Jan 26, 2023 Study Session

[00:00:04]

>> GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING

[I. CALL TO ORDER]

I'M REGINA HARRIS, PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD.

WE DO HAVE A QUORUM TONIGHT AND THIS MEETING WILL BE CALLED TO ORDER AT 06:00 P.M.

IT IS NOW TIME FOR OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS SECTION, MR. POTEET,

[II. PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION]

>> YES, WE DO. MS. HARRIS?

>> THANK YOU.

>> ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, I WELCOME OUR VISITOR.

WE HAVE A BRIEF VIDEO TO INTRODUCE THE PUBLIC COMMENTS SECTION TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISH TO ADDRESS THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

PLEASE JOIN ME IN WATCHING THIS VIDEO.

>> THE PUBLIC COMMENTS SECTION PROVIDES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO CONVEY INFORMATION TO THE BOARD.

SPEAKERS MAY COMMENT ON AGENDA-RELATED TOPICS OR NON-AGENDA-RELATED TOPICS AT REGULAR BUSINESS MEETINGS.

AT WORK SESSIONS OR OTHER CALLED MEETINGS, PUBLIC COMMENT IS LIMITED TO AGENDA-RELATED ITEMS. PERSONS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD MUST COMPLETE AN ONLINE PUBLIC COMMENT FORM BY SIGNING UP AT THE DESIGNATED REGISTRATION LINK ON THE DISTRICT'S WEBSITE BEGINNING WHEN THE MEETING AGENDA IS POSTED THROUGH 12:00 P.M. ON THE DAY OF THE MEETING, PERSONS WISHING TO SPEAK MUST COMPLETE THE ONLINE REGISTRATION FORM IN FULL TO BE ELIGIBLE TO SPEAK AND BE PRESENT WHEN THEIR NAME IS CALLED DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION TO MAKE THEIR OWN COMMENTS.

ANY REGISTERED SPEAKER WHO IS ABSENT FROM THE MEETING AT THE TIME THEIR NAME IS CALLED FORFEITS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE BOARD AT THAT MEETING.

SPEAKERS WHO WISH TO PROVIDE WRITTEN MATERIALS TO THE BOARD SHOULD PROVIDE NINE COPIES TO AN RISD STAFF MEMBER PRIOR TO THE START OF THE MEETING.

PLEASE DO NOT APPROACH THE HORSESHOE AREA OR CONFERENCE TABLE DURING COMMENTS.

THE BOARD WILL NOT ENGAGE IN DIALOGUE WITH THE SPEAKERS.

THE BOARD CANNOT DELIBERATE OR MAKE A DECISION ON ANY SUBJECT THAT IS NOT ON THE AGENDA.

A SPEAKER MAY REGISTER FOR ONE PUBLIC COMMENT FOR EACH MEETING.

EACH SPEAKER IS LIMITED TO A TOTAL OF THREE MINUTES UNLESS THE TIME OF ALL SPEAKERS HAS BEEN REDUCED DUE TO A LARGE NUMBER OF SPEAKERS OR OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES, A SPEAKER MAY NOT TAKE THE TIME OF ANOTHER SPEAKER.

SPEAKERS WHO SPEAK THROUGH A FOREIGN LANGUAGE OR SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER WILL RECEIVE ADDITIONAL TIME.

THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOT THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO PRESENT FORMAL COMPLAINTS.

THE BOARD WILL ONLY CONSIDER FORMAL COMPLAINTS THAT REMAIN UNRESOLVED AFTER THEY'VE BEEN ADDRESSED THROUGH PROPER ADMINISTRATIVE CHANNELS AND WHEN THEY HAVE BEEN PLACED ON THE AGENDA, THE BOARD SECRETARY WILL STATE THE SPEAKER'S NAME AND COMMENT TOPIC OR TOPICS AS IDENTIFIED ON THE PUBLIC COMMENT FORM.

A SPEAKER SHOULD APPROACH THE PODIUM AT THE FRONT OF THE AUDITORIUM WHEN HIS OR HER NAME IS CALLED.

EACH SPEAKER SHOULD CLEARLY STATE HIS OR HER NAME, AND THE RISD SCHOOLS OR SCHOOLS THE SPEAKER'S CHILDREN ATTEND OR HAVE ATTENDED BEFORE BEGINNING TO COMMENT, A DIGITAL TIMER WILL PROJECT ON THE SCREEN AND WILL COUNT DOWN A SPEAKER'S TIME FROM THREE MINUTES TO ZERO.

SPEAKERS MAY REFER TO THE SCREEN FOR THE REMAINING TIME, SPEAKERS WHO SPEAK THROUGH A FOREIGN LANGUAGE OR SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER WILL RECEIVE ADDITIONAL TIME.

A SPEAKER MUST PROMPTLY END HIS OR HER COMMENTS WHEN THE ALLOTTED TIME HAS ELAPSED, NOT YIELDING THE PODIUM, AS WELL AS REMARKS OR OTHER CONDUCT THAT DISRUPT THE MEETING ARE CONSIDERED OUT-OF-ORDER AND WILL NOT BE ALLOWED.

VISITORS AND STAFF MUST LISTEN QUIETLY DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION, IT IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR STAFF OR MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE TO CLAP, CHEER, BOO, DISPLAY BANNERS, OR OTHERWISE ENGAGE IN DISRUPTIVE CONDUCT.

PERSONS WHO DISRUPT THE MEETING WILL BE CAUTIONED TO OBSERVE MEETING RULES.

ANY PERSON WHO PERSISTS IN ENGAGING AND DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR MAY BE REMOVED FROM THE MEETING.

A PERSON WHO CHOOSES TO SPEAK DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION IS CONSENTING TO THE ONLINE PUBLICATION OF HIS OR HER COMMENTS.

A COPY OF THE PROCEDURES FOR PUBLIC COMMENT IS LOCATED ON THE RISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES WEBSITE.

>> AS A REMINDER, SPEAKERS ARE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW THE PUBLIC COMMENTS PROTOCOL AS NOTED ON THE AFOREMENTIONED WEBSITE.

TAX OF A PERSONAL NATURE AGAINST TRUSTEES, STAFF, STUDENTS, OR OTHERS BY NAME OR UNIQUE TITLE ARE NOT ALLOWED.

SPEAKERS PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM BEHIND ME WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME.

MR. RANDY BLANKENSHIP.

>> HELLO, BOARD. USUALLY I TYPE UP MY PRESENTATION, BUT I'VE BEEN SO BUSY THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, SO I CAN DO THIS BY AD LIB.

I WAS GOING THROUGH CHECKING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO BE GIVING PRESENTATIONS ON THEM.

ONE OF THEM WAS CALLED ADVANCED LEARNING PRESENTATION.

LOOKS LIKE ABOUT 30 PAGE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION.

I'VE SAID IN HERE WITH SOME OF YOU GUYS LISTENING TO AN HOUR OR TWO HOUR PRESENTATION THAT REALLY DIDN'T MEAN MUCH AT THE END, IT DID AT THE BEGINNING.

I HOPE YOU GUYS AREN'T GOING TO HAVE TO WRESTLE AWAY YOUR OWN PRECIOUS TIME TO LISTEN SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T ADVANCE THE ISSUE.

[00:05:02]

NOTHING IN SPORTS DEALS WITH IT, NOTHING IN STUDENT RECOGNITION DEALS WITH IT.

BUT YOU GUYS HAVE A SHORTAGE OF FUNDS, YOU MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT DROPPING A DEPARTMENT, MAYBE SOFT COVER $100 THOUSAND RIGHT THERE.

BUT WHAT REALLY IS GOING TO BE COMING OUT OF THE ADVANCED LEARNING PRESENTATION? IS IT GOING TO BE DIRECTED STRAIGHT ACADEMICS? OR IS IT GOING TO BE A LOT OF MUSHY MUSHY TALK ABOUT ANOTHER PROGRAM.

I THINK OUR TEACHERS ARE GETTING OVERWHELMED BY PROGRAMS THAT YOU GUYS KEEP APPROVING.

THAT BRINGS ME INTO A POLICY THAT'S BEING REVISED.

I THINK IT WAS THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS ON SCHOOL BOARD POLICY, CH YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IT LATER, LOCAL.

THEY'RE RECOMMENDING THAT DURING CATASTROPHES, NOT SURE WHAT THAT TERM ACTUALLY MEANS, THAT YOU RELINQUISH SOME OF YOUR AUTHORITY TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.

EXCUSE ME. SCHOOL BOARD GROUPS ALREADY LOOKED AT YOU AS RUBBER STAMPS.

THE ONLY THING THAT HAS YOU HERE IS AN ELECTION.

NOW, THEY'RE LOOKING AT FINDING A WAY TO TAKE AWAY SOME OF YOUR AUTHORITY, AS I KNOW, THERE'S NO REASON WHY, EVEN ON A CATASTROPHE, I DON'T WANT TO GIVE A HOOT IF IT'S A HURRICANE, TORNADO, MASS FLOOD, AND WHATEVER, THERE'S NO REASON IF YOU GUYS CAN MAKE IT DOWN HERE ON ANY MEETING DAY, YOU CAN MAKE IT DURING CATASTROPHE.

FOR YOU GUYS TO TURN OVER YOUR AUTHORITY EVEN TEMPORARILY, I SAY NO, BE CAREFUL BECAUSE OF SCHOOL BOARDS, ASSOCIATIONS ALREADY LOOK AT YOU AS RUBBER STAMPS, WHATEVER THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WANTS YOU PRETTY MUCH GIVE IT TO THEM.

THIS I SAY NO.

MS. HARRIS, THAT CONCLUDES OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS.

>> THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT AND SPEAKING.

WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING OUT TONIGHT TO SPEAK TO OUR BOARD.

THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS AN UPDATE ON

[III.A. Potential Interim Bond Feedback Discussion]

>> THANK YOU, MS. HARRIS. THANK YOU BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

WE PRESENTED IN THE FALL AN UPDATE ON OUR BOND 2021 AND THE PROJECTS THAT WE KNOW WERE COMING IN OVER BUDGET DUE TO THE UNPRECEDENTED INFLATION THAT WE'RE SEEING.

WE SHARED WITH THE BOARD SOME OPTIONS AROUND HOW TO ADDRESS THOSE CURRENT COSTS THAT WE WERE SAYING AND ONE OF THE OPTIONS WAS A CONSIDERATION OF AN INTERIM BOND.

AS A RESULT OF THAT CONVERSATION, THE BOARD CHARGED OUR ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM WITH CONDUCTING A SURVEY OF OUR COMMUNITY TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE APPETITE WOULD BE AROUND A POTENTIAL INTERIM BOND.

TONIGHT, I JUST WANT TO THANK AHEAD OF TIME, MS. HAYES AND MR. PATE, AND DR. HELLER, AS THEY WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN WORKING WITH BASILEUS TO PREPARE THIS WORK TONIGHT.

WE ALSO HAVE A SPECIAL GUEST THAT IS GOING TO BE HELPING TO FACILITATE.

MS. HAYES, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.

>> THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM, I'M GOOD EVENING, BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

TONIGHT WE BRING MATT GAMBLE ON BOARD WITH VASELINE AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ARE LIKE ME, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS BASELINE WHEN I FIRST HEARD IT.

JUST PUT THAT OUT THERE FOR ANYBODY THAT DIDN'T SAY IT.

THEY ARE EXPERTS IN RESEARCH AND POLLING AND SURVEYS.

HE IS GOING TO EXPLAIN THE METHODOLOGIES AND WHAT THEY DID WITH THEIR WHOLE FOR US AND GIVE YOU THEIR RESULTS AND THEN AT THE END, YOU WILL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.

I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MATT GAMBLE. WELCOME.

>> THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.

WE INTERVIEWED 400 VOTERS BY TELEPHONE, MOSTLY CELL PHONE, A COUPLE OF LANDLINES.

THE MARGIN OF ERROR TO A SAMPLE OF THIS SIZE IS 4.9 PERCENT.

JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE METHODOLOGY.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE ARE LIKELY VOTERS.

THIS ISN'T A SURVEY OF THE ADULT POPULATION.

WE'RE LOOKING AT VOTERS THAT ARE REGISTERED AND THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE VOTERS THAT RESPONDENTS THAT WE TALKED TO, ARE REFLECTIVE OF THE TYPES OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD BE VOTING IN A LOWER TURNOUT ELECTION, LIKE A MAY ELECTION.

WE OBTAIN THE VOTER FILE FROM THE COUNTY AND RANDOMLY DIALED VOTERS UNTIL WE MET OUR QUOTAS.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS REALLY A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION, OF WHO'S GOING TO BE VOTING IN MAY.

ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE ALWAYS LIKE TO DO IN A SURVEY FOR

[00:10:01]

HERE WE ALSO TESTED WHAT WE CALL THE NAME ID OR NAME AWARENESS OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, 82 PERCENT POSITIVE, 10 PERCENT NEGATIVE FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

AS THIS RELATES TO THE SURVEY THAT WE DID FOR THE DISTRICT BACK IN 2020, WE FOUND 82 PERCENT POSITIVE, NINE PERCENT NEGATIVE.

REALLY RIGHT ON TRACK WITH WHERE WE WERE TWO YEARS AGO.

HOW THIS COMPARES TO OTHER DISTRICTS WHERE WE PULL AND WE DO ABOUT 15 OF THESE SURVEYS A YEAR? I'VE ONLY SEEN TWO DISTRICTS THAT WERE IN THE SINGLE-DIGITS NEGATIVE IN THE LAST 40 OR SO POLES.

AS ALMOST RIGHT THERE, THIS IS A VERY GOOD IMAGE.

IN TERMS OF THE SUPERINTENDENT NAME ID WE EXPECT THE MAJORITY OF VOTERS JUST NOT TO HAVE HEARD OF THE SUPERINTENDENT.

WHEN WE LOOK AT THE RATIO, IT'S A VERY HEALTHY RATIO.

WHEN WE LOOK AT TESTING BONDS, WE REALLY DO IT IN TWO PHASES.

WE DO WHAT WE CALL AN INITIAL BALLOT, WHERE WE ASK THE RESPONDENT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SURVEY HOW THEY WOULD VOTE, AND THEN WE HAVE AN INFORMED BALLOT WHERE WE ASK THEM AT THE END HOW THEY WOULD VOTE BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES VOTERS NEED TO BE INFORMED ABOUT WHAT THE BOND PROPOSITION IS DOING.

AS YOU KNOW, THE BALLOT LANGUAGE WON'T SAY ALL THE DETAILS.

WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN QUESTION 4 IS JUST TESTING THE BALLOT LANGUAGE.

ESSENTIALLY 400 OR 650 MILLION DOLLARS IN BONDS FOR CONSTRUCTION OR RENOVATION AND EQUIPMENT OF SCHOOL BUILDINGS, WHICH IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE AS YOU KNOW REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THERE'S A RATE INCREASE ABOUT LANGUAGE BY LAW HAS TO SAY THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE, 53 PERCENT WOULD VOTE FOR, 37 PERCENT WOULD VOTE AGAINST.

A PRETTY GOOD PLACE TO START IN TERMS OF A SURVEY ON AN INITIAL BALLOT.

ONE THING I SEE IS THAT THE INTENSITY IS PRETTY TIGHT THEY'RE 23 TO 21 EXTRAPOLATES TO 52 PERCENT.

REALLY, YOU'RE LOOKING AT A PRETTY CLOSE STARTING POINT IN TERMS OF BEFORE YOU'VE CALLED AN ELECTION.

THOSE INTENSITY FACTORS ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T VOTE OR IF YOU DON'T FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT SOMETHING, CHANCES ARE YOU WON'T GO VOTE FOR IT OR AGAINST IT.

THOSE INTENSITY MEASURES ARE REALLY ALMOST AS IMPORTANT AS THE TOTAL.

WE WANTED TO GET THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF A COUPLE OF CONCEPTS THAT WE WERE GOING TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT IN THE SURVEY.

THE FIRST IS IF THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT THE DISTRICT CONDUCTED BONDS ON A FIVE-YEAR CYCLE BECAUSE WE HAD SOME QUESTIONS LATER ON ABOUT BREAKING FROM THAT FIVE-YEAR CYCLE, ONLY 23 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS KNOW THIS INFORMATION.

I WOULD GUESS THAT THE ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE OF THIS AMONG THE TOTAL POPULATION IS MUCH SMALLER.

THESE ARE ACTIVE VOTERS.

AMONG THIS GROUP OF VOTERS WHO ARE PARTICIPATING IN LOCAL ELECTIONS, ONLY 23 PERCENT KNOW THAT 41 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS KNOW THAT THE DISTRICT IS IN THE MIDDLE OF A GRADE REALIGNMENT.

WE SEE A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PARENTS AND NON-PARENTS ON THIS, 69 PERCENT OF PARENTS KNOW THAT ONLY A THIRD OF NON-PARENTS.

WHEN WE TALK TO THEM ABOUT HOW THIS BOND IS GOING TO HELP FINISH THAT REALIGNMENT SOME OF THEM ARE GOING TO GO, "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" EXPLAINING TO THEM, WE'LL SEE IN JUST A MINUTE THE BENEFITS OF THAT REALIGNMENT AND NOT JUST FINISHING IT, BUT WHAT IT'S, WHY WE'RE DOING IT IN THE FIRST PLACE WILL BE IMPORTANT.

BETWEEN THE INITIAL BALLOT AND THEY INFORMED BALLOT, WE PROVIDED WHAT WE CALL MESSAGE STATEMENTS WHERE WE JUST TELL THE RESPONDENT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE BOND AND WE ASKED HIM THAT THIS MAKES THEM FAVOR OR OPPOSE THE BOND.

WE HAVE TWO-THIRDS OF RESPONDENTS SAID THEY'D FAVOR THE BOND HEARING, THAT THIS WOULD ALLOW THE DISTRICT TO COMPLETE THE GREATER REALIGNMENT.

WE EXPLAINED THAT THAT'S DONE THROUGH REBUILDING SOME SCHOOLS AND RENOVATING OTHERS.

THEN THE NEXT STATEMENT, WE TALKED TO THEM ABOUT OTHER REASON THAT THIS ISN'T ALL BEING DONE NOW IS BECAUSE IT WAS PHASED IN OVER 10 YEARS BECAUSE TRYING TO KEEP THE PROPERTY TAX RATE DOWN AND NOT INCREASING THE RATE.

SINCE THEN THE BONDING CAPACITY IS IMPROVED AND YOU'RE ABLE TO DO THIS WITHOUT INCREASING THE RATE EARLIER THAN PLANNED.

THERE'S 78 PERCENT FAVORED THE BOND HEARING THAT 73 PERCENT FAVOR THE BOND HEARING THAT BECAUSE NOW THAT THESE PROJECTS HAVE BEEN STARTED THEIR PARENTS ARE INDICATING THAT THEY REALLY LIKED THESE AND BY COMPLETING THE REALIGNMENT YEARS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE, THIS WILL CREATE CONTINUITY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS.

ON THIS SLIDE, THE PRIOR ONE WAS MORE ABOUT COMPLETING IT OR COMPLETING IT AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.

HERE WE HAD THREE STATEMENTS WHERE WE TALKED TO THEM ABOUT THE BENEFITS, LIKE WHY ARE WE DOING THE REALIGNMENT?

[00:15:01]

THEN THE LAST STATEMENT, WE TOLD THEM THAT THIS WOULD ALIGN A BETTER ALIGN OF THE CURRICULUM, SO WHAT IS EITHER RECOMMENDED BY THE STATE OR HALF THE TIME WE SAID BEST PRACTICE EDUCATION STANDARDS, BENEFITING STUDENTS AND IMPROVING OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID IS HALF THE TIME, WE PRESENTED THESE STATEMENTS TO THE RESPONDENT FIRST, AND THEN WE TALKED TO THEM ABOUT HOW THIS WOULD ALLOW YOU TO COMPLETE THE REALIGNMENT SOONER.

WHEN WE TALK TO THEM ABOUT THE BENEFITS FIRST, WE SAW MORE SUPPORT FOR COMPLETING IT SOONER.

AGAIN, IT'S IMPORTANT TO, AS YOU TALK ABOUT COMPLETING IT, FIRST BEGIN BY EXPLAINING WHY YOU'RE DOING IT.

ONE OF THE OTHER MAJOR PIECES OF THE BOND THAT WE TESTED WAS PROVIDING ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO COMPLETE PROJECTS FROM THE LAST BOND.

INITIALLY, WE JUST SAID THAT PROJECTS FROM THE LAST BOND ARE HIGHER THAN EXPECTED, OR COULD THE COSTS ARE HIGHER THAN EXPECTED, AND THIS BOND WOULD BE USED TO COMPLETE THOSE PROJECTS.

SIXTY THREE PERCENT FAVOR THE BOND HEARING THOSE, 34 PERCENT OPPOSED.

THEN WE PROVIDED A LITTLE BIT OF AN EXPLANATION FOR WHY WE ESSENTIALLY HAVE COST OVERRUNS.

WE SAID THAT THE DISTRICT PLAN FOR NORMAL INFLATION, BUT NO ONE PREDICTED HOW HIGH THE INFLATION IT WOULD BE FOLLOWING THE PANDEMIC.

HALF THE TIME WE SAID THAT DISTRICTS ONLY SHOWED ABOUT 10 PERCENT FROM THE LAST BOND.

[NOISE] THE OTHER HALF THE TIME WE SAID THAT ONLY 12 PERCENT OF THIS BOND WOULD BE USED TO COMPLETE THE LAST BOND.

IT JUST KEEPING IT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE DOLLARS, AND 68 PERCENT FAVOR THE BOND HEARING THAT.

SUPPORT INCREASED ABOUT FIVE POINTS WHEN WE EXPLAIN TO THEM WHAT THE SITUATION WAS.

THEN SUPPORT INCREASED ANOTHER FEW POINTS WHEN WE TOLD THEM THAT, AGAIN KEEP PUTTING IT INTO TERMS OF THE Y, SO THE BOND COULD PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING NEEDED TO COMPLETE PROJECTS, WHICH WILL HELP KEEP SCHOOLS IN GOOD CONDITION AS THEY AGE, CREATE MORE EQUITY IN SCHOOLS ACROSS THE DISTRICT, AND EXPAND STUDENT ACCESS TO PROGRAMS. AGAIN, IT ISN'T JUST EATING MORE MONEY TO COMPLETE THOSE PROJECTS, BUT WHAT WERE THOSE PROJECTS AND HOW ARE THEY BENEFICIAL? THEN WE PROVIDED SOME OTHER STATEMENTS TO THE RESPONDENT.

THESE WEREN'T REALLY NECESSARILY PROJECTS, BUT OTHER ELEMENTS OF THE BOND.

WE TOLD THEM THAT THE BOND WOULD DEVIATE FROM THE DISTRICT'S USUAL A FIVE YEAR BOND CYCLE, 59 PERCENT WE'RE OKAY WITH THAT.

THEY WOULD STILL FAVOR THE BOND HEARING THAT.

WE EVEN TOLD THEM THAT THIS WOULD BE AN INTERIM BOND TWO YEARS AFTER THE LAST BOND AND THREE YEARS BEFORE THE NEXT PLANNED ONE.

SEVENTY NINE PERCENT SAID THEY WOULD FAVOR THE BOND KNOWING THAT THE DISTRICT HAS OVER $1.5 BILLION IN NEEDS, AND PASSING AN OFF CYCLE BOND WILL ALLOW THE DISTRICT TO CAPITALIZE ON THE ABILITY TO FINANCE A BOND WITH NO RATE INCREASE AND MAINTAIN A STABLE TAX RATE.

EIGHTY TWO PERCENT SAID THEY WOULD FAVOR THE BOND KNOWING THAT THIS WILL NOT INCREASE THE PROPERTY TAX RATE.

THEN WE HAD 49 PERCENT SAY THEY WOULD OPPOSE A BOND WHEN WE REMINDED THEM OR PERHAPS TOLD THEM THAT THE COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT HAS INCREASED PROPERTY VALUES, AND EVERYONE FOR THE MOST PART CAN EXPECT AN INCREASE REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THIS PASSES.

THIS JUST ILLUSTRATES HOW SOMETIMES VOTERS CAN HEAR SOMETHING THAT THEY MAY GO, I DON'T KNOW THAT I DO LIKE THAT.

ALL OF THESE WERE RANDOMIZED, THEN WE TOLD THEM WHAT THE BOND COULD DO IN THE NEEDS OF THE DISTRICT.

THEN BEFORE BEFORE WE GET THERE, WE ALSO ASKED THIS QUESTION ABOUT BELIEVABILITY WITH THIS BALLOT LANGUAGE.

WE ASKED A SIMILAR QUESTION TWO YEARS AGO AND WE GOT A SIMILAR RESULT.

WE JUST TOLD THEM THAT STATE LAW REQUIRES THIS BALLOT LANGUAGE TO SAY, THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE, EVEN THOUGH THE RATES WON'T GO UP.

HERE, 43 PERCENT FOUND IT TO BE TOO CONFUSING.

30 PERCENT THINK THIS IS NOT VERY BELIEVABLE, THAT PROPERTY TAXES WON'T ACTUALLY INCREASED DESPITE THE BALLOT LANGUAGE.

TWO YEARS AGO, IT WAS 10 PERCENT VERY BELIEVABLE, 27 PERCENT, SOMEWHAT BELIEVABLE, 26 PERCENT NOT VERY BELIEVABLE, AND 37 PERCENT TOO CONFUSING.

PRETTY SIMILAR, AND THIS IS REALLY WHAT WE SEE IN MOST PLACES.

EVERY NOW AND THEN WE GET A DISTRICT WHERE THE NOT VERY

[00:20:01]

THE OTHER THING WE FIND IS THAT SOMETIMES THERE'S NOT A ONE-TO-ONE PERFECT CORRELATION WITH THIS AND HOW THEY VOTE.

SOME PEOPLE DON'T BELIEVE IT AND STILL VOTE ANYWAY.

VOTERS SUPPORT BONDS WITH TAX INCREASES ALL THE TIME.

SOME VOTERS FIND IT TOO CONFUSING AND ARE STILL SUPPORTIVE AND VICE VERSA, BUT FOR THE MOST PART WE FIND THAT A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT FIND IT NOT VERY BELIEVABLE INITIALLY ARE AGAINST THE BOND AND END UP BEING AGAINST IT AT THE END ANYWAY.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS THE INITIAL BALLOT COMPARED TO THE INFORMED BALLOT.

AFTER EVERYTHING THAT WE TALKED TO THE RESPONDENTS ABOUT AT THE END OF THE SURVEY, WE HAD 60 PERCENT SAY THEY WOULD VOTE FOR AND 36 PERCENT WOULD VOTE AGAINST.

[NOISE] WE ALSO HAVE A REALLY GOOD INTENSITY NOW OF 32-24, SO WE'RE OUTSIDE OF THAT.

REALLY WE'RE IN THE STATISTICAL TOSS UP, STARTING OUT WITH 52 PERCENT EXTRAPOLATED INTENSITY.

NOW WE'RE MUCH BETTER. WE GET TO THAT.

I WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT HOW THIS COMPARE TO THE SURVEY WE DID TWO YEARS AGO IN THOSE RESULTS.

INITIALLY IN THAT SURVEY, WE LOOK AT THE EXTRAPOLATION AND WE LOOK AT THE TOTAL AND ALSO THE INTENSITY.

[NOISE] ON THAT SURVEY, THE INITIAL WAS 58.7 AND WE ENDED UP AT 64 PERCENT.

AS YOU KNOW THAT THE BOND PASSED AT 63 PERCENT.

WE WERE CLOSER TO THE INFORMED BALLOT WITH LAST SURVEY AND THE ACTUAL RESULT.

HERE WE STARTED OUT AT 55.6 PERCENT, EXTRAPOLATED IT AT 59.8 PERCENT.

JUST A FEW POINTS BELOW WHERE WE STARTED AND WHERE WE ENDED, BUT STILL A PRETTY GOOD POSITION.

I CAN'T READ THAT. I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU CAN, BUT WHAT WE ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE DID BY ALL THOSE MESSAGE STATEMENTS, REALLY DO A FEW THINGS.

THEY LET US KNOW HOW THE RESPONDENT FEELS ABOUT THOSE INDIVIDUAL CONCEPTS OR PACKET OR PROJECTS.

THEY ALSO ALLOW US TO INFORM THE RESPONDENT ABOUT THE BOND PACKAGE ITSELF SO WE CAN ASK THEM AT THE END HOW THEY WOULD VOTE FOR IT.

ONE OF THE THINGS WE DO WHEN WE GET OUT OF THE FIELD IS WE LOOK AT THE CORRELATION BETWEEN LIKING A CONCEPT BEHIND THE BOND AND ACTUALLY VOTING FOR IT.

YOU SAW LIKE 78 PERCENT LIKE THE FACT THAT THIS BOND WOULD HELP YOU COMPLETE THE REALIGNMENT, KNOWING THAT IT'S GOING TO HELP ALIGN ACADEMICS TO WHAT WE SAY LIKE THE BEST PRACTICE OR STATE RECOMMENDED STANDARDS, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE 78 PERCENT SAID THEY WOULD VOTE FOR THE BOND AT THE END OF THE SURVEY.

THAT'S COMMON FOR VOTERS TO LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING, BUT NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO VOTE FOR YOU TO HAVE THE MONEY TO DO IT.

WHAT WE DO IS LOOK AT THE CORRELATION BETWEEN LIKING A CERTAIN ELEMENT OR PROJECT OR MESSAGE, AND ACTUALLY VOTING FOR THAT BOND, SO WE KNOW WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO COMMUNICATE.

WHAT WE'RE SHOWING YOU ARE THE TOP FIVE MESSAGES IN RANKED ORDER FOR ALL VOTERS AND THEN ALSO FOR PARENTS AND FOR NON PARENTS.

THE COLOR CODING IS JUST TO SHOW YOU, FOR EXAMPLE, QUESTION 15 IS A TAUGHT MESSAGE WITH THE TOTAL SAMPLE.

THEN ALSO WITH THOSE NON PARENTS, IT MIGHT BE A TOP FIVE WITH THE PARENTS.

I CAN'T SEE IF IT'S THE BOTTOM THERE OR NOT, BUT THAT'S WHAT THE COLOR-CODING IS, IT'S JUST TO SHOW YOU THOSE SHARED MESSAGES.

WE ALWAYS FIND THAT PARENTS AND NON PARENTS TYPICALLY REACT DIFFERENTLY TO THINGS, AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE SHARED MESSAGES LIKE QUESTION 11 DOWN THERE, THAT TALKING ABOUT HOW THIS IS GOING TO HELP COMPLETE THE BOND OF THE REALIGNMENT AHEAD OF TIME BECAUSE YOU NOW HAVE THE FINANCIAL ABILITY TO DO SO WHILE MAINTAINING THAT TAX RATE, NOT INCREASING IT.

THAT'S A MESSAGE THAT BOTH GROUPS LIKED.

WITH THAT, I CAN TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.

[NOISE] YES, SIR.

>> WE'RE GOING TO OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.

MR. EAGER, DID YOU HAVE QUESTION?

>> YEAH. CAN YOU CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE SAMPLING THE AUDIENCE, BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY MIGHT JUST GO, HEY, YOU CALLED 400 PEOPLE THAT BASICALLY TOLD US WHAT WE WANTED TO HEAR.

[00:25:05]

>> YEAH.

>> CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE APPROACH THAT YOU TOOK TO ENSURE THAT THAT ISN'T ACCURATE REPRESENTATION?

>> YEAH. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO IS WE DON'T TELL THEM WHY WE'RE CALLING.

WE DON'T TELL THEM WHAT THE SURVEY IS ABOUT.

WE DON'T SAY WHO WE'RE HIRED BY.

WHEN YOU DO THAT, IF PEOPLE AREN'T THAT INTERESTED IN BONDS, THEY MIGHT GO, I DON'T WANT TO TAKE THE SURVEY.

WE JUST START TALKING TO THEM AND ASKING THEM QUESTIONS.

ANOTHER THING WE DO IS WE TELL THE DISTRICT, DO NOT ADVERTISE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE DOING THIS.

SOMETIMES IT'S CONTRARY TO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO AS A DISTRICT, WHICH IS, HEY, WE'RE DOING THIS, OR LETTING THE COMMUNITY KNOW, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO ADVERTISE THAT.

WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE KNOWING THAT IT'S HAPPENING, SITTING BY THEIR PHONE AND LOOKING TO ANSWER IT.

