Fortis Academy

Three components exist: coaching, counseling and academics. Recovery coaches are staff members who teens can relate to and who have experiences with adolescents. They are considered to be team mentors, cheerleaders, and advocates in recovery. Licensed counselors are available onsite to provide additional support. The school’s academic team helps students achieve the ultimate goal of receiving a diploma in a safe and sober environment. All students enrolled in the school are recovering from substance-use disorders.

40 recovery schools in the U.S. spread across 15 states (8 are in Texas; 2 are in the greater Houston area); most are private.

2 are operated under ISDs: McKinney ISD (Serenity High School) and Laredo ISD (Jose A. Valdez High School).

All recovery schools in Texas use a combination of private and public funds.

The recovery school in Texas most similar to HCDE’s proposed school is Serenity High School in McKinney ISD, which partners with other ISDs in the area to provide a recovery environment for students.

HCDE’s recovery school will be the first of its kind serving students in the Houston area and the third public recovery school in Texas, after Serenity and Valdez high schools.

The risk of relapse is higher when students must return to their pretreatment schools. One study found that nearly all adolescents returning to their old school were offered drugs on their first day back. For many adolescents, schools represent the environment of previous use and contact with using friends.

Researchers have concluded that post-treatment or continuing care is essential to recovery – especially for youth. While adolescents have many of the same issues as adults, they are statistically more susceptible to fatal injuries from motor-vehicle accidents, suicides, homicides, violence, delinquency, psychiatric disorders and risky sexual practices, as well as physical, sexual and emotional traumatization. Adolescents with a history of substance-use disorders are, not surprisingly, at an even greater risk.

HCDE will use the criteria of students stage of change, student treatment experience, and student interviews in selecting students. Districts may purchase seats through the interlocal process (similar to how they currently purchase seats at our Highpoint and AB Campuses). During its first year, the recovery school will offer 30 seats, with plans to grow to 60 seats and 90 seats in subsequent years.

The student must be referred by the Harris County school district, so a parent or guardian would need to contact the student’s home district.

For the first year, transportation will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

When a student gains the diploma, it is issued from the home school district. However, students may participate in either ceremony for graduation purposes, or both.

HCDE gathers all participating school calendars and decides on a schedule which benefits the majority of the students. The calendar will ultimately be one devised by HCDE administration.

Yes, random drug tests will be conducted. Appropriate measurements of treatment enhancements will result from such testing.

Yes, the recovery school’s counseling team will work in harmony with the students’ therapists. Students and parents will have to sign a release form so that the school’s counseling team and outside therapists may communicate with each other regarding the student’s recovery status, progress, or other related concerns.

Yes, it is possible for students to graduate on time while attending the recovery school by regaining any academic credits that may have been lost.

Ideally, students will remain at the recovery school for the remainder of their high school years to receive a high quality education in a sober environment.

Individual, group sessions, and other case management services are provided daily. Counselors and / or recovery coaches will be available to provide case management services.

Referrals will be made for co-occurring disorders.

Counselors will be culturally responsive to their students by individualizing their counseling approach as necessary, avoiding assumptions based on cultural differences, identifying cultural issues that affect client recovery, and understanding differences in attitudes, beliefs, values, and communication styles.

Addressing case management needs (family, financial, transportation, educational, medical, etc.) can be done with a counselor or a recovery coach. 

Download the Academic and Behavior Schools East and West, Fortis Academy, and Highpoint East 2025–2026 Academic Calendar.

Download the 2024–2025 HCDE Special Schools Parent/Student Handbook.

Pursuant to Section 29.022 of the Texas Education Code (“TEC”), in addition to certain eligible parents and employees described in the TEC, the following individuals may request to view a video recording of a self-contained classroom or other special education setting: 

1. appropriate Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (“TDFPS”) personnel as part of an investigation under TFC § 261.406; 
2. the following individuals, in response to a report of an alleged Incident OR an investigation of district or school personnel OR a report of alleged abuse committed by a student: 
   1. a peace officer; 
   2. a school nurse; 
   3. a district or school administrator trained in de-escalation and restraint techniques; 
3. a Human Resources Staff Member designated by the Board; and 
4. appropriate TEA or State Board for Educator Certification personnel or agents as part of an investigation. 

