Now that we are knee deep in admissions season, many families exploring their options within HISD will have to be more strategic in their decision-making since they are required to rank their choice schools before the December 18th deadline.
Last week, HISD rolled out a Magnet Matrix parents can use to help them in this process. This tool, used only for non-Vanguard middle and high school programs, allows parents to put in their child's grades, STAAR and Iowa scores to see for which program(s) their child qualifies. The School Choice Office even provides a step-by-step guide for how to use the matrix for those who live by lists. While the tool is intended to be a guide and won't be used by all schools (remember: Vanguard programs use the GT Matrix), knowing on the front end will prevent parents from using one of their 10 options on a school where their child does not qualify.
Kudos to HISD for trying to streamline the process and for giving parents tools to help them make such a critical decision.
If you want to learn more about your odds of getting into a particular school, check out this document, which highlights how many applications each magnet school received, how many students were waitlisted and how many offers were extended.
If you look at that list and think you might want to explore more of your schooling options or you want help making sure you're thinking about your options the right way, shoot me an email or grab a few friends for a mini-school selection workshop. I'm more than happy to sit down at the kitchen table and help you make the most informed decisions about your kids' education.
