Kingwood School Report Cards Are In

Each year in August, the Texas Education Agency releases its accountability ratings for all Texas schools.

I am proud to say that the Humble Independent School District saw several of its schools achieve higher academic ratings this year. In 2007, the Humble Independent School District had five recognized campuses; in 2008, the number of campuses with a recognized rating more than doubled. There are now 12 schools in the Humble Independent School District rated as Recognized by the Texas Education Agency (TEA).

A total of nine elementary schools in the district moved up in the ratings from Acceptable to Recognized, as did Kingwood High School.

Woodland Elementary achieved a rating of Exemplary this year,  up from its rating of Recognized in 2007. Seven of the district’s elementary schools have attained and/or maintained an exemplary rating, the highest rating that a Texas school can achieve. Exemplary ratings are given to schools which had 90% (or higher) of its students pass the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test.

Two elementary schools made a huge jump in their ratings, moving from the lowest rating of Unacceptable to Recognized in 2008. That is an amazing move up in just one year.

Humble Independent School District oversees 23 elementary, seven middle and five high schools. Fifteen of those schools are located in Kingwood. There are seven elementary schools in Kingwood, five rated as Exemplary and two are rated as Recognized. Kingwood has three middle schools and three high schools. Riverwood Middle School and Kingwood High School now hold ratings of Recognized with the remaining schools holding ratings of Acceptable.

The Texas Education Agency released the accountability ratings on August 1. Ratings are based on the results of the annual Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test as well as the drop-out rate for each school. Texas schools are rated (lowest to highest) as Unacceptable, Acceptable, Recognized and Exemplary.

Kingwood schools which moved up in ratings in 2008:
Kingwood High: Recognized
Kingwood Park High: Acceptable (this school was not rated in 2007)
Foster Elementary: Recognized
Woodland Hills Elementary: Exemplary
Elm Grove Elementary: Exemplary

Texas Education Agency Links:
 2008 Accountability Ratings
 More Districts and Campuses Earn Exemplary Rating

A Salute to One Of Kingwood’s Own

I would like to salute Air Force Capt. Brian Erickson, a Kingwood High School Graduate (1997) who was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor on July 11, 2008.

Captain Erickson is credited with saving the lives of six German (part of the Army coalition ground forces) soldiers who were pinned down in a dark valley in Afghanistan on October 16, 2006.

A B-1B Lancer bomber was sent to support the embattled German team but was forced to give up due to weather conditions and the steep mountain terrain which restricted the bomber’s effectiveness.  The daring two hour mission is a true “Top Gun” story of a pilot and his wingman. Erickson’s wingman flew above the weather to guide Erickson, who essentially was flying blind. Captain Erickson was forced to turn off his infrared screen because the ground fire would interfere with his night vision goggles, literally blinding him and impeding his ability to navigate the deep and dangerous canyon. Erickson drew fire upon his own aircraft in order to locate the insurgent’s position. Once Captain Erickson located the insurgents, his wingman lit up the area so that Erickson, in a single pass, could stop the opposition, which he effectively did.

As with all true heroes, Captain Erickson was honored to receive one of the Nation’s highest honors but discounted his own heroic actions as being minor in comparison to the lives that were saved and the team effort involved.

Here is the quote by Captain Erickson:  “We train every day to support Army coalition ground forces with CAS*… It’s an honor to be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor for doing the job I’m trained to do. But the real reward was returning those six coalition soldiers safely to the village they were working at as part of the PRT team.”

About his wingman, Captain Erickson makes it clear that it was a team effort and not only his actions that made the mission a success:
“He helped me find the insurgents. He was above the mountain tops and we were both trying to sort out things going on. It was team work that made it possible.”

Thank you Captain Erickson, your wingman and all of our troops for a job well done.

*close air support

Educating Kingwood

Public school or private school, Kingwood is known for its quality education. Our schools are a reflection of the Kingwood community.

Aside from being a great place to live in the forest on the lake, Kingwood offers its children some of the finest educational opportunities in Texas from preschool to the college level.
 
I am very proud to tell you that all public schools in Kingwood have consistently been rated as either “Exemplary” or “Recognized” by the  Texas Education Agency. These rankings are the highest that any school can attain. To achieve such high rankings is an honor and a tribute to the dedication of our teachers and the involvement of the community.
 
Elementary and High School students attend schools governed by the Humble Independent School District. A small portion of Kingwood falls within the Montgomery County borders. The students living in Kings Manor, North Woodland Hills and Oakhurst villages attend schools in the New Caney Independent School District.
 
