Mid-Year Momentum: HISD Students Ahead of Urban Peers With Math Leading the Way 

New mid-year data shows Houston ISD students are growing at a faster rate than comparable urban districts nationwide, with HISD leaders pointing to math as the district’s “strongest success story.”

To understand what’s fueling that momentum, HISD spoke with high-performing math teachers about the classroom strategies driving results across the district.

About the Test 

First implemented districtwide in the 2023-24 school year, HISD uses the research-based assessment Northwest Evaluation Association Measurement of Academic Progress (NWEA MAP) test to track the growth of students up to the eighth grade three times a year—in the fall, winter, and spring. 

The tests, which are taken at the beginning of year (BOY), middle of year (MOY), and end of year (EOY), are measured against a normative sample of 116 million test scores from approximately one out of every three schools in the United States. 

The online assessment adjusts in difficulty and number of questions based on the students' performance.  

Achievement Levels on the Rise

HISD is growing at above-average levels compared to other large urban districts across the United States. NWEA Director of Research Consulting Scott Peters said that after analyzing HISD’s data over the last two and a half years, the results prompted NWEA to complete an additional analysis to verify the unusual amount of growth they were seeing. He said after a deep dive into the numbers, they had to conclude that the results were unprecedented: HISD is far outpacing other urban districts by both academic growth and increases to overall achievement in reading, math, and science.

“There is practically no real comparison. We are in a league of our own,” Superintendent Mike Miles said. 

At the start of the state intervention in fall 2023, NWEA MAP achievement percentile ranks — which show a student’s relative standing compared to others in the same grade and subject — showed HISD sixth graders performing below their urban peers in all subjects. By this winter, those same students, now eighth graders, had risen in achievement percentile rank, outperforming urban peers by 18 percentile points in math, 6 percentile points in reading and 13 percentile points in science.

Miles said the district is growing lower performing students faster through the implementation of high-quality curriculum, professional development for teachers that focuses on evidence-based instructional practices, and a high-performance “culture of achievement” where students are motivated by daily feedback on their individualized growth goals.

As students build foundational skills and close learning gaps, Miles said they are prepared to be even more successful in the following year. 

Math, Science, and Reading all posted double-digit percentage-point improvements in Annual Growth Percentage (AGP) compared to the MOY 2024-25 exam. By mid-year, students have already achieved a much larger portion of their expected full-year growth than they had at the same time in the 2024-25 school year.

In Math specifically, the average percent annual growth for third to eighth grades jumped from 57.93% last year to 88.65% this year, an increase of over 30 percentage points. Similarly, Science saw a leap of 11.36 percentage points, while Reading rose by 11.23 percentage points.

Inside HISD Eighth Grade Math Classes 

In 2019, the U.S. Department of Education published findings indicating that exposure to algebraic concepts in middle school, in particular through Algebra I class enrollment in eighth grade, is one of the strongest indicators of post-secondary academic advancement.

Currently, eighth grade students take either grade-level math or place into an advanced Algebra I course typically reserved for high school students. Through the district’s Accelerated Math initiative, district leaders said by 2027-28 all incoming eighth grade students will be placed in Algebra I once they have successfully completed two full years of accelerated math instruction in sixth and seventh grade.

HISD middle school math teachers have the distinct task of helping students meet the benchmarks to be ready for high school math. Students in Deady, Thomas, and Williams middle schools’ eighth grade math classrooms showed over 200% percentage growth since the beginning of the year, according to internal NWEA data. 
 
Each of these campuses is part of HISD’s New Education System (NES), which utilizes HISD’s curriculum across all core subjects.

In southeast Houston, teacher Mariah Berthau studied accounting and said she sees math everywhere and wants her students to do the same. She engages her students in math lessons by incorporating their names and interests into the problems, such as their favorite online fashion retailers like Fashion Nova and Shein. 

“We understand that the shipping fee is simply a y-intercept if we wanted to plot that on the graph,” she said. “Math is connected to so many things in life when it comes to bills and houses and cars—it’s just a thing that you have to know.”

Berthau said she knew her students were on pace to surpass their growth metrics based on their “buy-in” to master the skill they’re introduced to in class. She extends invitations to her students, often through parent engagement, to ensure they receive individualized attention at lunch, afterschool, or Saturday School tutorials—sessions that she is able to structure based on her knowledge of concepts that require extra work for mastery. 

