meeting underscored HISD's commitment to enhancing educational outcomes and addressing the diverse needs of its student population. As the district continues to build on these successes, the focus remains on ensuring that all students have the resources they need to thrive academically and personally.