District of Innovation

A District of Innovation (DOI) is a concept passed by the 84th Legislative Session in House Bill 1842, effective immediately, that gives traditional school districts most of the flexibilities available to Texas’ open enrollment charter schools. To access these flexibilities, a school district must adopt an innovation plan as set forth in Texas Education Code chapter 12A.

Using the District of Innovation distinction, a local school district may want to pursue specific innovations in curriculum, instruction, parent or community involvement, school calendar, budgeting, or other ideas. An innovation plan also allows a school district to gain exemption from many Texas Education Code requirements. Essentially, innovation plans will be about local control. Each district can pursue designation as a District of Innovation for different reasons, and no two plans may look the same. Community members should note that each innovation plan will be unique to the local school district.

In CFBISD, the School Board voted to approve the pursuit of developing an Innovation Plan. The Board also appointed a District of Innovation Plan Committee that will work on an Innovation Plan. Once approved by the committee, the Innovation Plan was then presented to the District Improvement Committee for approval. Once approved by the District Improvement Committee, the plan was posted to the district’s website. The School Board will vote on the Innovation Plan at the February School Board Meeting.

The DOI Plan Committee studied the Board’s vision, mission, and goals and the District Improvement Plan and also considered challenges and barriers in existing law that could be alleviated through strategies included in a DOI Plan. The following topics were identified to include in the Plan:

First Day of Instruction and possible flexibility in school calendar due to changed first day of instruction
Length of Instructional Day for Pre-K
Teacher Certification for certain Career and Technology Education instructors, dance teachers at elementary for Fine Arts Academies, and certain World Languages Instructors

The goal of the DOI Plan is to enhance local control and give the District greater flexibility to implement strategies and innovations that support the Board’s mission, vision, and goals, based on community and internal stakeholder input.

District of Innovation Plan 2017-18

OUR VISION: Learn More. Achieve More.
OUR MISSION: Continuous Improvement.
OUR GOAL: High Achievement for Each Student.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

John Mathews, President
Nancy Cline, Vice-President
Guillermo Ramos, Secretary
Randy Schackmann, Assistant Secretary
Richard Fleming, Board Member
Tara Hrbacek, Board Member
Candace Valenzuela, Board Member

December 7, 2017: Resolution Passed
December 11, 2017: DOI Committee
January 18, 2018: Report to Board and Public Comment
January 22, 2018: DIC Meeting
February 1, 2018: Public Hearing
February 1, 2018: CFBISD Board of Trustees Considers Plan

ADMINISTRATORS

Dr. John Chapman, Superintendent
Dr. Georgeanne Warnock, Associate Superintendent, Educational Services
Tonya Tillman, Associate Superintendent, Administrative and Support Services
Michelle Bailey, Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools
Tracy Smith, Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Schools
Dr. Darrell Coleman, Chief of Staff
David Finley, Chief Operations Officer
Scott Roderick, Chief Financial Officer
Cathy Webb, Chief Data & Technology Officer

DISTRICT OF INNOVATION COMMITTEE
COMPRISED OF DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT COUNCIL AND ADDITIONAL MEMBERS

Dr. Georgeanne Warnock, Associate Superintendent
Ms. Tonya Tillman, Associate Superintendent
Ms. Cathy Webb, Chief Officer of Data and Technology
Ms. Tracy Smith, Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Schools
Ms. Michelle Bailey, Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools
Dr. Kathryn Schaffer, Executive Director of Advanced Academics and World Languages
Mr. Joe LaPuma, Principal, Creekview High School
Ms. Kathleen Holdge, Academy Facilitator, Newman Smith High School
Ms. Charde Dockery, Principal, Long Middle School
Mr. Calvin Capps, Teacher, Blalack Middle School
Ms. Debbie Williams, Principal, Kent Elementary School
Ms. Eva Medina-Walker, Principal, Blanton Elementary School
Ms. Jenny Lupa, Teacher, McLaughlin-Strickland Elementary School
Ms. Amanda Kuster, Teacher, McKamy Elementary School
Ms. Mary Reed, Chairperson, DIC
Ms. Sylvia Mazuera, President, PTA
Mr. Tracy Eubanks, Business Partner
Ms. Catherine Carlin, Parent Volunteer
Mr. John DeLorme, Community Volunteer
Ms. Delryn Fleming, Community Volunteer
Ms. Rosa Poetschke, CFB Parent
Mr. Luke Erlenbusch, CFB Parent

DISTRICT PLAN
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The goal of Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District is high achievement for each student. Our work to help students reach their highest potential is guided by the following objectives:

Continuously improve student learning

The instructional core is composed of the teacher and student in the presence of content.

