academics

We love GCISD and want every student in it to succeed!

We think this is best accomplished by providing them with a solid foundation in core subjects. This page is intended to give parents an idea of what GCISD's academics currently look like.

We use a variety of sources to compile our technical data, including the TEA (Texas Education Agency), the TAPR (Texas Academic Performance Reports), 3) AP scores, 4) SchoolDigger (which pulls from the STAAR), 5) Niche (informal school ranking source), and 6) GCISD's own resources.

The STAAR is a standardized test that has compared all Texas schools on the core subjects of math, English, science, and history since 2011. The test isn't perfect, but for now, it's the best metric we have.

Why does gcisd need phonics?

Discovering the Problem

Implementing the Solution

Decades ago a philosophical approach to reading emerged called "whole language" reading. It rejected the prior phonics and "sounding out" based method of teaching children to read and instead advocated for techniques that relied on making inferences (mostly guessing with pictures and by using the first and last letters of words).

After years of collecting data on the results of this anti-phonics approach, the academic world finally concluded that the "whole language" reading method prevented many children from learning to read. The harm this method caused is famously documented in the podcast Sold a Story narrated by Emily Hanford.

Implementing the Solution

Because of the harmful effects of "whole word reading," GCISD's Director of English Language Arts and Literacy, along with other higher administration staff, recommended that the Board of Trustees purchase a new phonics-based curriculum for GCISD's elementary school learners, which they rapidly did. It's published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and is called "Into Reading."

Roll-out of this new curriculum began mid-year in January of 2023 at the 5 elementary schools that were determined to have the greatest need. The remaining 6 schools began the resource the following August at the beginning of the school year.

Focusing on Highest Need

Implementing the Solution

Focusing on Highest Need

The 5 schools of greatest need have a high concentration of English second-language learners. Classrooms with these students were provided both an English and a Spanish version of the resource to facilitate students' fluency in English before middle school.

Prior to implementation of this reading and writing resource, teachers used a variety of disjointed resources, and sometimes had to translate them into Spanish themselves. With this new comprehensive resource, the reading and writing flows seamlessly together, both reducing teacher workload and enhancing student learning.

Supporting KIds with the Greatest NEed

GCISD’s Bilingual Program Sees 89% Increase in English Proficiency

GCISD's emergent bilingual students (non-native English speakers), has seen an 89% increase in reclassification to being proficient in English between the 2022-23 & 2024-25 school year.

This is the greatest improvement in GCISD history!

This remarkable achievement was accomplished with the support of the new phonics curriculum in conjunction with a refinement of the dual language program to align with state law. This law specifies that the goal of a bilingual program is for non-native speakers to attain English proficiency.

According to the Director of Bilingual Services, Dr. Elena Guerrero, “This kind of growth doesn’t happen by chance—it’s the result of a complete program evaluation, a targeted instructional shift, and consistent support for students, families and teachers.”

Read more here about our students' incredible learning growth!

Advanced Placement Scores at 15-Year High

GCISD Celebrates Student & Teacher Success

With the expertise of GCISD's incredible educators, GCISD's students have earned the greatest number of Advanced Placement Exams with a 3 or greater in the last 15 years! This means those students will most likely be able to receive college credit for their AP course.

An astounding 82.6% of the over 4,000 AP exams taken by students in May of 2025 earned that score of 3, as compared to the 66.2% achieved by students in 2011 (the first year that the district tracked data).

These results are part of a greater upward trend of increased achievement that has taken place over the last 3-year period. Approximately 13% more students are scoring in even higher ranges (4 and 5) and a proportionate percent are no longer receiving lower scores (1 or 2).

Congratulations to our AP teachers and students on this remarkable achievement!

academics

We love GCISD and want every student in it to succeed!

GCISD Receives Top Academic Honors

GCISD is a District of Distinction

GCISD Returns to Phonics

Why does gcisd need phonics?

Discovering the Problem

Implementing the Solution

Implementing the Solution

Implementing the Solution

Implementing the Solution

Implementing the Solution

Focusing on Highest Need

Implementing the Solution

Focusing on Highest Need

Supporting KIds with the Greatest NEed

GCISD’s Bilingual Program Sees 89% Increase in English Proficiency

Advanced Placement Scores at 15-Year High

GCISD Celebrates Student & Teacher Success

academics

We love GCISD and want every student in it to succeed!

GCISD Receives Top Academic Honors

GCISD is a District of Distinction

GCISD Returns to Phonics

Why does gcisd need phonics?

Discovering the Problem

Implementing the Solution

Implementing the Solution

Implementing the Solution

Implementing the Solution

Implementing the Solution

Focusing on Highest Need

Implementing the Solution

Focusing on Highest Need

Supporting KIds with the Greatest NEed

GCISD’s Bilingual Program Sees 89% Increase in English Proficiency

Advanced Placement Scores at 15-Year High

GCISD Celebrates Student & Teacher Success

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