Information

Paul W. Horn Academy is a school-wide magnet academy in an urban neighborhood - Bellaire, Texas. Horn’s magnet academy consists of five components: art, communications, computer, life sports, and science. Built in 1949, Horn has maintained a stable neighborhood population over the years. With a total school population of 535 students for the 2007-2008 school year, Horn has become a melting pot of cultures. Students attend Horn from many different countries. The student body of Horn is 57.5% White, 8.5% African-American, 17.6% Hispanic, 16.3% Asian, and 0.2% American Indian.  The Limited English Proficiency (LEP) population averages 5.3%; the special education population is 6%, and 49.3% of the students are identified as Gifted and Talented. 13% of the students are on free or reduced lunch. Student attendance for the previous school year was 96.8%. The Magnet population is 26%. For the past two years, Horn has achieved a Texas Education Agency rating of Exemplary.
The community is very involved at Paul W. Horn. An active PTO maintains 75% membership and school volunteers log over 5,000 hours yearly. Horn PTO supports many endeavors such as: Dad’s Club, Spaghetti Supper, Fall Carnival, Pine Street Market,  book fairs, and Capital Campaign. The “Master Plan” describes improvements planned for the campus which will prepare Horn for the educational challenges and will enable the school to continue the tradition of high quality education which has been a hallmark of Horn for 50 years. Horn’s Master Plan Committee, composed of parents and faculty, sets priorities for PTO capital expenditures based on results of teacher and parent surveys. The PTO Executive Board and the PTO general body then approve these expenditures. Because of past parent efforts, technology is available in all classrooms.

Mission, Vision, Values

Analysis

1. TAKS scores

1. Areas for Improvement include individual growth on TAKS scaled scores.
2. GOAL 1 – 3rd Grade Math

OUR REALITY:  59% of our students attained Commended Performance on the 2007-2008 Math TAKS.
OUR GOAL:  62% of our students will attain Commended Performance on the 2008-2009 Math TAKS.

     GOAL 2 – 4th Grade Writing
OUR REALITY:  13% of our students scored a 4 on the TAKS Writing Essay.
OUR GOAL:  15% of our students will score a 4 on TAKS Writing Essay.

     GOAL 3-5th Grade Reading/Math
OUR REALITY:  79% of our students attained Commended Performance on TAKS Reading; 79% of our students attained Commended Performance on TAKS Math.
OUR GOAL:  80% of our students will attain Commended Performance on the 5th Grade Reading and Math TAKS.

Quality Planning

1. 1. Processes for intervention are: Level 1 includes high quality instruction and positive behavioral support for all students in general education. Level 2 is targeted specific prevention of remedial intervention for students whose academic performance or behavior lags behind the norm for that grade and educational setting.  Level 3 is intensive individualized interventions for students who have insufficient response to evidence-based interventions in the first two levels.
   2. Professional Development will include the newly adopted math series (Envision) and Versa-Tiles training for all teachers, Texas State Performance Standards for Gifted/Talented (GT), technology training on Campus Online, SMART Boards, and United Streaming, and PLC’s. Teachers will attend various staff development of their own choosing.
   3. Through the Partners at Learning, PAL, program we actively pursue community members to participate as instructional support for individual students who have been identified as “At Risk.”

Continuous Improvement and Evaluation

1. Formative and summative assessments will be used as well as assessment for learning practices to monitor and assess student growth.
2. Use of Common Assessments weekly or 9 weeks according to the content area will be reviewed. The teachers will determine which students master specific objectives and which objectives need to be retaught.
3. Use of Authentic Assessments weekly, 4 ½ weeks, or 9 weeks according to the content area will be reviewed. The teachers and/or students will create rubrics for the students and teacher to use to assess their learning.