More than 40,000 HISD students will attend virtual summer school. Here’s how it will work

HOUSTON – The Houston Independent School District is planning to hold virtual summer school for more than 40,000 students, according to the district. The online summer instruction is scheduled from June 8 to July 2.

“Our virtual summer school plan is a continuation of our commitment to ensure our students continue to be safely engaged academically and prepared for their grade level during the COVID-19 pandemic,” HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said.

How will HISD run summer school?

Students will attend online classes Monday to Thursday. Daily attendance will be two hours for students in grades PK-2, three hours for students in grades 3-5 and four hours for students in grades 6-11.

Summer school for high school students taking credit recovery courses and/or courses for original credit as approved by their school counselors will be determined by the courses in which they are enrolled.

Attendance by each grade level will include time students spend in live lessons with their teacher, in small group live lessons with teachers, and on assigned digital resources.

What type of work will students do?

Paper-based summer instructional packets will be mailed out or made available to all students enrolled in summer school PK-8, according to the district.

These packets will include reading and math content, which will align with the instruction provided during live lessons with their teachers.

Will the classes be streamed?

Summer lessons will also be broadcast on HISD-TV, channel 18 on Comcast and Channel 99 on U-Verse.

What if a student has technology or internet challenges?

Students enrolled in summer school who have technology and/or internet challenges must submit completion of the summer instructional packet to their campus during the week of June 29 to July 2.

Can I pick up a paper-based package for a student not in summer school?

Yes. Parents of students not enrolled in summer school can request a copy of the paper-based summer instructional packet by calling the HISD hotline at 713-556-4636 (INFO).

Here is more information about the HISD virtual summer school:

• Students (Grades PK-8) who have “retained” on their report card (do not meet promotion standards due to Fall 2019 attendance and grades prior to March 12) will be automatically enrolled in summer school.
• Students who met promotion standards and are not retained may be invited to enroll in summer school for intervention in reading and math. A letter will be sent to the parents/guardians of students who have been identified.
• All students not enrolled in summer school are encouraged to continue to engage daily with digital tools (Imagine Literacy and Math) at home. Guidelines and links to these resources will be available on the HISD @ H.O.M.E. Summer 2020 platform starting June 1.
• The Curriculum Department is creating lessons in math and reading for grades PK-7. Students in 8th grade will receive instruction in reading, math, science, and social studies.
• High school students who did not receive course credit during the 2019-2020 school year can take up to 3 credit recovery courses between June 8 – July 2. Students who need credit recovery courses will be automatically enrolled and will be contacted by school personnel.

For this summer session, original credit courses will be offered to the following students:

• 12th-grade students who need to successfully complete classes to be able to graduate in August 2020.
• 11th-grade students enrolled in Genesys Works.
• High school students invited for intervention courses in English I, English II, Algebra, Biology, and US History will be enrolled automatically. School personnel will contact students and/or parents identified for intervention.
• Tuition-based virtual summer school is available for students who live outside of HISD attendance boundaries or who do not attend an HISD school. Seats for tuition-based classes are based on availability. For more information, please email ParentAssistance@houstonisd.org or call 713-556-7121.
• The HISD @ H.O.M.E. Hotline – 713-556-INFO (4636) – will be available Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• HISD’s Let’s Stay Connected Mental Health Hotline is also available to provide emotional, social, and psychological support to students and parents if needed. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 713-556-1340.
• Parents will receive letters if their child is required to attend or strongly recommended to attend virtual summer school.