Cypress Creek High School

last updated: 02/06/2008

9815 Grant Rd., Houston, TX  77070
(281) 897-4200
Principal:  Mr. Jim Wells
School Hours:  7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Administrative Team

Accomplishments - 2006-07

Although not all inclusive, the following are examples from the
2006-07 school year of Cy-Creek’s tradition of Excellence:

CAMPUS RECOGNITION

• Cypress Creek High School was one of 1,258 U.S. High Schools ranked in the Washington Post and Newsweek’s annual Challenge Index, making the America’s Best High School list for the 3rd time in 4 years
• Approximately 71% of Advanced Placement (AP) scores were 3, 4 or 5
• CCHS continues to participate in the Management Leadership for Tomorrow Foundation, co-sponsored by the Houston Rockets

EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AND ADMINISTRATION

• One of our CCHS counselors served as the Treasurer of the Spring Creek Counselor’s Association
• CCHS Water Polo coach was recognized as Boy’s Coach of the Year
• 2 CCHS Social Studies teachers were selected by the College Board and Educational Testing Service to be National Graders for Advanced Placement Testing
• 2 CCHS Social Studies teachers were nominated for the Cambridge Who’s Who Among Teachers
• Principal Jim Wells was a Lecturer Presenter at the National Association of Secondary School Principals in Las Vegas Nevada
• A CCHS Math teacher was selected to participate in  Quarknet Research, an international particle physics initiative through the University of Houston and Rice University

STUDENT ACADEMIC RECOGNITION

• There were 2962 students enrolled at CCHS as of  May 24, 2007
• The graduation class numbered 630 students
• There were 28 National Merit students ( two students were in multiple categories)

Finalists:  12
Commended:  11
National Achievement:   2
National Hispanic:  5

• 50 Students graduated under the Distinguished Achievement Program
• 91 percent of the senior class indicated they were college bound   

            4-year Colleges:  58%
            2-year Colleges: 33%
            Work Field:3%
            Military: 3%
            Vocational/ Tech School: 1%
            Other: 2%

• 80 % of graduates planned to stay and attend college in Texas and 11 % planned to go out of state; CCHS students planned to attend colleges in 24 states in addition to Texas and 1 in Europe
• Class of 2007 scholarship money offered:  $26.5 million

            Academic:  $22.2 million
            Athletic: $4.3 million

• CCHS students received offers and appointments to the Air Force Academy and the Naval Academy
• CCHS had 5 AP Scholar students—granted to students who receive an average grade of 3 or higher on three or more AP exams
• 15 AP Scholar with Honor students—granted to students who receive an average grade of at least a 3.25 on all AP exams, and grades of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams
• 18 AP Scholar With Distinction—granted to student who receive an average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on five or more of those exams
• 4 AP National Scholars—granted to students who receive an average grade of at least 4 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams
• 37 Native Speaker students took the AP exam, and 29  scored high enough for college credit
• The PSAT was given to 709 sophomores and 409 juniors
• 59 students signed up to take the Armed Services Vocational  Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)
• CCHS students enrolled in a total of 102 dual credit courses during the fall 2006 semester and 71 dual credit courses during the spring 2007 semester
• 23 juniors were nominated to the Management Leadership Training program, a program for highly academic minority students who are active in their school and community
• A CCHS student won the Applebee Volunteer Award
• The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars and the U.S. Department of Education selected a CCHS student as finalist for the Presidential Scholar, one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students
• A student was selected to represent CCHS for the Executive Women’s International Scholarship Program
• A CCHS student was a Regional Gold Key winner for the Scholastic Art and Writing Contest
• 16 CCHS students met the requirements to become a Venture Scholar-A program for first-generation college-bound students interested in science, math, engineering, health and technology
• The Texas Association of Secondary School Principals  named a CCHS student to the All-State Academic Excellence Team
• CCHS placed 5th, 6th, and 8th in District UIL Prose and 7th place in Poetry
• A CCHS student was chosen as a Hugh O’Brien Youth Foundation Ambassador
• A CCHS student earned a 1st place in Physics at District UIL Competition
• Two CCHS Physics students were selected from over 1,000 students to participate in the Quarknet Summer Research, an international particle physics sponsored by Fermilab, the University of Houston and Rice University
• A CCHS Theatre student won 1 of 10 scholarships given at the National State Thespian Competition
• The Cougar Pride yearbook won Honorable Mention in Taylor’s 2006 Yearbook
• 2 CCHS journalism students were individual winners in District UIL competition: 1st place in News Writing and 1st place in Feature Writing. Both advanced to regional competition
• The Cougar Pride yearbook took 2nd place in District UIL competition

