Texas’ largest school district sees test scores soar after state takeover despite racism claims

FIRST ON FOX: The Houston Independent School District (HISD), the largest schoolhouse strategy successful Texas, has seen melodramatic improvements successful pupil grades and trial scores crossed its much than 270 campuses successful the years since a authorities takeover. The sweeping involution followed years of world underperformance and drew ongoing accusations of racism and unfairness.

Across the district's simple and mediate schools, students successful grades 3 done 8 showed important improvements successful speechmaking and mathematics scores connected the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) tests successful the 3 schoolhouse years since the Texas Education Agency (TEA) took control.

Furthermore, students successful HISD precocious schools made important year-over-year improvements from 2023 to 2026 successful algebra, English, biology, and U.S. history, efficaciously narrowing show gaps compared to authorities averages, according to information provided to Fox News Digital.

"People whitethorn person disquieted astir the intervention, and I recognize the authorities of that, but truly it was focused connected kids, achievement, and their future—not big issues," HISD Superintendent Mike Miles told Fox News Digital. "And we person shown that we tin marque immoderate territory that's struggling, particularly ample oregon mean municipality districts, determination precise rapidly to bash close by kids and rise accomplishment results."

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The Houston Independent School District (HISD) logo is displayed connected a sign. HISD students person made important improvements to trial scores successful the 3 years since Texas took implicit the schoolhouse district, officials said. (Getty Images)

In 2023, the TEA officially took implicit HISD, replacing its elected enactment with a state-appointed committee of managers and installing Miles arsenic superintendent.

"When you person kids who are that acold down successful speechmaking and math, we came successful with a precocious consciousness of urgency," Miles said of his efforts to betterment what galore viewed arsenic a failing system.

Upon taking office, Miles introduced the New Education System (NES) model. The overhaul uses a centralized program alongside specialized classes aimed astatine problem-solving and captious thinking. It besides established "Team Centers," wherever students who excel connected regular halfway taxable lessons are sent to implicit advanced, autarkic work.

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The authorities takeover was initially prompted by years of chronic world nonaccomplishment astatine Phillis Wheatley High School. The historical schoolhouse is located successful Houston's Fifth Ward, 1 of the city's astir historically underserved areas.

Data shows that earlier the district's translation successful the 2022–23 schoolhouse year, HISD had a combined full of 121 D- and F-rated campuses. Currently, determination are lone 18 D-rated schools and zero F-rated campuses crossed the full district. Meanwhile, the fig of A- and B-rated campuses much than doubled, jumping from 93 to 197.

Mike Miles, superintendent of the Houston Independent School District, is shown astatine Thomas Jefferson Elementary School successful Houston connected Aug. 15, 2025. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle)

However, critics person consistently argued that the 2023 involution was a racially discriminatory enactment taken by blimpish authorities lawmakers against a large metropolis tally chiefly by radical of color.

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The ACLU of Texas, the Houston NAACP, and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) antecedently filed a ceremonial ailment with the U.S. Department of Justice, requesting a national civilian rights investigation. The civilian rights groups argued that the authorities efficaciously stripped voting powerfulness distant from communities of colour erstwhile it dissolved the schoolhouse committee chosen by section voters and replaced it with authorities appointees.

At the time, the ACLU stated that the determination had thing to bash with nationalist education, but alternatively "political power of an astir wholly Black and brownish pupil assemblage successful 1 of the country's astir divers cities."

Miles acknowledged that involution from Austin, the authorities capital, was apt to make disapproval fixed however accelerated helium moved to instrumentality change.

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"We made broad reforms—not conscionable 1 change, not conscionable 2 changes," Miles countered. "We made respective systemic changes, and that's going to upset the pome cart for a batch of people."

Students get for the archetypal time of schoolhouse connected Monday, Aug. 28, 2023, astatine Phillis Wheatley High School successful Houston, Texas. (Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle)

"I besides recognize that erstwhile you person an extracurricular group, the state, sidelining the elected committee and putting successful a committee of managers, that besides draws a batch of interest and anxiousness astir a process wherever your elected representatives don't person the aforesaid magnitude of powerfulness and influence," Miles added. "So, yes, each of that's understandable. Having said that, the things we're doing are focused connected kids. The outcomes amusement that."

Fox News Digital has reached retired to the ACLU, the NAACP, and the Houston Federation of Teachers for comment.

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Despite section criticism, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has heavy praised the intervention.

"Texas children merit the champion acquisition possible, which requires a beardown accountability system," Andrew Mahaleris, Abbott's property secretary, told Fox News Digital. "Since the assignment of a Board of Managers, Houston ISD has shown meaningful betterment successful pupil achievement."

Mahaleris noted that authorities trial scores for HISD students person consistently maintained an upward trajectory successful mathematics and speechmaking since the takeover began.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks astatine the Conservative Political Action Conference successful Grapevine, Texas, connected March 27, 2026. (Shelby Tauber / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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"Governor Abbott is focused connected making Texas fig 1 successful educating our students, and the advancement successful Houston is grounds that authorities accountability measures work," helium said.

The authorities takeover of HISD is scheduled to proceed done astatine slightest June 1, 2027, nether a timeline acceptable by Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath.