Too many kids are graduating from Houston ISD schools not because they passed their end of course exams, but because a school committee waved them on – so much so that the state is investigating.
That was the bomb dropped by HISD Superintendent Mike Miles during another lengthy meeting of the HISD Board of Managers Thursday as members grappled with the goals and constraints they want to set for the district for the next five years.
Students who have failed no more than two end of course exams can be assessed through a school-based Individual Graduation Committee. This review looks at a student’s grades and other factors and can issue a waiver that allows the student to graduate.
“This is supposed to be exceptional and it’s not,“ Miles said.
“We, the district, over a number of years, have abused that exemption which is supposed to be for exceptional cases and we make it part of the graduation requirement.”
“We lead the state in the number of students who graduate with an IGC which is an Independent Graduation Committee Plan,” Miles said. “So much so that we’re under investigation now because it’s over 10 percent meaning the students have not passed [their end of course exams] and they’re not doing well in ACT or SAT.
“We have 20 high schools that have over 10 percent of their students graduating with an IGC. That is low level rigor. That is not good for kids. Some of those schools are in the 30 percent range. I think the top school is 40 percent,” Miles said.
“The reason we’re being investigated is that is way too high. That is not the intent of the TEA [Texas Education Agency] regulations. In many cases we are not following the law.”
As a result, Miles said, far too many students are leaving high school unprepared for either college or careers.
Students who fail an end of course exam can retake it in the Spring semester. Miles said he found that in many cases that isn’t happening and, in fact, IGC waivers are being granted in the preceding October.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