EVERYONE THAT WE PULLED ALL THE PHONE NUMBERS OF VOTERS WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED IN AT LEAST ONE ELECTION, AND THEY WERE JUST RANDOMLY DIALED.

WE HAD QUOTAS SET BY REGION.

GENDER QUOTAS WERE MONITORING OTHER DEMOGRAPHICS THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS TO MAKE SURE THAT SOMETIMES CERTAIN GROUPS WILL TAKE SURVEYS HAVE HIGHER RESPONSE RATES.

OLDER VOTERS, FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE FIND OUT WE'RE GETTING TOO MANY, WE'LL STOP CALLING THEM FOR A WHILE, OR WE'LL CALL A YOUNGER VOTERS UNTIL WE HIT OUR QUOTAS.

WE'RE DOING ALL THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SURVEYS ABOUT.

IT'S REPRESENTATIVE OF VOTERS.

THAT'S HOW VOTERS WON'T BE SHY ABOUT TELLING YOU HOW THEY FEEL.

IF THEY DON'T LIKE IT, THEY'LL TELL YOU.

WE SEE UNFORTUNATELY SURVEY RESULTS ALL THE TIME WHERE THEY DON'T LIKE PROJECTS, THEY DON'T LIKE BONDS.

THEY'RE NOT GOING TO VOTE FOR IT. THERE'S NOT AN INCENTIVE OR THOUGHT THAT, "OH, I NEED TO TELL THEM WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR.".

>> [NOISE] [BACKGROUND].

>> WE NORMALLY TRY TO STAY AWAY FROM PROJECTING WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY DYNAMICS AT PLAY, AND WE SEE THAT INFORMATION IMPACTS OPINION, AND SO WE WOULD SAY THAT IF THE ELECTION WERE HELD TODAY, WE WOULD LOOK AT THE INITIAL BALLOT BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE ARE.

THE INFORMED BALLOT SHOWS US WHERE WE COULD BE THE POTENTIAL FOR SUPPORT.

BUT WE ALSO DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN THE WORLD OR WHAT OTHER THINGS MAY POP UP.

BUT WE SAW THAT INITIAL BALLOT BACK IN 2020 AT 58.7.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TOTAL, THEY WERE OPPOSING AVERAGE WITH THE INTENSITY, WHICH IS HOW WE'D LIKE TO DO THAT.

TAKE BOTH OF THOSE MEASURES, HERE WE ARE AT 55.6, SO WE'RE ABOUT THREE POINTS UNDER WHERE WE WERE.

WE ENDED UP IN THAT LAST SURVEY AT 64.1, AND HERE WE ARE ENDING UP AT 59.8.

WE'RE STARTING OUT LIKE THREE POINTS LESS.

WE HAD ABOUT 5.4 PERCENT MOVEMENT ON THE FOUR SIDE FEW YEARS AGO, AND IT'S 4.2 PERCENT THIS TIME, SO ALMOST AS MUCH MOVEMENT.

>> ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? MISS TIMMY.

>> WE'RE REALLY MORE FOR MS. BRANUM AND FOR STAFF.

I JUST WANTED TO JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS, MAYBE JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND INFORMATION THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IN THE SENSE OF THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS SEVERAL MEETINGS AGO THAT WE HAD SOME ISSUES AND THAT WE NEEDED SOME SOLUTIONS AND WE WANTED TO LOOK AT THE GAMUT OF SOLUTIONS AND I THINK MOST OF US ON THE BOARD HERE, WE'RE SAYING WE KNEW THE INTERIM BOMB WAS A OPTION OF A SOLUTION TO LOOK AT, AMONGST OTHER ONES AND WE JUST DIDN'T FEEL LIKE WE HAD ENOUGH INFORMATION TO EVEN GAUGE WHETHER IT WOULD BE A VIABLE SOLUTION.

THEN YOU GUYS SUGGESTED POTENTIALLY DOING A SURVEY JUST TO GIVE US THAT INFORMATION.

AM I REMEMBERING THAT CORRECTLY?

>> YES, MA'AM.

>> THEN THE REASON THAT WE REALLY WANTED THAT NOT TO CALL A BOND THAT WAS NEVER THE INTENTION [OVERLAPPING] WAS REALLY IS JUST INFORMATION AMONG A NUMBER OF SOLUTIONS THAT MAY BE CONSIDERED.

BUT IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED, WE HAD TO BE EDUCATED ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND WHETHER IT WAS EVEN VIABLE.

>> CORRECT.

>> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS SUPER IMPORTANT TO US WAS HOW THE COMMUNITY FELT AND TOLERATED OF AN INTERIM BOND OFF CYCLE.

WE STILL CONTINUE TO HAVE OUR FIVE-YEAR CYCLE, BUT THIS ONE WOULD BE IN THE MIX OF IT.

KNOWING THAT THIS POTENTIALLY COULD SOLVE SOME EDUCATIONAL FACILITY ISSUES.

[00:30:05]

>> YES, MA'AM. ACTUALLY THAT WAS SOMETHING WE WERE GOING TO COVER AT THE VERY END. [OVERLAPPING]

>> I'M SORRY. I FEEL LIKE I WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.

>> THANK YOU. THE FIRST THING IS THAT WE WOULD, AT LEAST FROM A STAFF PERSPECTIVE, UNLESS THE BOARD HAS SOME DIFFERING OPINIONS.

THE FIRST THING IS WE WOULD NOT BE LOOKING AT THIS NECESSARILY FOR A MAY ELECTION.

WE BELIEVE THAT THAT TIMELINE IS TO ACCELERATED TO YOUR POINT OF DOING ALL OF THE PIECES FOR DUE DILIGENCE THAT THAT WOULD BE IN LINE WITH HOW WE WOULD NORMALLY WANT TO RUN THIS, SO WE WOULD PROBABLY BE LOOKING AT A NOVEMBER ELECTION.

FIRST AND FOREMOST, IF THIS IS SOMETHING WE EVEN WANTED TO CONSIDER MOVING FORWARD.

IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD WANTED TO SAY, YES, LET'S AT LEAST MOVE FORWARD AND DO SOME WORK EXPLORATION.

YES, WE WOULD FORM A NEW BOND PLANNING COMMITTEE LIKE WE WOULD HAVE DONE IN EVERY OTHER BOND.

THERE MAY BE SOME MEMBERS OF THE LAST BOND PLANNING COMMITTEE, BUT THIS WOULD BE A WHOLE NEW BOND PLANNING COMMITTEE THAT WE WOULD PUT FORWARD.

NORMALLY A BOND PLANNING PROCESS FOR A FIVE-YEAR CYCLE BOND TAKES ALMOST A YEAR BECAUSE IT IS A FULL EVALUATION OF ALL INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMMING THAT CAN BE FUNDED OUT OF A BOND IN TERMS OF GRAPHING, CALCULATORS, TEXTS, ALL OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, AS WELL AS FACILITIES.

IN THIS INTERIM BOND, WE REALLY HAVE TWO MAJOR AREAS OF FOCUS.

ONE IS THE SHORTFALLS FROM THE PREVIOUS BOND AND THE SECOND WOULD BE ACCELERATING THE MIDDLE SCHOOL MODEL.

SO IN TERMS OF THE TIME NECESSARY TO EVALUATE ALL THINGS, WE WOULD NOT NEED THAT SAME AMOUNT OF TIME BECAUSE THE SCOPE WOULD BE FAR DIFFERENT THAN OUR NORMAL FIVE-YEAR.

BUT IN TERMS OF FORMING THE BOND PLANNING COMMITTEE, HAVING THEM GIVE US INPUT, US DOING SOME OF THE NORMAL EDUCATIONAL PIECES THAT WE WOULD DO, ALL OF THAT WOULD HAVE A NORMAL PROJECT PLAN THAT WE WOULD BRING FORWARD TO YOU ALL FOR YOUR APPROVAL.

>> THIS ALL JUST GOES TO LOOKING AT AND TRYING TO BE RESPONSIBLE AND FINDING THE BEST WAYS.

THERE ARE ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.

>> YES, MA'AM.

>> CERTAINLY WE WANT THE BEST OUTCOMES FOR OUR STUDENTS ACADEMICALLY AND ENSURING THAT OUR ACADEMIC PROGRAMS ARE ALIGNED AND THAT WE'RE DOING A SERVICE TO ALL OF OUR KIDS, TO OUR STAFF THAT ARE IMPACTED BY POTENTIALLY BEING THROUGH MULTIPLE SCHOOLS VERSUS BEING IN A MIDDLE SCHOOL MODEL.

BUT THESE ARE, THIS IS ONE OF JUST MANY OPTIONS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT POTENTIALLY.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GATHER AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE CAN IN ORDER TO DECIDE WHAT ROADS WE WANT TO EVEN CONTINUE TO EXPLORE?

>> ABSOLUTELY. YES, MA'AM, AND AS WE SAID IN THE BEGINNING, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF OPTIONS.

I MEAN, IT'S EITHER A, WE'VE IDENTIFIED AREAS WHERE WE CAN CUT BACK IN 2021 AND THOSE PROJECTS DO NOT MOVE FORWARD AND WE EITHER ROLL THEM FORWARD OR THE BOND SCOPE CHANGES FOR 2026.

WE CONSIDER AN INTERIM BOND OR I MEAN, THOSE ARE REALLY THE TWO MAJOR OPTIONS.

THERE COULD BE AT SOME POINT DEPENDING UPON WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE LEGISLATURE.

IF WE FOUND OURSELVES IN A PLACE WHERE WE COULD RELY UPON OUR FUND BALANCE, THE BOARD MAY DECIDE TO USE SOME OF OUR FUND BALANCE TO CLOSE IN THE GAP FOR SOME OF THOSE BOND PROJECTS AT ALL.

BUT THIS IS JUST ONE OPTION THAT WE BROUGHT TO YOU.

TO YOUR POINT, WE DID NOT FEEL LIKE I COULD SAY YES OR NO.

I THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA OR NOT WITHOUT HAVING ANY IDEA OR SCOPE OF HOW OUR COMMUNITY FELT, AND SO THIS IS JUST A DATA POINT FOR THE BOARD TO CONSIDER ON WHETHER OR NOT WE WOULD WANT TO MOVE FORWARD EVEN WITH A BOND PLANNING COMMITTEE.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU. GREAT QUESTIONS.

>> ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, QUESTIONS BOARD?

>> CAN I JUST ADD. WE WOULD LIKE SOME DIRECTION AND SOME FEEDBACK, NOT TONIGHT.

I'M NOT ASKING FOR ANY FORMAL FEEDBACK OR FORMAL DIRECTION TONIGHT.

BUT BELIEVE IT OR NOT, EVEN FOR A POTENTIAL INTERIM ELECTION IN MAY, FOR US TO DO THOSE PIECES, MS. TIMMY, THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED TO DO THEM WELL, WE WOULD LIKE DIRECTION SOONER RATHER THAN LATER, IF THIS IS AN OPTION YOU EVEN WANT US TO EXPLORE WITH A BOND PLANNING COMMITTEE, ETC.

>> DID YOU MEAN NOVEMBER OR MAY?

>> NOVEMBER. SORRY. I WAS THINKING NOVEMBER.

SORRY.

>> [BACKGROUND]

>> NO, I WAS VERY CLEAR THAT IT WAS NOVEMBER. SORRY, THAT WAS MY FAULT.

[00:35:01]

LIKE LET'S SAY WE WOULD REALLY WANT TO GET STARTED IN TERMS OF RECRUITING THE BOND PLANNING COMMITTEE, MAKING SURE THERE'S ENOUGH TIME TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ON ALL OF THAT.

SO I WOULD LIKE AT SOME POINT SOME DIRECTION FROM THE BOARD.

AGAIN, I'M NOT ASKING FOR IT TONIGHT, BUT WE WILL NEED TO HAVE SOME FUTURE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT PRETTY QUICKLY.

AND SO WE WILL BE PROVIDING THAT INFORMATION TO YOU.

>> MR. POTEET.

>> ON THAT NOTE, AS WE EVALUATE SOME OF THESE, I KNOW WE'VE GOT THAT GAP ON THE 2021 BOND.

IF WE CAN ALSO HAVE THAT UPDATE AS WE SEE CHANGES IN THAT WITH COST ESTIMATES, CHANGES, WHATEVER THE ECONOMY HAS GOT, I KNOW THERE'S SOME CHANGES EVERY DAY.

WE GOT TO REALIZE WE SEE IT AT WORK.

SO I THINK THAT'LL BE A GOOD DATA POINT ALSO TO KEEP US ABREAST OF AS WE GO THROUGH THIS DISCUSSION.

AND WE NEED TO PUT A LITTLE BIT OF WORK ON MAKING SURE THAT THE VOTERS KNOW WHO YOU ARE, OBVIOUSLY, 75 PERCENT.

>> ACTUALLY, THAT'S NOT A BAD THING.

[OVERLAPPING] WHEN I FIRST SAW THAT, I HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A REACTION, AND THEN REALLY AS I'VE BEEN PROCESSING IT WITH SOME OF MY PEER SUPERINTENDENTS, AND ESPECIALLY OUR VETERAN ONES, REALLY YOU DON'T WANT THE SUPERINTENDENT TO HAVE A BIGGER NAME OR A BRAND AND THE DISTRICT.

YOU WANT THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE A FAVORABLE IMPRESSION AND TO THINK HIGHLY OF THE DISTRICT AND THE SUPERINTENDENT.

IF THEY'RE DOING A GOOD JOB, THEN THAT NAME REALLY DOESN'T MATTER BECAUSE THEY CARE ABOUT THE DISTRICT.

BUT I MEAN I HAD THE SAME.

>> I SAY MORE INGEST THAN ANYTHING.

>> NO. BUT I HAD TO THINK ABOUT THAT TOO.

>> BUT I THINK THEY'RE GETTING A FULL PICTURE SO WE CAN EVALUATE THIS DATA POINT AGAINST OTHER VARIABLES THAT'LL BE MOVING OVER TIME.

IT WILL BE CRITICAL TO US GIVEN THAT FEEDBACK.

>> SO TO THAT, BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO BRING THIS BACK IN FEBRUARY FOR US TO HAVE A FURTHER DISCUSSION, ARE THERE OTHER PIECES OF INFORMATION, OTHER DATASETS, THAT THE BOARD FEELS LIKE YOU WOULD NEED IN ORDER TO PROVIDE US SOME DIRECTION AT THE NEXT MEETING? I'M HEARING AN UPDATED SCOPE ON OUR EXPENDITURES ON BOND 2021 AND ANY OTHER NEW COST PROJECTIONS FROM OTHER PROJECTS.

>> ARE THERE OTHER MIDDLE-SCHOOL PROJECTS TO SEE WHAT THOSE UPDATED ESTIMATES ARE?

>> YES, SIR. YES, MA'AM.

>> I DID WANT TO JUST ASK ONE QUESTION.

ARE YOU SEEING A DIFFERENCE IN HOW THE RELIABILITY OF THESE SURVEYS OR THE TURNOUT BEING DIFFERENT, I GUESS, SINCE THE RECOVERY OR THE POLITICAL TURMOIL? JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE WERE WORRIED ABOUT IS IT'S HARD EVEN TO GET A PULSE.

I DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT WAS IMPACTING YOUR SURVEY DATA, OR ARE YOU SEEING ANY DIFFERENCE?

>> BUT NOT REALLY.

WHEN THE SURVEYS ARE CONDUCTED VERY CLOSE TO THE ACTUAL ELECTION, THEY'VE BEEN STILL JUST AS ACCURATE AS EVER.

>> NOT EVEN ONES? I KNOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN PASSING RATES THAT HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT MAYBE THAN WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST AND OTHER DISTRICTS JUST LOOKING AROUND AND YOU WOULD SAY THAT THOSE PROBABLY CAME OUT, YOU ALREADY SURVEYED THEY PROBABLY WOULD HAVE PREDICTED THAT AS WELL.

>> WE DID A SURVEY ONSITE ABOUT THREE WEEKS BEFORE THE ELECTION AND WE WERE WITHIN TWO POINTS OF WHAT HAPPENED.

>> AWESOME. THANK YOU.

>> IF WE'RE JUST PUTTING OUT SOME THINGS THAT WE'VE ADDED TO THE LIST.

UPDATES ON THE BONDING CAPACITY.

I KNOW THAT WAS REFERENCED IN SOME OF THE SURVEY QUESTIONS.

>> YES, SIR. WE HAVE THAT.

>> AND THEN I'M JUST THINKING OFF THE CUFF HERE.

ANY OVERALL FINANCIAL SITUATIONS ON THE BOND SIDE WHEN IT COMES TO INTEREST RATE CHANGES, BOND RATINGS.

SO SOME OF THOSE THINGS I KNOW WE'RE MOVING TARGETS, BUT I THINK THOSE WILL BE VALID DATA POINTS THAT WE CAN COLLECT AS WELL.

>> YES, SIR.

>> MR. POTEET IS JOTTING THIS DOWN.

ANYTHING ELSE WE WANT TO INCLUDE TO BRING TO THE TABLE IN FEBRUARY FOR MS. BRANUM AND HER TEAM? MS. MCGOWAN?

>> JUST ONE QUESTION, THE OTHER OPTION I KNOW YOU SAID IS LOOKING AT CUTTING BACK ON WHATEVER THAT IS.

CAN WE SEE WHAT THAT OPTION LOOKS LIKE? ARE WE GOING TO LOOK DEEPER INTO THOSE OPTIONS AS WELL?

>> WELL, WE BROUGHT YOU THE FIRST ITERATION OF THE SUGGESTED CUTS, WE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR FROM THE BOARD THAT SOME OF THE IDEAS WE BROUGHT FORWARD WERE NOT PALATABLE, AND SO OUR TEAM HAS BEEN DOING SOME WORK ON POTENTIAL OTHER CUTS.

I WILL TELL YOU THAT THEY ALL COME AT A COST, BUT WE WILL BRING FORWARD.

IF YOU SAID YOU DO NOT WANT US TO PUSH DOWN THE ROAD THE THREE ELEMENTARY RENOVATION PROJECTS, WE WILL IDENTIFY WHAT OTHER PROJECTS, THEN, WE WOULD RECOMMEND NOT GET DONE.

>> I SAY THAT JUST BECAUSE I DON'T WANT THE COMMUNITY TO THINK THAT WE DIDN'T REALLY DO A THOROUGH LOOK AT THAT PIECE AND WE JUST JUMPED ON.

[00:40:04]

>> ABSOLUTELY. REALLY WHAT BROUGHT US TO EVEN EXPLORING AN INTERIM BOND WAS THE BOARD REALLY HAVING A STRONG FEELING THAT THOSE WERE NOT THINGS THAT YOU WOULD NECESSARILY WANT TO CUT.

THEY ALL NEEDED TO GET DONE.

BUT YES, WE DO HAVE A REVISED LIST, AND HERE ARE SOME PROJECT CONSIDERATIONS WE WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH IF YOU DID NOT WANT TO PURSUE AN INTERIM, WE WILL HAVE THAT READY FOR YOU.

ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? MR. EAGER?

>> YEAH, AND I GUESS I DOVETAILED ON MR. POTEET'S COMMENTS.

NOT ONLY IN THE SURVEY TALKS ABOUT BASICALLY FINISHING THE SIXTH-GRADE TRANSFORMATION, SO TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT ESTIMATES, BECAUSE IF WE'RE PLAYING CATCH UP FROM THE CURRENT BOND, MAKING SURE THAT THAT AMOUNT IS SURE ENOUGH TO FINISH, THEN THE ADDITIONAL SIX WILL FINISH IT BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SIX SCHOOLS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH CAPACITY SO THAT, HOPEFULLY, THE WORLD DOESN'T TURN UPSIDE DOWN AGAIN.

JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE THIS CONVERSATION FOR YEARS FROM NOW.

>> AND I KNOW THERE'S, TO YOUR POINT, THERE'S NOTHING THAT GUARANTEES THAT, BUT I KNOW THE STAFF DID TAKE INTO ACCOUNT TYPICAL INFLATIONARY NUMBERS IN THE ORIGINAL ESTIMATES.

AND NOW AFTER ALL OF US HAVE NOT JUST A SCHOOL DISTRICT, BUT HAD BEEN BIT BY THAT, YOU MAY JUST WANT TO RELOOK AND BE ULTRA-CONSERVATIVE IN THAT AS WE GO FORWARD ON THIS.

>> ABSOLUTELY. I THINK EVEN THE PROJECT NUMBERS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT IF WE WERE TO ACCELERATE THE MIDDLE-SCHOOL BOND WOULD LOOK VERY DIFFERENT, AND THOSE NUMBERS WOULD LOOK VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE COULD HAVE PREDICTED IN 2020 WHEN WE FIRST STARTED TALKING ABOUT BOND 2021.

SO YES, SIR. I THINK IN EVERY ARCHITECT A CONSTRUCTION TEAM THAT WE'RE TALKING NOW, THAT INFLATION NUMBER THAT WE BUILD IN IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT IT WAS EVEN JUST TWO YEARS AGO.

>> ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TONIGHT. GREAT JOB.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

OUR NEXT ITEM IS AN UPDATE ON STAAR 2.0. MS. BRANUM.

[III.B. STAAR 2.0 Update]

>> THANK YOU, MS. HARRIS.

NOW YOU-ALL HAVE BEEN HEARING FROM MYSELF AND OUR TEAM THAT STAAR 2.0 AND THIS TA IS ALSO MOVING FORWARD WITH SOME PRETTY SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES TO ACCOUNTABILITY.

IT WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR US TO BRING TO JUST ONE MEETING, AND SO WE REALLY WANTED TO BEGIN TO PHASE THIS IN NOT JUST WITH THE BOARD, BUT WITH ALSO OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING IMPORTANT THAT OUR COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS AS WELL.

WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR INTERNAL TEAM REALLY SINCE AUGUST.

I WANT TO COMMEND OUR TEACHING AND LEARNING TEAM AND OUR ACI TEAM LED BY MR. CORTEZ, THEY REALLY HAVE BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF DIGGING AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT THESE CHANGES ARE GOING TO MEAN, MAKING THE CHANGES THAT WE NEED IN OUR SCOPE AND SEQUENCE, PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO OUR PRINCIPALS, OUR ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS INTO OUR TEACHERS.

BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO GET TO EXPERIENCE HANDS-ON, YOU'RE GOING TO BE TAKING A SAMPLE STAAR 2.0 TEST YOU-ALL. GET READY.

WE DIDN'T WANT TO WARN YOU AHEAD BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT ANY STUDYING AND CRAMMING FOR THIS TEST.

BUT WE REALLY WANTED YOU TO EXPERIENCE WHAT IT WILL BE LIKE FOR OUR STUDENTS AND OUR TEACHERS.

THIS HAS BEEN A SIGNIFICANT LEARNING CURVE FOR OUR TEACHERS.

I MEAN, UNDERSTANDING THESE NEW ITEMS AND HOW DO WE ADEQUATELY PREPARE OUR STUDENTS FOR THE NEW ITEM TYPES THAT THEY'RE GOING TO SEE.

NOW, I WANT TO MAKE SURE TO PREFACE THIS WITH A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE TALK ABOUT STAAR CHANGES, IT'S WITH A VERY NEGATIVE TONE.

I WILL TELL YOU THERE ARE MANY CHANGES IN THIS STAAR REDESIGN THAT WE FEEL LIKE ARE POSITIVE CHANGES.

THERE ARE SOME STRONGER ALIGNMENTS INSTRUCTIONALLY IN THE KIND OF ITEM TYPES THAT WE FEEL LIKE MORE MATCH WHAT WE WOULD HOPE GOOD INSTRUCTION AND A GOOD ASSESSMENT WOULD LOOK LIKE.

WE MAY HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TIMING, WE MAY HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY'RE NOT DOING ANY KIND OF HOLD HARMLESS.

NOT ONLY ARE THEY NOT DOING A HOLD HARMLESS, BUT THEY'RE INCREASING THE STANDARDS [LAUGHTER] FOR ACCOUNTABILITY WHICH WILL BE AT A FUTURE MEETING.

WE MAY HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE HOW, BUT SOME OF THE CHANGES WITH THE ASSESSMENT ITSELF, WE'RE NOT OPPOSED TO.

WE THINK THAT THERE ARE SOME REALLY VALID REASONS FOR THE ADDITIONS THAT THEY'RE MAKING.

WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO JACOB AND HE IS GOING TO LEAD US THROUGH.

AGAIN, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A LOT MORE OF THIS AS WE GO THROUGH.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO ANSWER ALL YOUR QUESTIONS TONIGHT.

[00:45:02]

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE THAT, MS. BRANUM.

GOOD EVENING, FRIENDS.

HOW ARE YOU-ALL DOING TO THIS EVENING? [LAUGHTER] I TOLD YOU WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME FUN TONIGHT BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN FUN "SOMETIMES".

FOLLOWING ALONG WITH TEA ON THIS PROCESS.

BECAUSE IT IS SOMETHING WHERE WHEN WE THINK ABOUT TESTING, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT STAAR, A LOT OF TIMES IT IS WITH A NEGATIVE CONNOTATION.

BUT ALSO TRYING TO UNDERSTAND REALLY WHAT THE STAAR TEST IS ABOUT, WHICH IT'S A SUMMATIVE MEASURE AT THE END OF THE YEAR THAT MEASURES THE RIGOR OF THE CURRICULUM THAT WAS TAUGHT IN STUDENT DEMONSTRATION OF KNOWLEDGE.

SOMETHING THAT THEN WE CAN COMPARE LONGITUDINALLY FROM YEAR-TO-YEAR.

STUDENTS DEVELOP, AS THINGS CHANGE TO REALLY GET A MEASURE OF GROWTH.

THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE STAAR TEST IS ABOUT.

IT DOES HELP PROVIDE ONE DATA POINT, BUT IT'S NOT THE ONLY DATA POINT WHERE WE MAKE DECISIONS FOR STUDENTS.

WHEN WE FIRST STARTED LEARNING FROM THE STATE ABOUT REALLY WHAT THE STAAR REDESIGN WAS GOING TO LOOK LIKE, THIS PROCESS STARTED BECAUSE OF LEGISLATION BACK IN 2019.

EVERYBODY HAD SOME QUESTIONS.

BUT AS WE'VE BEEN GETTING MORE INFORMATION OR REALLY SINCE JANUARY, FEBRUARY OF LAST YEAR, AS MORE THINGS HAVE COME OUT AND MORE THINGS HAVE DEVELOPED, LIKE MS. BRANUM SAID, WE DO FEEL GOOD ABOUT SOME OF THESE CHANGES.

FOR THIS EVENING, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE WHY.

YOU'VE HEARD OF THE STAAR 2.0 MAINLY BECAUSE THE TEST IS A SECOND ITERATION, BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF THE TECHNOLOGY INFLUENCE.

WHERE THE STATE IS CHANGING, REALLY THE TEST HERE JUST SIMPLY BECAUSE OF 2019 HOUSE BILL 3906 REALLY PUT THESE CHANGES INTO ACTION.

IT REQUIRED 75 PERCENT CAP ON MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS ON THE TEST, WHICH AS YOU KNOW UP TO THIS POINT, WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS, WE'VE HAD SOME OPEN-ENDED RESPONSE TYPE QUESTIONS, AND THEN IN MATH, SOME QUESTIONS WHERE THE STUDENTS REALLY IT'S ABOUT PLACE VALUE, BUT THEY SOLVE A PROBLEM AND THEN BUBBLE IN.

WELL, WITH THE MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS REALLY HOLDING THE BULK OF THE TEST, THAT WAS THE FIRST STEP.

CAP THAT AT 75 PERCENT AND A TRANSITION TO 100 PERCENT ONLINE TESTING, WHICH ACTUALLY WE DID TWO YEARS AGO.

THIS WILL BE OUR THIRD YEAR AS WE GET READY FOR OUR STAAR SEASON THIRD YEAR ON THE ONLINE PLATFORM.

WE AS A DISTRICT MADE THAT DECISION BACK TO STAAR IN 2021 TESTING WITH THAT JUST SIMPLY TO BE AHEAD OF THE CURVE.

IT DID MANDATE THAT BY '22, '23 THIS LEGISLATION, EVERYBODY HAS TO BE ONLINE.

BUT WE ALSO KNEW RESEARCH SUGGESTED THAT SCORES COULD DIP MOVING TO AN ONLINE FORMAT FROM A PAPER FORMAT, BUT USUALLY RECOVER WITHIN TWO-AND-A-HALF TO THREE YEARS.

WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WITH ALL THE CLIMB WE KNEW WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO DO FOR COVID, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, THAT WE WOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT OPPORTUNITY.

SINCE EVERYBODY MOVED CURRICULUM ONLINE ANYWAY, IT WAS ONE MORE WAY THAT WE COULD SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS AND OUR TEACHERS IN THE SAME TYPE OF FORMAT.

IT ALSO CREATED SOME OTHER PILOT PROGRAMS FOR FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS AND SOME INTERIM TYPE ASSESSMENTS.

ONE OF THE BIGGEST PIECES FOR MATCHING WITH THE FEDERAL SYSTEM IS THAT WE WOULD INTERTWINE READING AND WRITING TOGETHER.

REALLY WHEN THEY TOOK A LOOK AT ALL OF THESE THINGS, IT REALLY WAS ABOUT ENGAGING STUDENTS IN THE SAME WAY THAT THEY'RE BEING ENGAGED IN THE CLASSROOM.

RATHER THAN I DO CERTAIN THINGS IN THE CLASSROOM AND THEN I SIT DOWN TO TAKE A MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST.

THEY STARTED IN THE RIGHT PLACE.

WRONG DIRECTION. SORRY ABOUT THAT.

WHAT THEY DID HERE FOR THE Y IS THEY GOT FEEDBACK FROM EDUCATORS.

THIS WASN'T JUST A GROUP OF FORMER EDUCATORS MAKING DECISIONS.

THEY PULLED AND PULLED IN TO FOCUS GROUPS FROM 2019 TO 2021, '22 TEACHERS AND TEACHER TYPES AND ADMINISTRATORS TO REALLY FIND OUT WHAT

[00:50:10]

THEY SETTLED ON FOUR MAIN POINTS, WHICH IN EFFECTIVE CLASSROOMS, TEACHERS ARE BUILDING FOR STUDENTS BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE AND VOCABULARY IN ALL SUBJECTS, NOT JUST SIMPLY READING RANDOM PASSAGES ON A TOPIC, WHICH IS WHAT STAAR HAD BEEN DOING TO THIS POINT.

ASKING STUDENTS TO WRITE ABOUT WHAT THEY'VE READ AND USING TEXTS EVIDENCE, SO EVIDENCE-BASED READING AND WRITING, INSTEAD OF JUST TAKING A WRITING TEST WITHOUT READING AS A BASIS.

PROVIDING VARIOUS OPEN-ENDED FORMATS TO RESPOND TO QUESTIONS RATHER THAN JUST MAINLY MULTIPLE CHOICE.

THEN FINALLY, SUPPORTING THE NEEDS OF ALL STUDENTS THROUGH APPROPRIATE ACCOMMODATIONS RATHER THAN JUST STAAR THAT HAD THE PAPER VERSION WHICH HAS SOME LIMITED TYPE OF SUPPORTS.

THEY REALLY TOOK THIS INTO ACCOUNT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH HOW CAN STAAR BE REDESIGNED TO REINFORCE THOSE THINGS.

THE FIRST CHANGE FOR POINT NUMBER ONE THERE, AS FAR AS BUILDING BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE AND VOCABULARY, WAS ALSO THEN PRIORITIZING THAT ACROSS THE CURRICULUM.

PASSAGES IN READING THAT ALSO REFERENCED TOPICS FROM OTHER CLASSES.

IT'S BUILDING UPON THAT KNOWLEDGE BASE AND REALLY PULLING A THREAD BETWEEN WHAT STUDENTS ARE LEARNING AND WHAT THEIR TESTING WILL BE LOOKING LIKE TOO.

LIKE I SAID BEFORE, USING WRITING AS A PART OF READING.

THAT IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHANGES IS THAT LAST YEAR THEY DID AWAY WITH THE WRITING TEST, SO THERE'S NO MORE STAAR WRITING FOR GRADE FOUR AND SEVEN, BUT NOW WRITING IS EMBEDDED IN EACH OF THE READING TESTS FROM THIRD GRADE THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE.

THEN THERE ALREADY WAS WRITING EMBEDDED IN ENGLISH 1, ENGLISH 2 EOC TEST.

SUPPORTING THE OPEN-ENDED FORMATS BY LOOKING AT THINGS WHERE STUDENTS CAN DEMONSTRATE KNOWLEDGE RATHER THAN JUST A, B, C, D. THIS IS WHERE TECHNOLOGY-ENHANCED ITEMS COME INTO PLAY.

