Alief ISD Points of Pride

Alief ISD’s Accountability and Assessment Department was recognized as Data All-Stars in SunGard K-12 Education’s Lead Without Limits Awards program. The department, which was nominated for this award by Management Information Systems Director Doug Brown, was selected for its best use of data to positively affect student achievement.

Superintendent HD Chambers was named the Area 6 Champion of Year by the Career and Technology Association of Texas (CTAT) and the Association for Career & Technical Education (ACTE) for his work on House Bill 5 and for his support of student choice.

Alief ISD was designated as a Texas Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (T-STEM) Academy by the Texas Education Agency. Alief Early College High School, Killough Middle School and Olle Middle School are the current sites during this inaugural year. T-STEM Academies are rigorous secondary schools focusing on improving instruction and academic performance in science and mathematics-related subjects, with a goal of increasing the number of students who study and enter careers in STEM.

Alief ISD earned an Exemplary rating in the district’s release of Community and Student Engagement Ratings under the State Required Local Accountability System. Twenty-four of the district’s schools and programs were rated Exemplary, while 20 schools and programs were rated as Recognized.

Alief ISD earned the highest possible rating in the state’s accountability system in results released by the Texas Education Agency. Alief ISD earned the rating of Met Standard in the state’s 2015 accountability system. All of the district’s high schools, middle schools, intermediate schools and 21 of the district’s elementary schools earned the Met Standard rating.

Kerr High School student Hong Nguyen placed third in Business Procedures at the national Future Business Leaders of America competition this summer in Chicago.

Kerr High School student Huy Bui advanced to the national semifinals this summer in declamation and storytelling at the middle school national tournament sponsored by the National Speech and Debate Association. Other former Olle Middle School students who attended nationals with Bui include Kimora Kelley (AECHS), Savannah Autin (ENGC), Victoria Lodico (AECHS) and Savanna Franco (Kerr).

A collaborative sculpture created by students from Elsik High School won the Most Effective All-Over Interpretation Award at the International Interdependence Hexagon Project Art Show. The sculpture will be displayed in Pennsylvania. The following students participated: Dan Damian, Paul Delesbore, Jacob Sturm, Mayra Gomez, Omolola Onatoye, Eniola Idowu, Joshua Alix, Oscar Sapon, Gerardo Ramos, Chialuka Nwaigbo and Michel Dominguez.

Hastings High School student Ann Morris has been named to the 2014-2015 All-State Journalism Staff. To be a member of the All-State Journalism Staff, students have to accumulate points earned through their performance in University Interscholastic League (UIL) journalism contests and other competitions throughout the year. Morris earned almost twice the minimum number of points required.

Ten Alief ISD students were recognized in the Houston World Series of Dog Shows Dr. Mari Jon Filla Student Art Exhibit & Contest. Former Smith Elementary student Arpan Neupane received the Best in Grade Award. Elsik High School students Jonathan Pena, Jonathan Lopez, Jonan Mulindwa and Wenxiu Lei received Blue Ribbon Excellence Awards. Becky Hernandez, Bao Pham, Gina Reyes, Alexis Santos and Jiamin Yan received Red Ribbon Merit Awards.

Hastings High School student Amber Morris recently graduated from the Junior Statesman of America Summer School at Georgetown University, where she studied International Relations. She visited several embassies, the United States Capitol and many other sites.

Elsik High School teacher Courtney Caesar was awarded the Diamond Teacher Award by the Kaduceus Pharmacy Technician Program. This prestigious honor is awarded to one Texas teacher annually. Courtney received the award for maintaining a high passing rate on the I.V. Certification Exam, which tests students on how to properly prepare sterile, intravenous medications for patient administration.

Hastings Ninth Grade Center Library Information Specialist Charla Hollingsworth co-authored an article published in VOYA, a national library magazine. The article is titled, “Ten Ways to Transform 21st Century Libraries.”

Alief ISD Elementary Language Arts Intervention Specialist Karen Hays will have an article published in the 50th anniversary issue of the Texas Council of English Language Arts journal, English in Texas. The article is titled, “Beyond Belle Letters: Using Music to Develop Forensic Metacognition.”

District Instructional Technology Integrator Ashley May wrote “Six Ways Google Makes Research Easier,” which was included in the August 2015 edition of TechEdge, a Texas Computer Education Association publication.

Alief ISD Executive Director of Curriculum & Instruction Kathy Jahn was selected to serve as the Region 4 President for the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association.

Taylor High School Theatre Director Bob Maddox will be starring in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at Theatre Southwest. This 2013 Tony winner for Best Play runs from September 11 through October 3.

Kerr High School graduate Denny Dang was selected to compete in Certiport’s 2015 Microsoft Office Specialist US National Championship. Dang was invited to this prestigious event for receiving a perfect score on his Microsoft Office Specialist PowerPoint 2010 exam.

Alief ISD graduate Drake Thomas won Grand Overall in the Livestock Judging Division in the Autobahn Longhorn Scholarship Show over the summer. The former Alief FFA student, who graduated from Hastings, received a $1,100 scholarship, which he is using to attend Texas A&M University-Kingsville to study animal science and to become an agriculture science teacher.