The relationship between the teacher, student, and content determines the nature of instructional practice. The only way to improve instruction is by increasing the level of knowledge and skill the teacher brings to instruction, change the role of the student in instruction, and to increase the level and complexity of content.

City, E., Elmore, R., Fiarman, S. and Teitel, L.
(2009). Instructional Rounds in Education.
Cambridge: Harvard Education Press.

How do we improve student learning?

Improve the instructional core
Improve feedback and observation
Improve data-informed decision making
Increase innovative programming including digital learning

Continuously improve the learning environment

The learning environment comprises both the physical space and the emotional environment. Students must feel safe and secure, both physically and emotionally, in order for learning to occur.

How do we improve the learning environment?

Ensure safety and security
Meet physical and emotional needs
Provide effective learning facilities

Continuously improve operational effectiveness

Operational effectiveness is the efficiency of business processes and fiscal resources.

How do we improve operational effectiveness?

Improve human resources management
Improve financial management
Improve business operations
Improve technology infrastructure and operations

Continuously improve community support

Community support comprises support from parents, business, faith-based organizations, and community leadership. Schools cannot do it alone; CFB relies on partnership with stakeholders in the community for continued success.

How do we improve community support?

Provide excellent customer service
Promote district accolades and initiatives
Encourage involvement from community organizations and leadership

INTRODUCTION

The 84th Texas Legislature passed HB 1842 which included provisions to allow Texas school districts to become Districts of Innovation (DOI). Under a DOI Plan, a traditional school district may access many of the flexibilities available to Texas open enrollment charter schools.

The District Improvement Council discussed District of Innovation and drafted ideas that may support CFB’s goal of High Achievement for Each Student on Monday, November 13, 2017. Following discussion about District of Innovation at a Board Work Study on November 16, 2017, the Board directed the Administration to explore pursuit of designation as a District of Innovation. On December 7, 2017, the Board of Trustees held a public hearing and voted to pursue designation as a District of Innovation. The Board also appointed a DOI Plan Committee.

The DOI Plan Committee, largely comprised of the representatives serving on the District Improvement Council, included representatives from all aspects of CFBISD operations, parent representatives, and community representatives. The Committee began its work on December 11, and divided into four work groups: Student Learning, the Learning Environment, Operational Efficiency, and Community Support.

First Day of Instruction and possible flexibility in school calendar due to changed first day of instruction
Length of Instructional Day for PreK
Teacher Certification for certain Career and Technology Education instructors, dance teachers at elementary for Fine Arts Academies, and certain World Languages Instructors

DISTRICT OF INNOVATION PLAN

The local District of Innovation Plan (DOI Plan) set out below is aligned with the Board’s vision, mission, and goals, as well as the District Improvement Plan (DIP). Unless otherwise indicated below, the DOI Plan is intended to apply District-wide.

For each recommended element of the plan, DOI Committee members considered relevant statutory or regulatory authority. They also identified barriers and/or obstacles that interfered with achievement of goals, whether included in the District’s 2020 Vision and annual DIP. Based on this analysis, committee members carefully crafted strategies to overcome the barriers and obstacles to achievement. The DOI Plan below was the result of the Committee’s thoughtful and deliberate process.