THERE'S A WHOLE NUMBER OF ITEMS. WE'RE NOT GOING TO LOOK AT EVERY SINGLE ITEM, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO BE USED ON TESTS ACROSS EACH OF OUR SUBJECT AREAS IN GRADE LEVELS.

THEN FINALLY, APPROPRIATE ACCOMMODATIONS.

THE ONLINE FORMAT FOR US DOES HELP PROVIDE A NUMBER OF THINGS FOR STUDENTS THAT NEED THE SUPPORT THROUGH INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PLANS BUT ALSO HAS A NUMBER OF FEATURES THAT ARE JUST UNIVERSAL SUPPORTS FOR STUDENTS SO EVERYBODY CAN BENEFIT.

REALLY, TO GO THROUGH EACH OF THESE POINTS, WE'LL TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT REALLY HOW THEY WEAVE IN THE BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE AND THE CROSS-CURRICULAR PASSAGES.

IN SOME OF THE RESEARCH THAT TEA PERFORMED, AND THESE ARE SLIDES FROM TEA.

IT'S A SOURCE IN THE BOTTOM.

REALLY WHAT THEY FOUND IS WHEN WE'RE TRYING REALLY TO MEASURE COMPREHENSION, READING SKILL AND KNOWLEDGE PLAY A PART.

BUT REGARDLESS OF THE READING SKILL, HAVING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHAT STUDENTS ARE READING ARE THE MOST EFFECTIVE PIECES FOR IMPROVING COMPREHENSION.

READING SKILL IS IMPORTANT, BUT THE MORE THAT YOU KNOW ABOUT THE TOPIC THE BETTER YOU STILL COMPREHEND EVEN IF YOU'RE AT A LOWER READING SKILL IF YOU HAVE MORE KNOWLEDGE.

WHAT THEY TRIED TO DO WAS TAKE A LOOK AT HOW THEY COULD ALIGN THOSE THINGS.

SO HERE, STUDENT SAMPLE A LEARNS DIFFERENT THINGS IN SCIENCE, SOCIAL STUDIES, AND IN THEIR LANGUAGE ARTS CLASS, IN READING.

AND REALLY, WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO LOOK AT IS MOVING MORE TOWARDS THE GOAL OF HAVING THAT COMMON THREAD ONCE AGAIN.

IF I'M LEARNING SOMETHING IN SCIENCE, IF I'M READING ABOUT IT IN LANGUAGE ARTS, IF I'M LOOKING AT THE EFFECTS OF THOSE THINGS IN SOCIAL STUDIES, THEN IT CONTINUES TO REINFORCE THE KNOWLEDGE,

[00:55:01]

IT'S BUILDING THOSE CONNECTIONS THROUGHOUT.

THE WAY STAR WILL RESPOND TO THAT IS THE READING PASSAGES WILL BE TIED TO CONTENT IN THOSE OTHER SUBJECTS.

SO RATHER JUST A STORY WHERE IT'S READING ALL ON ITS OWN, IT WILL BUILD OFF OF THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY SHOULD BE LEARNING IN THOSE OTHER SUBJECTS.

THIS IS ONE EXAMPLE WHERE THEY'RE READING A PASSAGE AND THEY'RE BEING MEASURED ON THEIR READING SKILLS, BUT IT TIES TO THE SAME STANDARDS AND VERTICALLY ALIGNED STANDARDS FROM SCIENCE IN FOURTH GRADE, AND FIFTH GRADE.

SO THEY WON'T BE TESTED ON THE READING TEST FOR THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF SCIENCE, BUT IT'S STILL IS REINFORCING WHAT THEY'RE LEARNING THROUGH THOSE PASSAGES.

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF READING AND WRITING, THE FEEDBACK THAT THEY RECEIVED FROM THE EDUCATORS THEY TALKED TO IS THAT STRONG TEACHER SUPPORT THEIR STUDENTS BY HAVING STUDENTS WRITE IN ALL GRADE LEVELS AND SUBJECT AREAS AND USE TEXT EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT WHAT THEY'RE WRITING ABOUT.

RESEARCH THAT THEY COLLECTED TO SUPPORT SOME OF THOSE DECISIONS REALLY CONTINUE TO REINFORCE THOSE THINGS AS WELL.

OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE KNOWLEDGE BUILDING ABOUT THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS OF THE TEXTS, IMPROVING STUDENT RECALL, AND NEW INCITING EVIDENCE TO DIFFERENTIATE STRONG READERS AND WRITERS FROM THOSE THAT MIGHT NEED SOME MORE SUPPORT.

THE WAY THIS WILL LOOK ON STAR, LIKE I SAID, IS TO THIS POINT ON THE WRITING TESTS, THIS IS A SAMPLE FROM A WRITING PROMPT.

THEY WOULD ESSENTIALLY GET A BLURB OR A PROMPT AND THEN BE GIVEN DIRECTION TO WRITE ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR PROMPT.

WELL, THAT'S OKAY.

BUT THEY'RE NOT BEING ASKED TO SUPPORT THEIR IDEAS WITH ANYTHING.

SO IT JUST BECOMES THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THE STUDENT HAS RETAINED TO THAT POINT, OR MAY HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE, WHICH WE DO HAVE SOME STUDENTS THAT GROW UP WITH ALL KINDS OF EXPERIENCES OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL, AND THEY STAND A BETTER CHANCE OF PERHAPS KNOWING OR RELATING TO THE CONTENT THAT THEY'RE BEING ASKED TO WRITE ABOUT.

THE NEW VIEW WILL BE SET UP SIMILARLY.

HOWEVER, WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE ASKED TO DO IS BECAUSE IT'S BUILT INTO THEIR READING TEST, IS TO GO BACK TO THE PASSAGE, IT'S PAIRED WITH THAT PASSAGE TO GIVE TEXTS EVIDENCE.

SO THEY'RE WRITING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT WHAT THEY'VE JUST READ ABOUT, AND USING THEIR INFERENCING SKILLS AND DIFFERENT THINGS TO PULL THAT INFORMATION TOGETHER AND CITE WHY THEY FEEL A CERTAIN WAY OR WHY THEY INTERPRETED THINGS IN THOSE WAYS WHILE CONTINUING TO BUILD THAT EVIDENCE FROM THE TEXT.

>> THIS PIECE RIGHT HERE IS SUPER IMPORTANT BECAUSE I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE HEARD A LOT IN THE PAST YEAR FROM A LOT OF OUR COMMUNITY IS, HOW ARE WE ENSURING THAT OUR KIDS ARE BECOMING STRONG WRITERS AND ARE WE GIVING STUDENTS ENOUGH PRACTICE WITH WRITING? I THINK WE IN EDUCATION FOR A LONG TIME, WE'VE HAD THE CONVERSATION ULTIMATELY, WHAT GETS TESTED, GETS TAUGHT.

WHEN THERE'S A STRONG ALIGNMENT, IF I KNOW I'M GOING TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR STUDENT MASTERY OF THESE SKILLS AND I'M GOING TO ENSURE INSTRUCTIONAL TIME IS SPENT IN DEVELOPING THOSE SKILLS.

I THINK THE SAME THING CAN BE SAID AROUND USING THE CONTENT IN SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES FOR THE PASSAGES.

OFTENTIMES, AND I DON'T BLAME THEM, ELEMENTARY TEACHERS, THE EMPHASIS ON SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES MIGHT NOT FEEL AS IMPERATIVE BECAUSE ULTIMATELY THERE WASN'T THIS TEST, AND THE URGENCY AROUND READING AND MATH, AND WRITING THAT TOOK PRECEDENT.

I THINK THIS IS GOING TO GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE THE MORE STUDENTS ARE EXPOSED, THE MORE STUDENTS HAVE THOSE HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES, BOTH IN SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES, THE BETTER THEY'RE GOING TO BE PREPARED FOR THE CHANGES AND START TO 2.0.

AGAIN, WE SEE THIS IS A REAL OPPORTUNITY.

OUR TEACHING AND LEARNING DEPARTMENT, REALLY IMMEDIATELY, AS WE STARTED GETTING INFORMATION ABOUT THESE ASSESSMENTS, THEY BEGAN REALLY INVESTING IN MAKING SURE WE HAD A LOT OF NON-FICTION TEXTS AVAILABLE.

[01:00:02]

WE REALLY HELPED LOOK AND HELPED OUR PRINCIPLES LOOK AT THE INSTRUCTIONAL DAY TO MAKE SURE THERE IS TIME WHERE OUR TEACHERS ARE TEACHING SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES, WHERE WE BEGIN TO DEVELOP STUDENTS' WRITING, WHERE WE HAVE A REALLY STRONG COHERENT SEQUENCE OF WRITING SKILLS THAT WE'RE BUILDING ON FROM OUR LITTLE LIST OF LEARNERS IN PRE-K, ALL THE WAY UP AND THROUGH THE ENGLISH TO EOC.

SO AGAIN, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE WHERE IS IT DAUNTING? YES, BECAUSE WE HAVE A SHORT TURNAROUND FROM UNDERSTANDING, FOR EXAMPLE, IS RIGHT BEFORE WINTER BREAK THAT THEY RELEASED THE SCORING CRITERIA FOR THE WRITING COMPONENTS.

IS THAT STRESSFUL THAT WE'RE NOT FINDING OUT HOW THEY'RE GOING TO SCORE IT AND WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A STRONG LEVEL OF WRITING AND A WEAKER LEVEL, AND WHAT RUBRIC THEY'RE GOING TO USE TO GRADE THAT? YES, THAT IS STRESSFUL FOR OUR TEACHERS THAT THEY'RE NOT FINDING IT OUT UNTIL RIGHT BEFORE WINTER BREAK, AND THE ASSESSMENT IS IN 120 DAYS.

BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE Y AND THE ULTIMATE CHANGES ARE STILL A GOOD THING.

SO I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT CONTEXT OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.

THE OTHER THING I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT, AND WE HAVE THE IPADS.

SO YOU'RE GOING TO IN A MINUTE TO SEE THE IPADS, HUGE KUDOS TO HENRY HALL AND HIS TEAM WHO AGAIN, WE HAVE BEEN ON THE FOREFRONT OF THIS.

OUR ELEMENTARIES, AS YOU KNOW, YOU APPROVED FOR US TO HAVE THE ELEMENTARY IPAD REFRESH.

AND I KNOW THERE WAS SOME CHATTER ON SOCIAL MEDIA AROUND, WHY DO WE INVEST IN THOSE FUNDS AND WHY IS TECHNOLOGY SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO INVEST IN? WELL, NUMBER ONE, THE STATE REQUIRES IT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO GIVE THESE ASSESSMENTS ONLINE.

NUMBER 2, WE HAVE TO PROVIDE STUDENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE PRACTICE AT THAT.

SO OUR NEW IPADS, THEY HAVE TRACKPADS AND THEY HAVE KEYBOARDS.

SO AGAIN, KEISY IS IN SECOND GRADE, AND HE IS LEARNING HOW TO KEYBOARD ON HIS IPAD.

HE IS LEARNING HOW TO USE ALL OF THE ACCOMMODATIONS.

SO HOW DO I DO MY DROP-DOWNS? NOT JUST USING IT TO WATCH YOUTUBE OR HIS FAVORITE CARTOON, BUT THEY ARE TEACHING HIM HOW TO USE IT AS A TOOL FOR LEARNING AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THEY HAVE TO PRACTICE AT.

THEY CAN'T JUST OPEN IT ON THE DAY OF STAR AND BE SUCCESSFUL IN NAVIGATING THAT PLATFORM.

SO YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A CHANCE TO GET TO SEE THE NEW IPADS AND HOW USER-FRIENDLY THEY ARE, AND HOW DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE IT IS FOR THEM IN TERMS OF TAKING THIS NEW STAR.

SO SORRY JACOB, I JUST WANTED TO ADD A LITTLE CONTEXT OF WHAT ARE WE DOING TO GET READY FOR IT. GO AHEAD.

>> I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT EITHER OR DUE TO STOP MR. BURTON.

>> NO, YOU'RE FINE.

>> BUT I DID WANT TO JUST MAKE A COMMENT THAT I THINK THAT THAT'S AWESOME ON HOW I THINK IT WAS SLIDE NUMBER 12, THE ONE THAT WAS I LOVE IT SEEMS LIKE WHAT IT IS.

I THINK IT MAKES IT EQUITABLE FOR THE STUDENTS TO HAVE THAT.

I THINK ON ONE OF THEM.

I LOVE HOW IT RELATES TO MAYBE THE HOW AND THE WHY.

INSTEAD OF THE QUESTIONS LIKE I REMEMBER MY KIDS HAVING TO READ A PASSAGE, ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS, GO BACK AND SOMETIMES IT'S JUST DIDN'T RELATE AND IT JUST WAS NOT RELEVANT.

BUT I THINK IT'S AWESOME HOW THE QUESTION WAS SOMETHING LIKE, I THINK IT WAS THOMAS EDISON, OR SOMETHING, I LOVE THAT.

IT ASKED LIKE, WHAT DOES AN INVENTION YOU KNOW THAT WAS IMPORTANT.

WHAT WAS AN INVENTION THAT'S GOOD FOR YOU, AND THAT'S WHERE YOU GET CHILDREN I THINK WHO ENJOY WRITING AND SAY, OKAY, I CAN CONNECT WITH THAT, AS OPPOSED TO MAYBE FOR SOME CONSIDERING A LONG BORING PIECE TO READ AND THEN HAVING TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.

SO I THINK THAT THAT'S REALLY GREAT AND A BETTER WAY TO REALLY GET THE STUDENTS NOT ONLY TO ENJOY WRITING BECAUSE IT SHOULD ALMOST FLOW.

I MEAN, JUST WHERE THEY ENJOY DOING THAT.

BUT I THINK ALSO THAT YOU CAN ASSESS THEM ON THEIR WRITING SKILLS, BUT ALSO THE CONTENT.

BUT I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS AN ADDED PLUS, AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY, YEAH, THAT WAS GREAT.

>> THE THIRD BULLET WAS THE CHANGE IN QUESTION TYPES.

HERE FOR THIS ONE, REALLY IN THE CLASSROOM STUDENTS WERE ASKED TO ENGAGE IN THE CONTENT IN MULTIPLE WAYS IN ORDER TO EXPRESS THEIR UNDERSTANDING.

WHEN OUR TEACHERS ARE WORKING WITH THEIR STUDENTS, THEY ARE ASKING THEM TO DRAW, LABEL, USE TABLES AND DIAGRAMS, AND ALL THESE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THE MATERIAL OR HELP THEM PUT TOGETHER CONTEXT FOR HOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROBLEM.

[01:05:03]

WELL, THE BENEFIT OF BEING ABLE TO USE TECHNOLOGY IS THAT YOU CAN ASK QUESTIONS IN MULTIPLE WAYS.

THINGS THAT WOULD BE INTERACTIVE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THINGS THAT WOULD LOOK IN WAYS THAT WOULD LOOK MORE LIKE WHAT THEY'RE BEING ASKED TO DO.

THIS EXAMPLE HERE IS SUPPORTING THESE FOURTH-GRADE STANDARDS WHERE THEY'RE REPRESENTING FRACTIONS AND DECOMPOSING THAT FRACTION IN MULTIPLE WAYS TO SHOW THAT IT SUMS UP.

HERE WE'RE USING A FRACTION BAR TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, LABELING EACH OF THE PIECES, AND THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT BE HARD TO REPLICATE WITH JUST AN A, B, C, D TYPE ANSWER.

WHAT THIS WOULD LOOK LIKE AND POTENTIAL NEW STAR QUESTION TYPE IS THEY ACTUALLY GIVE THE STUDENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO FILL OUT A FRACTION BAR.

THE STUDENT GETS TO MANIPULATE AND INTERACT WITH THAT FRACTION BAR, HIGHLIGHTING THE NUMBER OF PIECES THAT WOULD CORRESPOND TO THE CORRECT ANSWER, REPRESENTING STILL THEIR KNOWLEDGE IN ORDER TO GET THERE, JUST LIKE THEY WOULD ON THE WORKSHEET.

I APOLOGIZE FOR THE SCREEN.

THIS WAS MAYBE A LITTLE BIT SMALL OF A SLIDE.

BUT I HAVE REFERENCED THESE DIFFERENT MATERIALS THROUGHOUT AT THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.

BUT THESE ARE ALL OF THE NEW ITEM TYPES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO BE USED AND THERE'S A CHART HERE THAT SHOWS ALSO WHAT SUBJECTS AND GRADE LEVELS THESE DIFFERENT ITEM TYPES MAY APPEAR.

THINGS LIKE AN EQUATION EDITOR, WE SAW THE FORM OF FRACTIONS, EXPRESSIONS, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.

TEXT ENTRY HAS BEEN ON THERE, BUT THIS WILL BE SMALLER PIECES RATHER THAN TRYING TO WRITE AN ENTIRE THING, THEY MAY RESPOND WITH JUST A BRIEF WORD OR A COUPLE OF WORDS TO DESCRIBE THAT PIECE.

GRAPHING, NUMBER LINES.

SOME OF THE NEAT THINGS THAT ARE THERE ARE HOTSPOTS AND HOT TEXT TO WHERE THEY ARE INTERACTING WITH AN ITEM AND IMAGINE LIKE A MAP AND THEY SAY, IDENTIFY THE PLACE ON THE MAP WHERE THESE THINGS HAPPEN.

SO THEY ARE ABLE TO CLICK ON A PICTURE TO SHOW THEIR ANSWER, RATHER THAN JUST PICK A PRE-ASSIGN ANSWER.

DRAG-AND-DROP TYPE THINGS.

OUR STUDENTS GET A LOT OF THAT PRACTICE ALREADY USING THEIR DEVICES AND THINGS.

ALSO ENGAGING THE STUDENTS IN WAYS THAT WOULD BE MORE FAMILIAR TO THEM.

THESE NEXT PARTS ARE INTERESTING, THE MULTI-PART AND MULTI-SELECT TYPE OF QUESTIONS.

BECAUSE THIS INDICATES THAT THERE CAN BE MORE THAN ONE RIGHT ANSWER AND THE MULTI-PART WOULD BE QUESTIONS THAT BUILD ON THEMSELVES, SO YOU ANSWER ONE QUESTION, THE NEXT QUESTION THAT'S TIED TO IT IS LIKE WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP? THEY'RE HAVING TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND PROCESS, NOT JUST FINAL ANSWER.

THE NEAT PART ABOUT ALL OF THESE NEW TYPE OF ITEMS IS THAT REALLY DEPENDING ON THE SUBJECT AND GRADE LEVEL, STUDENTS MAY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EARN ALSO PARTIAL CREDIT.

BEFORE EVERYTHING HAS JUST BEEN RIGHT OR WRONG UNLESS IT'S AN ESSAY QUESTION AS BEING GRADED ON A RUBRIC.

WITH THESE NEW TECHNOLOGY-ENHANCED ITEMS, SEVERAL OF THEM, YOU CAN EARN UP TO TWO POINTS AS 0, 1 FOR PARTIAL CREDIT, OR TWO FULL POINTS.

BECAUSE SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE, ONCE AGAIN, TIED TO PROCESS, NOT JUST KNOWING HOW TO GET TO A PARTICULAR ANSWER.

THE STATE HAS PROVIDED SOME PRACTICE TESTS THAT HAVE ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT TYPES ON THEM FOR STUDENTS TO USE.

YOU'LL SEE LATER WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOW WE'VE BEEN SUPPORTING OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF AND WHATNOT.

WE'VE GIVEN THEM EXPOSURE TO THESE.

THEY'RE EMBEDDING THEM IN OUR LOCAL ASSESSMENTS AND FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THROUGH OUR [NOISE] PLATFORM TECHNOLOGY-ENHANCED ENHANCED ITEMS THAT LOOKED VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT THEY WILL SEE AND HOW THEY'RE DONE IN STAR.

[01:10:05]

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ACCOMMODATIONS, TEACHERS ARE SUPPORTING THEIR KIDS IN MULTIPLE WAYS, WHETHER THE STUDENTS NEED IT AND HAVE A PLAN FOR IT OR NOT.

THINGS LIKE CALCULATION AIDS, LINE READERS, TRANSCRIPTION, PRE-READING STRATEGIES, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.

THE PAPER VERSION OF STAR DOESN'T NECESSARILY OR WOULDN'T NECESSARILY SUPPORT ALL OF THOSE TYPES OF THINGS EASILY.

THERE ARE MORE OPTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO THE ONLINE VERSION.

ADDITIONALLY, CONTENT LANGUAGE SUPPORTS AND TEXT-TO-SPEECH ARE WAY MORE SUPPORTED HERE THAN THEY COULD EVER BE ON PAPER.

WE'LL GET TO INTERACT WITH SOME ITEM TYPES LIKE THAT WHERE IF YOU QUALIFY FOR THOSE CONTENT AND LANGUAGE SUPPORTS, BEING ABLE TO CLICK AND GET SUPPORT THROUGH EITHER RE-DESCRIPTION OR REWORDING OF A PROBLEM OR A PROMPT.

BEING ABLE TO CLICK AND SEE A PICTURE OF SOMETHING TO HELP WITH YOUR CONTENT SUPPORT THERE.

LIKE I SAID, TEXT-TO-SPEECH IS ONE THING THAT'S ON HERE AND IT'S EASY FOR THE STUDENTS TO CONTROL WHAT'S BEING READ.

THEY CAN PAUSE IT, THEY CAN CONTINUE.

BECAUSE SOME OF OUR STUDENTS MAY HAVE ACCOMMODATION FOR TEXT-TO-SPEECH, BUT THERE ARE SOME PROBLEMS WHERE THEY MAY NOT NEED IT IN THAT CONTEXT, BUT THEY MAY NEED IT FOR OTHERS, SO THEY ALSO HAVE SOME CHOICE ON WHEN TO USE IT.

RATHER THAN A TEST WHERE IF IT'S TEXT-TO-SPEECH, YOU HAD TO GET EVERYBODY TEXT-TO-SPEECH IN A ROOM AND THE TEACHER HAD TO READ EVERYTHING, AND THE STUDENT THAT DIDN'T NEED IT WOULD ANSWER THE QUESTION AND THEN JUST HAVE TO WAIT TO MOVE ON.

MAKING IT ALSO EASIER TO ADMINISTER THE TEST REALLY IN FOR WHAT THE STUDENT NEEDS AND WHAT THEY FEEL IS APPROPRIATE.

ONCE AGAIN, GOVERNING THEIR OWN EDUCATION, HELPING TO USE THINGS WHEN THEY NEED THEM, AND HAVING A VARIETY OF THINGS AVAILABLE.

LIKE I SAID, SOME OF THE TOOLS CAN BE AVAILABLE FOR EVERYBODY.

WE HAVE TOOLS THAT OUR STUDENT'S SPECIFIC ACCOMMODATIONS, THE ONES ON THE LEFT THERE, OR CONTENT-SPECIFIC, I'M SORRY, ON THE RIGHT.

BUT THERE ARE ACCESSIBILITY TOOLS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR EVERY STUDENT TO USE, SO YOU DON'T NEED AN INDIVIDUALIZED PLAN.

INCIDENCE HERE, THERE'S A SCRATCHPAD WHERE THEY CAN TAKE NOTES OR JOT THINGS DOWN AS THEY'RE MOVING THROUGH.

THEY CAN CHANGE SOME OF THE COLOR ON THINGS.

IF IT'S HARD TO READ THE BLACK TEXT ON A WHITE SCREEN, IF THEY HELP FOCUS, THEY CAN DO SOME DIFFERENT THINGS.

LINE READER WHERE THEY CAN MOVE THROUGH.

THEY CAN MARK QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW SO THEY CAN KNOW TO COME BACK TO THEM IF THEY'VE STRUGGLED AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.

REALLY MORE FLEXIBILITY IN THE ONLINE PLATFORM TO SUPPORT THEIR LEARNING, BUT ALSO SUPPORT THEIR DEMONSTRATION OF THEIR LEARNING.

THE BIGGEST QUESTION THAT COMES OUT OF ALL OF THIS IS, WELL, WE KNOW ALL THESE THINGS ARE CHANGING.

WE KNOW IT'S GOING TO LOOK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT THINGS ARE GOING TO BE SIMILAR.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE DIFFICULTY OF THE TEST? HOW IS IT GOING TO IMPACT OUR STUDENT'S SCORES, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT? THAT WILL STILL BE DETERMINED ONCE EVERYBODY GETS TO TAKE THE TEST.

HOWEVER, THE STATE IS TAKING A LOOK THROUGH, AND BASED ON INFORMATION THEY'VE COLLECTED TO THIS POINT THROUGH PILOT OR FIELD TEST ITEMS, THEY DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE TEST WILL BE ANY HARDER THAN IT HAS BEEN.

IT MAY BE DIFFERENT BUT THE RIGGER WILL STILL BE RELATIVELY THE SAME.

THE WAY THAT THEY JUSTIFY THAT IS THROUGH THE USE OF FIELD TEST QUESTIONS.

SO ON EVERY TEST, THERE ARE QUESTIONS THAT A STUDENT TAKES AND ANSWER, BUT THEY DON'T COUNT TOWARDS THEIR SCORE.

THEY DON'T KNOW WHICH ONES THOSE ARE.

WE DON'T KNOW WHICH ONES THOSE ARE.

BUT THE STATE TAKES A LOOK AT THOSE PARTICULAR QUESTIONS AND LOOK AT THE PERCENT CORRECT, AND THEY RATE THEM FROM LESS DIFFICULT TO MORE DIFFICULT.

THEY STORE THOSE ITEMS FOR POTENTIAL FUTURE USE

[01:15:03]

THE REDESIGN DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THE TEST WILL BE HARDER FOR THE STUDENTS.

SOME THINGS MAY LOOK DIFFERENT AND THE WAY THAT THEY DEMONSTRATE THEIR KNOWLEDGE WILL BE DIFFERENT, BUT THE RIGOR OF THE QUESTIONS WILL BE ABOUT THE SAME.

LIKE I SAID BEFORE, MS. BRANUM MENTIONED, WE HAVE BEEN SUPPORTING OUR CAMPUSES THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE CHANGE, ESPECIALLY THIS YEAR.

THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE TO MAKE SURE THAT IS HAPPENING.

ONCE A MONTH, WE MEET WITH ADMINISTRATORS, PRINCIPALS, THEN ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS, THEN INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES AND SPECIALIST, AND THE STAAR REDESIGN, STAAR 2.0, HAS BEEN A FOCUS ON EACH OF THOSE MONTHLY.

WE'VE TAKEN THEM INTO THE PLATFORM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE CHANGES, WE'VE HAD THEM INTERACT WITH THE CHANGES SO THEY SEE WHAT IT'S LIKE SO THEY CAN TAKE THOSE THINGS BACK.

THE ACI TEAM, THE CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION TEAM, HAVE BEEN SUPPORTING TEACHERS, GOING TO THE CAMPUSES AND HELPING THEM WORK WITH THEIR TEACHERS THROUGH THESE PROCESSES SO THEY CAN UNDERSTAND, TURN THEM AROUND TO THEIR STUDENTS.

SOME OTHER WAYS HAVE BEEN THROUGH TRAININGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED.

WE HAVE PRACTICE ITEMS IN EDUPHORIA, WHICH IS OUR LOCAL TESTING PLATFORM THAT MATCH MANY OF THE STATE ITEMS. WE'VE BEEN DOING UNIT QUIZZES THROUGH THOSE.

CAMPUS WALKTHROUGHS HAVE BEEN HAPPENING WITH THE AREA SUPERINTENDENTS TO SEE WHAT IS BEING DELIVERED ON THE CAMPUSES, IN THE CLASSROOMS AND TO HELP WITH ALIGNMENT TO THE CHANGES WE KNOW IN THE STAAR REDESIGN, SO PROVIDING THAT FEEDBACK, DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY TRAINING FOR ALL LEARNERS THROUGHOUT.

THAT IS STUDENTS/TEACHER STAFF.

HOW DO WE SUPPORT? ESPECIALLY BECAUSE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS WON'T BE AS SIMPLE AS GETTING TO ONE RIGHT ANSWER.

THROUGH THE PLCS. LESSON DELIVERY SUPPORT IN THOSE STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE USING.

A REDESIGN OF THE CURRICULUM WEBSITE TO INCLUDE MORE DAILY TYPE THINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT OBJECTIVES ARE THERE, ACTIVITIES, ANCHOR CHARTS, ETC, ARE ALL ALIGNED TO THE STAAR REDESIGN.

TO MAKE SURE THAT TEACHERS HAVE THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO PREPARE STUDENTS, NOT FOR THE TEST, BUT PREPARE STUDENTS FOR LEARNING AND DEMONSTRATING THEIR KNOWLEDGE IN DIFFERENT WAYS.

INCORPORATING AUTHENTIC SPANISH LITERACY RESOURCES AND BILINGUAL SUPPORT IN OUR EARLY GRADES.

THAT HELPS SUPPORT ON OUR TELEPOST TESTING AS WELL, NOT ONLY TO PREPARE THEM FOR STAAR IN FUTURE YEARS.

THEN WE'RE CONTINUING OUR WORK WITH LEAD FORWARD FOR TRAINING FOR ADMINISTRATORS AND TEACHERS TO LOOK AT ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES, TO LOOK AT TEACHING STRATEGIES.

CONTINUING IN ALL DIFFERENT WAYS TO SUPPORT THAT PROCESS.

ALL RIGHT, SO QUESTIONS TO THIS POINT ABOUT THE WHY, ABOUT THE HOW, AND THE WHAT, THAT'S HAPPENED SO FAR? YES, MA'AM.

>> THANK YOU. MR. CORTEZ, EVERYTHING SOUNDS GREAT.

I KNOW IT GIVES ME A LITTLE SENSE OF RELIEF BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THE STAAR IS NOT ONLY STRESSFUL FOR THE STUDENTS OR THE TEACHERS, BUT I KNOW FOR PARENTS, I KNOW WE WERE ALWAYS TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO HELP OUR STUDENTS AND TO SUPPORT THEM.

HAS THERE BEEN SOME INFORMATION THAT HAS GONE OUT TO THE PARENTS THAT THEY CAN SAY, OKAY, HOW CAN WE HELP THEM? I KNOW THAT TEA ON THEIR WEBSITE AS WELL, DO THEY HAVE ALL OF THIS? BECAUSE I KNOW IN THE PAST THEY USED TO HAVE LIKE LAST YEAR'S QUESTIONS OR SOMETHING WOULD BE ON THERE.

I KNOW FOR MYSELF AS A PARENT, I WOULD GO ON THERE AND SAY, SO THAT MY SON COULD HAVE A PRACTICE OR JUST FEEL FAMILIAR WITH HOW IT'S GOING TO BE,

[01:20:04]

>> WELL, NOT YET, BECAUSE REALLY WE'RE STILL LEARNING ABOUT IT.

I WOULD SAY WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE ARMS AROUND IT.

I WASN'T REALLY INTO RIGHT BEFORE WINTER BREAK WHERE I FELT LIKE, OKAY, I HAVE SOME CONFIDENCE TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO IT.

REALLY, YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN MARSON WALKING AROUND.

PART OF WHAT HE IS CAPTURING, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ALL START YOUR INDEPENDENT PRACTICE IN A MINUTE.

ALL OF THIS IS IN FEBRUARY, WE'RE GOING TO LAUNCH OUR BIG PARENT COMPONENT.

MY KEEPING TABS EPISODE WILL BE ALL ABOUT STAAR 2.0, STRATEGIES FOR PARENTS AND HOW THEY CAN HELP SUPPORT THEIR STUDENTS.

WE WILL HAVE INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE.

WE WILL HAVE A PARENT UNIVERSITY.

THERE WILL BE MULTIPLE MECHANISMS TO HELP BRING OUR PARENTS ALONG ON THE JOURNEY.

TEA IS IN THEIR INFANCY OF DEVELOPING MATERIALS AND RESOURCES, SO WHAT YOU ALL ARE ABOUT TO EXPERIENCE WE WILL SHARE THAT WITH PARENTS.

BECAUSE AGAIN, PARENTS CAN GET ON THE SAME WEBSITE THAT YOU ALL ARE ABOUT TO GET ON AND THEY CAN TRY SOME OF THE SAMPLE ITEMS. BUT THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF EXTRA MATERIALS OR RESOURCES BECAUSE IT IS ALSO NEW.

BUT YES, THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY WILL BE OUR BIG RELEASE.