STUDENT CLUBS’ ACHIEVEMENTS

• 6 Technology students won 1st & 2nd place Best In State at the State Contest for Technology
• FFA participated in the CFISD Livestock Show and won Grand Champion Steer and Reserve Champion Heifer
• The Silverados competed in New York City in Nationals
• 7 Cheerleaders  were named NCA All-Americans
• Student Council was awarded Sweepstakes by the Texas Association of Student Councils. To receive sweepstakes they had to achieve an outstanding rating in each of these categories: Student Council, Pride and Patriotism, Community Service, Drug Awareness, Energy and Environment
• CCHS Math Club:

            1st place District—Calculator Team
            1st place District—Number Sense Team
            2nd & 3rd place District—Individual Calculator
            2nd, 3rd & 5th place District—Individual Number Sense
            5th place District—Individual Mathematics

• The CCHS Math Club took 1st place in the Tomball Math Bowl, each student on the team won $100

PERFORMING AND FINE ARTS’ ACHIEVEMENTS

• CCHS choir:
                    38 TMEA District Choir Members
                    23 TMEA All-Region Choir Members
                    10 TMEA Pre-Area Candidates
                      6 TMEA All-State Choir Members
                  136 1st Division Medals at UIL Solo and Ensemble            
                  UIL Sweepstakes Trophy – Concert Women 
                  UIL Sweepstakes Trophy – Varsity Women
                  UIL Sweepstakes Trophy – Chorale
• 1st Division Trophy at Madrigal Festival in San Antonio –  Chamber Choir
•  CCHS Men’s Choirs performed at a Houston Aeros Game
•  CCHS Chorale performed  “Gospel Mass” jointly with Jersey Village at Foundry United Methodist Church
• CCHS Chamber Choir performed at a Houston Rockets game and had a paid performance at First Community Credit Union
• Joint Choirs went to New York and attended a workshop with members of the Broadway  show “Wicked”
• 152 CCHS Band students won First Division metals in Solo and Ensemble at the Region 27 UIL Contest
• 19 Band students made the All-Region Band, 6 students made the District Band
• 1 Band member was named to the Texas All-State Band
• The CCHS Symphony Orchestra received Sweepstakes at the UIL Solo and Ensemble Competition
• 2 CCHS Debate Team members placed 3rd in the UIL District CX Debate Tournament
• CCHS Art students earned a 1st and 2nd place in State  Competition
• 1 Art student won a Gold Key at the Scholastic Art Competition
• 20 Art and Photo students attended the VASE Competition and received Superior ratings, 4 students advanced to State
• 5 Photography students received awards at the Scholastic Art Competition 1 Gold and 4 Silver
• UCTV students won 2nd and 3rd place in Advanced Video News at the Association of Texas Photography Instructors Annual Fall Photo Contest
• UCTV  won 1st place Experimental Drama at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Houston’s Young Moviemakers 2007 Contest
• A UCTV student was awarded a scholarship from KSBJ Broadcasting
• CFISD channel 16 chose a CCHS student as the on air sportscaster and 4 CCHS students were chosen to work on the Channel 16 Spanish Language News
• CCHS Theatre students One Act Play “The Magic Fire” won  Area and Region competition and Advanced to State UIL
• 13 Theatre students qualified for Nationals in Individual Events
• 1 CCHS student won in National competition and received a scholarship. This same student won the Texas Educational Theatre Association scholarship, only 1 of 10 given in the state
• CCHS Acting Awards:
              Zone                             11
              District                         6
              Area                             8
              Regional                       3
              State                             1
• All CCHS competitors won Superior ratings at the National Thespian Awards

