Sharing school district news, accomplishments, and programs with the Dallas community.

DallasISDNewslineJune 2009

James B. Bonham Elementary School receives national award (Page 7).

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDDALLAS, TEXAS

PERMIT NO. 2309

ThE 2008–2009 SchOOL yEAR presented many challenges for our school dis-trict. Nevertheless, as I visited schools during the year, I was very encouraged by how our teachers, principals, and staff continued to maintain their focus

on students. I also have been impressed by the enthusiasm with which students have embraced learning and by the support of parents and the community.

Indeed, there is much good news from the Dallas ISD that I want to share. A study released recently by the Brookings Institution, one of the nation’s most respect-

ed research organizations, noted that from 2000 to 2007, Dallas was second nationally and first in Texas among urban school districts in academic gains. There is, without question, a lot of work to be done, but this is a positive indicator that we are moving in

the right direction.This coincides with the good news the district received in 2008 that 103

schools—the most ever—earned the designation of exemplary or recognized from the Texas Education Agency. This is the result of Dallas students scoring gains in every subject, every ethnicity and every grade except for seventh-grade writing on the 2008 TAKS test. While we are setting our sights on goals far higher than TAKS mastery, the progress is apparent.

In late 2008, the National center for Educational Achievement provided two reports to members of the Board of Trustees that showed that Dallas ISD is on the right track academically. A representative of NcEA said that Dallas “has a system in place that is consistent with high-performing systems.”

In January, we were thrilled to receive a $3.7 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to continue our strong work to provide a college-readiness warning system that will help principals monitor each student’s progress. combined with a $5 million grant from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation received last year, the district is putting in place effective tools and strategies that will ultimately help students and parents.

To be sure, Dallas ISD still has its share of challenges. We are working dili-gently to improve student achievement in all schools and all grades. We have made strides in having more students graduate from high school, though the numbers are still not where we want to see them. Progress, however, is often measured in a series of small steps. Thanks to the tireless work of teachers and school staff, the support of the Board of Trustees, and the support of the commu-nity, we are moving forward one day at a time.

Michael hinojosa, Ed.D.Superintendent of Schools

Message

Dallas ISD Newsline is published by Dallas ISD Communication Services, News and Information Services • 3700 Ross Avenue, Box 40, Dallas, TX 75204-5491 • (972) 925-3700 • www.dallasisd.org • board of trustees: Adam Medrano, President, District 8; Lew Blackburn, Ph.D., First Vice President, District 5; Carla Ranger, Second Vice President, District 6; Leigh Ann Ellis, Secretary, District 3; Edwin Flores, Ph.D., J.D., District 1; Jack Lowe, District 2; Nancy Bingham, District 4; Jerome Garza, District 7; Ron Price, District 9; Michael Hinojosa, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools • The Dallas Independent School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or age.

2 • JUNE 2009

Child FindIf you know of a child who lives in a Dallas ISD attendance zone and may need special edu-cation services, please call one of the district’s 24-hour Child Find referral phone numbers. Free services are available to all eligible individuals from birth through 21 years of age regardless of the severity of their disability. The Child Find referral phone numbers are

(972) 581-4765 for English and (972) 581-4764 for Spanish.

District Roundup

Work on Phase i oF 2008 bond Program begins

yOU MAy NOT yET SEE dirt flying on the 2008 bond program facilities, but progress is being made nonethe-

less on the first phase of the $1.35 billion construction program, which will reshape parts of the Dallas landscape.

The first parcel of land required to make way for new school construction has been purchased, moving the first project in the program—the new Lagow-Moseley relief school—closer to reality. construction Services has selected program manage-ment firms and Phase I architects, and the Bond Advisory committee, comprised of citizens selected by trustees to oversee the rollout of the construction projects, has begun meeting.

January 2010 will usher in the begin-ning of the actual construction, and in the next five years, communities across the city will see their neighborhoods transformed with the construction of 15 attractive new schools and numerous renovations and facelifts to existing schools.

In passing the bond package, Dallas voters affirmed the district’s belief that learning occurs best in up-to-date, well-equipped facilities. The Dallas ISD is now moving forward to improve the learning environment for students to better pre-pare them for college and the workforce.

Community learns about dallas isd eduCation Plan

ALMOST 2,700 PEOPLE who at-tended a series of 22 community conversations learned more about

the changes the Dallas Independent School District has made through Dallas Achieves! to improve the academic achievement of students in all grades.

The meetings were held in various schools throughout the district and were designed to share information about all the schools that feed into each of the dis-trict’s high schools.