YOU ALL ARE GETTING IT FIRST AND THEN OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY, THAT WILL BECOMING IN THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY.

>> OKAY. I THINK THAT'S GREAT.

IF IT COMES OUT IN FEBRUARY, THE TESTS ARE IN APRIL, CORRECT?

>> LATE APRIL.

>> OKAY. LATE APRIL. IT DOES GIVE PARENTS ENOUGH TIME TO LOOK AT IT AND TALK WITH THEIR CHILD, AND GET THE INFORMATION OUT IN DIFFERENT [OVERLAPPING] LANGUAGES AND BE READY.

THAT'S AWESOME. THANK YOU.

>> I WILL JUST PUT IN A PLUG TO THAT.

I THINK ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE BEEN MAPPED DISTRICT FOR THREE YEARS, IS THAT OUR STUDENTS HAVE BECOME VERY FAMILIAR WITH USING THE MAP PLATFORM IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO EXPERIENCE WITH STAAR.

A LOT OF THE FEATURES ARE VERY SIMILAR, SO THEY HAVE BEEN GAINING FLUENCY AND THAT WILL TRANSLATE INTO THE STAAR PLATFORM.

>> I WAS GOING TO ASK ABOUT THAT.

THANK YOU. MS. BRANUM.

OUR STUDENTS HAVE HAD PRACTICE WITH MAP.

IS MAP DONE THE SAME WAY, PRETTY MUCH OF THE SAME FORMAT AS WHAT STAAR IS GOING TO BE?

>> NOT EXACTLY THE SAME.

>> I WAS EXACTLY GOING TO SAY THOSE THINGS.

[LAUGHTER] THAT EXACT SENTENCE.

IT'S NOT EXACTLY THE SAME, BUT BECAUSE THERE ARE, ESPECIALLY IN OUR YOUNGER GRADES, THE WAY THAT MAP ASK THE QUESTIONS, IT'S NOT ABOUT AN ABCD AND THEN THEY MOVE ON, THEY ARE ASKING MORE ABOUT DEMONSTRATION OF KNOWLEDGE ON THINGS.

THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPONENTS WHERE THEY'RE NOT LOOKING FOR A CORRECT ANSWER.

THAT'S BEEN A QUESTION OVER THESE LAST FEW YEARS ABOUT WHY DO WE USE MAP? IS MAP A TEST? IS IT AN ASSESSMENT? FOR US, IT'S NOT, IT'S A DIAGNOSTIC.

BECAUSE WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT THAT TOOL TO DIAGNOSE THEIR NEEDS FOR LEARNING.

BECAUSE MAP DOESN'T MEASURE, DO YOU KNOW ENOUGH TO BE APPROACHES LEVEL? IT'S NOT A CRITERION-REFERENCED TEST, IT'S A NORM REFERENCE.

I'LL GO INTO THAT ON ANOTHER MEETING.

BUT IT'S REALLY ABOUT MEASURING OUR STUDENTS.

HOW ARE THEY COMPARING TO THEIR COHORT OF STUDENTS, NOT ABOUT A CERTAIN PASSING THRESHOLD.

WE USE IT TO DIAGNOSE WHAT A STUDENT IS READY TO LEARN, AND THE QUESTIONS ON THERE ARE NOT EXACTLY THE SAME, BUT THEY ARE MORE THAN JUST IN ABCD TYPE ANSWER.

>> DID YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, MS. MIGUELA?

>> I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

AS FAR AS THE TEACHERS AND THE SUPPORT, IS THERE MANDATORY TRAINING HOURS FOR OUR TEACHERS AND HOW DO YOU ALL TRY TO THAT?

>> FOR EXAMPLE, ALL OF OUR CAMPUSES USED THAT DAY BACK WHEN WE RETURNED FROM JANUARY, WHERE PRINCIPLES WERE PROVIDED, SLIDE DECKS VERY MUCH LIKE WHAT YOU ARE WALKING THROUGH, AND THAT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WAS DELIVERED AT OUR DISTRICT WIDE DAYS, ALL OF THE CURRICULUM DIRECTORS HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH ALL OF OUR TEACHERS ABOUT IT.

I THINK EVERY TEACHER HAS GONE INTO THE PLATFORM.

WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO EXPERIENCE, THEY'VE EXPERIENCED IT MULTIPLE TIMES, SO THAT THEY FEEL CONFIDENT IN KNOWING WHAT THESE ITEM TYPES LOOK LIKE AND CAN WORK IN EDUPHORIA AND OTHER TOOLS TO CREATE THOSE SAMPLES.

I HAVE GREAT CONFIDENCE.

CAN I EVER SAY THERE'S 100%? NO, BUT I HAVE GREAT CONFIDENCE.

WE HAVE DONE WHAT WE CAN WITH THE TOOLS THAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO EQUIP OUR TEACHERS TO UNDERSTAND THE TEST AND THE CHANGES TO THE ASSESSMENT. CAN WE DO MORE? ABSOLUTELY. WILL WE BE ABLE TO DO MORE NEXT YEAR AFTER WE'VE SEEN WHAT IT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE? AGAIN, BECAUSE ALL WE HAVE ARE THE SAMPLE ITEMS THAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO SEE.

[01:25:03]

BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE JUST LEARNED IS THAT THOSE ITEMS CANNOT BE LOOKED AT BY TEACHERS.

YOU CAN LOOK AT IT, HOW DID THE STUDENTS SCORE ON THE TEAK? WHAT PART DID THEY STRUGGLE WITH ON THE TEAK? BUT THE ACTUAL ITEM IS PROTECTED BY TEA, SO TEACHERS CAN LOOK AT IT AND SEE IT LIKE WHAT MAY HAVE THROWN THE KIDS OFF.

OR THEY CAN'T REALLY DO AN ITEM ANALYSIS IN THE WAY THAT THEY WOULD USUALLY.

I THINK IT WILL BE WAY FURTHER AHEAD NEXT YEAR.

BUT I HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT TEACHING AND LEARNING, OUR CAMPUS TEAMS, JACOB AND HIS TEAM, WE HAVE DONE EVERYTHING WE CAN TO EQUIP OUR TEACHERS.

>> ON THE ACCOMMODATIONS MR. CORTEZ, I LOVE THE FACT THAT SOME OF THOSE ACCOMMODATIONS ARE OPEN TO EVERYBODY, JUST TO ALL STUDENTS, BUT FOR THOSE STUDENTS THAT MIGHT HAVE A 504 PLAN OR SOMETHING, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT IS BEING LOST IN THIS NEW TRANSITION THAT THEY'RE NOT GETTING IN THIS NEW FORMAT?

>> NO, I DON'T BELIEVE SO.

IT'S BEEN AN ADDITIVE IN THAT REGARD, BECAUSE EVERYTHING THAT THEY COULD DO ON PAPER ALREADY HAS BEEN TRANSLATED INTO THE SYSTEM.

THEN ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT ARE AVAILABLE NOW BECAUSE IT'S IN AN ONLINE TYPE PLATFORM, CAN BE DIRECTED TOWARDS A STUDENT.

IT'S BEEN AN ADDITIVE.

>> PERFECT. THANK YOU. MS. TIMMY.

>> JUST ON THE AREA OF ACCOMMODATIONS.

AT THIS POINT ON THOSE ACCOMMODATIONS, THE KIDS ARE NOW IN CHARGE OF DOING THEM THEMSELVES.

IT MAKES IT FOR MORE OF WHERE THEY'RE MORE INDEPENDENTLY CHOOSING THE ACCOMMODATIONS THAT WORK FOR THEM.

WITH THE WORK ON THE IPADS AND I DON'T MEAN JUST ON TESTING OR WHATEVER, BUT IF AN ACCOMMODATION IS GOOD FOR A KID ON A TEST, IT IS GOOD FOR THEM EVERY DAY.

THEY SHOULD BE USING THAT AND THEY SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE PIECES AND IF THINGS ARE NOT WORKING, THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO CHOOSE THE OTHER ONES, BECAUSE THERE IS NO ONE ACCOMMODATION THAT WORKS FOR EVERY KID.

WE WANT THEIR ARD PAPERWORK AND WE WANT PARENTS TO FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THAT THEY'RE GETTING THOSE ACCOMMODATIONS, SO THEY'RE ABLE TO CHOOSE THOSE ON THEIR OWN VERSUS FOLKS ESSENTIALLY CHOOSING THEM FOR THEM.

>> WELL, I'LL CLARIFY THAT A LITTLE BIT.

THE ACCOMMODATIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO A STUDENT THAT COME THROUGH AN EDUCATION PLAN, HAS BEEN DECIDED ON BY ARD COMMITTEE AND EVERYTHING AND THOSE ARE AVAILABLE ON THE TEST.

IF THE STUDENT CHOOSES TO INTERACT WITH THOSE, THEY HAVE THAT CHOICE.

UNFORTUNATELY, A STUDENT CAN'T JUST SAY THAT I WANTED EVERYTHING.

IT'S STILL IS BY A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE IEP.

WE HAVE TO MEET THAT RECOMMENDATION FIRST, BUT WE DO HAVE THOSE EXTRA ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO EVERYBODY THAT DON'T COME FROM A PLAN AND THEY CAN CHOOSE TO INTERACT WITH THOSE ON THEIR OWN AS WELL.

>> I GUESS MY POINT IS IF IT'S ON THEIR IEP FOR TESTING, THEN THEY SHOULD BE USING THAT AND HAVE ACCESS TO IN DAILY INSTRUCTION AS WELL.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> THEN I FEEL LIKE THE IPADS AND SOME OF THOSE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU'RE USING INSTRUCTIONALLY WILL ALLOW FOR THAT ACCESS.

ALSO TO WHAT YOU WERE SAYING BEFORE, THEY MAY NOT NEED IT ON EVERY SINGLE PIECE, BUT IT'S AVAILABLE FOR EVERY SINGLE PIECE, [OVERLAPPING] IN THEIR DAILY CURRICULUM, BUT THEN ALSO ON ASSESSMENT AS WELL.

>> YES.

>> ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, MR. POTEET?

>> I'LL BE QUICK. [NOISE] THIS IS AN ACCOUNTING QUESTION, AND IT MAYBE PREMATURE TO HAVE A SOLUTION TO THIS.

BUT YOU SAID HOW A STAR, WE HAD A LONGITUDINAL COMPARISON FROM YEAR TO YEAR THAT WE COULD USE AND BUILD OFF OF.

EXPLAIN WITH ALL THESE CHANGES, HOW IS THAT COMPARISON FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR? WHAT'S THE THOUGHTS ON THAT? I THINK WE'LL SEE A BIG CHANGE, BUT HOW DO WE TIE THOSE TOGETHER?

>> YES. THANK YOU. THAT'S GOING TO BE A GOOD QUESTION.

THE STATE IS GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE THAT OUT AS WELL.

[LAUGHTER] I WILL SUPPORT THAT BY SAYING THAT OUR STAAR SCORES THIS YEAR, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE TAKING STAAR IN END OF APRIL, BEGINNING OF MAY, OUR SCORES ARE GOING TO BE DELAYED BY SEVERAL MORE WEEKS THAN THEY NORMALLY WOULD BE.

SIMPLY BECAUSE THE STATE IS GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK AT THE DATASET AND DETERMINE THE SCALING FOR THOSE ITEMS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE PARTIAL CREDIT TYPE ITEMS AND WHAT THAT IMPACT MAY BE.

I DON'T KNOW YET, BUT AS THE STATE CONTINUES TO LOOK AT THOSE THINGS, THEY DO SHARE INFORMATION.

ONCE I KNOW, I'LL BE HAPPY TO SHARE WITH YOU.

[01:30:03]

>> ULTIMATELY MR. POTEET THE ANSWER IS, WE REALLY DON'T KNOW?

>> YEAH. NOBODY KNOWS.

>> THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. IN SIX MONTHS, THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO BE ASKING ABOUT.

>> YES. EITHER WHICH IS GOING TO IMPACT SUMMER SCHOOL, WHICH IS GOING TO IMPACT HOW WE DELIVER INTERVENTION, WE DON'T GET ACCOUNTABILITY SCORES.

WE DON'T EXPECT TO HAVE ACCOUNTABILITY UNTIL?

>> ALMOST OCTOBER.

>> YES. PROBABLY OCTOBER.

>> YEAH. THEN HOW DOES THAT ACCOUNTABILITY IMPACT IT COMPARED TO THIS HERE.

WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT TREND LINES.

>> THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.

>> BUT TREND LINES POTENTIALLY, SO WHAT IS IT?

>> WE'RE REALLY RESETTING.

IT'S GOING TO BE A WHOLE NEW SET OF TREND LINES.

THEN YOU ALSO HAVE, IS THE STATE GOING TO RELEASE? THESE ITEMS ARE EXPENSIVE, SO ARE THEY GOING TO RELEASE THESE ITEMS SO THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM IT BECAUSE IT IS THE FIRST YEAR? THIS CREATES A WHOLE ANOTHER LEVEL OF UNCERTAINTY WITH THIS.

AGAIN, I'M NOT SAYING THAT FOR GOOD REASON, BUT IT IS A WHOLE ANOTHER LEVEL OF UNCERTAINTY AT A TIME AS MR. CORTEZ SAID AT THE BEGINNING, WE ARE TRYING TO ADDRESS THE COVID CLIMB AND IT'S JUST ANOTHER LITTLE WRINKLE IN THE WORK.

YOU GOT ONE MORE QUESTION FOR MS PACHECO?

>> THANK YOU, MR. CORTEZ.

I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT SPANISH STAAR.

IS THAT GOING TO STILL HAPPEN AND ARE THE STUDENTS WHO ARE LANGUAGE LEARNING DOING THE SAME PRACTICES WITH WRITING AND DOING EVIDENCE BASED AND READING THAT INFORMATION IN SPANISH OR [OVERLAPPING]?

>> THE TESTING REGIMEN IS STILL THERE, IT'S STILL THE SAME.

THEY'RE GETTING NEW ITEM TYPES IN THE SAME WAY.

LIKE I SAID, WE'VE BEEN DOING ONLINE TESTING NOW FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, IT'S OUR THIRD YEAR.

SECOND YEAR WITH THE CAMBIUM PLATFORM, THIS WILL BE.

YEAH. THE STAAR IS ALREADY SPANISH, IT'S ALREADY THERE.

WE'VE ALREADY BEEN USING IT.

>> EXCELLENT. MS. MCGOWAN.

>> GHETTOS THAT DON'T HAVE IEPS IN PLACE IF THERE IS A SPECIAL ACCOMMODATION THAT THE TEACHER RECOGNIZES OR PARENT, IS THAT SOMETHING THEY CAN BRING TO THE COUNSELOR'S ATTENTION AND SAY THEY WANT A CERTAIN ACCOMMODATION FOR THEIR KID ON THIS TEST?

>> PARENTS CAN ALWAYS INITIATE THE 504 PROCESS OR THE SPECIAL EDUCATION PROCESS.

A TEACHER CAN INITIATE THAT PROCESS AS WELL.

IF THEY'RE WORKING WITH A STUDENT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND THEY SEE THAT THERE IS SOMETHING OF A NEED, THEY CAN START THAT PROCESS.

>> IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THOUGH THAT AS YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, WHETHER IT'S A 504 OR A POTENTIAL SPECIAL EDUCATION NEED, THE STUDENT WOULD HAVE TO MEET QUALIFICATION CRITERIA.

YOU CAN'T JUST SAY MY CHILD WOULD JUST DO BETTER BECAUSE THAT ACCOMMODATION WOULD MEET THEIR LEARNING STYLE AND AUTOMATICALLY BE GIVEN THAT.

YOU HAVE TO QUALIFY FOR AN IEP OR QUALIFY FOR A 504, AND THEN THE ARD COMMITTEE OR THE 504 COMMITTEE WILL DECIDE, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT IS NEEDED AND ARE THEY RECEIVING THIS ON A REGULAR BASIS THAT WOULD SHOW THAT THIS ACTUALLY SUPPORTS THEIR LEARNING?

>> FOR THE GUIDED PRACTICE COMPONENT HERE, WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS TOGETHER.

REALLY TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE STUDENTS ARE GOING TO EXPERIENCE, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT TOGETHER THE FIFTH GRADE MATH STAAR PRACTICE TESTS ON THIS IPAD DEVICE.

[BACKGROUND] THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO PLAY TONIGHT.

MS. RENTERÍA, BEAT ME TO THE PUNCHLINE. YES, SHE DID.

BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A CHANCE TO EXPLORE THE NAVIGATION OF THE SYSTEM, SOME OF THE CONTENTS SUPPORTS AND ACCOMMODATIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE, AS WELL AS A FEW OF THE NEW QUESTION TYPES.

WE HAVE ALSO SHARED THE SCENARIO THAT'S HERE WITH YOU AS PART OF THE PRESENTATION, SO ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO TRY IT ON THEIR OWN ALSO HAS THE HANDOUT.

TONIGHT, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF SPECIAL HELPERS FOR US.

I DID INVITE TO HELP SUPPORT US AS WE WALK THROUGH THESE STEPS TOGETHER, WE HAVE MS RACHEL WALTERS WITH US.

SHE IS OUR DIRECTOR OF ASSESSMENT FOR THE DISTRICT.

SHE IS ALL THINGS STATE AND NATIONAL TESTING FOR US, HELP COORDINATE THAT.

I REALLY APPRECIATE IT TO HAVE RACHEL ON MY TEAM.

WE ALSO HAVE SOME TECHNOLOGY HERE TO HELP SUPPORT FOR THE TECHNOLOGY ASPECT.

I WANT TO SAY IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU-ALL UNDERSTAND REALLY JUST THE CLOSE PARTNERSHIP THAT OUR DEPARTMENT HAS WITH THE TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT AND WE HAVE HAD FOR YEARS.

THEY ARE EXTREMELY HELPFUL WHEN WE NEED SUPPORT.

THE TECHNOLOGY TEAM HELPS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE DEVICES AVAILABLE FOR TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THIS WHERE DEVICES ARE NEEDED.

[01:35:04]

WE HAVE A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT AND I'M REALLY THANKFUL FOR HENRY HALL AND HIS TEAM AND JUST HOW CLOSE CLOSELY WE'RE ABLE TO WORK.

IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU HAVE A HANDOUT ALONG WITH YOUR IPAD.

WE HAVE A CLICK SHEET THAT WE'RE GOING TO WALK THROUGH TO BASICALLY GO THROUGH AND ENSURE THAT WE'RE PICKING THE RIGHT TEST AND PICKING THE RIGHT ACCOMMODATIONS.

SOME OF THESE PROCESS, THE STUDENTS WILL END UP DOING.

THEY'LL END UP LOGGING INTO THE TEST, AND WHEN THEY TAKE THE TEST, THEY'LL HAVE A TEST TICKET THAT HAS A CODE, THEY'LL GO IN AND ENTER THAT CODE AND IT'LL TAKE THEM TO THE APPROPRIATE VERSION OF THE TEST, SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO SELECT THE TEST.

THEIR ACCOMMODATIONS AND THE ONES THAT ARE DETERMINED BY THE 504 IEP, ALPACA WILL ALREADY BE LOADED IN THE SYSTEM.

THEY WON'T GET TO CHOOSE THOSE, YOU'RE GOING TO GET TO CHOOSE THEM.

HOWEVER, SOME OF THE AUDIO FEATURES, SPEEDING UP THE VOICE OR CHANGING THE PITCH OR THINGS LIKE THAT, THEY CAN ADJUST ON THE TEST.

THEN ONCE WE GET THROUGH THESE FIRST THREE SCREENS, THE SECOND HANDOUT THAT'S STAPLED HERE, ARE GOING TO BE SOME QUESTIONS WITH SOME TARGETED THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT TOGETHER.

JUST SO YOU KNOW, THE HIGHLIGHTED OR COLOR CODED QUESTIONS, THOSE HAVE TO DEAL WITH NEW FEATURES AND NEW ITEM TYPES.

YOU'LL GET USING THIS FIFTH GRADE TEST, THAT OPPORTUNITY.

THE QUESTION IS, ARE YOU READY TO PLAY? ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A FIFTH GRADER? [LAUGHTER]

>> NO, I'M NOT. [BACKGROUND]

>> WE'RE NOT COLLECTING THE SCORES EITHER.

DON'T FEEL BAD ABOUT THAT.

LET'S GO AHEAD AND START TOGETHER.

IF YOU WILL GO AHEAD AND TURN YOUR IPAD ON, GET TO THE HOME SCREEN AND SELECT THE SECURE TEST SITE OR APP THAT WILL LOAD UP.

IF IT HASN'T BEEN USED BEFORE IT MAY ASK YOU TO SELECT YOUR STATE.

YOU MAY HAVE TO DRILL DOWN AND SELECT TEXAS BECAUSE CAMBIUM IS ACROSS MULTIPLE STATES AND WE'RE PICKING THE ONES FOR US.

BUT ONCE YOU GET THERE, IT SHOULD DEFAULT TO THE TEXAS STUDENT PROGRAM AND WE JUST GO AHEAD AND SAY, OKAY.

>> THANK YOU, ROBIN AND MORGAN FOR BEING HERE AND HELPING.

>> RACHEL, GO AHEAD. ON THE NEXT PIECE, THE NEXT THING IT'S GOING TO SHOW YOU THE SIGN-IN SCREEN.

THE STUDENTS WILL ACTUALLY SEE THIS SIGN-IN SCREEN.

BUT FOR US TODAY, WE'RE GOING TO GO TO THE PRACTICE TEST.

DOWN IN THE BOTTOM LEFT, PICK THE BUTTON THAT SAYS GO TO THE PRACTICE TEST SITE AND THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR DIALOGUE WITH TWO BUTTONS THAT ARE ALREADY SELECTED ON FOR GUEST USER AND GUEST SESSION.

WE WANT TO USE BOTH OF THOSE, SO LEAVE THEM BOTH ON AND WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND SIGN IN.

FROM HERE, WE'RE GOING TO PICK 5TH GRADE.

IT'S GOING TO ASK YOU TO SELECT GRADE LEVEL.

ONCE YOU DO, IT'S GOING TO SHOW YOU SEVERAL OPTIONS.

FOR TONIGHT, WE'RE PICKING THE 2022 STAR REDESIGNED PRACTICE TESTS.

THAT FIRST OPTION THAT'S THERE.

FOR THIS ONE, WE'RE DOING MATHS, SO YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SCROLL JUST A LITTLE BIT TO GET PAST THE READING TESTS AND SELECT THE ONE ON THE LEFT FOR THE 5TH-GRADE MATH PRACTICE TEST.

[LAUGHTER] [NOISE] [LAUGHTER] THE NEXT PAGE THAT YOU END UP ON HERE IS ONE WHERE IT'S ASKING YOU TO CHOOSE SETTINGS.

LIKE I SAID, WE'RE GOING TO SELECT SOME THINGS.

THE STUDENTS WON'T HAVE THIS OPTION.

BUT FOR THESE, WE'RE GOING TO TURN ON THE TI CALCULATOR.

WE'RE GOING TO TURN ON THE CONTENT AND LANGUAGE SUPPORTS AND THEN IF YOU SCROLL DOWN JUST A LITTLE BIT, WE'RE GOING TO PICK DOWN TOWARDS THE BOTTOM THE TEXT TO SPEECH.

NOW, THESE STAR TESTS DO HAVE TWO DIFFERENT TEXT-TO-SPEECH OPTIONS.

[01:40:02]

WE CAN PAUSE, WE CAN REREAD.

BUT THERE'S ONE CALLED AUTO TEXT TO SPEECH AND THAT IS BECAUSE SOME STUDENTS, IEP SAY THE TEST MUST BE READ TO THEM.

THAT GETS ENABLED FOR THEIR TESTS AND IT WILL LITERALLY READ EVERYTHING ON THE TEST AND THEY CANNOT MOVE TO THE NEXT QUESTION UNTIL IT IS DONE READING.

THEY ALSO CANNOT STOP OR PAUSE THE READING BECAUSE WE HAVE TO MEET THAT REQUIREMENT TO MAKE SURE THE TEST IS READ.

ONCE YOU THERE, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND SELECT THOSE THINGS AND HIT THE SELECT BUTTON.

NOW YOU'LL DO A SOUND CHECK.

THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN CHANGE THE VOLUME, YOU CAN CHANGE THE PITCH OF THE VOICE, AND YOU CAN CHANGE THE RATE THAT THE WORDS ARE READ.

I WILL SAY IN SOME OF THE PRACTICES THAT I'VE SEEN TEACHERS AND STUDENTS DO, THEY MOVE THE VOICE TO REAL LOW AND MAKE IT GO REAL SLOW BECAUSE THEY LIKE YOU'RE IN A LOW VOICE LIKE THIS READ TO YOU.

YOU SELECT YOUR OPTION OF WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE AND THEN ONCE YOU'RE DONE, CLICK, I HEARD THE VOICE.

[LAUGHTER] NOW STUDENTS, WHEN THEY'RE TAKING THIS, THEY'LL HAVE THEIR EARBUDS OR HEADPHONES.

THEY'RE HEARING THIS. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE LIKE A CONCAVITY OF SOUND ACROSS THE ROOM.

YES. NOW, YOU JUST CHANGE THE PITCH.

IF YOU MOVE IT OVER, IT'LL SAY IT HIGHER BUT IT'S STILL THE SAME THING.

[NOISE] ONCE YOU SAY I'VE HEARD THE VOICE, WE'RE GOING TO CLICK "CONTINUE" AND WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN TESTS NOW.

IT MAY ASK YOU TO CONFIRM THE APP SELF LOCK.

JUST GO AHEAD AND SAY YES TO THAT.

BECAUSE IT DOES PUT YOU INTO A LOCKDOWN BROWSER.

WHEN THE STUDENTS TAKE THEIR TEST ON THE IPAD DEVICE OR ON THE CHROMEBOOK, THEY REALLY CAN'T GET TO ANYTHING ELSE.

IT LOCKS THEM INTO THIS SO THEY CAN'T NAVIGATE TO A WEBSITE.

[NOISE] QUESTION 1 THAT'S HERE, ONCE WE'VE BEGUN THE TEST, IT'S GOING TO TAKE US TO QUESTION 1.

BEFORE WE START CLICKING THINGS, I WANT YOU TO JUST TO NOTICE THE NAVIGATION.

THERE ARE SOME WAYS THAT WE CAN CLICK NEXT.

THERE ARE SOME DIFFERENT OPTIONS AVAILABLE LIKE THE RULER AND THE HIGHLIGHTER AND DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE THERE.

JUST THOSE TYPES OF FEATURES.

BUT THE IMPORTANT ONE HERE IS THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT QUESTION 1, I WANT YOU TO CHOOSE THE ICON THAT'S THE CIRCLE WITH THE ARROW THAT POINTS TO THE LEFT.

I WANT YOU TO NOTICE HOW THAT QUESTION CHANGED.

GO AHEAD AND IT'LL TURN INTO A BLUE ARROW THAT POINTS DOWN.

YOU CAN TURN IT OFF BY CLICKING THAT BLUE ARROW ICON AS WELL.

YOU SEE HOW IT CHANGED.

THIS IS ONE OF THE CONTENT IN LANGUAGE SUPPORT THAT'S AVAILABLE.

ALSO, WHEN IT CHANGES THE QUESTION, THERE ARE SOME BOXES.

CLICK ON SOME OF THOSE DOTTED RECTANGLES THAT ARE THERE.

YOU'LL SEE IT WITHIN THE QUESTION PROMPTS.

LIKE IT SAYS, ONE BATCH OF COOKIES, AND THAT IS ENCLOSED IN A RECTANGLE.

IF YOU CLICK THE WORDS BATCH OF COOKIES, LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENS. [NOISE] [LAUGHTER]

>> I JUST WANTED TO SAY, JACOB, I THINK THAT'S AWESOME BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF TIMES AGAIN, THIS IS WHAT I WAS REFERRING TO AND HOW EQUITABLE IT IS FOR EVERYBODY BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES IT'S LIKE AS AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER, I MAY NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT BATCH MEANS YET, BUT I KNOW WHAT COOKIES LOOKS LIKE AND I KNOW IT'S A BUNCH OF COOKIES OR SOMETHING.

BUT I KNOW THAT IN THE PAST WHEN YOU DIDN'T HAVE THAT, IT WOULD GET STUCK, I WOULD LIKE WHAT IS BATCH MEAN.

>> EXACTLY.

>> THIS IS AWESOME.

>> THAT'S QUESTION 1.

THAT'S THE CONTENT AND LANGUAGE SUPPORT.

YOU SEE HOW IT CHANGES THE QUESTION PROMPT.

IT PUT A TABLE IN THERE RATHER THAN JUST WORDS.

IT ALSO GAVE YOU PICTURE CUES BUILT IN, RATHER THAN JUST A PAPER TEST WITH A DICTIONARY WHERE YOU'RE TRYING TO LOOK UP WORDS.

[01:45:06]

[LAUGHTER] THEN WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CLICK "NEXT" TO GO TO THE NEXT ITEM.

THAT NEXT IS ACTUALLY UP AT THE TOP LEFT, YOU'LL SEE AN ARROW TO GO TO THE NEXT QUESTION.

LOOKING DOWN AT THE BOTTOM, BUT IT'S NOT. IT'S UP AT THE TOP.

>> THIS IS NOT AGE APPROPRIATE.

[LAUGHTER]

>> I THINK YOU CAN CHANGE THE MAGNIFICATION.

UP THERE, THERE ARE BUTTONS TO CHANGE THE MAGNIFICATION.

THE LITTLE ICON WITH THE MAGNIFYING GLASS THAT'S PLUS OR MINUS.

FOR THOSE OF US THAT NEED SOME VISUAL SUPPORT.

[LAUGHTER] THE NEXT QUESTION.

THIS IS ONE WHERE THERE ARE POTENTIALLY TWO CORRECT ANSWERS.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU CAN PICK TWO ANSWERS? CAN YOU PICK MORE THAN TWO?

>> [BACKGROUND] [LAUGHTER]

>> ON THIS ONE, YOU CAN SELECT MORE THAN ONE ANSWER.

WHAT HAPPENS THOUGH, BEFORE YOU HIT NEXT, LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU JUST LEAVE ONE THING SELECTED AND HIT THE NEXT BUTTON.

IT WOULDN'T LET YOU DO MORE THAN TWO, RIGHT?.

BUT IT'S GOING TO PROMPT YOU TO SAY THAT YOU'VE ONLY ANSWERED ONE THING.

IF YOU CLICK YES THOUGH.

GO AHEAD AND CLICK YES, IF YOUR BOX IS STILL THERE, IT'S GOING TO LET YOU MOVE ON.

NO.

THAT'S CORRECT.

YES. EXACTLY. THAT'S WHAT SOME OF THESE SCENARIOS.

NO, EXACTLY.

THIS HAS TO BE AHEAD OF TIME.

THAT'S WHY WITH OUR TEACHERS AND HERE THIS IS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF SCENARIO.

BUT MISS WALTERS HAS PUT TOGETHER SOME EXCELLENT SCENARIOS LIKE THIS ACROSS DIFFERENT SUBJECTS AND GRADE LEVELS FOR TEACHERS TO INTERACT WITH AND THEN CONVERSELY, NOT JUST TAKE IT FOR THEM, BUT THEN TAKE IT DOWN AND SHARE WITH THEIR KIDS TOO.

QUESTION 3. THIS IS WHERE WE'RE GOING TO PRACTICE THE TEXAS SPEECH SELECTION.

THIS ONE SAYS, HIGHLIGHT THE SECOND SENTENCE.

FOR US TO HIGHLIGHT THAT SECOND SENTENCE, WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO? YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND TALK.

YOU HAVE TO LONG HOLD JUST LIKE ON YOUR IPHONE, YOU HAVE TWO LONG LONG HOLD, IT'LL GIVE YOU THE BARS AND THEN STRETCH THEM AROUND.

THEN YOU CAN PICK THE SANDWICH BUTTON, LOOKING ICON, AND PICK SPEAK SELECTION.

YOU DON'T WANT TO SPEAK THE QUESTION, JUST THE THINGS THAT YOU HIGHLIGHTED.

IT READS LIKE THIS FOR YOU BUT, YOU CAN CHANGE THAT RATE.

SOME KIDS WILL PUT IT BECAUSE THEY DON'T LIKE IT.

THEY'LL JUST PUT IT ON THE FASTEST ONE ENTITY LIKE THE MICRO MACHINES GUY.

YES. ABSOLUTELY.

>> THAT'S TEXAS, RIGHT?

>> YEAH.