First Day of Instruction
1. Statutory Exemption: Texas Education Code § 25.0811: A school district may not begin instruction for students for a school year before the fourth Monday in August. (Board Policy Ref: EB (Legal) School Year)
2. DIP References: Guiding Objective 1, Guiding Objective 2, Guiding Objective 4
3. Challenges/Obstacles: The increasingly later start date for instruction has presented numerous challenges and obstacles to District academic operations. Fall and spring semesters are significantly unequal in length; opportunities for collaborative teacher planning and preparation time are reduced, the last day of instruction gets pushed farther into June which negatively affects summer programming and some students and staff who wish to attend universities and colleges in the summer miss the first days of college classes. In the past, to attempt to balance the semesters due to a late start date, CFB ended the first semester after the winter break. This strategy created hardships for students who were required to work on significant projects during the holidays. The break from instruction near the end of the semester also made it more difficult for students to prepare for semester examinations. The unequal semesters also negatively affects one semester classes such as health, AP Psychology, Professional Communications, Economics, etc. because the same curriculum still must be taught in fewer instructional days. The shortened instructional period makes it more difficult for students to master the concepts and increases out of school assignments. Each year, consistent with its local policy, CFBISD seeks input from stakeholders about the academic calendar. Stakeholder input following the change in the end of the fall semester overwhelmingly communicated the desire to end the fall semester before the holiday break even if it resulted in unbalanced semesters. The longstanding and consistent input that the District has received from internal and external stakeholders since that time is that they desire to (i) complete the fall semester before the winter break, (ii) have the last day of instruction fall in the last week of May, (iii) retain a Fair Day holiday in October, and (iv) have the week of Thanksgiving as a fall break. In addition, teachers and campus administrators value strategically placed professional development days in each semester to assist campuses in analyzing student performance and planning. The late school start date interferes with developing an academic calendar that meets stakeholder desires as well as implementing best practices of balancing the fall and spring semesters, negatively affects student learning, causes low staff morale in the spring due to a later ending date, and reduces teacher preparation time.
4. Proposed Innovation/Benefits: CFBISD will no longer be required to delay the start of school to the fourth Friday in August as currently required by TEC § 25.0811. Upon implementation of the DOI Plan, the District will determine an appropriate start date annually. CFBISD will continue to consider stakeholder input as required by Board policy EB (Local) in its determination of the first day of instruction. A more reasonable school start date will provide CFBISD flexibility to incorporate stakeholder input into its calendar
  process, increase stakeholder satisfaction, allow for a more balanced academic calendar, provide more opportunities for collaborative teacher planning and preparation time and professional development throughout the year at times best suited to instructional needs, and generally improve the overall efficient operations of the District. The maintenance of good professional development is directly related to student success.
5. Note: Changing the first day of instruction does not alter the University Interscholastic League (UIL) restrictions for the first day of practice for athletic and fine arts programs. CFBISD will continue to comply with the UIL calendar for commencement of summer practices.
Length of Instructional Day
1. Statutory Exemption(s): Texas Education Code § 25.081: For each school year, each school district must operate so that the district provides at least 75,600 minutes of instruction, including intermissions and recesses. (A full school day is considered to be 420 minutes and a half school day is considered 210 minutes.) (Board Policy Ref: EC (Legal) School Day)
2. DIP References: Guiding Objective 1, Guiding Objective 3
3. Challenges/Obstacles:
  1. Pre-Kindergarten Students – CFBISD offers half-day pre-kindergarten and pre-school program for children with disabilities classes. (PPCD) The half-day requirement for each school day under § 25.081 is 210 minutes of instruction. The Pre-K and PPCD classes are offered in two sessions each day – morning and afternoon (180 minutes of instruction). Lengthening the instructional day would require overlapping of the morning and afternoon sessions, which would actually result in a loss of instructional time, and would require hiring additional staff. Funding is not available to hire additional staff and space is not available to offer separate classrooms for the morning and afternoon classes.
4. Proposed Innovation/Benefits:
  1. Pre-Kindergarten Students – CFBISD will maintain the current program schedule for all pre-kindergarten programs. This schedule allows for ample, quality instruction of the young children who attend the programs and also facilitates the orderly transition between the morning and afternoon sessions and provides families with consistent arrival and dismissal times. Maintaining the current schedule also allows the instructional staff an opportunity for lunch and planning period and allows CFBISD to maximize efficiency in providing transportation for the young children, as well. CFBISD is considering adopting a full day PreK program; however, should CFBISD determine that a half-day program is more appropriate, the benefit of flexibility in the schedule will apply.
Teacher Certification
1. Statutory Exemption(s): Texas Education Code § 21.003(a): A person may not be employed as a teacher . . . by a school district unless the person holds an appropriate certificate or permit as provided by Subchapter B; § 21.0031(a): An employee’s probationary, continuing, or term contract under this chapter is void if the employee: (1) does not hold valid certificate or permit issued by SBEC; (2) fails to fulfill the requirements necessary to renew or extend the employee’s . . . certificate or any other certificate or permit issued under Subchapter B; or (3) fails to comply with any requirement under Chapter 22 if the failure results in suspension or revocation of the employee’s certificate; § 21.057: A school district that assigns an inappropriately certified or uncertified teacher to the same classroom for more than 30 consecutive instructional days during the same school year shall provide written notice of the assignment to a parent or guardian of each student in that classroom. (Board Policy Ref: DBA Employment Requirements and Restrictions: Credentials and Records)
2. DIP References: Guiding Objective 1, Guiding Objective 2, Guiding Objective 3, Guiding Objective 4
3. Challenges/Obstacles: The traditional certification requirements under the Texas Education Code are not aligned with realities of the current educational environment and the need to hire industry experts to teach many of the course offerings through the career and technology education programs offered in most districts. CFBISD desires to create a limited exemption from traditional certification requirements to enhance its ability to recruit and hire qualified individuals with specialized knowledge in career and technology education courses for which teachers holding traditional certifications are not readily available.As CFBISD considers expanding innovative programming at the elementary school, CFBISD has sought parent feedback on programs of choice that may benefit elementary students. A World Languages Academy, offering languages such as Mandarin Chinese and Arabic has been discussed as a potential benefit for students. Due to anticipated difficulties in hiring personnel who are certified teachers and skilled in Mandarin Chinese and/or Arabic and/or other world languages that may be considered for a World Languages Academy, CFBISD desires to create a limited traditional certification requirement to be able to recruit and hire highly qualified individuals with proficiency in certain world languages.As CFBISD considers expanding innovative programming at the elementary school through Fine Arts Academies, dance will be a programming strand offered at the Fine Arts Academies. As there is no elementary certification offered for Dance, CFBISD desires to hire highly qualified dance instructors with secondary dance certification to fill the dance positions at elementary Fine Arts Academies.
4. Proposed Innovation/Benefits: CFBISD will continue to seek traditionally certified candidates for all teaching positions. However, for those career and technology education courses and specialized world languages courses at elementary for which a traditionally certified, qualified candidate is not identified, the District will recruit persons with industry experience/language proficiency in the field of need to teach the classes. The District will develop minimum required qualifications for persons hired for such positions and also will identify required professional development in the areas of student management, instructional strategies, curriculum, and parent engagement. Additionally, CFBISD will have the flexibility to hire a secondary dance certified teacher to serve in an elementary capacity. CFBISD considers the persons hired for these positions to be appropriately qualified and thus will not provide special notification to parents of students in their classes that the instructor does not hold a traditional teaching certificate. This innovation will allow CFBISD to consider a broader applicant pool and to broaden its learning networks for traditionally hard to fill career and technology education and world languages classes while maintaining a high quality of instruction designed to provide students with real-world, practical knowledge and experience.

