New Education System

NES and NES-aligned schools had significantly higher academic growth than non-NES schools on mid-year exams.

Source: Preliminary mid-year NWEA MAP data, January 2024

What is NES ?

Schools in HISD’s New Education System (NES) receive additional resources and support to dramatically improve academic performance and give students a variety of enriching opportunities.

What is high quality instruction?

In the Houston Independent School District (HISD), high-quality instruction is defined as effective and engaging teaching practices that align with state standards and are tailored to meet individual student needs. One of the first things you will notice at an NES school is a rigorous instructional program directly tied to state standards for what students should know and be able to do at each grade level. Pre-kindergarten through second-grade classrooms use a traditional instructional format.

For students in third through twelfth grade, the format for math and English language arts combines direct instruction with highly differentiated assignments. All English language arts/Spanish language arts and mathematics classes in third through eighth grades are 90 minutes and begin with a Learning Objective for what students should be able to accomplish at the end of the lesson. The first 40 to 45 minutes are focused on instruction using Multiple Response Strategies (MRS) to maximize student engagement.