ATHLETIC AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

• 16 CCHS athlete’s accepted scholarships totaling $1,815,362
• CCHS Boys Basketball team was Bi-District Champions
• A CCHS student was named Boys Basketball Scholar Athlete of the Year
• Girls Volleyball was 2nd place in District and were Area Champions
• 3 CCHS Bowlers made the All-district teams
• CCHS Girls Soccer was a Regional Semi-Finalist
• 5 Girls Soccer team members were chosen for the All-District 1st Team and 3 other members made the 2nd team
• 2 Girls Soccer team members were named  17-5A MVP’s, one midfielder and one defender
• 2 Girls Soccer team members were named to the All-Region Team
• 1 Girls Soccer team member was the first recipient of the  Adidas High School Best XI Team
• The Boys Soccer Team had 2 members chosen 2nd team All- District
• The Girls Softball Team was 3rd in District and 6 girls made the All-District team
• A CCHS Lacrosse player was chosen to play for the USA Lacrosse team in Sydney Australia
• The Girls Basketball team finished 4th in District, 2 girls were named to the 1st team All-District and  2 to the 2nd team All-District
• The Boys Basketball team was Bi-District Champions
• The Girls Cross Country finished the season as District Champions and advanced to Regional
• 2 CCHS Girls Cross Country qualified for State
• The CCHS Girls Track Team finished 3rd in District,  7 girls qualified for regional and two girls qualified as UIL State Championships
• A CCHS  girl sat a district record in the mile
• A CCHS Girls Track team member was State Champion in the 1 and 2 mile distances
• The CCHS Girls Golf team won the District title
• Boys Golf finished 3rd in District and 1 student qualified for the Regional Tournament
• A CCHS Tennis player won 3rd place in District Girl Singles, 10 players advanced to the Quarterfinals
• The Boys Swim Team was undefeated and finished as District Champions and Regional Champions
• 2 boys from the CCHS Swim Team were named All-American Academic Swimmers
• The Girls Swim Team finished in 3rd place in District
• 2 girls from the CCHS Swim Team were named All-American Academic Swimmers
• The CCHS Boys Water Polo Team had 10 Aquatics All-Americans and won 1st place in State
• The CCHS Girls Water Polo Team had 6 Aquatics All-Americans and won 5th place in State
• CCHS Interscholastic Ice Hockey Team placed 2nd in Houston and 8th in the State

Campus Goals

• Increase the percentage of African American students  demonstrating proficiency on math and science TAKS.
  
• Increase the percentage of Economically Disadvantaged students demonstrating proficiency on math and science TAKS.
  
• Increase the percentage of African American, Hispanic, and economically disadvantaged students demonstrating proficiency on the English/Reading TAKS test.
  
• Increase Economically Disadvantaged and Limited English Proficient students’ completion rate I (without GED). 
  
• Increase the percentage of students in all sub-groups scoring > 90% (exemplary) on the social studies TAKS test.
  
• Utilize research-based, student-centered teaching strategies, including suggested accommodations, to assist the “slow learner” and to promote successful higher-level learning.
  
• Continuously analyze all students’ achievement levels on state and district tests (TAKS, SFA, TEKS)  in order to individualize instruction for each student, targeting all areas of strengths and deficiencies.

Demographics

Enrollment

3138 students as of 9/14/07

TAKS Information

Beginning with courses taken between eighth and ninth grade, all high school courses including correspondence, night school, college courses taken for dual credit, credit-by-exam, and summer school, are averaged in the class rank with the exception of teacher student assistant, local credit, and courses taken under the pass/fail option. High school credit courses taken by seventh- or eighth-grade students and completed by the end of the eighth-grade year will not count in class ranking with the exceptions of Geometry, Biology, and the third or higher levels of a foreign language. (*See additional exceptions for Classes of 2011 and beyond.) Rank will be determined by grade point averages (G.P.A.) of the students. Estimated class rankings are to be determined at the end of the junior year and first semester of the senior year for the express purpose of college entrance requirements. Another ranking shall be performed at the end of the fifth six-weeks grading period to identify summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude graduates. No valedictorian or salutatorian will be officially recognized at graduation.