[LAUGHTER] [BACKGROUND]

>> I DON'T HAVE THE COLOR GREEN, THESE GREEN ICONS ARE BUGGING ME.

[01:50:03]

>> [BACKGROUND].

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> WE'RE GOING TO ADVOCATE FOR NEW VOICES.

>> LET'S DO ONE MORE [OVERLAPPING].

>> YEAH, [OVERLAPPING] WE'VE GOT SEVERAL MORE ON HERE, BUT LET'S GO TO NUMBER 11.

LET'S JUMP TO NUMBER 11.

>> JUST CLICK THROUGH NEXT.

>> CLICK "NEXT". [BACKGROUND] HERE'S THE THING.

YOU CAN ALWAYS SKIP BACK TO ANY QUESTION THAT YOU CAME FROM, BUT YOU CANNOT JUMP FORWARD MORE THAN YOU'VE ALREADY LOOKED AT.

IF I WANTED TO GO SEE QUESTION 34 ON THIS TEST, THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE TO DO NEXT.

YES. NEXT. YES. NEXT, YES TO GET ALL THE WAY TO THE END OF THE TEST.

THAT'S A LIMITATION OF THIS PLATFORM AS WELL.

THIS IS WHERE THAT PRACTICE COMES IN.

WE WENT TO QUESTION NUMBER 11.

THIS ONE IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT ONE.

THIS ONE SAYS, ENTER THE ANSWER HERE, WHICH IS 10 AND ONE-QUARTER.

THIS IS THAT KIND OF EQUATION EDITOR.

HOW WOULD YOU ENTER 10 AND ONE-QUARTER? IT'S A FIFTH GRADER DOING THIS.

>> [BACKGROUND].

>> TEN AND ONE-QUARTER.

WE GOT TO GO TO QUESTION 11 TO GET THERE.

YOU GOT TO CLICK IT AND THEN YOU CAN USE IT.

NO, THEY ARE NOT.

[LAUGHTER] THAT'S THE THING THOUGH.

>> HOW DO I TURN THIS THING ON?IS THIS THE NEW IPHONE

>> IT'S SHOWING THAT YOU CAN ALSO ENTER AN IMPROPER FRACTION.

YOU CAN ALSO ENTER 41/4 AND IT WILL STILL RECOGNIZE THAT ANSWER AND GIVE YOU CREDIT.

IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE SIMPLIFIED.

[LAUGHTER] SO ALL RIGHT.

>> WE'RE GOING TO BRING YOU BACK TOGETHER.

>> OH, WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK.

>> RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU CAN HEAR ME.

>> I LIKE TO USE AND A HUSH CAME OVER THE CROWD AND THEN EVERYBODY GETS QUIET BY THE TIME IT'S DONE.

LIKE I SAID, THESE SCENARIOS ARE AVAILABLE FOR YOU THAT MISS WALTERS, BUT TOGETHER THEY'RE LINKED HERE ON THE PRESENTATION.

AS FAR AS RESOURCES GO, YOU'LL ASK ME ABOUT WHAT'S AVAILABLE.

TEA AND I'VE INCLUDED THESE.

THEY DO HAVE A WHOLE REDESIGN WEBSITE.

THEY HAVE AN ENTIRE PRESENTATION.

I GAVE YOU AN ABRIDGED VERSION TONIGHT OF THAT PRESENTATION, THEY HAVE AN FAQ SITE THAT IS CONTINUOUSLY UPDATED AND THEY CAN COLLECT INFORMATION FROM.

THEN THEY ALSO HAVE A SITE FOR PRACTICE AND RELEASE TESTS, JUST LIKE WE LOOKED AT.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN IPAD TO USE IT.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A CHROMEBOOK.

YOU CAN ACCESS IT THROUGH YOUR BROWSER JUST BY GOING TO THIS WEBSITE AND THEN GOING AND PICKING THE SAME KIND OF OPTIONS.

IT'LL LET YOU TAKE IT IN YOUR BROWSER AS WELL.

THE REASON WE DID IT HERE ON THE IPAD IS BECAUSE I WANTED YOU TO EXPERIENCE FROM WHAT A FIFTH GRADER OR FIFTH GRADERS WILL BE TAKING THE TEST THE SAME WAY.

NAVIGATION FEATURES, THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE FINDING, HARD TO CLICK AND STUFF.

THAT'S WHY WE'RE CONTINUING TO GET OUR STUDENTS PRACTICE.

WE'LL BE TAKING OUR INTERIM ASSESSMENTS ON THIS SAME PLATFORM.

WE SEE STAR ITEMS, WE ALSO SEE THE NAVIGATION FEATURES AND EVERYTHING TO SEE WHAT'S AVAILABLE.

[01:55:01]

IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THEY'RE A FIFTH-GRADE MATH TEACHER, THEY CAN TAKE THEM TO THE ALGEBRA ONE TEST.

THEY CAN TAKE THEM TO THE THIRD-GRADE READING TESTS JUST TO GET PRACTICE OF MOVING THROUGH THE PLATFORM AND LOOKING EXPOSURE TO THOSE NEW ITEM TYPES AND FEATURES.

I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TONIGHT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING US TO DO THIS KIND OF HANDS-ON ACTIVITY WITH YOU AND HOPEFULLY IT GIVES YOU A LITTLE MORE CONTEXT INSTEAD OF JUST LOOKING AT AND HEARING ABOUT THE CHANGES BUT ACTUALLY EXPERIENCING THEM.

WHEN WE COME BACK AND WE SEE A CHANGE IN SCORES, OR WE SEE SOME OF THOSE THINGS WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO ATTRIBUTE IT TO THOSE QUESTION TYPES.

IT MIGHT BE THE CONTENT, BUT AT LEAST WE WILL KNOW WHAT THE STUDENT MIGHT HAVE SEEN TO UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXTS FOR THOSE THINGS.

>> MR. CORTEZ, ALSO, THE LINKS THAT YOU PUT ON HERE ARE THE RESOURCES WITH TEA.

THOSE ARE ALSO IN SPANISH OR THEY'RE IN ANOTHER I MEAN, IS ALL THAT INFORMATION THERE TO ALREADY?

>> I'LL TAKE A LOOK. I DON'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.

BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IF THEY ARE, WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE LAUNCH OUR OWN WEBSITE THAT THAT INFORMATION IS THERE.

>> I KNOW WE WILL. I MEAN, I WAS JUST WONDERING LIKE IF TEA ALREADY HAD IT.

>> WE CAN CHECK. I JUST DON'T KNOW RIGHT NOW.

>> THANK YOU.

THIS WAS GREAT. I THINK I'M SMARTER THAN A FIFTH GRADER NOW. I DON'T KNOW.

I HAD TO INCREASE SO THAT I COULD SEE. HOLD ON.

MEGAN. ALRIGHT, THAT WAS GREAT.

I THINK WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS WE'LL START OUT WITH MS. TIMMY.

>> YEAH. I FEEL CONFIDENT THIS IS HAPPENING, BUT I DID JUST WANT TO GET I KNOW YOU GUYS TALKED ABOUT DOING WALKTHROUGHS AND I'M ASSUMING, ESPECIALLY WITH THINGS COMING OUT SO LATE AND SO RUSHED AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT ON YOUR WALK THROUGHS, ARE YOU GUYS, I'M ASSUMING, PRIORITIZE AND LISTENING TO TEACHERS AND THE TYPES OF SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED SO THAT YOU GUYS ARE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS FOR THEM.

I MEAN, JUST TRYING TO HURT US HERE TO GET THROUGH THAT AND LIKE THINKING OF SOMEONE TRYING TO TEACH US.

I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT THE AMOUNT OF SUPPORT THAT TEACHERS WOULD NEED WOULD BE SO VARIED.

>> YES. I WOULD SAY THAT IT CHANGES EVEN BASED UPON THE EMOTIONS OF HOW TEACHERS ARE FEELING AS THE ASSESSMENT IS GETTING CLOSER, TEACHERS' URGENCY IS GETTING EVEN STRONGER.

SO YES, WE ARE HEARING MORE AND MORE.

WE HAVE TEACHERS FOCUS GROUPS THAT WE'RE LISTENING TO AROUND WHAT OTHER SUPPORTS DO THEY NEED, BOTH IN TERMS OF CONTENT AS WELL AS IN PRACTICE AS WELL, JUST EMOTIONAL SUPPORT THAT IT'S GOING TO BE OKAY, LIKE YOU ARE DOING THE RIGHT THINGS.

IF HIGH-QUALITY TIER ONE INSTRUCTION IS HAPPENING, YOU ARE GOING TO BE PREPARING THE KIDS AND IT'S ABOUT PRACTICE.

YES, WE ARE ABSOLUTELY MAKING SURE WE'RE LISTENING AND ADJUSTING.

WE'RE ALSO REALLY HAVING LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS WITH PEER DISTRICTS BECAUSE WE'RE ALL IN THE SAME PLACE.

AS ANOTHER DISTRICT MAYBE HAS DEVELOPED A TOOL THAT WILL BE HELPFUL WE'RE USING THAT, WE'RE SHARING WHAT WE'RE DOING.

REALLY ALL OF OUR DISTRICTS ARE REALLY COLLABORATING WITH ONE ANOTHER BECAUSE THIS IS SO NEW.

>> I'M A FIRM BELIEVER OF WHY I KNOW THEY NEED PRACTICE AND I KNOW THAT YOU BELIEVE THIS TOO, THAT WE HAVE REALLY GOOD TEACHING THAT'S HAPPENING.

THE MORE REALLY GOOD TEACHING THAT'S HAPPENING, KIDS CATCH ONTO THIS LOT FASTER THAN FOLKS LIKE ME.

THEN GIVEN THE CHANCE TO SHOW THEIR KNOWLEDGE, IF WE HAVE THAT GOOD TIER-1 INSTRUCTION, THESE INTERVENTIONS LIKE THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING AND THEN JUST THE PRACTICING ON THOSE PIECES TAKES FAR LESS TIME FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR LEARNING.

>> I DO KNOW THAT THIS PART MAKES ME FEEL SUPER COMFORTABLE BECAUSE WE DID ATTEND TO A TASKY MEETING.

THE TYPING WAS A HUGE CONCERN AT THAT TIME.

TO KNOW THAT OUR KIDS ARE PRACTICING MAKES ME FEEL REALLY GOOD ABOUT THIS PIECE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM. MS. RENTERÍA.

>> I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT I THINK THAT IF WE ALL ESPECIALLY LIKE TO MISS TIMMY'S POINT, THAT WE HAVE GREAT TEACHING GOING ON AND WE HAVE A LOT OF CONTINUE THE PRACTICING.

BUT THAT'S WHY I THINK THAT PARTNERING WITH OUR PARENTS AND GETTING THAT INFORMATION OUT.

BECAUSE I THINK ALSO TO GIVE EVERYBODY A REMINDER THAT ANYTHING NEW IS DIFFERENT, IT CAN BE DIFFERENT.

IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE BAD, OR BUT IT CAN BE GOOD.

TO MS. TIMMY'S POINT THAT I THINK OUR KIDS, THEY PICK UP THEIR SPONGES.

THEY'RE GOING TO DO THAT AND THEN PARTNERING WITH SOME WONDERFUL TEACHING.

I THINK THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD.

OUR KIDS ARE GOING TO GREAT AND ALSO KUDOS TO MR. CORTEZ OR HIS TEAM TO GET TO EVERYONE, MR. HALL, THAT WE'VE BEEN PREPARING FOR

[02:00:02]

AGAIN WITH THE WHOLE IPAD UPGRADES. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE.

>> ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, QUESTIONS. ALRIGHT, BOARD.

WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS AND WE STILL HAVE QUITE A BIT OF CONTENT TO GO.

HOW ABOUT WE TAKE US A 10-MINUTE BREAK?

>> 8:10.

>> 8:10 SAYS, SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM.

WE ARE NOT IN THE AUDITORIUM TONIGHT, SO WE CAN CORRAL YOU ALL REALLY QUICKLY.

[LAUGHTER] WE ARE BACK.

OUR NEXT ITEM IS AN OVERVIEW OF THE DISTRICTS ADVANCED LEARNING PROGRAMS, BRANUM.

[III.C. Advanced Learning Programming Overview]

>> THANK YOU, MS. HARRIS. THANK YOU. BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

IF YOU REMEMBER, A YEAR AGO, REALLY STARTING THIS MEETING A YEAR AGO, WE BEGAN ON A FOUR-PART SERIES WHERE WE IMMERSE THE BOARD IN UNDERSTANDING HOW WE DEVELOP OUR CORE CONTENT AREAS.

THEN THIS PAST FALL, WE BEGAN TO PRESENT TO THE BOARD, HOW ARE WE THEN DIFFERENTIATE OUR PROGRAMMING TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS, WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH OR ENGLISH SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNERS.

OR WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BILINGUAL, ETC.

REALLY, WE HAVE A BREADTH OF PROGRAMMING IN RICHARDSON ISD TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ALL 37,000 STUDENTS.

TONIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FOCUS ON ADVANCED LEARNING.

NOW, ADVANCED LEARNING ENCOMPASSES A WHOLE LOT OF PROGRAMMING.

IT'S A FULL CONTINUUM OF PROGRAMMING AND WE'RE GOING TO BE SPENDING MOST OF TONIGHT TALKING ABOUT OUR GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS AND HOW WE DIFFERENTIATE THEIR EXPERIENCE TO MEET THEIR UNIQUE NEEDS.

I HAVE INVITED THE PHENOMENAL MONICA SIMONDS TO THE TABLE TO PRESENT THE WORK THAT SHE'S DONE.

I WANT THE BOARD TO UNDERSTAND WHO YOU ARE AT THE TABLE WITH BECAUSE THIS EDUCATIONAL LEADER IS NOT JUST RESPECTED AND BELOVED IN THIS DISTRICT, BUT SHE IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE STATES MOST WIDELY KNOWN, WIDELY RESPECTED EDUCATIONAL LEADERS IN THE AREA OF GIFTED AND TALENTED I'VE EVER HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH.

THERE ARE DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE THAT COME AND LEARN AND WORK FROM.

SHE SERVES ON EVERY GIFTED AND TALENTED LEADERSHIP ORGANIZATION THAT YOU CAN IMAGINE.

SHE'S A SERVANT LEADER, SHE'S HUMBLE, SHE'S ALL OF THOSE THINGS, AND SHE CAN NEVER LEAVE RICHARDSON ISD.[LAUGHTER] WE'RE EXCITED TO LEARN FROM HER TONIGHT AND MONICA, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO YOU.

>> WELL, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. BRANUM.

THANK YOU BOARD FOR BEING HERE.

HAPPY BOARD APPRECIATION MONTH FROM ADVANCED LEARNING.

I AM THRILLED TO BE HERE TO GIVE YOU THIS UPDATE.

WE WILL PLAY WITH THE MIC UNTIL WE GET IT RIGHT.

THANK YOU. LIKE ME A LITTLE EMOTIONAL.

LET'S GET STARTED BECAUSE THIS IS SUPER EXCITING AND I'M NOT GIVING YOU A TEST.

I WAS ALREADY ASKED, WE WILL NOT TAKE A TEST TONIGHT.

TONIGHT WE'RE GOING TO SPEND A LITTLE TIME WITH AN OVERVIEW.

WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A HIGH-LEVEL LOOK AT WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO.

THEN WE'RE GOING TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH OUR PROGRAMMING.

IT GIVES GUIDANCE INTO WHAT WE DO AND HOW AND WHY AND THEN WE'LL LOOK AT HOW THAT ITERATES IN ELEMENTARY AND THEN IN SECONDARY, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT SOME CELEBRATIONS AND THEN WE WILL LOOK AT SOME CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED AND WHAT OUR NEXT STEPS ARE.

TAKING A LOOK AT THE OVERVIEW, THE FIRST THING I WANT TO DO, I WAS EXCITED TO GET TO THIS SLIDE IS I WANT TO INTRODUCE OUR TEAM WHO IS HERE TONIGHT.

NO, WE DID NOT PLAN OUR OUTFITS.

[LAUGHTER] THAT WAS THAT'S BECAUSE WE'RE ADVANCED.

OUR AMAZING LATER, OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ADVANCED LEARNING, ELIZABETH SWANER.

COULD NOT BE HAPPIER TO HAVE HER LEADING US ALL, YOU KNOW ME.

THEN WE HAVE FOUR SPECIALISTS WITH US TONIGHT, ADVANCED LEARNING SPECIALISTS.

THE FIRST I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE IS BLAKE BOGUS.

HE JOINED OUR TEAM A YEAR-AND-A-HALF AGO.

HE WORKS PRIMARILY WITH SECONDARY AND HE SPENDS A LOT OF TIME WITH AP.

WE ALSO HAVE SARAH MOONEY, AND SHE SPENDS TIME WITH ACCELERATION AND CURRICULUM.

THE TWO OF THEM SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY AND YOU HEARD JACOB MENTION THAT WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A DEEPER DIVE INTO THAT IN A FEW MINUTES.

JASMINE PATEL IS AN ADVANCED LEARNING SPECIALIST WHO FOCUSES ON THE NATURE AND NEEDS AND SEL NEEDS OF OUR LEARNERS.

SHE IS SPENDING A LOT OF TIME IN JUNIOR HIGH RIGHT NOW, AND SHE ALSO WORKS ON THE IDENTIFICATION SIDE.

OUR NEWEST MEMBER, SAMANTHA FRITZ.

WE STOLE HER FROM WESLACO.

SHE COULD NOT WAIT TO GET TO RICHARDSON.

SHE HEARD ABOUT THE AMAZING THINGS HERE AND SO SHE HAS JOINED US AND SHE SPENDS A LOT OF TIME WORKING WITH ON-RANTS.

BUT WHAT I WANT YOU TO NOTICE IS THE RED BOX.

THIS TEAM RIGHT HERE HAS 147 YEARS OF EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE.

[02:05:03]

THAT'S A LOT OF EXPERTISE IN ONE DEPARTMENT.

I WAS NINE. [LAUGHTER] THANK YOU.

SURE. WE CAN GO WITH THAT.

FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS A BELIEF STATEMENT THAT WE HAVE IN RISD, WE BELIEVE THAT ALL LEARNERS NEED TO BE CHALLENGED WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE IDENTIFIED FOR GIFTED AND OUR OTHER SUPPORT SERVICES.

FIRST OF ALL, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT TEA REQUIRES OF US AND PROVIDES US AS GUIDANCE FOR IDENTIFICATION FOR OUR SERVICES.

THIS IS TAKEN FROM THE TEXAS STATE PLAN FOR THE EDUCATION OF GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS, MOST UPDATED VERSION IN 2019.

I BELIEVE IT'S THE THIRD ITERATION.

I UNDERLINED A COUPLE OF PIECES FOR YOU.

THE FIRST IS ADVANCED IN RELATION TO STUDENTS OF SIMILAR AGE, EXPERIENCE, OR ENVIRONMENT.

THIS IS THE PIECE THAT ALLOWS US TO PROVIDE EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR STUDENTS TO BE IDENTIFIED FOR OUR SERVICES AND TO RECEIVE THE APPROPRIATE SERVICES BASED ON THAT NEED.

FOLLOWING THAT, I HAVE UNDERLINED PRODUCED PRODUCTS AND PERFORMANCES OF PROFESSIONAL QUALITY AND THAT'S THE GOAL THAT THE STATE HAS PROVIDED FOR US.

HOWEVER, WHAT I WANT YOU TO KNOW IS THAT THESE CAN LOOK LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS.

FOR EXAMPLE, IT COULD BE A PORTFOLIO OF FINE ARTS WORK.

IT COULD BE AN AP CAPSTONE RESEARCH PROJECT AND PRESENTATION.

IT COULD BE A SCIENCE EXPERIMENT THAT GOES INTO COMPETITION.

IT COULD EVEN BE A CTE COURSE SUCH AS FIRST ROBOTICS.

LITTLE BIT OF DATA TO GET US STARTED.

THIS IS DATA THAT I PULLED ON 115 IN K12, EXCUSE ME,12 PERCENT OF OUR STUDENTS ARE IDENTIFIED FOR GIFTED SERVICES, IN 1-6, IT'S 12 PERCENT.

JUST A FEW YEARS AGO THAT WAS SIX.

THEN 7-12 IT'S SIX PERCENT.

THE STATE AVERAGE IS EIGHT PERCENT.

WHAT I WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT THIS IS THIS IS NOT A NUMBER WHERE YOU WANT TO BE BETTER THAN THE STATE OR BETTER THAN ANOTHER DISTRICT.

THIS IS IDENTIFYING A SPECIAL NEEDS POPULATION SO WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS FIND THE STUDENTS WHO NEED OUR SERVICES.

BUT IT IS A COMPARISON TO SEE WHERE WE ARE AND BENCHMARK OURSELVES AGAINST ANOTHER ENTITY, IN THIS CASE, THE WHOLE STATE.

LAST YEAR, AS MS. BRANUM MENTIONED, YOU HEARD FROM EACH OF THE FOUR CORE AREAS OF INSTRUCTION, RLA, MATH, SCIENCE, AND SOCIAL STUDIES.

TONIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO ADD ONTO THOSE PRESENTATIONS AND SHOW HOW WE SUPPORT THOSE AREAS.

ON THE LEFT YOU SEE THE FOUR QUESTIONS OF A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY.

THE FIRST QUESTION IS, WHAT DO WE WANT STUDENTS TO LEARN? THE SECOND IS, HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THEY HAVE LEARNED IT? NOW HERE'S WHERE IT GETS INTO THE PLANNING.

QUESTION THREE, WHAT DO WE DO WHEN A STUDENT DOESN'T LEARN IT? THEN QUESTION FOUR, WHAT DO WE DO WHEN STUDENTS HAVE LEARNED IT OR ALREADY KNOW IT? THAT'S WHERE ADVANCED LEARNING PROVIDES SUPPORTS THAT ARE VALUABLE TO ENSURE STUDENT GROWTH.

AS A QUICK REVIEW ON THE RIGHT, THIS IS OUR MULTI-TIERED SYSTEM OF SUPPORT GRAPHIC.

ON THE BOTTOM YOU'RE GOING TO SEE ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT CAN IMPACT A STUDENT'S LEARNING THAT THEY MAY NEED SUPPORTS FOR.

THEN ACROSS THE GREEN, THAT'S YOUR QUALITY TIER 1 INSTRUCTION.

THAT'S, WHAT DO WE WANT STUDENTS TO LEARN? ALSO HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THEY'VE LEARNED IT? NOW ON THE LEFT YOU SEE A YELLOW BOX AND A RED BOX.

THESE BOXES INDICATE WHEN STUDENTS NEED MORE SUPPORT IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN SCHOOL.

THEY ARE NOT BEING SUCCESSFUL SO WE IMPLEMENT INTERVENTIONS SO THAT WE CAN HELP THEM GROW, PROBABLY IN AN ACCELERATED FASHION SO THAT THEY CAN BE UP TO GRADE LEVEL AND MEET THE TIER 1 EXPECTATIONS.

ON THE RIGHT, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE TWO BLUE BOXES.

THOSE TWO BOXES ARE PROBABLY NOT TALKED ABOUT AS OFTEN, BUT THEY ARE JUST AS IMPACTFUL TO ENSURE THAT OUR STUDENTS GROW.

THIS IS WHERE ADVANCED LEARNING COMES INTO PLACE, AND THIS IS QUESTION FOUR.

EXCUSE ME. THIS IS THEY'VE ALREADY LEARNED IT OR THEY LEARN IT QUICKLY.

ADDRESSING THESE NEEDS IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ENSURE ALL STUDENTS GROW.

THESE STUDENTS MAY OR MAY NOT BE IDENTIFIED FOR GIFTED SERVICES.

LET'S GO INTO PROGRAMMING AND I'M GOING TO GO BACK FOR JUST A MOMENT TO THE TEXAS STATE PLAN FOR THE EDUCATION OF GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS.

REMEMBER, THAT'S THE GUIDE THAT TEA GIVES US AND GIVES US MANDATES ON WHAT WE MUST DO TO BE IN COMPLIANCE. EXCUSE ME.

THERE ARE SIX SECTIONS IN IT, THE FIDELITY OF SERVICES, AND THAT BASICALLY SAYS THAT WE WILL COMPLY WITH ALL REGULATIONS.

THE SECOND ONE IS STUDENT ASSESSMENT, AND THAT SAYS HOW AND WHEN WE NEED TO PROVIDE ASSESSMENT FOR IDENTIFICATION AND THEN MONITORING THE SUCCESS OF THOSE STUDENTS.

THE THIRD SECTION IS SERVICE DESIGN AND IT SAYS WE WILL PROVIDE

[02:10:01]

THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WORD CONTINUUM, BECAUSE THAT NEEDS TO BE ITERATED K-12, THAT IS DEVELOPED AND CONSISTENTLY IMPLEMENTED CONSISTENTLY IMPLEMENTED THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT TO MEET THE NEEDS AND REINFORCE THE STRENGTHS AND INTERESTS OF GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS.

THE CURRICULUM INSTRUCTION PART REQUIRES THAT WE MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS BY MODIFYING THE CURRICULUM IN THE AREAS OF DEPTH, COMPLEXITY, AND PACING.

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING REQUIRES THAT ALL PERSONNEL INVOLVED IN THE PLANNING, CREATION, DELIVERY, AND ADMINISTRATION OF SERVICES FOR OUR STUDENTS HAS THE KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED TO DO THOSE THINGS.

THE LAST ONE IS FAMILY AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.

IT ENSURES THE DISTRICT INVOLVES OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR FAMILIES IN SERVICES DESIGNED FOR THESE STUDENTS.

NOW THE SECOND PIECE ARE THE TWO LEVELS.

FOR EACH OF THOSE SIX SECTIONS, THERE'S TWO COLUMNS.

THE FIRST COLUMN IS ACCOUNTABILITY AND THOSE ARE THE MUST DO.

THOSE ARE THE THINGS WE MUST DO TO BE IN COMPLIANCE.

THOSE INCLUDE TEXAS EDUCATION CODE AND TEXAS ADMINISTRATIVE CODE PIECES.

THE SECOND COLUMN IS EXEMPLARY.

THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED, BUT THEY'RE GOOD TO DO, THEY'RE THINGS TO STRIVE FOR.

THERE ARE BLANKS IN SOME OF THE BOXES JUST IN CASE YOU WERE TO GO LOOK AT IT, NOT ALL OF THEM ARE ONE-TO-ONE.

NOW I WANT TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.

IN THE FAMILY AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT SECTION, IT REQUIRES THAT WE EVALUATE OUR SERVICES AND THAT WE INVOLVE OUR FAMILIES IN THAT PROCESS.

WE HAVE A GT ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND THIS SPRING WE'RE ACTUALLY EVALUATING SECTION TWO, STUDENT ASSESSMENT AND NEXT YEAR WILL BE SERVICE DESIGN AND PROBABLY CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION.

ALSO, AS PART OF THAT PROCESS, WE ARE SENDING OUT A SURVEY TO OUR FAMILIES THAT WILL GO OUT THIS SPRING.

OUR TARGET DATE IS MARCH.

I'VE TOLD YOU ABOUT THESE GT LEARNERS, THE GIFTED LEARNERS.

WE ALSO TALK ABOUT ADVANCED LEARNERS.

THERE ARE A LOT OF MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THESE GROUPS OF STUDENTS.

YOU'RE PROBABLY WONDERING, WELL, WHO ARE THEY AND WHY DO WE NEED TO PROVIDE SPECIAL SERVICES FOR THEM BESIDES THE FACT THAT TEA SAYS WE WILL, AS WELL AS A LOT OF RESEARCH.

HIGH ACHIEVING AND GT STUDENTS ARE DIFFERENT IN WHAT MOTIVATES THEM.

WHAT ALLOWS THEM TO FOCUS, AND WHAT THEIR ABILITIES MAY BE.

HIGH-ACHIEVING STUDENTS MAY BE GIFTED.

GIFTED STUDENTS MAY NOT BE HIGH-ACHIEVING.

ONE DOES NOT MEAN THE OTHER.

WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAUTIOUS ABOUT SAYING ONE.

IN FACT, THAT'S A MISCONCEPTION AS WELL.

THEY'RE GT, THEY'LL GET IT. THEY'RE GOING TO BE FINE.

THEY'RE GOING TO ACE EVERYTHING AND THAT'S NOT THE CASE AT ALL.

A HIGH-ACHIEVING STUDENT KNOWS WHAT IT TAKES TO SUCCEED.

THIS IS A BROAD STROKE STATEMENT.

IS WILLING TO PUT IN THE WORK, UNDERSTANDS THE TARGET GOAL AND WE'LL GO FOR IT.

WHEREAS A GT STUDENT INTERESTED IN THINGS HAS PASSIONS.

HAS SOME INNATE ABILITIES THAT MAY NOT TRANSLATE INTO ACHIEVEMENT IF THEY'RE NOT PASSIONATE ABOUT IT AND IF THEY ARE NOT ENGAGED IN IT.

WE'RE GOING TO TALK MORE ABOUT THAT IN A MINUTE.

TO GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF LITTLE SNIPPETS,] OF EXAMPLES.

UNDER FOCUS AND UNDERSTANDING AN ADVANCED LEARNER CAN GRASP MEANING, BUT A GT LEARNER WILL CONSTRUCT ABSTRACTIONS.

ONE OF MY FAVORITES IS THAT THE ADVANCED LEARNER KNOWS THE ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS AND THE GT LEARNER ASKS THE QUESTIONS, PROBABLY CAN'T BE ANSWERED.

IN FACT, THEY HOPE THAT YOU DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER AND THAT THEY DO.

ADVANCED ORDERS WILL WORK HARD TO PERFORM WELL.

THE GT LEARNER WILL WORK HARD IF IT INTERESTS THEM AND IF YOU HAVE ENGAGED THEM AND CONNECTED WITH THEM AND IF THEY KNOW THE PURPOSE.

THEY'RE THE ONE THAT'S GOING TO PUSH BACK IN CLASS AND GO WHY DO I NEED TO DO THIS? I ALREADY KNOW I CAN DO THIS.

WHY DO I NEED TO DO THIS? WHAT'S THE POINT? THEY NEED TO KNOW THE POINT AND IT CAN BE SEEN AS BEING RUDE OR DISRESPECTFUL WHEN REALLY THEY JUST NEED TO KNOW THEIR PURPOSE.

THESE ARE SOME OTHER GUIDING DOCUMENTS THAT PROVIDE WAYS FOR US TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS WITHIN RISD.

YOU'LL RECOGNIZE THESE GRAPHICS UP THERE.

I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT JUST A COUPLE.

THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT'S CURRENTLY UNDER REVISION GIVES US ACTIONABLE TASKS AND OUTCOMES.

THE ONE FROM 2017 WAS REALLY AWESOME WE HAVE TOTAL SCHOOL CLUSTER GROUPING, FOR EXAMPLE THAT CAME OUT OF THAT, WHICH HAS HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT ON OUR STUDENTS AND THE WAY THAT THEY CAN LEARN.

THE GRADUATE PROFILE THAT YOU ADOPTED LAST YEAR SHOWS US NOT JUST WHAT OUR GRADUATES CAN DO, BUT WHO THEY ARE TO BECOME.

FINALLY, BELOW THAT YOU SEE A GRAPHIC THAT YOU MAY NOT HAVE SEEN BEFORE.

IT'S OUR ADVANCED LEARNING GRADUATE PROFILE THAT WE HAD

[02:15:02]

WHEN STRATEGIC PLAN 2023 IS FINALIZED, WE WILL TAKE IT AND THE NEW GRADUATE PROFILE AND WE WILL MAKE OUR REVISIONS AT THAT TIME.

NOW, THESE TWO SLIDES ARE THE FUN SLIDES.

YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY. JACOB TALKED ABOUT IT.

NOW I'M GOING TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT IS DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY, CAPITALIZED D, CAPITALIZED C. THE DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY CRITICAL THINKING TOOLS WERE DEVELOPED BY DR. SANDRA CAPLAN AT UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, ALONG WITH BETTY GOULD, WHO WAS A TEACHER PRACTITIONER AT THE TIME.

THESE ICONS ARE VISUAL PROMPT.

WHAT I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT IS THE FACT THAT WE ARE OFTEN VERY VISUAL.

I BELIEVE WE TALKED ABOUT THE BATCH OF COOKIES.

I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT THESE ICONS UP HERE ON THE SCREEN AND I WANT YOU TO THINK.

IF I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU MEAN BY PATTERNS, BUT I SEE THAT ICON AND I'VE LEARNED WHAT IT MEANS TO THINK ABOUT PATTERNS, I DON'T HAVE TO STOP ANYMORE AND GO PATTERNS.

