Supporting School Readiness through the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) Program in the Houston Independent School District, 2021-2022

Oct 15, 2026

The Houston Independent School District (HISD) implements the HIPPY program to strengthen school readiness for children ages 3–5 by equipping parents with tools, skills, and confidence to support learning at home. Funding during 2021–2022 came from the Texas Home Visiting Grant, federal Title I, University of Texas (UNT) AmeriCorps, and the National Council of Jewish Women. For 479 economically disadvantaged children, CIRCLE assessments measured progress in English and Spanish literacy and math, showing increases in proficient performance from BOY to EOY and HIPPY students outperforming non-HIPPY students on multiple subtests.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Program Purpose and Funding Overview

Participant Profile and Campus Distribution

CIRCLE Assessment Results (English and Spanish)

Statistical Findings and Implications

Recommendations for Continued Tracking

MEMORANDUM November 16 , 2022 TO: Margarita Gardea Officer, Elementary Curriculum and Development FROM: Allison Matney, Ed. D. Executive Officer, Research & Accountability SUBJECT: Supporting School Readiness through the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) Program in the Houston Independent School District, 2021–2022 CONTACT: Allison Matney, 713-556-6700 Attached is a copy of the HIPPY program evaluation for the 2021–2022 academic year. The evaluation presented information on funding sources, student participation, and CIRCLE assessment results of prekindergarten students whose parents participated in HIPPY. CIRCLE was used as a measure of school readiness and reflected students’ progress in literacy and mathematics in English and Spanish. Key findings include: • A total of 479 children from economically-disadvantaged families were either enrolled as HISD students or registered as HIPPY in the district’s student information system. • There were increases in the percentages of HIPPY and Non-HIPPY students who scored proficient on all CIRCLE Spanish language literacy and math subtests, from the beginningof-year (BOY) to the end-of-year (EOY) . • HIPPY students outperformed and continued to outperform Non-HIPPY students at BOY and EOY on the English language Shape Naming, Counting Sets, Number Naming, and Rote Counting subtests. Similar performance was noted on the Spanish language Rapid Letter Naming, Shape Naming, Counting Sets, and Rote Counting subtests. • McNemar’s test of proportions noted statistically significant increases in the proportion of HIPPY students who scored proficient on the English version of CIRCLE Counting Sets, Number Naming, Shape Naming, and Syllabication subtests, from BOY to EOY. In addition, there were statistically significant increases in the proportion of Non-HIPPY students who scored proficient on the same tests in Spanish as well as on the Rote Counting subtests. • This evaluation found evidence that providing learning experiences for disadvantaged children during their early years supports school readiness. Continued tracking may help to assess the HIPPY impact as these children advance through school. Further distribution of this report is at your discretion. Should you have any further questions, please contact me at 713-556-6700. AEM Attachment cc: Millard L. House II Shawn Bird, Ed. D. Rahshene Davis, Ed. D. Marisol Castruita Maria Gabriella Hernandez H o u s t o n I n d e p e n d e n t S c h o o l D i s t r i c t RESEARCH Educational Program Report Supporting School Readiness through the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool YOungsters (HIPPY) Program in the Houston Independent School District, 2021–2022 2022 Board of Education Houston Independent School District Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center 4400 West 18th StreetHouston, Texas 77092-8501 [www.HoustonISD.org](www.HoustonISD.org) It is the policy of the Houston Independent School District not to discriminate on the basis of age, color, handicap or disability, ancestry, national origin, marital status, race, religion, sex, veteran status, political afﬁliation, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression in its educational or employment programs and activities. Judith Cruz President Elizabeth Santos First Vice President Kathy Blueford-Daniels Second Vice President Sue Deigaard Secretary Myrna Guidry Assistant Secretary Patricia Allen, Ed.D. Kendall Baker, D.D. Dani Hernandez Bridget Wade Millard L. House II Superintendent of Schools Allison Matney, Ed.D. Executive Officer Department of Research and Accountability Venita Holmes, Dr.P.H. Research Manager E V A L U A T I O N R E P O R T B U R E A U O F P R O G R A M E V A L U A T I O N Supporting School Readiness through the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) Program in the Houston Independent School District,

FAQs

What is the HIPPY program and how does it support school readiness?

HIPPY promotes school readiness by providing parents of children ages 3 to 5 with tools, skills, and confidence to work with their children at home.

How many children were included in the 2021-2022 evaluation?

A total of 479 children from economically-disadvantaged families were either enrolled as HISD students or registered as HIPPY in the district’s student information system.

Which assessment was used to measure school readiness in this report?

The report uses the CIRCLE assessment to measure school readiness and track progress in literacy and mathematics in English and Spanish.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Sophia Brooks