Honor Graduate Designation

At graduation ceremonies, graduates will be recognized in the following categories: summa cum laude (6.5 G.P.A.), magna cum laude (6.25 G.P.A.), and cum laude (6.0 G.P.A.). A final calculation of G.P.A. and class rank is determined at the end of the senior year and will be reflected on the final transcript which is sent to colleges.

Grading Scale

Grade points are allocated for a course of study based on the designation of the course as follows:

*Beginning with the Class of 2011, four mathematics and four science courses will be included in a student's GPA calculation.  If a student takes Algebra I and/or IP&C in 8th grade and takes four math and/or four science courses in grades 9-12, the four math and/or science courses taken in high school will be included in the student's GPA.  But, if a student takes Algebra I and/or IP&C in 8th grade and only takes three math and/or three science courses in grades 9-12, the Algebra I and/or IP&C course will be included in the student's GPA calculation.  Algebra I and IP&C taken at any time will carry L-level grade points.

Graduation Requirements for the Classes for 2008, 2009, and 2010

Students who entered the ninth grade in the fall 2004 through fall 2006 must enroll in courses necessary to complete the Recommended High School Program or the Distinguished Achievement Program unless the student, parent, and a school counselor agree that the student should be permitted to take courses under the Minimum High School Program.   Students should study the table below which outlines requirements for the Recommended High School Program and the Minimum High School Program. Then, using the list of course descriptions that follow, students should select and register for courses.  Note that students graduating under the Recommended High School Program will need to schedule additional courses not required for the Minimum High School Program.  These courses include Algebra II, Chemistry, World Geography, foreign language (two credits), fine arts (one credit), and three state-approved electives. Counselors at each high school will furnish all other information necessary for students to complete registration.

Distinguished Achievement Program

Students desiring to earn the Distinguished Achievement Program transcript must complete the requirements for the Recommended High School Program plus one additional credit in languages other than English (foreign language) and any combination of four advanced measures selected from the following options:

Graduation Requirements for the Classes of 2011 and Beyond

Students who enter the ninth grade in the fall 2007 and thereafter must enroll in courses necessary to complete the Recommended High School Program or the Distinguished Achievement Program unless the student, parent, and a school counselor agree that the student should be permitted to take courses under the Minimum High School Program. Students should study the table below which outlines requirements for the Recommended High School Program and the Minimum High School Program. Then, using the list of course descriptions that follow, students should select and register for courses.  Note that students graduating under the Recommended High School Program will need to schedule additional courses not required for the Minimum High School Program. These courses include Algebra II, Chemistry, World Geography, foreign language (two credits), fine arts (one credit), and three state-approved electives. Additionally, beginning with the Class of 2011, students must earn 26 total credits including four math and four science credits. Counselors at each high school will furnish all other information necessary for students to complete registration.

Distinguished Achievement Program

Students desiring to earn the Distinguished Achievement Program transcript must complete the requirements for the Recommended High School Program plus one additional credit in languages other than English (foreign language) and any combination of four advanced measures selected from the following options:

Note:  Math Models with Applications and AP Computer Science may not serve as math credits on the Distinguished Achievement Program (DAP). Additionally, Integrated Physics and Chemistry may not serve as a science credit on the DAP.

The semester grades are computed by allocating a weight of 2/7 for each six weeks' grade and 1/7 for a semester exam. There is no overall year-end final average. If the second semester of a full year class is failed, the semester or semesters must be repeated before the student advances to the next level of the subject area.

*Beginning with the Class of 2011, four mathematics and four science courses will be included in a student's GPA calculation. If a student takes Algebra I and/or IP&C in 8th grade and takes four math and/or four science courses in grades 9-12, the four math and/or science courses taken in high school will be included in the student's GPA. But, if a student takes Algebra I and/or IP&C in 8th grade and only takes three math and/or three science courses in grades 9-12, the Algebra I and/or IP&C course will be included in the student's GPA calculation. Algebra I and IP&C taken at any time will carry L-level grade points.