WAIT, WHAT'S PATTERNS? WHAT DECODE THAT WORD? I UNDERSTAND THE ICON.

WHAT IT DOES IS IT PAVES THE WAY FOR DEEPER AND MORE COMPLEX WAYS OF THINKING THAT IMPROVE STUDENT'S CRITICAL THINKING.

IT ALSO RAISES THE CEILING BECAUSE THIS IS FOR EVERY STUDENT IN THE CLASS.

EVERY STUDENT IN THE CLASS BENEFITS FROM HAVING THE DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY ICONS UP.

IT IS ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL FOR THE MORE ADVANCED LEARNERS TO ENSURE THAT THAT CEILING HAS BEEN RAISED.

IT IS IMPORTANT, FOR EXAMPLE THAT IF I'M GOING TO KNOW ABOUT A SUBJECT, I UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE OF IT.

NOW WE GET INTO THE CRITICAL THINKING AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE RULES INVOLVED WITH THAT SUBJECT AREA AND THAT IT MAY CHANGE OVER TIME AND THAT YOU AND I MAY HAVE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ABOUT IT.

IF YOU START THINKING ABOUT PIECES OF LITERATURE OR MAYBE A CHARACTER IN A BOOK AND A STORY IS TOLD FROM MULTIPLE CHARACTERS, THEY EACH HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE AND HAVING THOSE CLASSES THERE TO UNDERSTAND THAT'S THE THINKING THAT I'M SUPPOSED TO BE DOING, LOWERS THE MENTAL LOAD ON OUR STUDENTS AND OUR TEACHERS.

THESE CAN BE USED K12 IN EVERY CLASSROOM AND IN EVERY SUBJECT.

WHAT THAT MEANS IS THERE'S CONTINUITY AND CONSISTENCY, SO THERE'S A COMMON LANGUAGE FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED.

HERE'S YOUR NOT TEST, BUT I AM GOING TO WALK YOU THROUGH IT.

THIS IS CALLED A FRAME.

IT IS A GRAPHIC ORGANIZER THAT WE OFTEN USE WITH DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY.

IT IS NOT THE ONLY ONE.

WE HAVE TONS AND TONS OF THEM THAT THE COMPANY HAS CREATED.

THIS IS JUST ONE FOR YOU TO HAVE AN EXAMPLE.

IT'S EASY TO FOLLOW. LOOK IN THE MIDDLE.

THAT'S THE REAL QUESTION.

PUT THE FOLLOWING IN ORDER FROM LEAST TO GREATEST.

AS A STUDENT, I WOULD RESPOND BY PUTTING THEM IN ORDER FROM LEAST TO GREATEST AND THEN I WOULD BE DONE.

BUT THAT DOESN'T REALLY TELL THE TEACHER MUCH, AND IT ALSO DOESN'T PROVIDE ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO DEEPER.

WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO IS LOOK ABOVE THAT.

YOU CAN SEE THAT THE RULES ICON IS THERE.

I HAVE TO ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT STRATEGY I USED AND WAIT FOR IT, JUSTIFY MY ANSWER IN WRITING AND MATH.

NOW WE'RE WRITING IN MATH.

WE'RE WRITING ACROSS THE DISCIPLINES.

REMEMBER START 2.0, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO WRITE IN ALL OUR CLASSES.

VERY EASY TO DO RIGHT HERE.

BAM TOOK ME TWO MINUTES, PUT THIS TOGETHER FOR MY STUDENTS, AND PRETTY MUCH ANY STUDENT COULD DO THIS.

IT'S ALSO A FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT.

WHAT IF A STUDENT STRUGGLES WITH THAT, THEN I KNOW WHERE I NEED TO INTERVENE FOR THIS STUDENT.

IF YOU LOOK ON THE BOTTOM AND ON THE RIGHT, YOU'RE GOING TO NOTICE ON THE RIGHT THAT I AM NOT JUST GIVING MY STUDENTS A PROBLEM, I'M HAVING MY STUDENTS CONSTRUCT THE PROBLEM.

THAT'S CRITICAL THINKING.

YOU GO BELOW. NOW I'M CONNECTING IT TO CAREERS AND OCCUPATIONS THAT MAY USE THAT VERY SKILL.

TO THE LEFT, I'M GOING TO CONVERT THE FRACTIONS TO DECIMALS AND PERCENTS, AND I'M GOING TO LOOK FOR PATTERNS.

ARE THEY THE SAME? DO THEY DIFFER? WHAT DO THEY HAVE IN COMMON? SO I'M NOW TAKING THAT LEARNING AND CROSS-APPLYING IT TO OTHER MATHEMATICAL SKILLS THAT WILL ACTUALLY HELP SUPPORT ME WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT PERCENTS AND DECIMALS.

HOW DOES THIS LOOK IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL? FIRST, YOU GET A BIG THANK YOU FROM ME AND MY TEAM AND ALL OF OUR STUDENTS.

IN DECEMBER OF 2019, I PRESENTED TO THE BOARD THE PLAN FOR HOW WE WERE GOING TO BE MORE ALIGNED WITH HOW STUDENTS NEEDED TO LEARN AND HOW WE CAN BETTER SUPPORT OUR CAMPUSES.

THAT SPRING WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, BUT THE BOARD GAVE US SIX ADDITIONAL ALLOCATIONS SO WE COULD HAVE MORE CAMPUSES WITH ALT, ADVANCED LEARNING TEACHERS ON THEM.

THAT HAS BEEN CRUCIAL TO OUR SUCCESS.

OUR FORMER MODEL WAS BASICALLY ONE OPTION.

[02:20:03]

ONLY THE GT TEACHERS RECEIVE THE TRAINING LIKE DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY.

OUR CURRENT MODEL IS VERY DIFFERENT.

ALL ELEMENTARY GT TEACHERS OR GT TRAINED WE HAVE MULTIPLE PATHWAYS TO IDENTIFICATION, WHICH THEN WE PROVIDE TIERED SERVICES THAT ALLOWS US TO HAVE A CONTINUUM THROUGH SECONDARY.

REMEMBER, I TALKED ABOUT THAT AS BEING IMPORTANT IN THE STATE PLAN.

THE GT TEACHERS ARE THERE TO SUPPORT THE CAMPUSES.

WE'VE ADDED THE DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY FRAMEWORK AND WE'VE IMPLEMENTED RESPONSIVE ACCELERATION PATHWAY.

I'LL GO INTO RESPONSIVE ACCELERATION PATHWAY ON A NEW SLIDE IN A COUPLE DOWN THE LINE.

LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE IDENTIFY THEM.

THE MAIN THING YOU NEED TO KNOW IS THAT WE MEET THEM WHERE THEY ARE AND PROVIDE SERVICES BASED ON NEED.

STUDENTS WHO QUALIFY FOR OUR SERVICES AND ELEMENTARY ARE CLUSTERED ACCORDING TO THE TOTAL SCHOOL CLUSTER GROUPING MODEL.

GT AND HIGH-ACHIEVING STUDENTS ARE PUT TOGETHER SO THEY HAVE OTHER STUDENTS WHO THINK LIKE THEM AND WHO CAN CHALLENGE THEM IN THE SAME ROOM.

IT ALSO PROVIDES THE TEACHER AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE FEWER GROUPINGS IN THE ROOM WHILE SHE'S TRYING TO DIFFERENTIATE.

THE ADVANCED LEARNING TEACHER, WE CALL THEM ALTS MONITORS AND PROVIDES NEEDED RESOURCES THROUGH BEING IN THE PLCS FOR PULLING SMALL GROUPS SOMETIMES IN I TIME.

THE TEACHERS ARE GT TRAINED.

NOW SOME STUDENTS NEED MORE THAN THAT BECAUSE THAT'S STILL JUST ONE LEVEL.

WE DO STILL PULL STUDENTS OUT FOR TWO HOURS A WEEK WHEN THEY HAVE THAT LEVEL OF NEED.

WE IDENTIFY ELEMENTARY STUDENTS BY LOOKING FOR TWO DOMAINS OF STRENGTH.

WE LOOK FOR THE 95TH PERCENTILE, WHICH IS REALLY JUST THE TOP FIVE PERCENT OF ANY PARTICULAR GROUP.

IT COULD BE THE TOP FIVE PERCENT OF MY CAMPUS.

THE TOP FIVE PERCENT OF THE EMERGING BILINGUAL, UP FIVE PERCENT OF ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED, OR A COMBINATION OF THOSE TWO, OR TOP FIVE PERCENT OF NATIONAL NORMS. LET'S HAVE SOME FUN WITH DATA.

JACOB DOES NOT GET TO HAVE THE ONLY FUN WITH DATA.

[LAUGHTER] AND HE LAUGHED, HE COULD HAVE HAD SO MUCH FUN WITH THIS.

THIS IS MY FAVORITE SLIDE WHENEVER I PRESENT, AND I DO PRESENT IT AT CONFERENCES ALL THE TIME.

THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SLIDES THAT USUALLY GETS ME MOBBED AFTERWARDS, HOW DID YOU DO THAT AND HOW CAN WE DO IT TOO.

WHAT I WANT YOU TO KNOW IS THAT IN 1920, THAT'S THE DATA I'M GOING TO BE REFERENCING BECAUSE WE FINISHED OUR TESTING BEFORE YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN THE SPRING.

WE WERE ONE OF THE FEW DISTRICTS THAT DID THAT, I THINK.

AND SO THEY WERE SCRAMBLING BUT WE WERE SITTING ON OUR DATA.

SO IT WAS AWESOME. I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT.

I WANT YOU TO KNOW THIS IS ONLY SECOND GRADE BECAUSE FOR US TO DO A TRUE COMPARISON, WE NEED TO TEST EVERYBODY IN A GROUP.

WE TEST ALL SECOND-GRADERS.

WE ALSO TEST SIXTH GRADERS BEFORE THEY GO TO JUNIOR HIGH SO WE CAN GET A GOOD READ ON WHAT COURSES THEY NEED.

THAT'S ALSO ANOTHER GREAT THING THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO IS TEST TWO GRADE LEVELS INSTEAD OF JUST ONE.

OTHER DISTRICTS ARE REALLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO TEST YOU.

SO THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT.

WE ALREADY ARE THERE.

SO THIS IS JUST SECOND GRADE AND IT'S ALL SECOND GRADE THAT WAS TESTED.

YOU'LL NOTICE ON THE LEFT, I HAVE SELECTED SOME SCHOOLS THAT HAVE A HISTORY OF UNDERREPRESENTATION FOR OUR SERVICES.

SO THAT WAS VERY INTENTIONAL.

IF YOU'LL FOLLOW THE GRAY BOX, I'LL MOVE IT WHEN I WILL MOVE TO THE NEXT SECTION.

WHAT I WANT YOU TO NOTICE IS BEFORE WE DID TESTING THAT YEAR, I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT WHICH ONE DID I PICK AIKIN.

WE HAD 1% OF SECOND GRADE IDENTIFIED.

AFTER USING MULTIPLE PATHWAYS, WE HAD 10.

THAT'S A HUGE DIFFERENCE, LIKE THAT'S JUST UNHEARD OF.

TAKE A LOOK AT SKYVIEW.

WE HAD 3% AND WE WENT UP TO EIGHT.

I DO WANT TO SAY THOUGH, IF YOU LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS AND YOU NOTICE THEY'RE DIFFERENT.

THE GAINS WILL NOT ALL BE THE SAME, AND YOU MAY WONDER WHY.

IT'S BECAUSE THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WHERE WE'RE SETTING A BRIGHT LINE.

WHAT WE'RE DOING IS SAYING WHAT KIDS NEED OUR SERVICES.

AND SO THOSE NUMBERS WILL EBB AND FLOW.

IT'S NOT BECAUSE ONE CAMPUS DID A BETTER JOB THAN ANOTHER AT ALL.

IN FACT, WE GO IN AND DO THE TESTING.

IT'S BECAUSE KIDS ARE DIFFERENT ALL THE TIME.

I USED TO JOKE THAT, WELL, THAT YEAR, THE KIDS HAD THIS PERSONALITY AND ANOTHER YEAR THEY HAD A DIFFERENT PERSONALITY.

LOOK AT THE FIRST PURPLE COLUMN.

BY USING MULTIPLE PATHWAYS, THIS WAS THE IMPACT ON THE WHOLE CAMPUS.

BECAUSE WE TOOK THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MULTIPLE PATHWAYS AND WE USED THEM IN ALL THE GRADES.

WE USED SECOND GRADE TO GET THE FIGURES AND THEN WE CROSS-APPLIED THEM.

YOU CAN SEE AT CAROLYN BUKHAIR, WE WERE ABLE TO GET THEM AS A CAMPUS UP TO 5%.

[02:25:01]

WHAT I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT ARE THE LAST TWO COLUMNS, BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE I CAN DRILL DOWN TO INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS.

THIS IS WHERE WE CAN SAY THIS MADE A DIFFERENCE IN A CHILD'S LIFE.

I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT AUDELIA CREEK ACROSS THE TOP.

IN OUR OLD MODEL, WE HAD THREE KIDS AT THAT WHOLE CAMPUS IDENTIFIED.

USING MULTIPLE PATHWAYS TO TIERED SERVICES, WE FOUND 22 MORE FOR A TOTAL OF 25.

AT THE ACADEMY, WE WENT FROM FIVE TO 33, AND STULTS, WE WENT FROM SIX TO 27.

>> CAN I ASK A QUICK QUESTION?

>> SURE.

>> JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, MULTIPLE PATHWAYS.

YOU DID MENTION THAT FOR 1920, BUT CAN YOU JUST GIVE ME SOME CONTEXT AROUND IT SO I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU MEAN BY MULTIPLE PATHWAYS?

>> RIGHT HERE. SO AT THE BOTTOM, I'LL GO A LITTLE MORE IN-DEPTH FOR THAT.

>> NO, THAT'S FINE.

>> STUDENTS CAN MEET A CRITERIA IN ANY OF THE THREE DOMAINS OF TESTING IN ANY OF THOSE WAYS.

>> GOT YOU.

>> THEY COULD BE IN THE VERBAL TOP 5% OF THEIR CAMPUS, BUT THEY'RE IN THE QUANTITATIVE TOP 5% OF EMERGING BILINGUAL.

THEY'VE NOW MET TWO CRITERIA.

IT WAS NATIONAL NORMS, 95TH PERCENTILE IN TWO AREAS AND IT WILL ACTUALLY AT ONE TIME, THERE WAS ACHIEVEMENT TESTING BEING USED, WHEN I FIRST CAME IN 12 AND HALF YEARS AGO.

>> BUT WE'VE USED MULTIPLE PATHWAYS ALL THROUGH THIS THING.

>> FROM 1920 ON.

>> THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE.

>> MY SECOND YEAR-ISH. I HAD TO FACE MONEY, I HAD TO BUY TESTS AND BASE IT UP.

WE PHASED OUT USING WHAT'S CALLED THE ENACTS, THE NAGLIERI NONVERBAL ABILITY TEST, WHICH IS JUST A FIGURAL SPATIAL TEST.

DIDN'T GIVE US ANY INSTRUCTIONAL INFORMATION AND WE WENT TO USING WHAT'S CALLED THE COGNITIVE ABILITIES TEST.

WHEN WE GOT RID OF THE INACT, WE GOT RID OF IOWA.

ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT OUR ABILITY TESTS THAT I COULD GET INTO IS IT ACTUALLY PROVIDES INSTRUCTIONAL INFORMATION.

I WAS ON A CALL TODAY WITH THE COMPANY AND THEY WERE SHARING SOME THINGS.

THEY'RE REVAMPING A LOT OF THEIR RESOURCES BECAUSE THAT'S AN ASSESSMENT IF YOU CAN'T USE IT TO INFORM INSTRUCTION.

OUR FOCUS IS REALLY THE DATA CAN BE USED FOR THIS MUCH FOR GT, BUT THEN IT'S SO HELPFUL FOR SO MANY OTHER THINGS.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW, IS GETTING THAT INFORMATION OUT AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IT IN SECONDARY. WHAT IS RAP? RAP IS RESPONSIVE ACCELERATION PATHWAY.

WHAT I WANT TO START WITH IS DRAWING A LITTLE COMPARISON.

REMEMBERING THE MTSS GRAPHIC, AND THAT WE HAVE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF NEED.

THEN I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT IN SPECIAL STUDENTS SERVICES FOR EXAMPLE YOU HAVE SOME STUDENTS WHO HAVE SUCH A NEED THAT WE HAVE CENTRALIZED PROGRAMS FOR THEM.

THAT'S WHAT THIS WOULD BE SIMILAR TO.

THESE STUDENTS ARE OUTLIERS TO THE OUTLIERS.

THEY ARE HIGHLY ABLE AND HIGH-ACHIEVING.

IN GENERAL, THEIR SCORES ARE TOP 1% ACROSS THE BOARD ON ALL ASSESSMENTS.

BEING ABLE TO USE THREE OF OUR ALLOCATIONS TOO HAVE THESE CLASSES FOR THESE STUDENTS IS HUGE.

WE'RE ONE OF THE VERY FEW DISTRICTS THAT HAS ANYTHING LIKE THIS.

WE'RE EVEN ONE OF THE FEWER WHO USES THE MODEL WE USE, WHICH IS AN ACCELERATION MODEL.

IT'S BASED ON EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES.

IT'S THE NUMBER 1 PRACTICE YOU CAN USE FOR MEETING THE NEEDS OF YOUR MOST ABLE LEARNERS.

WE TAKE KIDS FROM GRADES 3-6.

WE BRING THEM ALL TO MST.

WE USE AN INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO THE CURRICULUM.

LOTS OF OPPORTUNITY FOR FLEXIBLE MOVEMENT, PASSION PROJECTS.

WE'RE ABLE TO GO IN.

MS. PATEL GOES IN AND WORKS WITH THEM AND EMPOWERS THE TEACHERS TO CONTINUE WORKING ON THEIR NATURE AND NEEDS.

BECAUSE THESE KIDS, I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, THEY'VE NOT HIT A BRICK WALL BEFORE.

WE HAVE A COUPLE THAT I'LL BE HONEST.

WE HAVE SOME TEARS. WE HAVE TEARS BECAUSE I CAN'T DO THIS.

IT'S BECAUSE THEY'VE NEVER HAD TO BE CHALLENGED BEFORE.

BUT I WOULD MUCH RATHER SEE THEM CHALLENGED HERE THAN WHEN THEY'RE TAKING THE SAT.

I'LL JUST PUT THAT OUT THERE.

THEY COME FROM ACROSS THE DISTRICT.

THE TEACHERS ARE SPECIALTY TEACHERS IN THEIR AREAS OF INSTRUCTION AND THEY WORK COLLABORATIVELY TOGETHER.

WE RECEIVED SUCH POSITIVE FEEDBACK AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW WE LAUNCHED IT WHEN WE STILL HAD SOME COVID PROTOCOLS IN PLACE.

SO GROUPING AND REGROUPING WAS ACTUALLY A CHALLENGE IN YEAR 1.

WE'RE ONLY IN YEAR 2, AND NOW THE WORD IS OUT AND WE HAVE PARENTS APPROACHING US.

[02:30:02]

I REALLY THINK THIS MIGHT BE WHAT HE NEEDS.

I PUT A FEW COMMENTS UP.

I JUST PULLED A FEW FROM LAST SPRING, BUT I'M GOING TO READ A COUPLE TO YOU BECAUSE I LOVE SAYING THEM.

HE LOVES SCHOOL NOW.

SHE FINALLY FITS IN THE CLASSROOM.

RAP KEPT OUR FAMILY IN RISD.

I CAN'T TELL YOU THE CONVERSATIONS I'VE HAD WITH FAMILIES, SOME WITH TEARS, FEELING OF RELIEF, BECAUSE THEIR KIDS ARE FINALLY GETTING WHAT THEY NEED.

THAT IS A HUGE CELEBRATION, WHICH WILL LEAD RIGHT INTO OUR OVERALL CELEBRATIONS FOR ELEMENTARY.

[LAUGHTER] JUST WORKED OUT THAT WAY.

ADVANCED LEARNING TEACHERS ARE IN THOSE PLCS.

THEY'RE ABLE TO SAY, HEY, QUESTION 4.

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT QUESTION 4? LET'S USE THIS ICON.

HOW CAN WE USE THIS TO DRIVE SOME BETTER QUESTIONING? INCREASED UNDERSTANDING AND USE OF DIFFERENTIATION.

WE HAVE FLEXIBLE GROUPING AND DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY.

THE PULLOUT CURRICULUM IS ALIGNED WITH THE TEKS.

COUPLE OF MY ALT SAID THE TEACHER SEE THAT I'M USING THEIR CURRICULUM AND PASTING TOOLS IN MY CLASSROOM, THE KIDS ARE EVEN NOTICING OVERLAPS AND ASKING IF THE GT TEACHERS AND OTHER TEACHERS PLAN TOGETHER.

NOW, THIS IS A CHANGE FROM A TIME WHEN THE GT TEACHERS WERE ISOLATED BECAUSE THE KIDS WERE PULLED OFF AND SENT TO ANOTHER CAMPUS.

THIS IS MARKING DIFFERENCE.

MY STUDENTS HAVE MADE A LOT OF REALLY SOLID CONNECTIONS TO THEIR CLASSROOMS, BEING ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THEIR SKILLS IN THEIR WORK AND TYING IT TOGETHER.

OUR IDENTIFIED STUDENT MAKEUP IS NOW SO MUCH CLOSER TO BEING REFLECTIVE OF OUR DISTRICT AND OUR CAMPUSES.

WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED WHAT'S CALLED JOB-EMBEDDED PD OR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING FOR OUR GT UPDATE, WHICH MEANS TEACHERS DO SOMETHING THAT THEY USE RIGHT THEN IN THEIR PLANNING, AND THEN WE GO IN AND GIVE FEEDBACK, SO IT'S RELEVANT AND TIMELY.

REALLY, THAT'S THE BEST LEARNING.

IT'S NOT DETACHED.

IT'S ALL ABOUT DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY AND THEN THEY GET TO TRY IT IN THEIR CLASSROOM AND THEN REFLECT WITH US.

IT'S MUCH MORE IMPACTFUL IN THE LONG RUN.

HERE'S ANOTHER CELEBRATION.

WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED UILA PLUS IN ELEMENTARY HAT TIP TO KELLY MUSGRAVE, ESL TEACHER AT WHITE ROCK BECAUSE SHE IS COORDINATING IT, GETTING ALL VOLUNTEERS.

I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU WE HAVE MORE THAN 550 STUDENTS SIGNED UP IN SIX AREAS FROM 30 CAMPUSES.

ALL GO INTO WHITE ROCK ON FEBRUARY 25TH.

I HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE.

THERE'S MY COMMERCIAL BREAK.

THIS IS HUGE, AND PARENTS, KELLY SAID THEY COME TO MEETINGS WITH THEIR UIL JACKETS ON, [LAUGHTER] IT'S SO CUTE.

THEY'RE VOLUNTEERING LIKE CRAZY, AND THEY'RE JUST DYING TO GET IT IN JUNIOR HIGH.

HERE'S A COUPLE OF VIDEOS TO SHARE SOME CELEBRATIONS.

I NEED TO TELL YOU. ON THE LEFT IS RHETT.

HE'S IN SECOND GRADE AT ACM NOW, BUT THIS WAS FIRST GRADE.

I KNEW I WAS GOING TO MESS IT UP. THANK YOU, BRIAN.

HE'S IN FIRST GRADE AT ACM.

THIS IS LAST YEAR'S PROJECT.

HE'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT.

HE CHOSE HIS NON-PROFIT OF TRUSTED WORLD.

THEY MADE A VIDEO ABOUT HIM.

[MUSIC] PALEONTOLOGIST.

IT'S SOMEONE WHO STUDIED DINOSAUR BONES.

>> THAT'S WHAT SIX-YEAR-OLD RHETT FERGUSON WANTS TO BE ONE DAY.

FOR NOW HE'S FOCUSED ON HIS FIRST GRADE RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT, LEARNING HOW TO BECOME AN ADVOCATE FOR A NON-PROFIT.

>> I EVEN SAW A VIDEO OF TRUSTED WORLD, SO THAT'S WHAT MADE ME THINK THAT, I REALLY LIKED IT AND THAT I CAN HELP PEOPLE.

>> YOU KNOW, THERE'S 550 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS?

>> IT'S A BUTTERFLY EFFECT.

>> THAT'S WHAT THIS SIX-YEAR-OLD TALKING ABOUT THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT.

I JUST FOUND THAT ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.

>> YOU DO LITTLE WORK, AND IT'S MAKE SOME BIG IMPACT.

>> THAT'S HOW TRUSTED WORLD DOES.

TRUSTED WORLD IS SET UP IN THE HELPING PEOPLE, HELP PEOPLE TRULY IS BUTTERFLY.

>> THERE'S ONLY SIX WORKERS IN THE WHOLE THING.

I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BETTER IF WE COULD HELP FOR A FEW DAYS.

[MUSIC]

>> WHEN WE'RE HELPING OUR PARTNERS HELP OTHER PEOPLE.

KIDS ARE SMALL STAFF, HELPING HUNDREDS OF NON-PROFITS, WHICH ENDS UP BEING THOUSANDS.

CASE MANAGERS HELPING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.

ANY EFFORT THAT'S HERE JUST MADE ACROSS THE WORLD HAS A HUGE IMPACT IN OUR COMMUNITY.

>> YOU'RE SIX YEARS OLD, AND YOU GET THE TRUSTED WORLD EXPERIENCE.

>> YEAH. I CAN EVEN TELL MY SISTER THAT'S THREE YEARS OLD.

[LAUGHTER]

[02:35:07]

>> Y'ALL THE CUTENESS.

NEXT WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM BRENTFIELD ELEMENTARIES ADMINISTRATION TEAM.

AS WELL AS THEIR ADVANCED LEARNING TEACHER, LINDSEY KAUITZSCH, WHO IS THE BRENTFIELD TEACHER OF THE YEAR.

>> HI, MY NAME IS LINDSEY KAUITZSCH AND I'M THE EVENTS LEARNING TEACHER AT BRENTFIELD ELEMENTARY.

THIS YEAR, I'VE GOT TO SIT IN ON PLCS WHERE I GET TO BE ATTUNED TO THE CURRENT NEEDS AND REQUESTS FROM TEACHERS AND STUDENTS.

ADDITIONALLY, I HAVE GOT TO PUSH IT INTO SEVERAL CLASSROOMS AT BRENTFIELD TO MODEL DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY FOR ALL STUDENTS, NOT JUST OUR GT IDENTIFY STUDENTS.

THE RESULT OF THAT HAS BEEN AMAZING.

TEACHERS ARE USING THOSE INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES IN THEIR DAY-TO-DAY CLASSES.

IT HAS RESULTED IN LOTS OF ENGAGEMENT AND LOTS OF FUN.

>> AFTER REVIEWING OUR DATA OF LAST SPRING, I SAID OUR SCHOOL-WIDE FOCUS FOR THE 22, 23 SCHOOL YEAR, OUR STUDENTS IN THE HIGH ACHIEVEMENT, LOW GROWTH PONDER ON THAT.

LINDSEY HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE ADMIN TEAM TO PULL THESE STUDENTS AND WORK WITH TEACHERS TO ENSURE THAT WE KNOW WHAT NEEDS TO BE TARGETED FOR GROWTH.

LINDSEY FOLLOWS UP WITH TEACHERS DURING POC, PLANNING, AND STAFF MEETINGS TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE A FOCUS ON THE STUDENTS.

LINDSEY HAS MODELED DEFINITELY COMPLEXITY AND THE USE OF EXTENSIONS AND OVER HALF OF THE CLASSROOM SO FAR THIS YEAR.

THIS IS ONE OF THE MANY REASONS THAT HER PEERS NOMINATED HER AS BRENTFIELD TEACHER OF THE YEAR.

>>LINDSEY CONSISTENTLY OFFERS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS FOR TEACHERS.

SHE RECENTLY HOSTED A DEAF AND COMPLEXITY TRAINING DURING OUR OCTOBER DISTRICT Y DAY.

PRIOR TO THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, SHE PULLED CURRENT AND FUTURE LESSONS THAT TEACHERS WERE GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTING.

LINDSEY BROUGHT STORY MAPS, BIG IDEA MAPS, NORMAL TALKS, AND OTHER ENGAGING STRATEGIES AS THEY MODEL THESE ACTIVITIES, AND THEN ALLOW TEACHERS TO WORK IN THEIR GRADE LEVEL TEAMS TO BEGIN EMBEDDING THESE IDEAS IN UPCOMING LESSONS.

SHE IS A MASTER AT HER CONTENT AND SHE IS WILLING TO SHARE HER WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE TO ENSURE THAT ALL TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ARE SUCCESSFUL.

SHE TRULY MODELS THAT ALL MEANS ALL.

>>LINDSEY, OUR TEACHERS AT BRENTFIELD ARE SO APPRECIATIVE OF YOU.

YOU ARE SOMEBODY WHO CAN REALLY TALK THE TALK AND WORK SOME WORK.

THAT'S WHY THEY NOMINATED YOU FOR BRENTFIELD TEACHER OF THE YEAR.

I JUST WANT TO SHARE A FEW THINGS THAT TEACHERS HAVE SAID ABOUT YOU, ABOUT WHAT AN ASSET YOU ARE TO OUR CAMPUS.

THEY HAVE SAID THAT LINDSEY HAS MADE SUCH AN IMPACT ON THE LEARNERS IN OUR GROWING GT, THEY RANT AND READ ABOUT THIS.

SHE HAS SUPPORTED MYSELF AND ADDING ENRICHMENT TO THE CLASSROOM AND MY RLA TEAM IN SMALL GROUP SUPPORT AND OTHER AREAS.

LINDSEY IS ALWAYS WILLING TO MEET WITH US ANYTIME AND SUPPORT US IN EXTENDING OUR STUDENTS THINKING.

WE'RE SO LUCKY TO HAVE REFERENCE FIELDS. IT'S VERY TRUE.

>> IS A ROCK STAR. REALLY IS.

>> HI, MY NAME IS-

>> I DID WHAT I WAS TOLD. NOW LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT SECONDARY AND HOW THIS ALL ITERATES THERE.

OUR FORMER MODEL WAS STUDENTS WERE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE ADVANCED CLASSES SUCH AS PREAP AND AP.

THE PREAP AND AP TEACHERS RECEIVE TRAINING, BUT IT WAS REALLY LIMITED TO PREAP AND AP STRATEGIES FOR THE MOST PART.

OUR CURRENT MODEL IS WE IDENTIFY STUDENTS FOR INDIVIDUALS SHELTERED COURSES.

WE'VE EXPANDED TRAINING AND SUPPORT.

THE JUNIOR HIGH STUDENTS ARE AUTOMATICALLY ENROLLED IN THE COURSES THAT THEY QUALIFY FOR AND SUPPORT FOR STRUGGLING STUDENTS IS PROVIDED TO MITIGATE ATTRITION.

THAT'S A LOT OF THE WORK THAT JASMINE PATEL IS DOING.

SHE GOES OUT AND SHE WORKS WITH THE TEACHERS TO HELP THEM USING THEIR ABILITY SCORE PROFILES TO UNDERSTAND WHO THEIR STUDENTS ARE AND WHAT THEIR AREAS OF STRENGTH MAY BE AND WHAT THEIR AREAS OF RELATIVE WEAKNESS MAY BE.

THEN SHE FOLLOWS UP TO SEE WHICH STUDENTS ARE NOT BEING SUCCESSFUL ON THE REPORT CARD.

THEN SHE WORKS WITH THE CLASSROOM TEACHER TO SEE WHAT PLANS NEED TO BE PUT IN PLACE AND WHAT STRATEGIES MAY BE MORE HELPFUL.

THEN WE ADDED DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY.

I REALLY HAVE TO SAY MRS. MOONEY AND MR. BOGUS HAVE A ROADSHOW AND THEY'VE WORKED WITH.

THEY DO. IT'S PRETTY AMAZING THEY ARE IN HOT DEMAND.

THEY DO AN AMAZING JOB OF HELPING EVERYONE SEE THE BENEFIT IN NEED TO USE DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY IN THE CLASSROOM AND IN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES.

WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL FOR WHAT THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH.

BUT HOW WE IDENTIFY THEM IS WE USE THOSE INDIVIDUAL DOMAIN SCORES.

