May 1, 2024
Dear AHISD Families-
It’s hard to believe that we find ourselves in May with just a little over three weeks left in our 2023-2024 school year. This year has certainly been a banner year for our district as we look back on so many
academic and extracurricular accomplishments. Included in those celebrations is the news we received last week that AHHS was named a US News Best High School by US News and World Report based on graduation rates, AP Scores and STAAR scores! Included in this notification was acknowledgement that AHHS AP Scores are at the top 8% of all US High Schools.
The latest edition of our School Views publication was recently delivered to Alamo Heights residents.
We also have an electronic version available on our website. Within this edition, you can find updated information about our progress with Bond 2023 planning, information about the challenges of our budget, as well as updated recognitions for so many outstanding programs and student outcomes.
End of Year Academic Planning
The end of the year also includes end-of-year assessments to evaluate the academic progress of all students. The month of May is busy with state STAAR assessments, secondary course final exams, and Advanced Placement exams at the High School. The specific schedules for AP and STAAR Exams are below.
AP Exam Calendar
AHISD STAAR Exam Calendar
AHHS Exam Schedule
Because of the changes to the state STAAR Exam, the score results will be delayed. Scores for high school STAAR End of Course exams will be available in the Parent Portal on July 17, and scores for grades 3-8 STAAR Exams will not be available in the Parent Portal until July 24. As a reminder, all parents can access the TEA Parent Portal directly through HAC under the Grades/ Texas Test Scores tab. AP scores will also be available in July. Students will be able to access them online with their College Board account.
As a result of action research on the evolving college admissions process, AHISD Trustees worked diligently the past two months in a series of special called meetings to update our class rank policy. At competitive schools like AHHS, it’s possible for students with strong GPAs to have lower class rankings than peers from less competitive schools who may have similar or lesser academic achievements. To address this, AHISD will now only rank the top 10% of students, a practice already adopted by other high-performing districts. Additionally, AHISD is reinstating a three-tiered multiplier system for course categories, with weights of 1.0, 1.1, or 1.13, to better reflect the rigor and challenge of the courses. Full details about these changes can be found on the
AHISD Class Rank Website. I’m grateful for the commitment of our Trustees, and administrative leaders to work for meaningful policy change to best support our AHISD students.
Looking Ahead. . .
Next week, May 6-10, is Teacher Appreciation Week. I encourage you to take time with your student to share a note of gratitude with our AH-mazing AHISD teachers. We are so fortunate they choose to make a home in AHISD and impact the lives of our students every day and your kind words will mean the world to them. Every day, I am in awe of their dedication, expertise, and the love of learning they inspire in our classrooms.
There are many special events planned during this next month to celebrate the accomplishments of the Class of 2024. We look forward to congratulating all of our seniors at the graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 23, at 8 p.m. that will be held for the first time at the renovated Harry B. Orem Stadium. Our seniors will always have a home with us in AHISD -- Once a Mule, Always a Mule!