All About ACE
News from the Spring ISD Advisory Committee on Education
2020-2021 Issue 8
The Advisory Committee on Education Discusses the District’s Recovery Efforts
The ACE committee met on Wednesday, May 19 for its last meeting of the 2020-2021 school year, which focused primarily on the analysis and feedback of the district’s Recovery Plan that will launch this summer and extend through next school year. Superintendent Dr. Rodney Watson opened the meeting with greetings to the ACE members and immediately recognized them for serving the district this year in such an important capacity.
Every campus in the district has at least one ACE representative and an alternate, elected by the staff, to serve in this advisory role to the Superintendent. Central office representatives were also elected, while devoted community members were appointed to the Committee. For the entire school year, these esteemed members of Team Spring have attended regular meetings, reviewed new initiatives, analyzed program proposals, and shared feedback based on their role and respective campus needs. There was never a dull moment with this group!
Let us all join Dr. Watson in applauding our colleagues for their commitment and dedication to the 2020-2021 Advisory Committee on Education. Each of their names is listed below for the individual recognition they so deserve.
ELEMENTARY CAMPUS REPRESENTATIVES
Jessica Gamez, Anderson
Cynthia Munson, Bammel
Ashley Baker, Beneke
Antonionette Nolen, Booker
Diana de la Fuente, Burchett
Michael Thomas, Clark Primary
Marquita Cooper, Clark Intermediate
Andrew Brown, Cooper
Estella Randle, Eickenroht
Tristan Williams, Heritage
Samuel Castilow, Hirsch
Laura Hicks, Hoyland
Megan Janak, Jenkins
Seba Houston, Lewis
Mayra Romo, Link
Fran Jackson, Major
Ashley Shook, Marshall
Terrance O’Neil, McNabb
Danielle Small, Meyer
Lori Douglass, Northgate Crossing
Rosemary Perez, Ponderosa
Kathryn Organ, Reynolds
Tina Velasquez, Salyers
Angela Miller, Smith
Jamie Stacy, Thompson
Christian Lyttle, Winship
MIDDLE SCHOOL CAMPUS REPRESENTATIVES
Denitroy Green and Kevin Williams, Bailey
Jerry Griffin and Tameka Williams, Bammel
Alexandra Bracht and Paula Martin, Claughton
Robert Munoz, Dueitt
Jo’Nequia Powers and Marie Sonnier, Roberson
Callyncia Lanaux and Charity Vesey, Spring Leadership Academy
Kyan Butler and Bailey Dean, Springwoods Village
Kimberly Simpson and Sheila Stewart, Twin Creeks
Anita Foreman and Kimberly Kinnard, Wells
HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUS REPRESENTATIVES
Amber Evans, Sherwin Johnson, and Timothy Johnson - Dekaney
Nwkorie Akudo, Patrick Clark, and Teresa McCaskill - Spring
Belen Polanco - Spring Early College Academy
Naomi Mayhall, Betti Revada, and Angela Williams - Westfield
Edwin Diaz, Tera George, and Bonnie Lovett - Wunsche
CENTRAL OFFICE REPRESENTATIVES
David Landgrebe, Performing and Visual Arts
Jaime Mireles, Special Education
Rhonda Mitchell, Procurement
Gerald Points, Career and Technical Education
PARENT & COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES
James Hale, Community Member
Charlotte Manning, Parent
The ACE Gives Feedback on the District's Recovery Plan
The ACE fulfilled its primary function of analyzing district programs and providing feedback to the Superintendent as the Spring ISD Recovery Framework was under close review in the May meeting. Small teams were formed to discuss the plan’s five areas and to respond to driving questions that generated feedback for each respective group. A summary of each team’s feedback is as follows with the discussion focus:
1. Highly Effective Principals and Teachers
What do you value in highly effective principals and teachers?