Parents and members of the community who attended the meetings learned about the 2008 bond program plans for their neighborhoods, high school redesign, the curriculum, the budget, improvements to their particular schools, and other useful information. They also had the opportu-nity to ask questions and share concerns about the district in general and about the schools in their respective neighborhoods.

The presentation and the most frequent-ly asked questions and the answers from the community conversations are available by visiting www.dallasisd.org/about/dallasachieves/dameetings.htm.

distriCt Provides sChool PerFormanCe rePorts

ThE DALLAS ISD has developed school scorecards for 218 of its schools available in English and

Spanish and on the district’s Web site. The scorecards are annual reports that provide information about a school’s performance and progress toward the district’s goals for student achievement. They clearly commu-nicate how well a school is doing toward fulfilling the district’s mission and defini-tion of excellence and help school leaders set priorities based on performance.

The performance measures used to cre-ate the scorecards go beyond test scores to include outcomes such as graduation rates, college readiness, attendance, and other key measures of success. The scorecards are designed to provide the community with an honest, up-to-date look at school performance so parents can make sound decisions as to which school to send their child and potential school partners can de-termine the needs of a school and decide how they can best support the school.

To view a school’s scorecard, visit the school’s Web site at www.dallasisd.org/schools.

DALLAS ISD NEWSLINE • 3

Improved student achievement is exciting news

WhAT AN EXcITING TIME to be part of the Dallas Independent School District. Student scores are improving, graduation numbers are up, and we have more exemplary and rec-ognized schools than at any point in our history.

yes, we have weathered an extremely challenging year, but through it all, the good news is that students continue to achieve, and they remain at the heart of every issue we face. It is this very focus that keeps me moving forward.

Recently, the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.c., ranked Dallas ISD as the most improved school district in Texas and the second most improved district in the country from 2000 to 2007.

It is particularly rewarding to see schools in District 4 take part in creating the wonderful suc-cesses that the district is experiencing, and while we still have a long way to go, I am encouraged by what has been accomplished thus far.

I am especially proud of the students and staff at B.h. Macon Elementary School for being rated exemplary and for reading more books than any other campus in the Southeast Elementary Learning community. Also, near and dear to my heart is the

“Dancing classrooms” fine arts program, which teaches ballroom dancing to fifth-graders. Through this program, students learn social and communica-tion skills that will serve them well for years to come.

As a former teacher, I can appreciate these accomplishments and know that they are the direct results of the dedication of students, teachers, and par-ents/guardians throughout the district.

My father served this country in World War II, and through his service he taught me that everyone has a responsibility to give something back to the community. It is for this reason that I am committed to making sure that every child has the opportunity to obtain an education that will make them career and college ready when they graduate. Achieving this goal will take dedi-cation from all of us—parents, teachers, staff, volunteers, and partners—working together to give Dallas schoolchildren the best education possible. After all, it’s what they deserve.

Nancy BinghamDistrict 4 Trustee

District4Digest

4 • JUNE 2009

ContaCt inFormation

Nancy BinghamDistrict 4: Southeast Dallas, Seagoville,

Balch Springs

Dallas ISD Constituent Services:(972) 925-5555

distriCt 4 sChools

HIGH SCHooLS• W.W. Samuell • Seagoville • H. Grady Spruce

MIDDLE SCHooLS• Fred F. Florence • Seagoville

ELEMENtARy SCHooLS• John Q. Adams (R)• William M. Anderson • Annie Webb Blanton • Central • Gilbert Cuellar Sr. • Julius Dorsey (R)• Henry B. Gonzalez (R)• Nathaniel Hawthorne • Kleberg (R)• Richard Lagow (R)• B.H. Macon (E)• Nancy Moseley • Pleasant Grove • John W. Runyon • Seagoville • C.A. Tatum Jr. • Edward Titche • Urban Park

E: Exemplary • R: Recognized2008–2009 school year

What’s happening in your district?

n B.H. Macon Elementary School is an Exemplary school, Texas’ distin-guished school performance designa-tion. John Q. Adams, Julius Dorsey, Henry B. Gonzalez, Kleberg, and Richard Lagow elementary schools are recognized schools.

n Central, William M. Anderson, Gil-bert Cuellar Sr., and Julius Dorsey elementary schools made the National center for Educational Achievement’s Just for The Kids higher Performing Schools list. The schools were named based on student academic growth and improvement and the percentage of students reaching the NcEA’s college and career readiness benchmarks for each subject.

n Gilbert Cuellar Sr. Elementary School won the prestigious DaVinci Award at the Destination ImagiNation state competition.

n Seagoville High School student can-dace Turner discovered a gene involved in heart disease during her summer internship at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical center.

n Maria Acevedo and Sasha Price, seniors at W.W. Samuell High School, and Nancy Bustos, Jeannette hernandez, and candace Turner, seniors at Seagov-ille High School, each received $20,000 college scholarships from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation.

n Kathryn J. Brothers, a teacher at Richard Lagow Elementary School, traveled to Tokyo to participate in the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program.

n Seagoville Elementary School teachers Robin Gattis, Tracey Tolson, and Linda Wood received Junior League of Dallas Innovative Teaching Grants for creative approaches to teaching.