Term

This Local Innovation Plan will become effective upon approval by a 2/3 majority vote of the Board of Trustees. It is designed to be implemented at the start of the 2018-19 school year and continue for five years, through the end of the 2022-2023 school year, unless terminated or amended earlier by the Board of Trustees in accordance with the law. The DIC will review the plan annually to ensure that the recommendations continue to support the needs of the District. If the Committee recommends changes, the Plan would be amended in the manner required by law that includes public posting, and approval of the DOI Committee, the District Planning Committee, and the Board of Trustees.

Resolution to Initiate the Process of Designation as a District of Innovation

WHEREAS, the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISO Board of Trustees is committed to high achievement for each student; and,

WHEREAS, the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISO Board of Trustees wishes to support innovation and local initiatives to improve educational outcomes for the benefit of our students and our community; and

WHEREAS, House Bill 1843 provides Texas Public school districts the opportunity to be designated as Districts of Innovation; and,

WHEREAS Education Code 12A.001 provides that a district is eligible for designation as a district of innovation if the district’s most recent performance rating under Section 39.054 reflects at least acceptable performance, and that consideration of designation as a district of innovation may be initiated by a resolution adopted by the board of trustees of the district; and

WHEREAS, the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD’s most recent performance rating under Education Code 39.054 reflects acceptable performance. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Trustees of Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISO by adoption of this resolution initiates the process under Education Code Chapter 12A to become a district of innovation. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that after this resolution is signed by the Board, a public hearing shall be held to consider whether the District should develop a local innovation plan for the designation of the District as a district of innovation and that after the public hearing the Board of Trustees of Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISO shall appoint a committee to develop a local innovation plan or decline to pursue designation as a district of innovation. Adopted this 7th day of December, 2017, by the Board of Trustees.

December 21, 2017
Commissioner Mike Morath
Texas Education Agency Commissioner’s Officer
1701 N. Congress Avenue
Austin, Texas 78701

Re: Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD / District of Innovation Intent

Commissioner Morath:

In accordance with Texas Education Code § 12A.005(a)(2), and Section 19, Chapter 102.1307(a) (2), the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District (“CFB ISD” or the “District”) hereby notifies the Commissioner of its intent to vote on a proposed District of Innovation plan. The District has at this time complied with all applicable aspects of Texas Education Code §§ 12A.002(a), 12A.002(b)(2) and 12A.003, and the related provisions of the Texas Administrative Code. The CFB ISD Board of Trustees shall consider and vote on the final version of the proposed District of Innovation plan after such plan has been posted on the district’s website for at least 30 days and the district-level committee established under Texas Education Code §11.251 has held a public meeting to consider the final version of the proposed plan and has voted to approve the plan by a majority vote of the committee members.

Please feel free to contact the District should you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
Board of Trustees
Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District

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