She said that in a competition between the other grades at Thomas Middle for highest Saturday school turnout, eighth graders are in the lead to win a prize at the end of the year. 

“The work the kids and I have done is reflected in their data,” she said. “I think what feeds us is first just understanding the child where they are and understanding what their goal is.” 

Berthau’s approach includes differentiated instruction for both advanced students and those who are struggling. She said she prepares for lessons by ensuring she has strategies to reach all of her students, the highest-performing students as well as those who may need additional support, while also providing one-on-one support as needed.

“They really just need one-on-one support and being able to look at these questions without so much pressure,” she said.

She said students’ confidence has grown through repeated practice and consistent encouragement — especially reassurance that making mistakes is part of learning. At the start of the year, she said students hesitated to share answers on their whiteboards. Some wrote only a single letter choice or avoided responding entirely. Now, their boards are filled with detailed work: circled keywords, annotated steps, full explanations.

“I’m looking for the best example that I can show… It’s way better than mine.” she said. “When they see us adults make those mistakes and go back and check our work… they know that it’s okay to make mistakes.”

For teachers hoping to replicate her results, Berthau advises them to “build relationships, get the buy-in, and watch the data.”
 

Hayes-Smith shared how consistent routines, collaborative learning, and effective coaching support are helping students gain confidence and show academic growth.

In Independence Heights, teacher Veronica Haynes-Smith said her students’ favorite part of the lesson is when they “turn and talk,” sharing the solutions to the math problems with their deskmate. 

They’re asked to share their answers in complete sentences, using math vocabulary to explain their reasoning. She said this verbal and written articulation helps reinforce not just procedural knowledge but also critical thinking.

“When I see the kids say ‘Can I share? Can I share?,’ that’s when you know they’re engaged,” she said. 

The NES model uses a “second teach” approach, where targeted instruction helps students overcome misconceptions. A veteran teacher—35 years total with 28 of them at Williams Middle—Haynes-Smith said the standardized NES model allows for individualized instruction and strengthened support for students at different levels through teaming up with special education teachers and assistants.

Haynes-Smith said she noticed a shift in student confidence when students were excited to see test results after the news they surpassed MAP growth for their MOY test. 

“It’s a team effort,” Hayes-Smith said. “They want to do well.”

Offering advice to other teachers, she said, “Keep a positive attitude. Be flexible. Students thrive on consistency and guidance.” 
 

In the East End, eight-year teaching veteran Steve Toups has been at Deady Middle School since 2020. In a classroom plastered with Spanish and English math diagrams—essential to serving a school population with over 50% Emergent Bilingual (EB) students—he said he wanted students to ​​understand formulas and rules in ways that are universal across cultures and languages. 

Toups said his former career in the corporate and energy sectors, which included traveling to over thirty-five countries, informs his teaching by allowing him to forge personal connections with a diverse student body. To make the material accessible for all of his students, he utilizes peer tutoring, pairing students who are learning English with students who can help bridge the gap. This collaborative environment allows students to find recognition and focus even when they are still mastering a new language.  

Toups emphasized that while lessons are conducted in English, the logic of numbers remains the same in every language.

​​“I want them to know the whys and the hows,” he said. “Why do I have to use that formula?”

Toups is committed to reinforcing progress across performance levels. 

“Praise works wonders,” he said. “Everybody's capable. You just have to approach each one a little bit differently sometimes.” 

Toups said he believes that learning is not just about formulas or test scores, but building confidence, curiosity, and the belief that every student can master the “whys” and “hows” of learning.

To instructors who want to see academic growth, he advises, “Never give up and do not allow ‘the drift.’ Stay on target. Work as a team. Stay focused on the end goal… one team, one goal, no limits.” 

Moving forward

District officials said mid-year results show promising momentum leading up to the STAAR exam, with the percentage of students projected to meet or exceed grade level rising in every subject—math up 7.5 points, reading (English and Spanish combined) up 8.2 points, and science up 11.7 points.

Miles said he wants to grow advanced programming by building on the momentum of strengthened academic performance through the Accelerate Houston Initiative, including: 

• Offering advanced academic tracks at Future 2 schools 
• Implementation of accelerated math to ensure students are successful in Algebra 1 in eighth grade 
• Increasing virtual school options
• Ensuring high school students graduate with an associate degree

Miles said the combination of performance data and campus-level progress reflects the impact of classroom instruction and the possibilities for future programming. 

“Translate the numbers into student possibilities and lives being changed and you can gauge the real impact,” he said.