DALLAS ISD NEWSLINE • 5

volunteering is easy

1. If your child attends a school or you have a particular school in mind where you would like to volunteer, go to that school and ask for the volunteer coordinator. Remember that the beginning and the end of the day are busy times at the school. If you don’t know where you would like to volunteer, visit www

.dallasisd.org/partners and click on School Needs on your left to see what volunteer needs each school has.

2. Fill out an electronic application at home or at the school with the help of the volunteer coordinator. The application is available at www

.dallasisd.org/partners in English and Spanish and takes just a few min-utes to complete.

3. Once you fill out the application, you will receive a confirmation that can be printed out. If you complete the application at home, bring the con-firmation page back to the school.

4. If the screen on your computer shows a phone number after you have filled out the application, call the number and be ready to pro-vide your name and date of birth. Someone will determine why your application was not approved and work with you if there is a solution to the problem.

5. Find out when the next volunteer orientation takes place. All volun-teers need to be trained so they are aware of the rules that must be followed while working with the children in the schools and at school-related activities.

Volunteers make Dallas ISD schools better

WhEThER READING WITh chILDREN to help them improve their skills or talking to teenagers about their dreams and aspirations in life, volunteers can make a

significant difference in the education of Dallas ISD students.“Volunteers have a big impact on the learning climate and the

academic success of students,” said Jane Didear, coordinator with community Relations, the department in charge of coordinating volunteer and mentor efforts throughout the district. “We hear frequently from staff that thanks to the added efforts of volunteers, students have scored at a higher rate than before.”

There are many and varied opportunities for people to donate their time and make a difference in the schools.

Volunteers often gather on the weekend to help beautify a campus. They spend time during the school day helping teachers in the classroom or tutoring students. They serve as chaperons on field trips. They bring a diversity of life and cultural experiences that enrich students’ learning.

“When people get to receive that kind of enrichment, get to meet people, learn new ways of doing things and new perspec-tives, their education goes beyond the usual circle they have at home and at school,” Didear said.

Volunteers must go through an application process and receive training before they can begin working with students.

The volunteer and mentor needs of each school can be found by visiting www.dallasisd.org/partners/needs_search.cfm or calling (972) 925-3920.

distriCtWide

students

Awards & Achievements

Jennifer Criss and olivia harris, students at Booker T. Washington high School for the Performing and Visual Arts, have been named semifinalists for 2009 Presidential Scholars in the Arts. The candidates were selected from nearly 2.8 million students expected to graduate from U.S. high schools this year.

Seven seniors each received $20,000 scholarships from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. The students are: Frelisa

Jones, David W. carter high School; ma-ria acevedo and sasha Price, W.W. Samu-ell high School; nancy bustos, Jeannette hernandez, and Candace turner, Seagov-ille high School; and Cristhian escobar, Skyline high School. The Dell Scholars program recognizes academic potential and determination in students that have a definite need for financial assistance and provides technology, resources, and men-toring to ensure students have the support they need to obtain a college degree.

Two debate teams from W.T. White high School qualified for the chase Urban De-bate National championships in chicago. The teams of barron branch and anthony salazar and valencia harvey and ricky barbosa were the top two teams based on scores earned while participating in local tournaments. The students joined the top debaters from each of the 19 Urban Debate Leagues across the country for a weekend of debate competition and community and cultural experiences.

brookings institution: dallas isd most improved in texas, second in nationDallas ISD has improved more than any other urban district in Texas and more than all but one urban district in the coun-try in narrowing the achievement gap, ac-cording to a study by The Brown center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institu-tion in Washington, D.c. The study ex-amined state test scores and demographic information—including race/ethnicity and percentage of disadvantaged students—of 37 urban districts to determine how big-city school districts fared compared to suburban and rural districts.

dallas isd schools make Just for The Kids highest Performing schools listFive Dallas ISD schools have been named to the National center for Educational Achievement’s Just for the Kids list of highest performing schools in all subject areas. The schools are: James B. Bonham Elementary School, charles Rice Learn-ing center, School for the Talented and Gifted at yvonne A. Ewell Townview center, School of Science and Engineer-ing at yvonne A. Ewell Townview center, and William B. Travis Academy/Vanguard for the Academically Talented and Gifted (named in both elementary and middle school categories). The schools were

named based on student academic growth and improvement and the percentage of students reaching the NcEA’s college and career readiness benchmarks for each sub-ject. Forty-two other schools received the highest performing rating in at least one subject area.