Three High Schools serve Kingwood: Kingwood High School, Kingwood Park High School and Quest High School. Quest High School is a magnet school located in Atascocita. Quest High School is a school of choice, meaning that all students in the Humble ISD have the opportunity to select the school as their school of choice rather than attending the high school assigned by district boundaries. 
 
Lone Star College – Kingwood is a two-year community college which offers the standard two-year community college degree. In addition, the college offers specialized training programs such as interior design, dental hygiene and respiratory care. The college serves the educational needs of approximately 9,500 students.
 
Lone Star College – Kingwood is also commonly known as Kingwood College and was established in 1984. The Lone Star College System serves the north portion of the Greater Houston area. The Lone Star College System began in 1972 under the name North Harris County College. In 2007, the name was changed to the Lone Star College System.
 
The high standards of the public school system have set the bar for private education in Kingwood. Our private schools also offer the  best in education to their students.

Humble District Accountability Rating for 2007

 

Kingwood Schools List with Private Schools Included

Kingwood: More Than A Name and More Than A Home

Kingwood is more than just a name of a community; it is more than just a place to call home. Kingwood is history, nature, neighbors, and quality in every aspect of daily life.

 

The Kingwood name is derived from two famous sources: the King Ranch and the Friendswood Development Company. The 14,000 acres on which the Kingwood community was developed, was once part of the legendary Kings Ranch. In 1969 the Friendswood Development Company purchased the land for development. In honor of the historic ranch, which is so much a part of Texas’ history, and their own company, Friendswood combined the names. Kingwood soon became one of the nation’s premier master-planned communities.

 

Kingwood is also called “The Livable Forest” because of the careful planning that went into the development of the community, which would take advantage of everything that nature freely offered, without sacrificing the very gifts that made it such a desirable place to live. Kingwood is known as a community that co-exists with nature and has become a model for the rest of the nation. “The Livable Forest” has over 20 varieties of shade trees in addition to its tall pines and stately magnolias. The forest is home to a varied multitude of wildlife including deer and is a bird-watchers paradise.

 

Nature contributes to the small town feel of Kingwood. Over 500 acres have been dedicated as nature preserves and parks. Kingwood features a greenbelt made up of over 75 miles of hike and bike trails where neighbors can greet each other as they stroll or ride the trails. These same trails service as connectors to the various villages

 

The Kingwood name now represents 25 villages, in a 10 mile radius, and is home to over 200,000 residents, who enjoy living in a naturally wooded area, located on the shores of Lake Houston.

 

Kingwood is known to be one of the most beautiful communities in the Houston area because of its well maintained neighborhoods, quality built homes and natural surroundings.

 

Residents of Kingwood enjoy living in a small town atmosphere with trails which connect villages and shopping. The commercial center of Kingwood is a beautiful green space, appropriately named “Kingwood Town Center” The Center offers services, retail shops, and dining owned by big name companies as well as local small business owners. The Town Center also serves as a community gathering place which hosts such events as art festivals, concerts and town celebrations.

 

Small towns bring to mind neighbors working with neighbors to continually improve and protect the community. This is exactly what happens in Kingwood. There are over 100 different organizations and clubs which contribute to the quality of life in Kingwood.

 

Related Links:

In My Backyard

Kingwood Greenbelt Map

Kingwood Picture Tour

Kingwood – A Super Neighborhood

Kingwood is a super neighborhood because of its location and the people who live there.

Kingwood is also officially recognized as a Super Neighborhood by the City of Houston . A Super Neighborhood is a neighborhood where residents, businesses, civic organizations and institutions work together for the betterment of the community by identifying its needs and concerns.

 

A council is elected and serves as a forum  where issues affecting the neighborhood can be discussed and addressed. When a consensus of opinion is reached in regards to the various needs and concerns of the neighborhood, the council then implements a plan of action (SNAP- Super Neighborhood Action Plan) to prioritize and address them.

 

The super neighborhood council works closely with the City of Houston ’s City Council and the city’s various departments in order to bring more self-sufficiency to the neighborhood while, at the same time, helping the city to be more effective in delivering the services needed by the community.

 

Currently there are 85 neighborhoods in the City of Houston participating in its Super Neighborhood program but only 49 of these have been officially recognized by the Mayor. A council is recognized and a community designated as an official Super Neighborhood when all the City’s requirements have been met. Kingwood has been an official participant recognized by the Mayor since August 24, 2000 .