Worthing High School (Houston) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Worthing Early College High School |
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9215 Scott Street
, 77051
United States
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| Coordinates | 29°39′26″N 95°22′00″W / 29.657335°N 95.366774°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public high school |
| Established | 1958 |
| Principal | Khalilah Campbell |
| Teaching staff | 48.04 (FTE) (2018–19) |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 786 (2018–19) |
| Student to teacher ratio | 16.36 (2018–19) |
| Color(s) | Kelly Green, Vegas Gold, Black |
| Team name | Colts |
Evan Edward Worthing Early College High School is a public high school in the Sunnyside area of Houston, Texas, United States. It serves students from 9th to 12th grade.
Worthing High School is part of the Houston Independent School District (HISD). It has a special magnet program for students interested in Mathematics, Science, and Technology.
Contents
History of Worthing High School
Worthing Junior-Senior High School first opened its doors on January 27, 1958. Before Worthing opened, students in the area went to Miller Junior High and Yates High School.
The school is named after Evan Edward Worthing. He was a real estate developer in Houston. Mr. Worthing set up a special fund to help African-American students in HISD go to college. He wanted his money to help these students. This led to Worthing High School being built.
The school first taught grades 7 through 12. It was originally located at 4330 Bellfort Boulevard. When that building became too crowded, a new high school campus was built. Worthing moved to its current location at 9215 Scott Street. The old building then became Attucks Middle School.
Allen E. Norton was the first principal of Worthing High School. He was principal until about 1978. People who worked at the school and lived in the community were very dedicated. They made sure students got a good education, even though Sunnyside was a low-income area.
In the 1980s, Sunnyside faced more challenges. However, the number of students at Worthing stayed steady in the 1990s. During this time, the school had strong leaders. This helped the school perform well academically, meeting Texas standards. But in the 2000s, fewer students enrolled, and test scores went down.
Plans for a New Campus
In 2008, Houston ISD suggested a plan to rebuild Worthing High School. They also wanted to rebuild Carnegie Vanguard High School next to it. The idea was for both schools to share facilities like the cafeteria.
Worthing parents liked this idea. However, parents from Carnegie Vanguard High School did not agree. They were worried about safety differences between the two schools. The superintendent decided not to go ahead with the plan because it didn't have enough support.
Changes and Challenges (2008-2010s)
From 2009 to 2018, Worthing High School had many different principals. This frequent change made it hard for teachers. It also affected morale at the school.
In 2011, a sad event happened during a powder-puff football game. Two people started shooting, and one former student died. Five others were hurt. This incident unfortunately affected the school's reputation.
In 2012, the school began a major renovation and expansion. This project was funded by a bond approved in 2007. However, there were many delays and disagreements during the construction. The new building finally opened in 2016, much later than planned. These delays caused some people in the community to lose trust in the school district.
In 2014-2015, some students from Jones High School were moved to Worthing. This change brought about 200 new students to Worthing.
In 2017, HISD brought in a new principal, Khalilah Campbell-Rhone. She had a good record at her previous school. The district also invested more money into Worthing. They added support services for students and coaches for teachers. About 60% of the teachers were new.
Around 2018, Worthing received more funding per student than many other high schools. This was partly due to federal money.
Students at Worthing
In the 1990s, about 2,000 students attended Worthing. By 2016, the number was around 680 students. In 2018, about 850 students were enrolled. This was about half the number of students from the 1990s.
Most students at Worthing come from low-income families. In 2016, about 95% of students were from low-income backgrounds. Many students also face challenges due to poverty.
School Performance
In the 1990s, Worthing High School had good academic results. But in the 2000s, test scores started to decline.
A study in 2007 called Worthing a "dropout factory." This meant that many students who started as freshmen did not finish their senior year.
In 2017, only 10% of students passed the state algebra tests. Around 2018, Worthing was the only high school in Texas that did not meet any state academic goals for several years. In 2016, it had one of the lowest rates of academic growth in state tests (STAAR) for math and reading.
However, the school started working hard to improve test scores in 2018. By 2019, test scores had increased. The algebra test results were similar to other Texas high schools with similar student backgrounds.
Student Behavior
From 2013 to 2018, Worthing had a higher rate of fights compared to other HISD schools.
Student Life
In the 1960s, Worthing's chess team was part of the first integrated chess games in the Houston area. This was an important step for equality.
Teachers and Staff
From 2011 to 2016, about 37% of teachers at Worthing were rated as "needs improvement" or "ineffective." This was higher than the average for HISD schools.
Around 2019, more than 40% of teachers left the school each year. This high turnover can make it hard to keep consistent teaching quality.
School Campus
In 2016, a mural was added to the school library as part of the renovation. It shows the history of Sunnyside. It also features Alma Allen and Rodney Ellis, who are politicians from the Sunnyside area. The mural was created by Marye Dean, a former student from the Class of 1999. The mural includes the saying "Each One Teach One."
Neighborhoods Served
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Worthing High School serves many neighborhoods in Houston. These include Sunnyside, Cullen Estates, Brookhaven, and parts of South Acres and Crestmont Park. It also serves Cloverland, Regal Oaks, and parts of Minnetex Place. Other areas include City Park, Almeda, and Skyview Forest.
Worthing also serves some areas in Harris County that are not part of a city. These include Brunswick, Brunswick Lakes, Brunswick Meadows, and Morningside Place. Some parts of the city of Pearland are also in Worthing's attendance zone. The school's motto is "Sunnyside Pride."
School Uniforms
Worthing High School requires students to wear school uniforms. Parents can ask for an exception if they have a good reason, like religious beliefs.
Famous Former Students
- August Alsina - R&B singer
- Rodney Ellis - County Commissioner, former Texas State Senator
- Milton Carroll - Business leader, chairman of several companies
- Gregory "Cadillac" Anderson - NBA basketball player
- Cliff Branch - NFL football player for Oakland Raiders, won 3 Super Bowls
- Terry Ellis - Founding member of the R&B group En Vogue
- Quannel Ralph Evans (Quanell X) - Community leader
- Chris Hudson - NFL football player for Atlanta Falcons
- Brian Iwuh - NFL football player
- Dave Lattin - Basketball player, won NCAA championship with Texas Western
- Larry Micheaux - NBA basketball player
- Mike Singletary - NFL football player for Chicago Bears, coach, member of Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Lemuel Stinson - NFL football player for Chicago Bears
- Wesley Weston - Houston hip-hop artist
- Al Dugas - Drummer
- Otis Taylor - NFL player for Kansas City Chiefs, won Super Bowl IV
- Gerald Dockery - Professional football player (Arena Football League and CFL)
- Karl Douglas - Former CFL quarterback
- Robert Wilson - NFL player
- Marcus Lakee Edwards - Houston hip-hop artist better known as Lil'Keke
- LeMarcus Newman - Former Professional Football player and philanthropist
Feeder Schools
Here are the elementary and middle schools that send students to Worthing High School:
- Elementary schools that fully feed into Worthing:
- Almeda
- Reynolds
- Young (formerly Sunnyside Elementary)
- Elementary schools that partially feed into Worthing:
- Alcott
- Bastian
- Law
- Whidby
- Woodson
- Middle schools that feed into Worthing:
- Attucks
- Lawson (formerly Dowling)
- Thomas
No middle schools send all of their students to Worthing.
See also
In Spanish: Escuela Preparatoria Worthing (Houston) para niños
