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Best
of the Best Award
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Houston County High School
MacArthur High School
MacArthur High School
Irving, TX |
| School Statistics |
| Total Enrollment: |
2,465 |
| Type of School: |
Public, Grades 9-12 |
| Location of School: |
Suburban with urban characteristics |
| Demographics: |
Latino: 35%
White: 35%
African American: 22%
Asian: 5%
Other: 5% |
| Mobility: |
24% |
| ESL Students: |
18% |
| Computers: |
Desktops: 904
Laptops: 2,106
Handhelds: 15 |
| Student: Teacher Ratio: |
18:1 |
| Staff Development Hours: |
60 |
| Teachers with a major or minor in their subject area: |
99% |
MacArthur High School is a model school in so many ways. First, it is truly integrated, with nearly equal numbers of Latino, white, and African-American teenagers walking through its halls. Next, it places a premium on moral support for students, providing various programs from mentoring to peer counseling. Third, despite a significant number of low-income students, the school has made technology a priority, vowing not to become a statistic of the digital divide.
As part of its outreach and support for its diverse student population, the high school runs a number of programs, including MacPac (MacArthur Positive Action Center), a peer-mentoring and resolution program that helps students set goals and provides mentoring and advice for personal problems.
MacArthur High’s one-to-one laptop initiative has also made it a clear standout. Every student has a laptop that he or she can take home and is encouraged to use frequently. It is not surprising to find students working on their laptops in the cafeteria, in the library, or even in the school’s hallways.
As part of the school’s technology efforts science students participate in virtual dissections, video conferencing, and ongoing video discussions with medical researchers. Teachers routinely use live video broadcasts in their lessons. The school also employs a variety of adaptive technology tools to help students at all points of the learning spectrum.
Close attention to students’ emotional, personal, and academic needs has paid off. For the past four years, MacArthur has received Texas’ highest academic rating. Its students have consistently outperformed their peers on state and national assessment tests, including the TAAS, TAKS, SAT, and the ACT.
Moreover, students are taught with a curriculum that gives them access to cooperative learning, teamwork and leadership programs, project-based learning, experiential lab activities, and interactive student presentations.
MacArthur provides its students and staff with extensive support and resources. With every decision, school leaders remind themselves that the students are the most important stakeholders. The physical reminder is Amber’s chair, a seat left unoccupied during almost every staff meeting or professional development session. Amber is a fictitious student name representing all student groups. The empty chair reminds the school’s staff of exactly why they come to school each morning.
Perhaps that constant reminder is what helps drive MacArthur’s staff and administrators to do their very best to create a nurturing and challenging school environment for students. It’s certainly working.
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