WE IDENTIFY STUDENTS FOR GTRA, GT SCIENCE, GT SOCIAL STUDIES, AND ONCE YOU QUALIFY FOR ONE OF THOSE, YOU CONTINUE TO GO THROUGH THAT PATHWAY.

THEY CAN SELECT FROM AN ARRAY OF OPTIONS WHICH THE STATE DOES REQUIRE.

WE HAVE AN ARRAY OF OPTIONS FOR ADVANCED IN COLLEGE CREDIT-BEARING COURSES.

[02:40:01]

HERE'S A HUGE CELEBRATION, LOOKING AT AP AND ONRAMPS IN DALLAS COLLEGE, WE HAVE MORE THAN 100 WAYS TO EARN COLLEGE CREDIT, AND 20 PLUS OF THOSE ARE GT SHELTERED CLASSES.

NOW, YOU PROBABLY WONDER, WELL, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SHELTER AND CLUSTER? I DO WANT TO ADDRESS THAT WHILE WE'RE HERE TONIGHT TO GO AHEAD AND PROVIDE SOME CLARIFICATION.

SHELTERING IS WHEN ALL THE KIDS IN THE CLASS HAVE QUALIFIED FOR THAT PARTICULAR SUBJECT.

A GT SCIENCE CLASS THEY WOULD ALL BE QUALIFIED FOR GT SCIENCE.

WE KNOW THAT STUDENTS NEED THAT OPPORTUNITY.

THE GT STUDENTS NEED THAT OPPORTUNITY TO WORK TOGETHER WITH THEIR LIKE-MINDED PEERS, WITH THEIR COHORT OF SIMILAR LEARNERS, BECAUSE THEY DO HAVE AN INHERENT NEED FOR THAT.

THAT'S HOW THEY ARE CHALLENGED IN THEIR CLASS.

CLUSTERING IS ANOTHER WAY THAT WE CAN GROUP OUR STUDENTS.

THE STATE PROVIDES THAT FLEXIBILITY AND SAYS WE CAN HAVE GROUPS OF FOUR UP TO A THIRD OF THE CLASS.

THE REASON WE MIGHT NEED TO DO THIS IS THERE'S NO PERFECT CALENDAR, THERE'S NO PERFECT MASTER SCHEDULE.

I'VE BEEN DYING TO SAY THAT.

[LAUGHTER] CAMPUSES CAN USE THIS MODEL WHEN CLASSES, SCHEDULES OR ENROLLMENT IS NOT WHAT'S NEEDED TO HAVE A CLASS ACTUALLY OCCUR SO THEN THEY CAN CLUSTER THE STUDENTS.

THAT GIVES FLEXIBILITY FOR STUDENTS.

I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT KIDS WITH MULTI POTENTIALITY.

I'M AN ORCHESTRA 4, AND I'M ON THE FOOTBALL TEAM AND I DO SO, I DON'T KNOW.

THEN I KNOW I'M IN A MAGNET CLASS OR A STEM CLASS THAT'S ONLY OFFERED ONE TIME A DAY.

I MIGHT END UP WITH SOME SCHEDULING CONFLICTS THAT MAKE IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO GET MY GT CLASSES.

THEY NEED THIS FLEXIBILITY.

>> LET ME TRY. DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY HAS CHANGED THE WAY THAT I TEACH BY ALLOWING ME TO DIFFERENTIATE WITH ALL OF MY STUDENTS WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE RIGOR OR CHANGING ANY OF MY CONTENT AND ALLOWING ALL STUDENTS TO GO DEEPER INTO THE LEARNING.

THE GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS, THE ICONS, THEY LEND THEMSELVES VERY WELL TO THE COLLABORATION AND THE COMMUNICATION THAT I USE IN MY CLASSES.

I HAVE ALL GROUP WORK PROJECT-BASED LEARNING.

IT FACILITATES DISCUSSIONS WELL ON A DEEPER LEVEL, THIS BRINGS EQUITY AND EVEN EQUALITY INTO MY CLASSROOM, WHICH IS A VERY DIFFICULT THING TO DO.

I ADVOCATE FOR THEM VERY STRONGLY.

I USE THEM IN ALL OF MY CLASSES, MY ADVANCED AND MY O-LEVEL CLASSES.

IT STREAMLINES THE TEACHING PROCESS, THE PLANNING PROCESS AND WHICH IN TURN ACTUALLY STREAMLINES THE LEARNING PROCESS FOR THE KIDS.

IT'S BEEN A GAME CHANGER FOR ME.

I DON'T KNOW HOW I COULD DO WHAT I DO WITHOUT USING DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY IN MY CLASSES.

IT'S BEEN WONDERFUL TO HAVE THIS RESOURCE AND I USE IT EVERY DAY.

>> THAT'S KIMBERLY COX.

SHE IS AN AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE TEACHER AT LAKE HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL.

AP. WE CAN USE DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY.

THIS IS TURNER RING AND HE'S ONE OF THE AP STUDENTS.

>> HELLO. MY NAME IS TURNER RING.

I'M A SENIOR AT LIKE HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL AND THIS YEAR I DECIDED TO TAKE AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE FROM MS. COX.

ONE THING AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE HAS TAUGHT ME IS IT'S REALLY PUSHED ME OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE AND FORCED ME TO WORK WITH PEOPLE THAT I REALLY WOULDN'T NORMALLY WORK WITH.

IT WAS A GOOD CHOICE FOR ME PERSONALLY BECAUSE THERE'S NOT REALLY ANY OTHER CLASS LIKE IT.

I LIKE, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT MAKES THIS CLASS SO GREAT.

IT'S ALL PROJECT-BASED.

YOU GET TO WORK WITH OTHER PEOPLE.

YOU GET TO INTERACT WITH REAL-WORLD BUSINESSES AND THAT GIVES YOU CONNECTIONS WITH THE REAL-WORLD.

BECAUSE OF THOSE CONNECTIONS, YOU GAIN SUCCESS IN THE REAL-WORLD.

YOU DON'T ALWAYS GET TO WORK WITH THE PEOPLE YOU WORK WITH AND YOU DON'T ALWAYS GET TO STAY IN YOUR COMFORT ZONE WITH YOUR JOB.

IT'S GOOD TO LEARN THAT STUFF NOW IN HIGH SCHOOL.

THAT WAY WHEN YOU MAKE A MISTAKE, IT'S NOT AS COSTLY AS OUT IN THE REAL-WORLD.

IT REALLY HASN'T IMPACTED MY CAREER, BUT WHAT IT HAS DONE IS MADE ME GAIN PERSPECTIVE AND RESPECT FOR THOSE PEOPLE IN THE INDUSTRY OF ECO-FRIENDLY DEVELOPMENTS AND RECYCLING AND LANDFILLS AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.

IT MADE ME REALIZE HOW MUCH SCIENCE GOES INTO IT AND HOW REALLY IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WE AS A SOCIETY UNDERSTAND HOW THAT KIND OF STUFF HAS AN IMPACT ON OUR WORLD.

>> HE DIDN'T HAVE HIS CAREER CHANGE, BUT LISTEN TO ASHLEY.

>> TAKING AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE HAS GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO ON FIELD TRIPS AND WORK ON HANDS-ON LEARNING AND COLLABORATE WITH OTHERS THAT I NORMALLY WOULDN'T.

FIELD TRIPS LIKE GOING TO THE DEVELOPMENT SITE AND WORKING WITH BILLINGS LEE HAS GIVEN ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALIZE THAT I WAS ON THE WRONG CAREER AND I WANTED TO CHANGE MY CAREER PATH AND MADE A CHOICE.

I REALIZED I HAD A PASSION FOR SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVES.

I WANT TO INCORPORATE THAT WITH MY BUSINESS DEGREE TO HELP BUSINESSES FIND MORE PROFITABLE, SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVES.

THE COLLABORATION REQUIRED IN THIS CLASS HAS SET ME UP FOR SUCCESS IN MY FUTURE ENDEAVORS.

[02:45:04]

>> SOME CELEBRATIONS AND SECONDARY DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY THINKING TOOLS.

YOU HEARD KIMBERLEY TALK ABOUT THAT USED IN MULTIPLE SUBJECTS.

ALSO USING THE JOB EMBEDDED PROFESSIONAL LEARNING, THE JUNIOR HIGH AND HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS IMPLEMENTING DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY 7TH THROUGH 12TH.

THE HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUSES ARE EVEN OFFERING ADVANCED TRAINING TO ALL TEACHERS.

CENTER SPACE LEARNING MODEL INCORPORATED INTO CLASSROOMS SO THAT WE CAN INCREASE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT.

ALRIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME GENERAL CELEBRATIONS, A COUPLE OF CHALLENGES, AND SOME AWESOME NEXT STEPS.

WE ARE ONE OF THE FEW WITH SHELTERED SECONDARY CLASSES.

ARE ONE OF A FEW WITH AN ELEMENTARY SELF-CONTAINED PATHWAY FOR HIGHLY ABLE STUDENTS.

IT'S UNIQUE BECAUSE OF THE ACCELERATION PERSONALIZED LEARNING MODEL.

WE ARE HIGHLIGHTED ACROSS THE STATE AND NATION AS AN EXEMPLAR MODEL WE ARE SEEN AS INNOVATIVE AND COMPREHENSIVE.

WE'VE DOUBLED, TRIPLED, MAYBE EVEN MORE, THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IDENTIFIED ON CAMPUSES WITH UNDERREPRESENTATION.

WE'VE LAUNCHED THAT JOB EMBEDDED PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND WE'RE CONTINUING THE PATH TO BEING A DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY DISTRICT.

HERE ARE OUR CHALLENGES.

THE FIRST IS THE NEED TO GET TO THAT PLC QUESTION 4 CONSISTENTLY.

WE KNOW TIME IS PRECIOUS FOR TEACHERS.

BUT WE ALSO, I HOPE YOU SAW THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING TO QUESTION 4 THAT, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WE GET THERE.

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT ADVANCED LEARNERS.

I'LL SHARE A COUPLE WITH YOU.

ONE IS, WELL, THEY'RE GOING GET IT ANYWAY.

ANOTHER IS THEY'RE GOOD AT EVERYTHING.

THOSE JUST AREN'T THE CASE.

MAKING SURE THAT WE HELP THE TEACHERS CONTINUE TO UNDERSTAND THESE LEARNERS BETTER.

ALSO ADDRESSING THE SCL NEEDS OF OUR GT STUDENTS.

THEY CAN BE REALLY INTENSE.

THEY CAN FEEL DIFFERENT, AND THE FIRST TIME THEY HIT THAT CHALLENGE, THEY CAN FEEL VERY FRUSTRATED.

THEN WE OFTEN SEE IMPOSTER SYNDROME KICK IN.

WELL, I'M NOT THAT GREAT ANYWAY, AND THEY CAN INDUCE FLIGHT.

[LAUGHTER] THEY DON'T ALWAYS CHOOSE FIGHT, THEY WILL FLIGHT.

WHAT ARE OUR NEXT STEPS? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.

WE'LL CONTINUE THE CREATION, IMPLEMENTATION AND INTEGRATION OF CURRICULUM SUPPORTS LIKE DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY, THOSE STRATEGIES, THE GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS, WE CALL THEM THINKING TOOLS.

WE HAVE ANOTHER STRATEGY CALLED E3.

WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE IMPLEMENTING THOSE AND HELPING TEACHERS USE THEM.

IT HELPS THEM TO PROVIDE ENRICHMENT, EXTENSION, AND ENHANCEMENT.

WHILE STILL WORKING WITH THE TICKS, THE PLC SUPPORT BY ALTS AND SPECIALISTS, STUDENT GOAL-SETTING AND CONFERENCING.

A LOT OF TEACHERS ARE ALREADY DOING THAT.

THEY'RE SETTING EFFECTIVE AND ACADEMIC GROWTH GOALS.

THAT ANALYSIS, THERE IS A REPORT WHERE WE CAN DRILL DOWN.

WE'VE HAD GT ADDED SO WE CAN DRILL DOWN AND SEE INDIVIDUAL GT STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT GROWING LIKE THEY OUGHT TO.

THE ALTS CAN GO AND TALK TO THE TEACHER SPECIFICALLY, HEY, THIS STUDENT IS NOT GROWING.

WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE SURE THAT HE'S BEING CHALLENGED APPROPRIATELY? WE'LL CONTINUE OUR JOB EMBEDDED PROFESSIONAL LEARNING, WHERE WE CAN GIVE IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK.

EXCUSE ME, THEY CAN USE IT IMMEDIATELY AND THEN WE CAN GIVE FEEDBACK FOR IT.

THEN EXPANDING ACADEMIC COMPETITIONS, TAKING THAT UILA PLUS INTO JUNIOR HIGHS AND REVITALIZING OUR HIGH SCHOOL UIL ACADEMIC TEAMS. TO WRAP IT UP, YOU'VE SEEN THIS GRAPHIC BEFORE, BUT THIS IS WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT.

WE BELIEVE THIS TOO, EVERY CHILD NEEDS TO BE CHALLENGED EVERY DAY REGARDLESS OF WHAT SUPPORT SERVICES THEY'VE BEEN IDENTIFIED TO RECEIVE.

WE'RE HERE FOR IT, WE'RE HERE TO HELP PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES ESPECIALLY WITH THE ADVANCED LEARNERS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?

>> ALRIGHT, THIS WAS GREAT.

>> BOARD, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, MS. TIMMY?

>> I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS, NOT REALLY QUESTIONS, BUT I DO.

I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, I REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST CAME IN IN TEACHING IN THE DISTRICT, I HONESTLY DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING.

YOU JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW, RIGHT IN THAT MOMENT IS TRYING NOT TO CRY EVERY DAY AS FIRST-YEAR TEACHER.

BUT LIKE I REMEMBER THAT THE PREVAILING THEORY WAS THAT YOU JUST GIVE THEM MORE WORK OF THE SAME KIND OR BUSY WORK OR THINGS LIKE THAT.

THERE WASN'T REALLY ANY GT TRAINING WHATSOEVER.

THEN AS I PROGRESS IN MY CAREER AND I WATCHED OVER TIME AND THAT WAS AROUND THE TIME THAT YOU CAME IN, AND I ACTUALLY HAD SOME REALLY GREAT TEACHERS IN THE GTR OVER AT HAMILTON PARK.

WE WATCHED THE PIECE AND THERE WAS SUCH A GREAT UNDERSTANDING AND CONTINUING TO BUILD ON THAT RGT KIDS OR GT ALL THE TIME, NOT JUST THE TIME THEY'RE IN THAT GT CLASSROOM AT THE TIME.

THEN REALLY THE TRAINING OF THE TEACHERS AND THE BUILDING OF THAT REALLY MADE SUCH A DIFFERENCE, AND THOSE STUDENTS HAVE NEEDS JUST LIKE ANY SPECIAL POPULATION, AND THEY DESERVE THAT CHALLENGE IN THAT GROWTH EVERY YEAR.

[02:50:02]

THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO SAY IS THAT, AND I'VE TOLD MS. RENTERÍA THIS BEFORE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT.

WHEN I WAS OVER AT RISD ACADEMY AND I WAS THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL THERE, AND WE HAD 1,100 STUDENTS.

I REMEMBER ONE DAY I WALKED OUTSIDE AND THERE WERE TWO KIDS THAT WERE WAITING FOR A BUS BECAUSE THEY WERE THE ONLY TWO GT KIDS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN THAT SCHOOL.

I REMEMBER THINKING THAT'S JUST NOT TRUE.

LIKE IT IS WHAT IT IS, BUT THAT'S JUST NOT TRUE.

NOW, I LOOK AT IT AND I LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS, AND IT JUST GOES TO SHOW THE RESPONSE AND UNDERSTANDING THE ATTENTION, AND IT MAKES ME EXTREMELY HAPPY TO SEE HOW MANY KIDS ARE GETTING SERVICES.

NOT EVERY HIGH-ACHIEVING KID HAS GT, NOT EVERY KID WHO'S DOING REALLY WELL IN SCHOOL HAS GT, BUT THAT IS A VERY REAL POPULATION THAT NEEDS SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR PROVIDING GREAT SERVICES, AND I JUST WANT THE COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND HOW FAR THIS PROGRAM HAS COME.

WHEN I LOOK AT THOSE NEXT STEPS, HOW MUCH FURTHER I KNOW IT WILL GO, AND I'M PROUD OF PREVIOUS BOARDS WHO'VE SUPPORTED THAT AND ALLOCATED THOSE RESOURCES TO ENSURE THAT HAPPENS, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THAT SUPPORT.

>> YES, ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU. MS. TIMMY.

>> IF I CAN JUST SAY THAT DATA SLIDE, THAT IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE OUTCOMES THAT WE HAVE ON OUR EQUITY JOURNEY.

LIKE THAT'S WHAT THE EQUITY JOURNEY IS ABOUT.

IT'S ABOUT ENSURING THAT WE SEE EACH AND EVERY STUDENT AND WE PROVIDE THEM WITH WHAT THEY NEED TO GROW AND BE SUCCESSFUL.

>> I WANT TO ALSO SAY TOO, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU REALLY LOOK AT ISSUES THAT ARE AT HAND, AND YOU REALLY LOOK AT WHERE OPPORTUNITIES HAD NOT BEEN PROVIDED, AND YOU REALLY LOOK AT RECTIFYING THAT IN A WAY THAT'S MEANINGFUL AND LIFE-CHANGING FOR THOSE STUDENTS.

THAT'S A VERY REAL WAY FOR SURE.

>> ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.

ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? YEAH, MR. PARTY.

>> I KNOW EARLY IN THE PRESENTATION, YOU TALKED ABOUT ENGAGEMENT AS A KEY PIECE OF ALL OF THIS.

I THINK UNDER THE STATE, I FORGET THE LISTING OF THE STATE REQUIREMENTS THAT HAD FAMILY AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, SO I KNOW WE'RE DOING A LOT OF WORK AS A DISTRICT.

I'M REALLY ENGAGING COMMUNITIES THAT MAYBE THEY ARE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, MAYBE THEY'RE REFUGEE POPULATION, WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO MAKE A BIG PUSH TO ENGAGE THOSE.

WHAT'S YOUR ALL'S PART OF THAT ENGAGEMENT, AND HOW YOU TACKLE ON THAT, AND HOW IS THAT GOING, AND HOW'S THAT LINCOLN ON THE NEXT STEPS AND STUFF?

>> I'M GLAD YOU ASKED. WE HAVE FIVE BILINGUAL TEACHERS AT ALTS, AND WE ALSO HAVE STRATEGIES IN SPANISH, SO WE HAVE CARDS AND MAGNETS IN SPANISH.

WE GAVE THE BILINGUAL TEACHERS TAUGHT CARDS.

THEY'VE TIED TO SIDLES SEVEN STEPS, AND DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY LIKE MARRIED THE TWO.

A VERY DEAR FRIEND OF MINE HAS HER FOOT IN BOTH WORLDS AND WORKS FOR SIDLES DOES WORK FOR THE DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY COMPANY, AND SO WE ARE WORKING VERY CLOSELY IN TRYING TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE PULLING THE ROPE IN THE SAME DIRECTION.

WE SEND OUT COMMUNICATIONS USING SMALLER SO THAT IT CAN BE TRANSLATED AND IT'S ACCESSIBLE.

THE OTHER THING IS THE UNIVERSAL SCREENING IS A BIG PART OF IT BECAUSE YOU MAY NOT RECOGNIZE THAT THE STUDENT NEEDS TO BE REFERRED AND THE OTHER GRADES BESIDES THE TWO AND SIX ARE REFERRAL ONLY.

A TEACHER HAS TO RECOGNIZE IT, OR A FAMILY MEMBER, THE ADULT IN THE HOME HAS TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE STUDENT HAS SOMETHING, AND THAT'S NOT ALWAYS THE CASE.

THE OTHER THING IS HAVING THE ALTS ON THE CAMPUSES WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME, SO THEY COULD BECOME A PART OF THAT COMMUNITY.

THEY COULD LEARN WHAT THE COMMUNITY AT SPRING VALLEY IS LIKE.

THEY KNOW THE TEACHERS AND THE TEACHER STOPPED THEM IN THE HALL AND KNOW THEIR NAME AND SAY, CAN YOU COME IN HERE AND WORK WITH ME? I HAVE THIS PARENT WHO I REALLY THINK THIS CHILD NEEDS ME, CAN YOU HELP ME TALK TO THIS PARENT? THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO RIGHT NOW, IS JUST CONTINUED TO EMBED OURSELVES ON THE CAMPUSES AND BE A PART OF THAT CAMPUS COMMUNITY SO WE UNDERSTAND.

BECAUSE I'LL TELL YOU EACH CAMPUS NEEDS SOMETHING DIFFERENT, AND SO I DO HAVE SOME TEACHERS WHO HAVE TO GO TO CAMPUSES AND THERE ARE TWO CAMPUSES ARE DIFFERENT, BUT THEY LEARNED THE TWO AND THEY PROVIDE THEM WHAT THEY NEED.

A REAL TANGIBLE EXAMPLE OF THAT IS AS A PARENT, SO CASES IN SECOND GRADE, HE IS GOING THROUGH TESTING THIS WEEK.

THE CAMPUS ALT GAVE US IN OUR NEWSLETTER VERY SPECIFIC THINGS ABOUT THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS, THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.

ALSO, THERE IS A TIME WHEN BEING IDENTIFIED GT IT WAS LIKE HAVING A STICKER ON THE BACK OF YOUR CAR LIKE IT WAS A BADGE OF HONOR.

REALLY HELPING PARENTS UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS PROCESS IS ABOUT,

[02:55:03]

IT'S ABOUT IDENTIFYING THEIR NEED AND THEN SERVICING THEIR NEED.

THAT EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT IDENTIFIED GT, AND I THINK THIS IS WHAT I LOVE SO MUCH ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE DONE.

IS EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT IDENTIFIED GT, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GET SERVICES.

WE'RE STILL GOING TO PROVIDE SUPPORT AND WE'RE STILL GOING TO CHALLENGE THEM, BUT THAT PROGRAMMING MAY LOOK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN SOMEONE WHO IS IDENTIFIED GT.

SHE IS AN ALT HAS DONE THAT TO HELP ALL PARENTS UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS.

SHE MEETS WITH PARENTS, SHE DOES ZOOMS TO EDUCATE US ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, WHAT WE SHOULD EXPECT TO SEE IN THE CLASSROOM.

IF YOUR CHILD IS GT AND NOT GROWING, WHAT SHOULD YOU BE LOOKING FOR, HOW DO YOU HELP AT HOME AND HOW DO YOU ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS OF YOUR CLASSROOM TEACHER? THOSE ARE JUST VERY TANGIBLE WAYS THAT CAMPUS SUPPORT IS REALLY SUPPORTING PARENTS.

>> IF I COULD FOLLOW UP REAL QUICK.

IT'S FUNNY, YOU SAID GROWTH, SO THAT I HAD A NOTE HERE.

WITH OUR NORTH STAR THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ARE REAL HYPER-FOCUSED ON GROWTH.

I WAS SURPRISED THAT THAT'S A CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE, BUT THEN THINKING ABOUT IT, IT'S LIKE ANY OTHER POPULATION REALLY IF GROWTH CAN BE A CHALLENGE HERE JUST LIKE ANYWHERE ELSE.

I SEE THAT WE DO TALK ABOUT THAT AS THE MAT, THAT ANALYSIS ON NEXT STEPS.

CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MAYBE THAT CHALLENGE ON THE GROWTH AND HOW WE TACKLE THAT A LITTLE BIT?

>> I WANT TO OPEN AND THEN I'LL LET MONICA TAKE OVER BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS WHEN I'M TALKING TO ANY PRINCIPAL AND THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THEIR MAP DATA.

THE FIRST CHALLENGE THAT THEY HAVE, ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH ACHIEVERS AND OUR GIFTED AND TALENTED, IS WHEN TEACHERS PRIORITIZING THEIR TIME AND THEIR PLANNING, THERE TENDS TO BE A BELIEF FOR A MINDSET OF I KNOW THEY'RE ON GRADE LEVEL, THEY'VE GOT THIS.

I'VE GOT TO FOCUS MY ENERGY AND MY ATTENTION ON THOSE THAT I HAVE TO ACCELERATE.

I THINK THAT'S WHY THE WORK WITH DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S A USER-FRIENDLY, TIME-FRIENDLY WAY TO THINK ABOUT MY PLANNING THAT WILL HELP GROW ALL KIDS.

BUT THAT MINDSET IS THE THING THAT I WOULD SAY IS THE CHALLENGE AND IS HELPING EVERY TEACHER UNDERSTAND.

WE HAVE TO ENSURE A YEAR'S WORTH OF GROWTH FOR EVERY CHILD, AND I'LL LET YOU TAKE IT FROM THERE.

>> FIRST OF ALL, THE ANSWER I CAN TELL YOU IS 40 DIFFERENT THINGS BECAUSE THERE'S 40 CAMPUSES.

I HAVE SOME ALTS WHO ARE PULLING SMALL GROUPS AND I TIME SO THEY CAN WORK WITH THEM ON SOME VERY SPECIFIC WAYS THAT THEY CAN GROW.

WE HAVE ALTS WHO PUSH INTO CLASSROOMS, WE'VE HAD CO-TEACHING, WE'VE HAD MODELING, AND SO THAT IS GOING ON AND THEN THEY ARE IN THE PLCS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

I JUST MADE SOME SHIFTS SO I COULD GET SOME ALTS IN MORE PLCS BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE PLANNING TAKES PLACE AND THAT'S WHERE IT'S HERE LET'S TRY THIS STRATEGY.

LET'S PULL THIS GRAPHIC ORGANIZER, OR THIS THINKING TOOL BECAUSE IT CAN BE USED WITH ALL THE KIDS.

I MIGHT TWEAK A COUPLE OF THE QUESTIONS FOR DIFFERENT STUDENTS, BUT BEING ABLE TO PULL THE MAP DATA, WHICH WE'RE WAITING ON IT TO BE RELEASED WHERE I CAN DRILL DOWN STUDENT BY STUDENT.

NOW I'M NOT MAKING ANY GENERALIZATIONS, I KNOW EXACTLY WHICH STUDENTS IN THAT CLASS ARE HIGH-ACHIEVING, LOW GROWTH, AND WE CAN GO IN AND TARGET THEM VERY SPECIFICALLY.

THAT'S GOING TO BE WHAT HAPPENS NOW THAT WE HAVE OUR MIDDLE-OF-THE-YEAR MAP DATA, WE'LL BE ABLE TO DRILL DOWN AND GET THAT.

THEN WE CAN HAVE SOME VERY SPECIFIC CONVERSATIONS, RIGHT NOW THEY'RE GENERALIZED, BUT THEY WILL BE VERY SPECIFIC AND KID BY KID, SO NOW WE'RE ADDRESSING INDIVIDUAL CHILDREN MEETING THEM WHERE THEY ARE.

I DO WANT TO SAY THOUGH YOU'RE RIGHT.

THE HIGHER THE CHILD SCORES, THE HARDER IT IS TO GROW.

I WILL SAY MS. MOONEY IS LIKE OUR MAP STAR OVER THERE, SHE IS MAPPED GENIUS AND SHE HELPS US A LOT.

SHE CAN PULL THOSE REPORTS AND SHE KNOWS WHICH REPORTS WILL HELP WHO, AND SHE WORKS ON CAMPUSES WITH THE PLCS AS WELL, AND SHE IS THE DIRECT SUPPORT FOR THE ALTS IN DOING THAT.

>> GOOD STUFF.

IT ISN'T THAT MR. EAGER.

>> I WAS JUST CURIOUS SINCE ON THE SPECTRUM, YOU FIND A LOT OF OVERLAP IN THAT ASPECT BECAUSE A LOT OF CASES THERE WILL BE AN EXTREME LEVEL OF RESILIENCE IN PARTICULAR AREAS THAN IN OTHER AREAS.

I WAS JUST TRYING TO SEE THE OVERLAP FOR OUR POPULATION OF STUDENTS THERE WITH OUR GT.

>> THOSE ARE CALLED TWICE EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS IF THEY ARE GIFTED AND, AND WHAT WE KNOW IS WHENEVER A STUDENT IS QUALIFIED FOR GT SERVICES AND I DO NEED TO SAY THAT WE DON'T USE AN IQ TEST, THEY'VE QUALIFIED FOR GT SERVICES AND THEY ALSO RECEIVED SOME OTHER SUPPORT SERVICE WE

[03:00:05]

IT'S BECAUSE WE SHOULD ALWAYS BE STRENGTHS FOCUSED IF YOU FOCUS ON THE STRENGTHS, THE OTHER THINGS WILL COME ALONG I FIRMLY BELIEVE IN THAT.

I CAN'T TELL YOU THERE'S A STRONG CORRELATION OR NOT, BECAUSE THAT GETS REALLY TRICKY INTO SOME DATA, AND IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, I'LL HOOK YOU UP WITH PEOPLE AT BRIDGES WHICH THAT'S THEIR FOCUS.

BUT YES, THERE IS AN OVERLAP TO A DEGREE IN THAT WE HAVE TWICE AND THRICE EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS AND WE DO ADDRESS THEM BY WORKING ON THEIR STRENGTHS.

>> GREAT.

ANYTHING ELSE? MS. PACHECO.

>> GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION.

AS YOU WERE TALKING I HAD QUESTIONS AND THEN YOU ANSWERED MY QUESTIONS SO THAT WAS GREAT.

ONE OF THEM WAS HOW YOU IDENTIFIED STUDENTS BEFORE AND HOW NOW YOU IDENTIFIED IN DOUBLED AND TRIPLED NUMBERS WHICH I THINK IS REALLY GREAT WITH YOUR MULTIPLE PATHWAYS TO IDENTIFY.

BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION WHEN YOU HAVE THESE MULTIPLE PATHWAYS AND YOU SEE THE NUMBERS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, ARE WE INCREASING NUMBERS IN SECONDARY OR DO THE NUMBERS JUST STAY EVEN? HOW DOES THAT WORK ONCE THEY GET TO SECONDARY?

>> WELL, THE GOAL IS TO ENSURE THAT THEY MAINTAIN RECEIVING SERVICES IN SECONDARY THAT THEY NEED.

WHEN THEY GO FROM ELEMENTARY SERVICES TO SECONDARY SERVICES, THEY MAINTAIN SOME FORM OF SERVICE WHATEVER THEIR AREA OF STRENGTH IS.

BUT REALLY OUR SECONDARY NUMBERS ARE HIGHER AND IT'S BECAUSE WE BEGIN TO IDENTIFY SUBJECT BY SUBJECT.

INSTEAD OF GLOBAL ABILITY, WE'RE LOOKING AT I HAVE A VERBAL ABILITY AND THAT TRANSLATES TO I NEED SERVICES IN RLA AND PROBABLY SOCIAL STUDIES TOO THAT'S AN EXAMPLE.

>> THANK YOU.

>> MS. RENTERIA.

>> MINE IS ALSO JUST A COMMENT I THINK THAT FIRST OF ALL THE GRAPH YOU'RE RIGHT RITA, TOM, MR. CORTEZ, THAT THEN YOU DID AN AWESOME JOB AS WELL TOO AND YOU KNOW YOUR DATA VERY WELL.

BUT I KNOW THAT THIS BRINGS ME SO MUCH JOY AND JUST TO SEE THAT THE STUDENTS THAT ARE BEING IDENTIFIED, HOW THEY MAKE UP A MUCH CLOSER REFLECTION OF THE DISTRICTS AND JUST OF OUR CAMPUSES.

I LOVE THE FACT OF HOW FAR IT'S COME AND THE HARD WORK THAT YOU GUYS HAVE PUT INTO IT.

WHEN I FIRST CAME TO THE DISTRICT, I HAVE A BACKGROUND IN EDUCATION AND I THOUGHT I KNEW ENOUGH ABOUT SCHOOL AND BUT I GUESS WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR FIRST CHILD AND AS A KINDERGARTEN PARENT, YOU'RE NEW AND YOU'RE LEARNING.

BUT I DO REMEMBER MY DAUGHTER'S TEACHER TELLING ME AND BACK THEN IT WAS CALLED REACH, YOU NEED TO FILL THIS OUT YOU NEED TO DO THIS.

I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT REACH WAS AND AGAIN, I FELT I KNEW ENOUGH AND THEN I THOUGHT OKAY.

I WAS NEW TO A NEW CITY AND NEW STATE AND A WHOLE NEW SYSTEM.