- Principals who are proactive, visible, and respected leaders in the school; they know what is going on in the school; transparency; inspire solutions, vocalize the challenges to be solved together; support teachers; value community; demonstrate compassion; and get to know teachers as individuals
- Teachers should show they care and be responsible; be accessible; build positive relationships with students
How would you measure this?
- Texas Teacher Performance Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS)
- Texas Principal Performance Evaluation and Support System (T-PESS)
- Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR)
- Staff surveys
2. Aligned Curriculum & Ongoing Progress Measures
What would you and other teachers want to see in the district’s reading and math curriculum? How should schools measure student growth in reading and math?
- Provide a thorough layout of the course via a sound scope and sequence
- Pace and adjust available resources as needed
- Integrate reading and writing instruction
- Add research-based phonics resources
- Provide targeted support for ELs
- Integrate non-fiction reading into other courses
- Clarify the expectations for guided reading and the use of resources
- Reduce the number of assessments while considering the school’s needs
- Facilitate cross-curricular planning with all teachers, including electives
- Select culturally relevant resources
What evidence would determine that students are getting a good reading and math education?
- Checkpoints or assessments results
- Quarterly exam results
- Students’ ability to solve problems using mental math
3. Maximize Learning Time
How can Spring ISD students benefit from an extended school day?
Extended school year?
- Offer campus-specific enrichments during the school day to interest students
- Allow teachers to teach interest-based enrichments to students
- Ensure student choice in enrichment activities
- Schedule intervention and study periods in the school day
- Key questions: 1) How much longer would the school day be? 2) Could enrichment opportunities be added into the instructional day?
How would you know that Spring ISD students are benefiting from the extended time?
- Attendance
- Student participation and engagement
- Feedback surveys
- Achievement and growth performance data
4. High Dosage Tutoring
What academic supports do students need to be successful? What benefits do you see in small group tutoring?
Needed supports:
- System to diagnose the need
- Skill-specific PK-12 resources, i.e., software, books, and other instructional materials
- Tutoring provided by an expert in the content, not a substitute teacher
- Maintain and provide an updated list of approved vendors
- Complete an inventory of current resources and adjust resource locations based on need to ensure the usage fidelity
- Consistency in staffing and duties, i.e., tutoring teachers are not being pulled into other areas (office duties, class coverage, etc.)
Benefits:
- Stronger sense of community
- Aligned instruction that is engaging and addresses all learning styles
- Builds positive relationships
- Small-group benefits and skill reinforcement
How will you know that students are benefiting from the academic supports?
- Tutoring meets the students’ needs
- Success is based on student feedback regarding needs being met
5. Safe and Secure Learning Environments
What supports do you believe Spring ISD students need to address their social and emotional well-being? What health and safety precautions should be in place at our schools?
- Intervention and or study period
- Provide social-emotional learning (SEL) training
- Counselors and teachers facilitate interactive SEL lessons
- Embed SEL in middle school health curriculum
- Review data with struggling students
- Emphasize transparency and communication; be aware of students’ needs
- Health/Safety: Practice social distancing consistently; provide soap in all restrooms; ensure a lower ratio of students
How will you know that students’ health and emotional well-being are cared for?
- Improved self-awareness
- Lower stress levels and fewer missing assignments
- Attendance
- Qualitative data and student feedback
Lively, insightful dialogues transpired in each breakout session as revealed from the feedback, questions, and recommendations. Using a similar process, the Recovery Plan will be presented to additional stakeholder groups for feedback prior to implementing the plan in August 2021. Updates will continue to be provided over the coming months.
Here’s What’s Next for the ACE
District elections for the ACE will begin in September 2021. Information regarding the election process and approved timeline will be announced via SISD Now. The monthly meetings will launch in October and will continue with a total of at least six monthly meetings through the 2021-2022 school year.
The next ACE meeting will be held in October 2021.
Email: lhinoj1@springisd.org
Website: www.springisd.org/ace
Phone: 281-891-6736