An innovative staffing model is designed to ensure students receive high-quality instruction every day and that teachers can focus on their core work.

Given students' extensive needs, employees at NES campuses earn higher salaries than staff at other HISD schools. Teachers also have a range of resources that promote better work-life harmony and encourage them to stay in the field.

A centralized team creates the daily lessons, which can be customized as necessary, so teachers do not have to spend a great deal of time outside school hours building lessons from scratch. Teachers receive regular coaching from instructional experts and are supported by teacher apprentices and learning coaches.

Apprentices are earning their teacher certification. They work alongside the teacher, learning the instructional model and effective teaching practices; co-teaching; substituting as necessary; and participating in the same training as teachers. Apprentices are eligible for promotion to a teaching position at the campus upon receiving their certification. Learning coaches supervise students’ higher-level independent and partner work and handle a variety of time-consuming tasks such as making copies and completing paperwork.

In the 2024-2025 school year, there will not be whole-scale reconstitution of any new or exisiting NES campus. Instead, the District will conduct a proficiency screening to determine teachers' eligibility. Individuals who score in the bottom 15 percent on the proficiency screening—which involves mid-year data on quality of instruction as well as student performance and growth—will not be eligible to teach in NES schools.

*All salaries for non-NES teachers include a planned $2,500 increase for the 2024-2025 academic year. In the NES schools, compensation varies by subject matter taught. Thus, the starting salary listed is an average of the teachers’ starting salaries for a school. The five-year salary is also an average of the teachers’ five-year salaries. More information will be included in the HISD Compensation Manual, which will be published in February.

While teachers teach, principals and assistant principals visit classrooms and observe instruction as part of the daily routine. Administrators provide coaching and instructional support. This regular feedback helps teachers continuously refine their craft with immediate adjustments that positively impact student learning. Coaching is as unobtrusive as possible—a quick whisper or a moment off to the side while students are working on an activity. 

The 40 to 45 minutes of direct grade-level instruction is followed by a 10-minute Demonstration of Learning (DOL), or mini quiz. The DOL allows teachers to identify students who understand the content and those who need more help. 

Instruction follows the LSAE (Learner, Securing, Accelerated, Enriched) approach, which is designed to ensure every student receives instruction tailored to their specific needs. See more information on the LSAE levels in the tab below. 

Students who master the day’s DOL—that is, those who are at the S2 (Secured), A (Accelerated), and (E) Enriched levels—go to the Team Center for the last 35 minutes of class, where they do higher-level work independently or in pairs. Learning coaches supervise the Team Center and guide students in that work.

Students who need more help—that is, those who are at the L (Learner) and S1 (Securing) levels—stay in the classroom to keep working with the teacher and the teacher apprentice. Teachers re-teach concepts students missed and provide targeted, small-group support to help them learn the content. 

NES schools help students learn by building knowledge, perspective, and experience.

For HISD graduates to get good jobs in the future, they need to know how to think critically, solve problems, work in teams, evaluate and use information, and communicate effectively.

Students in grades three through eight take specialty Dyad classes in the areas of fitness, music and fine arts, 21st-century media and technology, and hands-on science. Classes supplement schools’ existing electives and magnet programs and are taught by community consultants with specific knowledge and skills. Through Dyad, students gain access to a variety of free, in-school enrichment opportunities they didn’t have before. They engage in experiential learning with their instructors and peers and explore ways to get involved in their community.

Students in grades three through 10 take Art of Thinking three times a week. The class is focused on teaching critical thinking and problem solving and how to assess, evaluate, and effectively use information. These are essential skills for students to process the large volume of information they receive through daily conversations, social media, and other digital channels.

In Art of Thinking, students learn about perspective, a view or attitude toward something. They are taught to be wary of information posted anonymously; why it is important to reserve judgment and question what is presented as fact; and how to look for primary sources, consider possible agendas, and identify bias.

Lessons also cover how to become a discerning user of data and facts. That is, how to consider sample size and how to recognize that data and facts can be "true" but can be used in ways to mislead and misinform—for example, when one data point or anecdote is accurate but should not be generalized to summarize an entire dataset or situation. Art of Thinking helps students understand how a person's point of view is influenced by experiences and the information to which they are exposed. Students also learn how broader perspective leads to better understanding and better decision making.

Eligible students get to travel and experience new places and cultures. In spring 2024—at no cost to their families—eligible seventh graders will travel to Washington, D.C., and eligible eighth graders will travel to Japan.

School staff provide intensive support throughout the entire planning process. They hold informational sessions for families, help students obtain their passports, and serve as chaperones on the trips. Leading up to the trips, campuses host fun events so students and their families get a sense of what the travelers will see and do.

Each NES school has Team Centers for the various grade levels.

Team Centers are open spaces that are used in different ways. The rooms have desks and chairs for students. When students show in the DOL, a mini quiz after the first half of class, that they are working at an accelerated or proficient level, they go to the Team Center to do more challenging assignments independently or in pairs. Learning coaches supervise the Team Center and guide students in their higher-level work.

There are a number of things students say they like about the Team Centers. For example, students who have strong command of the day's material are eager to show this, so they can move to the Team Center and on to other content. This approach helps students stay engaged and keeps them from becoming bored in school. Many students also like that the Team Centers are quiet, which allows them to concentrate.

There are clear expectations for maintaining a culture of respect and a safe and productive learning environment.

Students must follow three overarching rules:

1. Do not disrespect teachers or classmates,
2. Do not disrupt the learning environment, and
3. No bullying. 

Discipline is handled by administrators so teachers do not have to step away from instruction. Students who are disruptive are sent out of the classroom to take a time out, get counseled, or access other services and support. Most students who are removed from class for minor infractions rejoin their class remotely via Zoom until the next class period.

To better support students and working families, NES campuses have extended hours.

All buildings open at 6:30 a.m.

• Elementary schools remain open until 5 p.m.
  • The instructional day for students in Pre-K through second grade runs from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  • The instructional day for students in third through fifth grade runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Middle and high schools stay open until 5:30 p.m. The instructional day runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.