Central Staff News

Dallas ISD has already surpassed its student enrollment projections for the school year, with more than 156,100 enrolled as of Sept. 7.

The district, which originally projected an enrollment of 155,089 students this school year, is on track to top last year’s enrollment of 156,832 students.

District officials said one reason for the higher-than-projected enrollment is that more Dallas-area families are learning about and choosing best-fit schools in Dallas ISD. From collegiate academies—where students can earn up to 60 hours of college credit or an associate degree while still in high school—and innovative choice schools to the district’s growing high-quality pre-K program, district officials said there is an ideal school for every student in the Dallas area.

But more than any other factor, district officials credited the higher-than-projected enrollment to the Texas Education Agency’s accountability ratings showing tremendous gains across the district. The new TEA state accountability rating known as “A through F” graded school districts on student achievement, school progress/growth, and closing the achievement gap. Dallas ISD received a “B” letter grade and is home to six of the 12 schools that achieved the highest-possible score on the 2018 STAAR test, according to the TEA.

Meanwhile, Dallas ISD has also achieved a steep decline in the number of Improvement Required campuses, from 43 in 2013-2014 to four in 2017-2018.

“We are proud of our tremendous gains in Dallas ISD, and our families, teachers and staff should feel great accomplishment in what we have done together,” Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said. “But this is not the finish line, we have just started this race. We still have much more work to do.”

School Leadership has established the Leader Excellence, Advancement and Development program, or LEAD, to develop a principal pipeline strategy focusing on attracting, preparing, developing and retaining the best educators. Coordinating with internal and external partners, LEAD will spearhead several key initiatives for the district.

LEAD’s first initiative this year is to revise the principal selection process, ensuring the highest quality leaders and best-fit candidates for all schools will be identified and selected. This new process will launch on Sept. 1.

Those who are interested in applying for a principal position, meet the qualifications, and wish to take part in the selection process for the 2019-2020 school year can apply via Applitrack no later than Sept. 30.

For additional information, please contact Menay Harris, executive director for the LEAD program, atLEAD@dallasisd.org or (972) 925-4627.

Accounting Services has created a new Oracle iExpense expense type for Local Mileage Reimbursement. The new expense type is called District Mileage. The Monthly Mileage expense type will no longer be available in the dropdown menu.

Employees will no longer be required to track and enter odometer readings or attach the Travel Mileage Reimbursement Form.

For additional instructions and contact information, employees can go to the Application Training and Support website by clicking on https://www.dallasisd.org/ats, or from the Dallas ISD main page click on Departments and select Application Training & Support Select Oracle Resources and I-Expense.

Accountability ratings released today by the Texas Education Agency show that Dallas ISD is making tremendous gains.

The new state accountability system known as “A through F” grades school districts on student achievement, school progress/growth, and closing the achievement gap. Dallas ISD received a “B” letter grade and is home to six of the 12 schools that achieved the highest-possible score on the 2018 STAAR test, according to the TEA.

“We are proud of our tremendous gains in Dallas ISD, and our families, teachers and staff should feel great accomplishment in what we have done together,” Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said. “But this is not the finish line, we have just started this race. We still have much more work to do.”

Recent data continues to prove Dallas ISD schools are trending upward in academic achievement across multiple measures, with 66 percent of its campuses scoring 80 percent or higher on the new grading system. The scores are another indication that Dallas ISD students continue to narrow the achievement gap between the district and the state. A steep turnaround of Improvement Required campuses— coupled with strong performances in both reading and math—are significant achievements that can be attributed to the district’s rise.

Other factors for the district’s growth include the expansion of the collegiate academies, schools of choice, early learning programs, and a strategic compensation initiative that rewards teacher excellence.

Rising Academic Achievement in Dallas ISD includes:

• Dallas ISD is home to six out of 12 schools that received the highest possible score of 99 on the 2018 STAAR.
• Dallas ISD achieved a steep decline in the number of Improvement Required campuses, from 43 in 2013-2014 to four in 2017-2018.
• More Dallas ISD students are meeting state standard on the STAAR exam, narrowing the gap between the district and the state:
  • 2013-2014: 27% Dallas ISD; 39% State
  • 2017-2018: 40% Dallas ISD; 47% State

As a professor who has taught students about the African American experience for more than 40 years, Dr. W. Marvin Dulaney has seen first-hand how bringing a multicultural approach to history and social studies helps students see themselves in the curriculum.

ulaney’s distinguished background made him an ideal member for Dallas ISD’s new Multicultural Studies and History Advisory Council formed by the district’s Racial Equity Office. As an advisory council member, Dulaney joins leaders from many Dallas multicultural institutions in helping guide Dallas ISD to develop multicultural studies, experiences and opportunities for all students and staff.

“I’m encouraged to see that Dallas ISD is looking to make sure all of its students from different cultures and races are represented and empowered,” Dulaney said.

Dulaney was among the powerful voices at the Multicultural Studies and History Advisory Council meeting held Aug. 13 at the Pan African Connection, which is owned by Akwete Tyehimba, who is one of the advisory council members. At the meeting, the advisory council members discussed strategies for bringing a multicultural lens to a Dallas ISD History Hackathon—which was the brainchild of advisory council member Jerry Hawkins, executive director of Dallas Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation—as well as language for an African American History Class.

Jamila Thomas, director of the Dallas ISD Racial Equity Office, said the advisory council members bring invaluable resources and knowledge that can benefit Dallas ISD students.

“It’s important to have the community voice at the table and make sure they are a formative part of the whole process,” she said. “These multicultural leaders are living and breathing this on a daily basis, and they are eager to work together to bring out the various cultures we represent in Dallas ISD.”

Dallas ISD formed the Racial Equity Office last school year to manage, implement and develop projects that align with a Racial, Socio-Economic, and Educational Equity resolution adopted by the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees in December 2017.

“I am excited about all of the various efforts to bring Dallas ISD’s Racial Equity Office to life,” said Leslie Williams, deputy chief of the Racial Equity Office. “This is powerful.”

A special ceremony on Aug. 8 welcomed hundreds of bus drivers to Dallas ISD.

Dallas ISD is running its own transportation this school year after Dallas County residents voted Nov. 7 to dissolve Dallas County Schools (DCS). Previously, Dallas ISD contracted with DCS, a taxpayer-funded agency, to bus students.

Superintendent Michael Hinojosa thanked the bus drivers and mechanics—many of whom previously worked with DCS—for their professionalism and eagerness to safely transport students.

“Our school board, our district, and the entire City of Dallas is indebted to your service,” Hinojosa said.

The Dallas ISD Transportation Service is still hiring several more bus drivers. Go here to apply.

About 1,500 Dallas ISD school employees convened on July 25 at Wilmer-Hutchins High School to officially kick off a districtwide program to foster best classroom practices by emphasizing teamwork.

Campus Instructional Leadership Teams (CILT) are made up of five people, including the principal and teachers, and will help guide a more effective and consistent implementation of curriculum across the district. The CILT program had previously existed, but had been shelved the past few years.

Superintendent Michael Hinojosa and members of his Executive Leadership Team touted the benefits of working together to help ensure the best results for students. After hearing from district officials, CILT members broke into smaller sessions based on grade level and subject to focus on specifics.

The kickoff will be followed by five additional CILT group meetings before each six-week grading period begins to pinpoint what aspects of the curriculum will be the focus.