BUT I JUST THINK IT'S OVERWHELMING TOO, I WAS GOING TO ASK ABOUT HOW BECAUSE YOU GET THIS PACKET AND THEY'RE ASKING YOU QUESTIONS FROM WHERE THEY WERE BORN AND HOW SOON THEY WALKED, AND THEN IT'S PAGES THICK, AND THEN SHE HAD TO DO ONE.

THEN I REMEMBER ALMOST TALKING TO MY HUSBAND AND BEING LIKE, I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE REACHES.

IT SOUNDS PRETTY COOL, BUT I JUST THOUGHT WHY WOULD I PULL HER OUT? THERE WERE SO MANY QUESTIONS I HAD THAT I DON'T THINK ANYBODY EVER ADDRESSED FOR ME OTHER THAN THE TEACHER SAYING YOU NEED TO DO THIS.

I'M REALLY GLAD TO HEAR THAT THERE'S THIS COMPONENT TO REALLY HELP PARENTS.

BECAUSE I REMEMBER WHEN MY DAUGHTER, TO MS. TIMMY'S POINT, IT WAS LIKE SHE WAS PRACTICALLY ALWAYS THE ONLY LATINA THAT WAS IN THAT SCHOOL AND ALL THROUGH THE GRADES.

WHEN YOU SEE THAT AND YOU THINK WHY IS THAT? I LOVE THAT IT'S JUST HAS GROWN SO MUCH AND ESPECIALLY IDENTIFY.

SEEING THESE NUMBERS IS JUST REALLY GREAT BUT IF YOU CAN ANSWER, WHAT IS THE PROCESS LIKE FOR A PARENT, IS IT REAL COMPLEX, IS THERE SOMEBODY WHO CAN EXPLAIN TO ME IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT?

>> OUR ALTS ARE ALL THERE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION.

WE PUT INFORMATION IN SCHOOL NEWSLETTERS, WE SEND BLACKBOARD, MASS COMMUNICATION COMMUNICATIONS, SO THEY GET IT AND ALL THE LANGUAGE THAT THEY CAN GET.

OUR REFERRAL FORM IS NOW LIKE 10 STATEMENTS OF TO WHAT DEGREE DO THEY SHOW THIS AND OUR REFERRAL FORM IS NOW IN I THINK FIVE OR SIX LANGUAGES BECAUSE WE HAVE A PLATFORM FOR THAT IT'S CALLED PROJECT GT SO IT HELPS US MANAGE A LOT OF THIS.

THEN THE OTHER PART IS WHEN YOU ENROLL YOUR CHILD IN SCHOOL NOW,

[03:05:03]

IF A TEACHER REFERS A CHILD, THE PARENT DOESN'T FILL OUT THE FORM WE ALREADY HAVE PERMISSION.

WE DO THAT BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT CAN BE DAUNTING, EVEN IN THEIR LANGUAGE, EVEN IN PUTTING IT INTO TERMS THAT IS MORE UNDERSTANDABLE AND LESS EDUCATION EASE, IT'S STILL SOMETHING THAT MAY BE COMPLICATED OR WELL, THAT'S NOT FOR MY CHILD, AND SO WE TRIED TO TAKE DOWN AS MANY BARRIERS AS POSSIBLE.

>> THANK YOU FOR THAT AND I THINK THAT'S AWESOME BECAUSE I THINK TOO I THINK WAS IT MS. BRANUM WHO MADE THE POINT OF HAVING THIS BADGE OF HONOR.

THAT WAS ANOTHER THING THAT WAS REAL COMPLEX FOR US BECAUSE ONCE A WEEK YOU GET BUS TO ANOTHER SCHOOL AND I KNOW FOR HER BROTHER WHO MAYBE WASN'T IN REACH AT THE TIME.

IT WAS LIKE, WELL, IT WAS SO JUST IDENTIFIABLE IS VERY OBVIOUS TO THE KIDS AND THOSE THAT STAYED BEHIND.

IT WAS OBVIOUS TO THOSE KIDS THAT WENT OFF AND I REMEMBER MY DAUGHTER WANTING THAT SHE WAS LIKE, WHY CAN'T I HAVE REACH EVERY DAY, MOM? I'M SO GLAD TO SEE THAT IT'S IMPLEMENTED IT'S IN THERE IT'S JUST ALL PUT IN TOGETHER.

I THINK YOU GUYS ARE DOING A FABULOUS JOB AND ESPECIALLY AGAIN I SAID I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE AGAIN, THESE NUMBERS THAT ARE MORE REFLECTIVE, ALL OF THESE KIDS THAT IDENTIFY AND JUST THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO, YOU AND YOUR STAFF.

YOU GUYS ARE DOING AMAZING WORK AND I'M JUST SO GRATEFUL AND I'M SO PROUD.

THANK YOU. WE CAN TELL.

>> I CAN TELL.

>> YOU CAN TELL. [BACKGROUND] IT'S ABSOLUTELY SHINING THROUGH THOSE RED JACKETS.

[LAUGHTER] [BACKGROUND] GREAT.

ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? THIS WAS GREAT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> GO HOME. GET SOME REST.

>> OUR NEXT THREE ITEMS ARE TO REVIEW BOARD POLICIES

[III.D. Review and Discussion of Community and Governmental Relations Board Policy]

BUSINESS AND SUPPORT SERVICES AND STUDENTS, I'D LIKE TO THANK OUR BOARD POLICY SUBCOMMITTEE CONSISTING OF MS. RENTERÍA, MS. MAGELLAN, AND MR. EAGER FOR WORKING WITH THE OTHER MS. MAGELLAN, [LAUGHTER] OUR LEGAL COUNSEL, TO ADDRESS UPDATES FROM THE TASB LOCALIZED POLICY MANUAL.

MS. BRANUM, DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THIS? [OVERLAPPING] LET'S GO.

>> BRANUM, AND YOU MAY NEED TO TURN MY MICROPHONE UP JUST A TINY BIT.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT INTRODUCTION, PRESIDENT HARRIS.

I WANT TO ECHO CERTAINLY THE HARD WORK OF OUR POLICY SUBCOMMITTEE.

THANK YOU MS. RENTERÍA, MS MAGELLAN, AND MR. EAGER. WE HAVE MENTIONED BEFORE THAT WITH THE POLICIES, WE ARE WORKING VERY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE ALL UP-TO-DATE AND THAT IS THE WORK OF THIS COMMITTEE ALONG WITH THE ADMINISTRATION.

THE FIRST ITEMS THAT WE WILL DISCUSS, THEY ARE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM TASB THAT REFLECT BOTH STATE AND FEDERAL AND ALSO CHANGES THAT MAY BE DRIVEN BY CHANGES FROM RULES FROM TEA OR THE TEXAS ADMINISTRATIVE CODE.

WE'LL START WITH GBAA FIRST, WHICH IS PART OF OUR COMMUNITY AND GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS BOARD POLICIES.

THE CHANGE THAT YOU WILL SEE REFLECTED REALLY IS PUTTING INTO PERSPECTIVE AND THE FOLLOW-UP OF WHAT HAPPENED DURING COVID.

YOU ALL MAY RECALL THAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, FOR BOTH THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT, BUT ALSO THE TEXAS PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT SUSPENDED SOME OF THE RULES AND REQUIREMENTS OF THE LAW.

IN THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THERE WERE SOME CHANGES TO THE LAW THAT REFLECT LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE PANDEMIC AND HOW THE REQUESTS WERE HANDLED.

WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS JUST UPDATING THE LANGUAGE IN THIS PARTICULAR POLICY TO REFLECT CURRENT LAW.

THAT IS THAT IF THERE IS A CATASTROPHE, THE BOARD WILL DELEGATE TO THE SUPERINTENDENT THE AUTHORITY TO

[03:10:04]

THAT IS WHAT GOVERNMENT CODE CHAPTER 552 IS, FOR A PERIOD OF TIME PERMITTED BY LAW AND TO PROVIDE THE REQUIRED NOTICES TO BOTH THE AG'S OFFICE AND TO THE PUBLIC.

THEN THE BOARD IS ALSO GOING TO BE REQUIRED TO APPROVE ANY EXTENSION OF THAT INITIAL SUSPENSION PERIOD.

JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THE LAW DEFINES WHAT A CATASTROPHE IS.

YOU CAN FIND THAT LANGUAGE IN GBAA LEGAL, BUT IT IS ESSENTIALLY GOING TO BE ANY CONDITION OR OCCURRENCE THAT INTERFERES WITH THE DISTRICT'S ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO COMPLY WITH THE TEXAS PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT REQUIREMENT.

OR FOR EXAMPLE, IT CAN BE A FIRE, A TORNADO THAT MAY HAVE POWER FAILURE, HAD AN EPIDEMIC THAT WE WENT THROUGH.

BUT AGAIN, THOSE THINGS ARE DEFINED SPECIFICALLY IN THE LEGAL POLICY, BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A SITUATION WHERE STAFF IS WORKING REMOTELY AND HAS ACCESS TO RECORDS ELECTRONICALLY BUT THE BUILDING MAY BE CLOSED, WHICH IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT HAPPENED DURING COVID.

WOULD YOU BE AWARE OF THAT IS NOT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

THE INITIAL PERIOD OF SUSPENSION CAN BE UP TO SEVEN CONSECUTIVE DAYS AND THERE CAN BE ONE EXTENSION FOR UP TO AN ADDITIONAL SEVEN DAYS.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A COMBINED TOTAL OF 14 CONSECUTIVE CALENDAR DAYS.

AGAIN, THIS IS TO PROVIDE THE GOVERNMENTAL BODY, THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO FOCUS ON WHATEVER THAT CATASTROPHE MAY BE, ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE ACCESS TO RECORDS, BUT THEN HANDLE THAT IMMEDIATE EMERGENCY, BUT THEN COME BACK AND HANDLE RESPONDING TO REQUESTS AND DOING THE BUSINESS ADEQUATELY.

THAT'S WHAT THAT CHANGES THAT. ANY QUESTION?

>> HOW DID WE HANDLE THAT BEFORE? JUST A CURIOSITY.

>> I GET STILL, I GUESS TECHNICALLY GOING HOME.

BUT DURING THE PANDEMIC, THE AG'S OFFICE ACTUALLY SUSPENDED FOR THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT.

WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, AND PART OF THE REASON THERE WAS A CHANGE IN THE LAW IS BECAUSE HOW GOVERNMENTAL BODIES HANDLED IT VARIED.

THERE WERE SOME GOVERNMENTAL BODIES, THEIR ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES WERE CLOSED, WHICH IF ANYONE REMEMBERS THE GUIDANCE FROM THE AG'S OFFICE, IT WAS IF YOUR ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES WERE CLOSED, YOU WERE ESSENTIALLY RELEASED FROM HAVING TO COMPLY WITH THE LAW.

RICHARDSON ISD, YOU ALL RETURNED BACK IN-PERSON PRETTY QUICKLY.

THERE ARE OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT DID NOT.

HOW SOON THEY WERE TECHNICALLY REQUIRED TO START RESPONDING AGAIN TO THE ACT VARIED FROM DISTRICT TO DISTRICT.

FOR THE LAST LEGISLATIVE CHANGES TO STOP THAT TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, SO YOU HAVE BASICALLY UP TO 14 DAYS.

>> IF WE DON'T DO THIS, THEN ARE WE BACK UNDER STATE?

>> BASICALLY WHAT WILL HAPPEN.

>> THE RULE THAT WAS THERE.

>> IF THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN, WE WOULD BASICALLY HAVE TO COME TO YOU TO EVEN DO THE UNUSUAL SUSPENSION TO GET PERMISSION, WHICH ALSO IS GOING TO RUN INTO TIMELINE ISSUES.

I DO WANT TO ADDRESS, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT MORE IN CH, BUT IT'S TRUE HERE AS WELL.

I KNOW THERE MAY BE A BELIEF AMONG SOME THAT, IS SUPER EASY TO CONVENE THE BOARD. IT IS NOT.

THERE ARE CERTAIN NOTICE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO UNDER THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT AND WE HAVE TO HAVE AT LEAST 72 HOURS IN ADVANCE.

THE REALITY ALSO IS YOU WILL HAVE VERY BUSY SCHEDULES, SO TRYING TO CONVENE A QUORUM THAT'D BE ABLE TO CONVENE A MEETING AND AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN TIME OF CATASTROPHE.

WE DON'T HAVE 72 HOUR TO WAIT.

>> SURE. NO. I WAS HER FOR THE TALE END OF THAT AS WELL.

I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE MECHANICS A LITTLE BIT IN REAL-WORLD SCENARIO.

>> THIS WAS ALSO A CHALLENGE.

YES, WE'VE RECENTLY HAD THE PANDEMIC, BUT WHEN WE HAD THE TORNADOES,

[03:15:01]

WE CONSTRUCTED AN ELEMENTARY IN 12 HOURS AND HOUSED 600 KIDS AT THE PDC.

THE RESOURCES AND THE THINGS THAT WE HAD TO DO TO LIFT THAT UP, WE DIDN'T HAVE 72 HOURS, WE HAD 12 HOURS.

THOSE ARE THE VERY FINITE EXPERIENCES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT THIS WOULD EVER EVEN APPLY.

[III.E. Review and Discussion of Business and Support Services Board Policies ]

>> THE NEXT SET OF POLICIES THAT WE'LL MOVE TO, WE MAY GET MR. PATE TO JOIN IN ON THIS DISCUSSION BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BUSINESS AND SUPPORT SERVICES, AND SO THE NEXT POLICIES ARE CFD, CH, AND CHE.

CFD IS OUR ACCOUNTING AND ACTIVITIES FUNDS MANAGEMENT.

I KNOW IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF CHANGE, BUT REALLY THE CHANGES HERE ARE LANGUAGE CLEANUP AND ALSO PROVIDING BETTER CLARIFICATION ABOUT WHAT THE STUDENT ACTIVITIES FUNDS ARE, BUT ALSO THAT THOSE STUDENT ACTIVITY FUNDS ARE CONTROLLED BY THOSE STUDENT CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS IN THAT THE PRINCIPAL OR SPONSOR HELPS WITH THE OVERALL MANAGEMENT FOR DISBURSEMENT PURPOSES.

BUT THOSE FUNDS AND HOW THEY ARE TO BE SPENT, THOSE ARE THOSE ORGANIZATIONS AND THEY GET TO MAKE THAT DETERMINATION.

BUT ALSO ADDRESSING THAT FOR DISTRICT AND CAMPUS ACTIVITY FUNDS, THAT WE'RE GOING TO ENSURE DISTRICT ACCOUNTING PRACTICES [INAUDIBLE] ARE FOLLOWED.

MR. POTEET, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD?

>> JUST A REMINDER THAT THOSE DISTRICT AND CAMPUS ACTIVITY FUNDS AND THE STUDENT ACTIVITY FUNDS ARE ALL SUBJECT TO AUDIT BY OUR EXTERNAL AUDITORS.

IT'S NOT SPECIFICALLY INCLUDED IN HERE BUT THEY ARE AUDITED, SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS NOTED ALSO.

>> ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT CFD? I FEEL LIKE I NEED TO SLOW DOWN SO THAT WE CAN BE HERE FOR ANOTHER HOUR. [LAUGHTER]

>> I DON'T MEAN.

>> I'M GOING TO SCOOT THIS WAY.

>> I'M TRYING TO GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE THE NEXT DAY.

[LAUGHTER]

>> YES.

>> THANK YOU. MS. MCGOWAN. I HAVE A QUESTION.

ARE THESE CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS REQUIRED TO HAVE THEIR OWN BANK ACCOUNTS OR DOES THE BANK ACCOUNT NEED TO BE APPROVED BY THE DISTRICT IN SOME WAY?

>> MR. POTEET.

>> NO, THEY DO NOT HAVE THEIR OWN BANK ACCOUNT.

THEY ARE A PART OF THE DISTRICT'S BANK ACCOUNTS AND SUBJECT TO ALL THE DEPOSITORY AND COLLATERALIZATION RULES THAT ALL DISTRICT FUNDS ARE SUBJECT TO.

>> THANK YOU.

>> NEXT, WE'LL MOVE TO CH, WHICH IS OUR PURCHASING AND ACQUISITION POLICY.

PART OF THE LANGUAGE THAT YOU SEE HERE SHOULD LOOK FAMILIAR BECAUSE THIS BOARD APPROVED SIMILAR LANGUAGE IN BOARD POLICY CV, I KNOW THEY ALL RUN TOGETHER, IN THE FALL.

AGAIN, THIS IS TO ADDRESS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THERE IS A CATASTROPHE, EMERGENCY, OR A NATURAL DISASTER THAT REQUIRES IMMEDIATE ACTION TO PROTECT DISTRICT FACILITIES OR THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF STUDENTS.

JUST LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT VERY LIMITED SITUATION.

AGAIN, THIS ALLOWS THE ADMINISTRATION TO BE ABLE TO TAKE NECESSARY ACTION TO PROTECT HISTORIC RESOURCES, INCLUDING FACILITIES, PROTECTING THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF STUDENTS.

THE TORNADO IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHEN THAT HAPPENED, IF YOU HAVE A TORNADO THAT RIPS THE ROOF OFF OF A BUILDING OR DAMAGES THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING, THE ADMINISTRATION CAN'T WAIT TO TRY TO DETERMINE WHEN WE CAN CONVENE

[03:20:02]

WHAT THIS DOES IS ALLOW THE ADMINISTRATION TO TAKE NECESSARY PROCUREMENT ACTION BUT THEN THOSE ACTIONS ARE THEN REQUIRED TO BE REPORTED TO THE BOARD AT THE NEXT SCHEDULED MEETING.

AGAIN, THIS IS FROM THE TEXAS EDUCATION CODE, CHAPTER 44.

>> GOOD.

>> ARE THERE ANY DIFFERENCES IN THE PROCUREMENT ACTIONS THEMSELVES?

>> NO. WE ARE STILL REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH THE PROCUREMENT REQUIREMENTS.

THIS IS NOT A WAIVER OF THOSE PROCUREMENT REQUIREMENTS.

>> THIS JUST ALLOWS YOU TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROCESS THAT'S ALREADY IN PLACE WITH THE SAME PROCUREMENT MEASURES WITHOUT HAVING TO GO THROUGH US, WITH RFP, THOSE TYPES OF THING FIRST.

>> RIGHT.

>> TO THE REQUIREMENT[OVERLAPPING].

>> TO RFP BUT NOT TO GO THROUGH AS TO THAT AND THEN TO REPORT ON THE BACKSIDE HOW THOSE THINGS WERE THEN IMPLEMENTED ACCORDING TO OUR OWN POLICY.

>> RIGHT. BECAUSE IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS NOW, IF THERE IS AN RFP, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT IS [INAUDIBLE] AND THEN IT COMES TO THE BOARD FOR THE BOARD TO VOTE ON, AND THEN THE ADMINISTRATION IS ABLE TO GO DO THE CONTRACT, ANALYZE THE CONTRACT [INAUDIBLE] THIS ALLOWS US, IT'S STILL THROUGH A COMPETITIVE [INAUDIBLE] BUT THE ADMINISTRATION CAN GO AHEAD AND TAKE ANY NECESSARY CONTRACTUAL ACTION NECESSARY FOR THE BOARD.

>> POTENTIALLY IF IN A REAL EMERGENCY, WE ARE PART OF COOPERATIVES THAT ALLOW US, THAT HAVE ALREADY RFP'D, THAT HAVE ALREADY HAD THOSE PROCEDURES IN PLACE THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR SOME EMERGENCY ACQUISITION SHOULD THAT NEED BE.

>> YES. THEN THE SECOND RED LINE LANGUAGE THAT YOU SEE THERE RELATED TO PURCHASING PROCEDURES, THAT IS ALSO A PART OF THE RECOMMENDATION FROM TEA, AND THAT IS JUST MAKING SURE THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT DEVELOPS PURCHASING PROCEDURES TO MAKE SURE WE ARE APPROPRIATELY IMPLEMENTING THE REQUIREMENTS OF STATE AND FEDERAL LAW.

MR. POTEET, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING?

>> I WOULD JUST POINT OUT THAT WE DO HAVE A PURCHASING MANUAL.

WE HAVE OUR EXTRA PURCHASING MANUAL AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF REVIEWING THOSE AND UPDATING THEM AT THIS TIME.

IT'S AN ONGOING THING TO REVIEW AND UPDATE THOSE.

>> QUICK QUESTION. WHAT'S THE DURATION OF THIS DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY? IS THE DURATION OF THE CATASTROPHE OR IS THERE SOME TIME TO [OVERLAPPING]

>> IT IS NOT ONGOING, AND AGAIN, THE SUPERINTENDENT IS REQUIRED TO REPORT ANY ACTION THAT'S BEEN TAKEN AT THE NEXT SCHEDULED BOARD MEETING.

>> I'M JUST SAYING IF IT'S A PANDEMIC OR SOMETHING, THEN LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S STILL ONGOING.

I MEAN, IT'S YEARS LATER, IS THIS A DELEGATED AUTHORITY UNTIL SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE CALLS OFF THE CATASTROPHE, OR WHAT'S THAT ENDPOINT I GUESS IS WHAT I'M ASKING?

>> YEAH. I UNDERSTAND.

IT HAS TO BE ABOUT THE IMMEDIATE PROTECTION OF PROPERTY OR THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF STUDENTS.

EVEN THINGS GOING ON DURING THE PANDEMIC, IMMEDIATE ACTION WASN'T NECESSARILY NEEDED ON ALL THE STUDENTS.

IT WAS NOT, JUST [INAUDIBLE] IT STILL HAS TO MEET THAT DEFINITION.

THEN THE LAST ITEM UNDER OUR BUSINESS AND SUPPORT SERVICES POLICIES IS CHE LOCAL.

>> I JUST ASKED THE QUESTION PIGGYBACKING OFF OF WHAT CHRIS IS SAYING, THIS IS A LAW THAT WE ARE JUST PUTTING IN OUR OWN LANGUAGE, CAN WE ADD TIME FRAMES TO THIS OR NO BECAUSE IT'S COMING DOWN FROM THE STATE?

>> THE STATE LAW PROVIDES THE MINIMUM.

IF WE WANT TO DO ADDITION, YOU CAN.

IF YOU WANTED TO ADD A TIME FRAME, CERTAINLY WE COULD.

BUT YOU DO HAVE THIS BUILT-IN TIME FRAME THAT'S ALREADY IN THERE.

LIKE I SAID, THERE HAS TO BE A REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT AT THE NEXT SCHEDULED [INAUDIBLE] THIS ONE, YOU SEE ALL THE STRIKE-THROUGHS AND THAT'S BECAUSE THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO DELETE THIS ENTIRE LOCAL POLICY BECAUSE IT'S DUPLICATION OF LANGUAGE.

IT IS INFORMATION AS FAR AS PREFERENCES THAT'S ADDRESSED IN CH, WHICH IS, AGAIN, OUR PURCHASING POLICY LEGAL,

[03:25:02]

>> NO, NOT ON THIS ONE.

>> OKAY.

THOSE WERE THE ONES AGAIN, AS I STARTED OUT WITH THAT, WE WILL GET RECOMMENDATIONS FROM TASB THAT AGAIN ARE BASED ON STATE LAW OR FEDERAL LAW CHANGES.

THEN WE WILL ALSO SOMETIMES HAVE POLICIES THAT WE BRING FORWARD TO YOU OR THE RECOMMENDATION IS COMING FROM THE ADMINISTRATION FOR EFFICIENCY PURPOSES.

THAT'S WHAT THE NEXT ONE IS.

DR. GIBBONS IS GOING TO JOIN IN THIS DISCUSSION.

FD LOCAL IS OUR ADMISSIONS POLICY.

[III.F. Review and Discussion of Students Board Policy ]

CURRENTLY, FOR REGISTRATION FORMS, WE REQUIRE STUDENTS, PARENTS OR LEGAL GUARDIANS, OR OTHERS WHO HAVE LAWFUL CONTROL OVER THE STUDENTS TO ANNUALLY COMPLETE THE REGISTRATION FORMS. THE REQUEST FROM THE ADMINISTRATION IS TO TAKE OUT THE WORD ANNUALLY AND TO NOT MAKE THAT AN ANNUAL REQUIREMENT, BUT RATHER HAVE A REGISTRATION FORM REQUIRED WHEN THE STUDENT IS TRANSFERRING TO A NEW DISTRICT SCHOOL.

WE'RE GOING TO KEEP IN THE INITIAL REGISTRATION, BUT THEREAFTER WHEN THEY TRANSFERRED TO A NEW DISTRICT SCHOOL AND OR THEY TRANSITION TO JUNIOR HIGH OR MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL BECAUSE THOSE WILL BE TRANSITIONED.

JUST TO BE CLEAR, THAT THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT STILL MAINTAINS THE RIGHT TO INVESTIGATE ANY STUDENTS STAYED AT RESIDENCY AS NECESSARY.

I DON'T WANT THERE TO BE A CONCERN THAT IF WE'RE NOT HAVING PARENTS FILL OUT A REGISTRATION FORM EVERY YEAR, THAT SOMEHOW WE'RE STILL NOT ABLE TO VERIFY RESIDENCY.

IF ISSUE ARISES, WE CAN.

THIS IS REALLY ABOUT NOT CREATING AN ADDITIONAL BURDEN ON PARENTS.

THAT'S REALLY NOT NECESSARY.

DR. GIBBONS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD?

>> NO, THAT'S PERFECT MS. MCGOWAN THE WHOLE IDEA IS TO JUST TO TRY TO PREVENT MORE PRESSURE FOR OUR FAMILIES WHO MAY BE TRANSIENT IN DIFFERENT AREAS OR WHO MAY BE IN THE SAME RESIDENCE FOR A LONG TIME, BEING ABLE TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THAT.

ALSO FROM A STAFF STANDPOINT, THERE'S 37,000 STUDENTS EVERY YEAR.

PROOF OF RESIDENCY EVERY YEAR CAN BE A DAUNTING TASK, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR SDS IN CAMPUS STAFF.

THIS WOULD LESSEN THAT A LITTLE BIT AS WELL.

>> OUT OF CURIOSITY, JUST WHAT DROVE THIS? WHAT WAS THE TRIGGER THAT THIS YEAR WE HAD AN ISSUE WITH IT OR IT WAS JUST A VOLUME OF WORK ISSUE THIS YEAR OR?

>> NO, IT'S BEEN A VOLUME OF WORK FOR A LONG TIME.

SDS IS AT OUR CAMPUSES.

WE HAVE A HIGH TURNOVER RATE AND THAT PARTICULAR JOB.

PART OF IT IS BECAUSE THEY DUPLICATE SAME INFORMATION FOR MOST OF THEIR PARENTS YEAR AFTER YEAR.

THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE SEE IN OTHER DISTRICTS AROUND THE METROPLEX.

IT'S NOT REQUIRED EVERY YEAR, AS DR. GIBBONS, IT'S JUST A BONUS FOR PARENTS.

>> IF I CAN ADD ONE THING WE DID A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH AROUND WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE BASED ON LAST YEAR'S ENROLLMENT AND PROOF OF RESIDENCIES.

WE STILL WILL BE CHECKING I THINK AROUND 38 PERCENT OF OUR POPULATION EACH YEAR AROUND PROOF OF RESIDENCY.

IT'S STILL A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT.

WE'RE STILL DOING THAT WORK AND WE STILL HAVE OPTIONS TO INVESTIGATE A LITTLE BIT MORE ON ONES THAT WE MAY HAVE CONCERN.

BUT WE'RE STILL GOING TO BE EVERY YEAR, ABOUT 40 PERCENT OF OUR FAMILIES WILL HAVE TO SUBMIT A PROOF OF RESIDENCY.

>> IF I COULD JUST CLARIFY TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.

WE STILL ASK YOU TO REGISTER YOUR CHILD, FILL OUT YOUR EMERGENCY CARD EVERY YEAR, UPDATE YOUR INFORMATION EVERY YEAR.

THIS IS YOUR PROOF OF RESIDENCY THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO ATTACH TO THAT REGISTRATION.

YOU'RE STILL ENROLLING EVERY YEAR.

[03:30:02]

IF NOTHING CHANGED, IF YOU HAVEN'T CHANGED SCHOOLS AND YOU'RE GOING CONTINUOUSLY, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY ISSUES AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT PROPER RESIDENCY.

>> IT APPEARS IT'S MORE TIED TO GATES NOW YOU'RE HITTING CERTAIN GATES OR CHANGE IN SCHOOLS, YOU'RE GOING INTO JUNIOR HIGH, WHATEVER AS OPPOSED TO JUST A FREQUENT TIME.

>> YOU ENROLL AND YOU GO SOMEWHERE ELSE FOR THREE MONTHS AND YOU COME BACK AND YOU HAVE TO DO A RESIDENCY, YOU HAVE A CHANGE IN ATTENDANCE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME?

>> MR. POTEET, DID YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ON ANYTHING ELSE? YOU JUST LOOKED A LITTLE PUZZLED EARLIER, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU OKAY AND WE CAN MOVE ON TOO QUICKLY.

ARE YOU GOOD? MS. RENTERÍA.

>> I JUST WANTED TO AGAIN, EXTEND GRATITUDE TO OUR SUBCOMMITTEE TO MS. MCGOWAN, MR. EAGER, BUT ESPECIALLY ALSO TO MS. MCGOWAN INTO OUR LEGAL COUNSEL WHO'S BEEN GREAT ABOUT HELPING US UNDERSTAND ALL OF THESE, BREAKING IT DOWN FOR US ANSWERING ALL OUR QUESTIONS, AND JUST THAT ALL THESE POLICIES ARE IMPORTANT AND SO WE WANT TO BE RIGHT ON TOP OF IT AND SHE'S JUST GREAT ABOUT BREAKING IT DOWN AND HELPING US AND EVERYONE ELSE THAT IT POPS IN ON THAT COMMITTEE WHEN A SPECIFIC POLICY IS THERE.

LIKE TO MR. TATE, MR. GIBBONS, MS. HAYES, EVERYBODY SO DR. GIBBONS, EXCUSE ME.

ANYWAY, JUST LOAD OF GRATITUDE FOR EVERYBODY WHO MAKES TIME TO DO THIS.

I KNOW IT'S HARD TO SCHEDULE THAT IN AND BUT THANK YOU AGAIN.

>> ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, QUESTIONS?

>> I ACTUALLY DO HAVE ONE [OVERLAPPING] SO I JUST WANT TO EXTEND MY THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO'VE REACHED OUT, NOT ONLY TRUSTEES BUT ALSO ADMINISTRATORS AND OTHERS WHO ARE LISTENING AS WELL.

FOR THOSE WHO ARE LIKE WHEN SHE'S TALKING ABOUT MY FATHER PASSED AWAY RECENTLY.

ACTUALLY HIS FUNERAL ON SATURDAY.

PEOPLE OFTEN ASK ME, HOW DO I FEEL ABOUT WORKING IN RICHARDSON [INAUDIBLE].

THE THING THAT I ALWAYS COME BACK TO IS THIS FEELING OF FEAR.

Y'ALL HAVE WELCOMED BEING SINCE THE DAY THAT I GOT HERE AND HAVING GONE THROUGH AND STILL GOING THROUGH THIS EXPERIENCE OF LOSING UP HERE.

I JUST WANT TO THANK Y'ALL FOR THE SUPPORT YOU HAVE PROVIDED TO ME, TO MY FAMILY. IT'S JUST GREAT TO BE HERE.

>> THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOU.

I APPRECIATE THIS SUBCOMMITTEE.

THIS IS SOME WORK THAT WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DO FOR A LONG TIME.

IT IS ABSOLUTELY MUCH NEEDED.

WE ALL KNOW THAT THERE'S STILL PLENTY OF WORK TO DO.

I KNOW THAT WE ARE SELECTING THE TOP POLICIES BY PRIORITY, TRYING TO GET THOSE OUT THERE GETTING THEM DONE.

I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU WHO WORKED HARD ON THIS COMMITTEE AND CONTINUED TO WORK ON THIS COMMITTEE.

BECAUSE AGAIN, THIS IS WORK THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING FOR A LONG TIME.

BUT WE ARE JUST A LITTLE BIT, SO WE'RE GETTING IT DONE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HARD WORK. WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR ATTENDING TONIGHT.

WE ACTUALLY ARE GOING TO GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE THE NEXT DAY.

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.

I WANT TO THANK ALL MY COLLEAGUES.

THIS HAS BEEN A VERY INFORMATIVE MEETING, VERY EXCITING GOOD INFORMATION.

WE WILL GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN THIS MEETING.

WE ARE GOING TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING AT 09:46 PM ON JANUARY 26, [LAUGHTER] 2023.

GOOD NIGHT.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.