ACT

The ACT is one of two options for admissions tests required by many four-year colleges (the other is the SAT). The ACT tests four subjects: English, Reading, Math and Science plus an optional writing test (essay). It is an increasingly popular alternative to the SAT.  The ACT is now accepted by all schools across the country. The ACT is scored on a 1-36 basis (the average score is about 20 or 21). The College and Career Readiness department manages the test.

Advanced Placement (AP)

The College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) Program provides participating students with the opportunity to take college-level courses while still in high school and earn college credit, advanced placement, or both.  HISD administers a possible 37 examinations, covering 22 subject areas, in May at participating schools.  Additional benefits to students include opportunities that lead to scholarships and/or recognition.

Credit by Exam
HISD's Credit by Exam (CBE) program enables students in grades K-12 without prior instruction to advance to a higher grade level or test out of a high-school course. CBE also helps students to pass a failed course and it helps previously home-schooled students, students from unaccredited private schools or foreign schools, and students whose records are unavailable with placement in the appropriate grade level. Student Assessment funds credit advancement administrations twice a year. The campus or the parents normally pay for credit recovery and special cases.

Final Exams: Grades 6-12
As part of course requirements; teachers administer final exams to secondary students.

In 2011-2012, the state of Texas moved from the state-funded TAKS assessment program to the STAAR (State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness). STAAR is a standardized assessment program that is mandated and funded by the state through the Texas Education Agency (TEA). The STAAR End-of-Course program replaced the graduation requirement for all students who entered Grade 8 in 2011-2012. End-of-Course assessments are required for English I, English II, Algebra I, Biology and U.S History. 

• are not most appropriately assessed with STAAR Spanish, AND
• have not yet attained a TELPAS advanced high Reading rating in grades 2 or above, AND
• have been enrolled in U.S. schools for 3 school years or less starting with first grade (5 school years or less if a qualifying unschooled asylum or refugee)

Not permitted for an ELL whose parents or guardian has declined bilingual/ESL program services

TELPAS assesses the English Language proficiency of K-12 ELLs in four language domains-listening, speaking, reading, and writing. It fulfills federal requirements for annually assessing the English language proficiency of K-12 limited English proficient students (LEP).  ELLs are required to be assessed annually until they meet bilingual/ESL program exit criteria and are reclassified as Non-LEP. The assessment components for grades K-1 and 2-12 differ in the following ways:

• Grades K-1: TELPAS includes holistically rated listening, speaking, reading, and writing assessments based on ongoing classroom observations and student interactions.

• Grades 2-12: TELPAS includes multiple-choice reading tests, holistically rated student writing collections, and holistically rated listening and speaking assessments. The listening and speaking assessments are based ongoing classroom observations and student interactions.