Four BISD students have been honored by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program Semifinalists

Officials of the National Merit Scholarship Program (NMSC) announced approximately 16,000 Semifinalists in the 64th annual NMSC on Sept. 12, 2018. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $31 million that will be offered spring 2019.

Birdville ISD’s 2019 National Merit Semifinalists are:

• Camille Henyan (BHS)
• Jenna Ruhlman (BHS)
• Grace Disalvi (RHS)
• Kevin Pang (RHS)

Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. More than 90 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and about half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.

Over 1.6 million juniors in about 22,000 high schools entered the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2017 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

From the approximately 16,000 Semifinalists, about 15,000 are expected to advance to Finalist level, and in February NMSC will notify them of this designation.

School districts across the state have only one opportunity to earn a distinction from the Texas Education Agency (TEA). TEA’s distinction for Post-Secondary Readiness is based on graduation rates, ACT/SAT participation and performance, Career and Technology graduates, and dual credit course completion rates. In 2017, only 58 school districts of the almost 1100 school districts in Texas received this distinction. In 2018, for the first time, BISD has earned this distinction for Post-Secondary Readiness. Congratulations to the Birdville Family! #BISDShines

BISD Earns TEA Recognition

Commissioner Morath announces school districts earning postsecondary readiness distinction 

AUSTIN – Commissioner of Education Mike Morath announced today that 61 school districts and district charters across the state received a distinction designation for postsecondary readiness as part of their 2018 state accountability rating. The postsecondary readiness distinction is the only distinction designation at the district level under the state accountability system.

Beginning this year, all multi-campus school districts and charters received an accountability rating based on an A–F scale. Those ratings were announced by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) on Aug. 15.

Parents are encouraged to visit TXschools.org to view online report cards designed to be useful tools in seeing how a school or school district is doing in different areas. The report cards spotlight specific strengths, in addition to any challenges, that can assure the needs of all students are being met. Parents can search by district or school name and compare that district’s or school’s performance to others in their area.

The postsecondary readiness distinction takes into account factors such as graduation rates, ACT/SAT participation and performance, Career and Technical Education (CTE) graduates, and dual-credit course completion rates. Districts and district charters earning a rating of A, B, C or D were eligible for the postsecondary readiness distinction.

The school districts and charters earning a postsecondary readiness distinction in 2018 include: Barbers Hill ISD; Bells ISD; Birdville ISD; Bishop CISD; Calallen ISD; Callisburg ISD; Carroll ISD; Central ISD; De Leon ISD; Dublin ISD; East Bernard ISD; Edinburg CISD; Flour Bluff ISD; Floydada ISD; George West ISD; Goldthwaite ISD; Happy ISD; Harlingen CISD; Harmony School of Excellence (Houston); Harmony School of Science (Houston); Harmony Science Academy (El Paso); Harmony Science Academy (Houston); Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD; Irion County ISD; Kerrville ISD; Lasara ISD; Los Fresnos CISD; Lovejoy ISD; Lyford CISD; Mabank ISD; Malakoff ISD; Mason ISD; McAllen ISD; Medina Valley ISD; Midway ISD; Mumford ISD; Oakwood ISD; Olney ISD; Paris ISD; Port Aransas ISD; Poth ISD; Rising Star ISD; Roby CISD; Roma ISD; Roscoe Collegiate ISD; San Perlita ISD; Santa Gertrudis ISD; School of Science and Technology Discovery (San Antonio); Sharyland ISD; Shiner ISD; Socorro ISD; South Texas ISD; Sundown ISD; Tatum ISD; United ISD; Universal Academy (Irving); Valley View ISD; Vanguard Academy (Pharr); Wall ISD; Webb CISD; and Woden ISD.

Carroll ISD, Kerrville ISD, Los Fresnos CISD, Sharyland ISD, and South Texas ISD earned the postsecondary distinction for the fifth consecutive year. These school districts have earned the distinction every year it has been part of the state accountability system.

To view the 2018 state accountability ratings for districts, charters and campuses, visit the TEA website at http://tea.texas.gov/accountability/.