Houston Middle Schools Achieve National Magnet Certification

Hogg Middle School and Baylor College of Medicine Academy (BCMA) at Ryan Middle School are celebrating national recognition as both campuses have met the criteria to become nationally certified by Magnet Schools of America.

To achieve this certification, the schools underwent a rigorous assessment evaluating criteria such as diversity, innovative curriculum, academic excellence, leadership, and family and community partnerships. Both Hogg and BCMA Ryan are A-rated campuses and magnet schools, offering diverse and unique curriculums to their students.

BCMA Ryan has gone a step further and has been named a nationally certified demonstration school, exceeding the criteria for national certification. It joins only four other nationally certified demonstration middle schools in the United States.

Principal Vanessa Saldaña of Hogg Middle School expressed, “[Applying for national certification] made us do a really deep dive into how we’re recruiting, what our classes look like, if they’re equitable for all students, if they’re having positive effects on student outcomes, and now we’re able to show that it is.”

Both schools celebrated their new distinctions with enthusiasm, including performances from talented magnet classes and welcoming special guests like Texas State Representative Jarvis Johnson and Nancy Moreno, Chair of the Department of Education, Innovation and Technology at Baylor College of Medicine.

Omar Elizondo, the HISD Grants and Magnet Programs Manager, highlighted the significance of these recognitions in providing students with opportunities to excel in STEM and the medical field, setting the stage for their future success.

To learn more about the process for national magnet certification, watch the video below. For more information about HISD’s magnet programs, visit the School Choice website.