Although they aren’t where they want to be, Ector County ISD leaders say good things are happening in the district from increased kindergarten readiness and SAT scores to initiatives that have created more student engagement and improved school climates and cultures.
Superintendent Scott Muri on Thursday gave a State of the District Address that included people from across the community, state and nation. It was held at the Odessa High School Performing Arts Center.
It also included an appearance by a combined drumline from Odessa and Permian high schools, Sam Weaks playing a Steinway and an appearance by Terry Denoyer, author of Breaking the Internet. Subtitled How One Community is Working Towards Digital Equity, the book has a foreword by Executive Director of Digital Learning Lauren Tavarez.
Muri also spoke to two teachers at Ross Elementary School, Sheila Wilson and Dana Batten, who are involved in Opportunity Culture, and Milam Elementary School kindergarten student Kai Chavez.
Muri said kindergarten readiness has increased by 13 percentage points, SAT scores were above the state level and there was a 7 percent increase this year over last in college, career and military readiness. This is a factor in state accountability standards.
“We are now above the region and we are now tied with the state of Texas … What that says to us is our students in ECISD coming from our five high schools are just as prepared as every other student in the state of Texas,” Muri said.
He noted that the 84.7 percent graduation rate is the highest in 20 years.
Wilson and Young Middle School Principal Anthony Garcia and Travis Elementary Principal Amy Russell discussed their success with blended learning and tutoring.
Garcia said blended learning is a correlation between teacher led instruction and technology. It gives students an opportunity to choose their learning. This is the first year Wilson and Young has used blended learning and they have gone from 30 percent to more than 50 percent.
Russell said federal funding has allowed 50 of her fourth and fifth grade students to receive one-on-one tutoring money.
She had parents lining up that wanted their children to have this chance.
“In Ector County ISD we have 6,000 students — elementary, middle school and high school — that have one-one-one tutors because of this virtual opportunity,” Muri said.
Russell said the students had one hour of tutoring four times a week after school with an after school snack.
“We saw in their scores that these students outperformed my entire campus by over 30 percent, so that’s a great return on the investment,” Russell said.
Eighty-eight percent of the students tutored hit their MAP growth.
“So the growth that we set for our kids to go from the beginning of the year to the middle of the year, 88 percent. So almost nine out of 10 students met that growth by the middle of the year. That makes a principal jump up and down and do the happy dance,” Russell said.
Her poverty rate is about 86 percent at Travis.
Muri also spoke about the upcoming bond election set for May 7; district goals; GPS being installed in 140 buses so parents can know where they are; providing internet to families who could not get service or got poor service; and delivering meals to families during the pandemic.
