Perhaps one of the most famous cities in the state of Texas, Dallas has a lot to recommend it. From the beautiful downtown architecture to the Dallas Cowboys football team, it seems like everything in Dallas is wonderful. This includes the Dallas Schools.

Dallas Schools honored 13 schools as “exemplary” and 67 as “recognized” last February at a dinner sponsored by IBM Corporation. No other urban school district in Texas had a greater number of schools recognized as Exemplary in 2006. To be rated Exemplary, 90% of all students in Dallas schools must pass all subjects on the TAKS, officially known as the Assessment. Texas Knowledge and Skills Test. To earn “recognized” status, 70% of all Dallas Schools students must pass all subjects. “The students, teachers, administrators and parents who worked hard to achieve these high rankings from the Texas Education Agency deserve applause and congratulations,” said Dallas Schools General Superintendent Michael Hinojosa. “They are an inspiration to all of us.”

Improvements continue to multiply in Dallas Schools. This past February, additional funding was received from a new arts coalition that will allow for 140 new certified music and art teachers. These teachers will be hired by the Dallas school district over the next 6 years, including 60 who have already been hired. And by 2009 the district plans to have all Dallas Elementary Schools offer 45 minutes of art and music each week. The Wallace Foundation, one of the members of this artistic coalition, will donate $8 million over the next three years to Big Thought. Big Thought is a Dallas-based non-profit arts group that will help establish the Dallas Arts Learning Initiative. This initiative seeks to increase the quantity and quality of arts education that students in Dallas schools will receive.

In addition, the Dallas Schools Specialized and Gifted School and the School of Science and Engineering have been named the top two high schools in the country by Newsweek magazine. It is the second year in a row that the Talented and Gifted (TAG) magnet has won the honor. “This is a recognition to everyone involved at both schools,” Hinojosa said. “These schools are setting the example for others both in the district and across the nation.” The Science and Engineering Endorsement (SEM) went from eighth on the list last year to second in 2006. Additionally, for the last five years, the Dallas Schools Science and Engineering Endorsement it has been the number one school in the nation for minorities passing Calculus AB and BC regardless of size, and the number one school in the world for students passing Calculus AB. “This is the accumulation of several years of extraordinary work by the students and staff affiliated with the school,” said HE Principal Richard White. “We’ve had healthy competition for years with TAG Magnet, and now that both schools have been named best in the county, everyone has benefited, especially the students.”

In fact, the Dallas Schools are something to get excited about. From efforts to expand services at the elementary level, to nationally and globally recognized schools, opportunities abound for Dallas Schools students. In an era of budget cuts and high-stakes tests, Dallas Schools are showing some remarkable successes.