Four dallas isd schools nominated for 2009 No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools AwardFour Dallas ISD schools have been nomi-nated by the Texas Education Agency for the national 2009 No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools Award. The schools are George Bannerman Dealey Interna-tional Academy, Victor h. hexter Elemen-tary School, George Peabody Elementary School, and the School of health Profes-sions at yvonne A. Ewell Townview center. The award recognizes schools that are academically high performing or that have dramatically improved the performance of all students to high levels over at least the past three years.

two dallas isd schools honored by the national Center for urban school transformationJames B. Bonham Elementary School is among only 12 schools nationwide to re-ceive the National center for Urban Trans-

formation’s National Excellence in Urban Education Award. William L. cabell Ele-mentary School is among 18 other schools named to the NcUST 2009 honor Roll.

learning Center recognized for creating healthy school environmentErasmo Seguin community Learning center was recognized by the U.S. Depart-ment of Agriculture as a “Gold” school through the HealthierUS School Chal-lenge. The challenge recognizes elemen-tary schools that create healthier school environments through their promotion of good nutrition and physical activity. Only nine schools in Texas received this recog-nition. The school will be used as a model for all district schools.

tea recognizes 26 dallas isd schools as exemplary, 77 recognizedThe Texas Education Agency named 103 Dallas ISD schools exemplary or recog-nized for 2008—a sharp increase from the previous year’s total of 47 schools. Twenty-six schools earned the top rating of exemplary, an increase from 14 in 2007. The number of recognized schools jumped from 33 in 2007 to 77 in 2008. Moreover, Dallas students improved their scores in every grade and subject except seventh-grade writing.

DALLAS ISD NEWSLINE • 7

dallas sChools television launChes student-hosted neWs shoW

News Beat, a new two- to three-minute news show

hosted by students, airs every two weeks on cable channel 98 and is available on the district’s Web site. A student anchor reports the news, and a calendar of up-coming events and a section recognizing the accomplish-ments of students and employees are included in each newscast. News Beat airs at 9 a.m., 1 p.m., and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday on cable channel 98. To watch online, go to www.dallasisd.org/dstv/newsbeat.

sChool Zone dallas

School Zone Dallas, the Dallas ISD tele-vision show hosted by stu-dents, is the first TV show produced by

a Texas school district to win a Lone Star Emmy Award. School Zone Dallas has reached more than two million viewers and can be seen on WFAA-TV channel 8, KUVN Univision channel 23, KERA Public Television, and Time Warner cable channels.

The show can be seen each Wednesday night at 7 p.m. on Dallas Time Warner cable channel 98 digital and periodically on KERA Public Television.

Thanks to the generosity of the John Eagle Family of Dealerships, School Zone Dallas has aired three times this year on WFAA-TV channel 8, the ABc affiliate in Dallas, immediately following the 6 p.m. news.

School Zone Dallas also is produced in Spanish. Zona Escolar de Dallas has its own cast of students and airs through a unique partnership with KUVN Univision channel 23.

students begin August 24elementary Fair day October 2secondary Fair day October 9Fall Parent Conferences October 12, 13, 15thanksgiving break November 25–27Winter break December 21–January 1end of First semester January 15spring break March 15–19spring Parent Conferences March 8, 9, 11inclement Weather days April 2 and May 21students’ last day June 3

Calendar highlights 2009–2010

take another look at the dallas isd

The Dallas ISD Web site at www.dallasisd.org has been un-dergoing some changes to improve the look and functional-ity of the site. Most noticeable is the home page, which in-cludes more stories, information about the great things our students are doing, and what is happening in our schools.

An addition to our Academics section includes the cur-riculum overviews, presented by grade and provided to par-ents as part of a comprehensive set of targets and initiatives known as Dallas Achieves! The guides make it easier for parents and the community to understand what is expected of students in every subject at every grade level.

We also are expanding our volunteering and partnership Web pages, making them more accessible to parents, guard-ians, and the community who want to volunteer at schools or make donations and contributions.

come visit the Dallas ISD at www.dallasisd.org.have a ConCern about the dallas isd?

To register concerns about the Dallas ISD, call constitu-ent Services at (972) 925-5555 between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.

weekdays or send an e-mail to constitu-entservices@dallasisd.org. constitu-

ent Services uses an automated call/concern tracking system to provide prompt and efficient so-lutions to concerns raised by par-ents or guardians and members of the community.

To offer opinions or comments to district leadership, e-mail

comments@dallasisd.org.

District Update

8 • JUNE 2009