An update on three aspects of Ector County ISD’s strategic plan were reported to the board of trustees — the redesign of the Summer Learning Experience; implementation of Learning Management Systems and System-wide Social/Emotional Learning.
Summer learning this year emphasized robotics and coding. In 2019-20 figures show about 2,100 students went to summer school versus 2020-21 seeing more than 5,400 in early June. Students also showed academic growth through the summer months — middle school students showed substantial growth in reading on the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) test.
>> Implementation of Learning Management Systems (LMS), a digital platform for teachers to design and deliver instruction to students online.
The board recap, issued after Tuesday’s meeting, said this was piloted by 77 teachers last year, and the decision was made to use SeeSaw for prekindergarten to second grade and Schoology for third through 12th.
The recap said staff has been trained and is using these tools now.
“A powerful LMS is a foundational component to providing personalized learning for every student,” the recap said.
>> System-wide Social/Emotional Learning (SEL). Research shows happiness and success are determined by the way a person thinks, rather than based on things out of their control (socio-economic factors, where a person comes from, etc.), and using the 7 Mindsets curriculum ECISD staff members will be able to more effectively support students in this way, the recap said.
Amanda Lopez, the social emotional coordinator, said the district will use Seven Mindsets as its social-emotional learning curriculum.
Selequity is the latest iteration of the 7 Mindsets Portal. Lopez said the program results in fewer student suspensions and expulsions.
There will be a district wide professional development session for Seven Mindsets Nov. 10.
The program will engage parents and community and there is a district and campus coach. The district coach is Krista Stippich and the campus coach is Yessica O’Connor. Both are from Seven Mindsets and all the campuses have it.
Lopez said the program looks different at every campus, but at some it’s built into their schedule.
“It starts the conversation that sometimes we don’t have,” Superintendent Scott Muri said.
Also in the update, Albert Anchondo, special assistant to the superintendent, said the attendance rate was 92.6 percent for school year 2021. The goal was 94 percent. For 2022, the goal is 94.5 percent. He noted that attendance was heavily impacted by COVID-19.
The district hit 50 percent growth on the Measure of Academic Progress, or MAP, test. The goal was 52 percent.
Kindergarten readiness was 33.2 percent and 40 percent was the goal.
The percentage of seniors that had at least one college, career and military readiness indicator was 21.5 percent. The goal was 21 percent, Anchondo said.
The four-year graduation rate was 84.7 percent and the goal was 84 percent.
Post secondary enrollment for the class of 2020 was 51 percent, which met the objective.
Post secondary completion for the class of 2014 was 31 percent and the goal was 31 percent.
Trustees also heard about the Resilience School Support Program.
ECISD received the RSSP grant a year ago and, with a technical support provider, Education First, implemented virtual learning for the 2020-21 school year.
ECISD has received a second year of support through the RSSP grant.
The focus of the grant for the 2021-22 school year is recovery and accelerated learning.
ECISD is the only school district in Region 18 to receive the RSSP grant. ECISD will focus these recovery efforts on grade levels showing the lowest growth in reading and math, and students who are economically disadvantaged, special education, and English language learners, the recap said.
According to a presentation from Associate Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Lilia Nanez, under House Bill 4545, fifth and eighth grade changes no longer require retention at the same grade level based on the STAAR test; they have only one reading and math assessment.
Nanez said grade placement committees have been replaced with accelerated learning committees. Plans for each student must be individualized.
Accelerated learning plans must be documented in writing with a copy going to the student’s parent or guardian.
Several measures are being implemented to support students and gauge and monitor progress.
Muri said this does mean coming up with thousands of individual plans. He said word from the Texas Education Commissioner is do your best.
Muri said there will be thousands of students engaging in virtual tutoring and ECISD has five or six virtual tutoring companies lined up.
Staff that is tutoring in person will be paid.
While House Bill 4545 says STAAR results do not require a student be retained, parents can request it.
Muri said the principal also has the authority to retain a student. He said research on retention is “pretty grim.” “Acceleration is a much better way to address the learning needs of children,” Muri said.
In his opening remarks, Muri gave the board a brief recap of the first day of school. He said this was a day of realization that some of the kids returning to our school buildings had not been at school, in-person, in a year-and-a-half.
The middle schools and high schools opened with only sixth graders and ninth graders on campus, and that seemed to be well received, the recap said.
Muri said COVID is a big concern and will continue to be, and ECISD will continue to take precautions to keep everyone safe while at school.