Get more information and download Form D1: HCDE Incident Report and Request to View Video Recording

On the request of an eligible parent, staff member, principal, assistant principal, or the Board of Trustees, the Department must provide video equipment, including video cameras with audio recording capabilities, to campuses in accordance with Section 29.022, Texas Education Code, 19 T.A.C. § 103.1301, and Board Policy EHBAF. Campuses that receive equipment must place, operate, and maintain video cameras in certain self-contained classrooms or other special education settings. Video surveillance is solely for the purpose of promoting student safety. Regular or continual monitoring of video recordings is prohibited by law. Video recordings are confidential by law and may only be accessed or viewed by certain individuals under very limited circumstances as defined by the Texas Education Code. An approved request for video surveillance is only valid for the current school year. The school will notify the parents of each student in the classroom or setting under video surveillance, no later than the 10th day before the end of the school year, that the operation of the requested video camera(s) will not continue during the following school year unless the person eligible to make a request for the next school year submits a new request.

Get more information and download Form A1: HCDE Request for Video Surveillance

Please download and fully read the Curriculum, Compliance, and Course Connections Placement and Enrollment Guide

Download the Academic and Behavior Schools East and West Fortis Academy and Highpoint School East 2021-2022 Academic Calendar today.

What is T-TESS?
T-TESS strives to capture the holistic nature of teaching – the idea that a constant feedback loop exists between teachers and students, and gauging the effectiveness of teachers requires a consistent focus on how students respond to their teacher’s instructional practices. For those reasons, each of the observable domains in T-TESS focuses on teachers and students rather than separating them out into separate domains. Ultimately, T-TESS is a process that seeks to develop habits of continuous improvement, and the process itself best leads to that outcome when appraisers and teachers focus on evidence-based feedback and professional development decisions based on that feedback through ongoing dialogue and collaboration.

T-TESS includes three components:

1. Goal-setting and professional development plan
2. The evaluation cycle (including: pre-conference, observation, post-conference)
3. Student growth measure

T-TESS Website: https://teachfortexas.org/

Excellent teachers regularly set learning goals for their students and use a variety of data sources to monitor progress towards these goals throughout the year. The Student Learning Objectives process aims to capture this best practice as a means to allow teachers and teacher appraisers to determine and reflect on a teacher’s pedagogical strengths and areas for growth.

Student Learning Objectives are:

• Student growth goals set by teachers
• Focused on a foundational student skill that is developed throughout the curriculum
• Tailored to the context of individual students
• Designed to help teachers better understand the impact of their pedagogy
• For the purposes of refining instruction.

SLO Resources: https://texasslo.org/Resources

What is TEKS Resource?

The Texas Curriculum Management Program Cooperative, or TCMPC, is a shared service agreement between the 20 Educational Service Centers (ESCs) in Texas. This shared service agreement, or SSA, allows participating ESCs to share responsibility for the management and operations of the online curriculum management system known as the TEKS Resource System.

The TCMPC provides content and support for an online curriculum management system known as the TEKS Resource System. The content includes curriculum components and sample unit assessment items aligned to the most current versions of the State Board of Education-adopted TEKS for the following subject areas:

• English Language Arts and Reading
• Spanish Language Arts and Reading
• Mathematics
• Science
• Social Studies
• Spanish translated versions of Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies

TEKS Resource - https://www.teksresourcesystem.net

This report must be completed to file a complaint relating to an incident of alleged bullying (for the purpose of
this form, bullying encompasses bullying, harassment, and discrimination).

Once completed, this form should be retuned to the school Principal/designee of the school.

WHAT IS MENINGITIS?
Meningitis is an inflammation of the covering of the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by viruses, parasites, fungi, and bacteria. Viral meningitis is most common and the least serious.

Meningitis caused by bacteria is the most likely form of the disease to cause serious, long-term complications. It is an uncommon disease but requires urgent treatment with antibiotics to prevent permanent damage or death.

Bacterial meningitis can be caused by multiple organisms. Two common types are Streptococcus pneumoniae, with over 80 serogroups that can cause illness, and Neisseria meningitidis, with five serogroups that most commonly cause meningitis.

Check out the flyer for more information.