Education
BY KEVIN VU
Education Edition
2025
Readers, welcome to the annual CI Education Edition! Our lead story examines the two-year extension of the state takeover of Houston ISD, looking at where the district stands academically, operationally and systemically compared to before the Texas Education Agency stepped in. Mental health among students is another growing concern we examine in this edition, as the district continues to see rising rates of anxiety and depression. We also spotlight Cycle Houston, a local nonpro t using cycling to promote student well-being, take a look at a new charter school coming to the city and break down what new education laws were passed during the 89th Texas legislative session.
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Cassandra Jenkins Editor cjenkins@ communityimpact.com
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What's inside
See what new charter school is coming soon to Houston (Page 7)
Check out how Houston ISD has changed since 2023 (Page 8)
Read more on the mental health issues plaguing students (Page 11)
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Cycle Houston rewards child literacy with bikes Jacob Moreno is a father of three. His oldest son, also named Jacob, was going into the second grade at Burnett Elementary during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when he noticed his son having a hard time learning to read. During the school year, Moreno was introduced to a nonpro t the school partners with: CYCLE, or Changing Young Children's Lives through Educa- tion. The nonpro t rewards second graders who meet or exceed reading goals with a new bicycle and helmet, with the hopes of encouraging them to continue reading after the program ends. “It motivated him to read more… and I’m a big believer that you’ve got to work for it, don’t let things be handed to you, so I think it’s pretty good what [CYCLE] is doing,” Moreno said. About the program Cycle’s Executive Director Rebecca Roberts said
the nonpro t was created back in 2000 to address the need to improve literacy in Houston, working speci cally with Title I schools, which are schools that typically receive extra federal support and have a larger number of students from low-income families, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Roberts said the nonpro t’s goals are tailored to each child. The organization also tracks stu- dents’ conduct and attendance, ensuring they are well-behaved and paying attention in school. What they’re saying Jae Lee, the principal at Burnett Elementary, said the organization has helped his second graders improve their reading level. According to data Lee compiled in the 2021-2022 school year, the average reading level at the start of the year for the 90 students who participated in the program was Level F, equivalent to the reading level of a mid-year rst grader. By the end of December, he said students were reading at Level K, also known as a second-grade reading level.
Cycle Houston gave out approximately 12,000 bikes in 2024 across 86 di erent schools.
COURTESY CYCLE HOUSTON
The impact Cycle partners with over 80 schools in several districts, including Houston ISD. Since it launched, the nonpro t has gifted 185,000 bikes, with the count expected to hit 200,000 by the end of 2025.
www.cyclehouston.org
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