What Is A District of Innovation
DISTRICT OF INNOVATION Monahans-Wickett-Pyote ISD Board Meeting February 20, 2017
What Is A District of Innovation • A concept passed by the 84th Legislative Session in HB 1842 • Provides school districts most of the flexibilities available to Texas’ open enrollment charter schools
• To access these flexibilities, a district must adopt an innovation plan set forth in TEC Ch. 12A
Why Would a School District Choose to Pursue This Option • To gain exemption from many Texas Education Code requirements • To develop a plan which is unique to the local school district
• To provide the school district with LOCAL CONTROL
What School Districts are Eligible to be Districts of Innovation Any school district whose most recent academic performance rating is
“Acceptable” (Met Standard)
What Legal Requirements Could A School District Avoid by Becoming a District of Innovation Areas Which May Be Exempt
• Site-Based Decision Making Processes • Uniform School Start Date • Minimum Minutes of Instruction • Class Size and Student/Teacher Ratio • 90 Percent Attendance Rule
• Student Discipline Provisions • Teacher Certification • Teacher Contracts • Teacher Benefits • Teacher Appraisal System
What Legal Requirements Could A School District Avoid by Becoming a District of Innovation Areas Which May NOT Be Exempt
• Academic Accountability – Including Student Assessments • Special Education • Bilingual Education • Pre-Kindergarten • Curriculum and Graduation Requirements
• Criminal History Checks • Educator Misconduct Reporting • Elected Boards of Trustees • Open Meetings • Public Records • Financial Accountability and Reporting
What Should an Innovation Plan Include An Innovation Plan Should: • Provide for a comprehensive educational program which includes innovations • Identify the Texas Education Code provisions from which the District could be exempted
What is the Process for Becoming a District of Innovation Board Resolution
Public Hearing
Appoint Innovation Plan Committee
(Brd Mtg - 2/20/17)
(Brd Mtg - 3/20/17)
(Brd Mtg – 3/20/17)
(Brd Mtg – 4/10/17)
Notification and Publish
Final Vote by Board of Trustees
DEIC Meeting to Vote on Plan
Needs Majority Vote to Pass
Plan Posted Online for 30 Days & Sent to Commissioner
(May 22, 2017)
(4/11 – 5/10)
(Brd Mtg – 6/19/17)
Committee to Develop Plan for Presentation to Board
Frequently Asked Questions What impact could innovations have on school funding? • Funding will remain substantially the same for Districts of Innovation. • Depending on plan, Districts may have flexibility in use of compensatory funds.
Frequently Asked Questions What impact could innovations have on school personnel? • Possibly none • Depending on plan, Districts may have changes in employment policies related to contracts. • Example:
Up to two years of probationary contracts for new employees with the last five-of-eight years in education
Frequently Asked Questions How will the District change the calendar to start or end the school year? • TEC states a school district may not begin student instruction before the fourth Monday of August. • District may adjust the start date to equalize the number of student minutes between the first and second semesters.
Frequently Asked Questions What effect will innovations have on class size? • TEC requires Districts to maintain 22 students or less in kindergarten through 4th-grade classes. • Goal of the District is to adhere to the 22:1 mandate; however, if highly-qualified, certified personnel are not available, the District would have other options concerning class size.
Frequently Asked Questions In what areas would the District adjust the requirements for teacher certifications? • TEC states a person may not be employed as an educator by a school district unless the individual holds an appropriate certificate or permit issued by the appropriate state agency. • District of Innovation would allow for flexibility in hiring CTE teachers. • District of Innovation would allow for a certified teacher to teach a subject in a related field for which he/she is not credentialed by the state.
Frequently Asked Questions Could these innovations have an impact on District policy? • District of Innovation will likely need to make changes to LOCAL policies. • District of Innovation may need adjustments to LEGAL policies to reflect changes made to legal provisions through the innovation plan.
Frequently Asked Questions How long does an innovation plan stay in effect? • Plan may have a term of up to five (5) years.
• Plan may be amended, rescinded or renewed by a majority vote of the DEIC and the Board of Trustees. • If District receives unacceptable academic and/or financial performance ratings for two consecutive years, commissioner may terminate the plan or require District to amend the plan. • Plan will be terminated after three consecutive years of unacceptable performance – academically or financially.
DISTRICT OF INNOVATION Proposed Timeline
Date February 20, 2017 February 21 - March 20, 2017
Activity Board Meeting – Board Resolution District of Innovation Introductory Power Point Posted on District Website
March 20, 2017
Board Meeting – Public Hearing and District of Innovation Committee Members
March 23, 2017
District of Innovation Committee Meeting – Development of Plan
April 5, 2017
District of Innovation Committee Meeting – Finalize Plan
April 10, 2017
Board Meeting – Public Hearing – Present District of Innovation Plan
April 11 – May 10, 2017
Posting of District of Innovation Plan on District Website & Notification to Commissioner
May 22 , 2017
District Education Improvement Committee (DEIC) Meeting for Vote
June 19, 2017
Board Meeting – Final Presentation to Board of Plan and Vote
DISTRICT OF INNOVATION Committee Members (To Be Recommended to the Board of Trustees at the March 20, 2017 Board Meeting)
Superintendent
Central Office
Special Education Department
Monahans High School
Monahans Education Center
Walker Junior High
Sudderth Elementary
Tatom Elementary
Cullender Kindergarten
Kellye Riley
Doug Doege
Kim Gilliam
Patty Dominguez
Chad Smith
Glen Jones
Matt Pond
Jill Steen
Lauri Pond
Jeff Jones
Alison Jones
Kim Thomas
Jay Thomas
Nancy Rolfe
Amy Strickland
Erica Robledo
Kathy Cornelius
What Is A District of Innovation • A concept passed by the 84th Legislative Session in HB 1842 • Provides school districts most of the flexibilities available to Texas’ open enrollment charter schools
• To access these flexibilities, a district must adopt an innovation plan set forth in TEC Ch. 12A
Why Would a School District Choose to Pursue This Option • To gain exemption from many Texas Education Code requirements • To develop a plan which is unique to the local school district
• To provide the school district with LOCAL CONTROL
What School Districts are Eligible to be Districts of Innovation Any school district whose most recent academic performance rating is
“Acceptable” (Met Standard)
What Legal Requirements Could A School District Avoid by Becoming a District of Innovation Areas Which May Be Exempt
• Site-Based Decision Making Processes • Uniform School Start Date • Minimum Minutes of Instruction • Class Size and Student/Teacher Ratio • 90 Percent Attendance Rule
• Student Discipline Provisions • Teacher Certification • Teacher Contracts • Teacher Benefits • Teacher Appraisal System
What Legal Requirements Could A School District Avoid by Becoming a District of Innovation Areas Which May NOT Be Exempt
• Academic Accountability – Including Student Assessments • Special Education • Bilingual Education • Pre-Kindergarten • Curriculum and Graduation Requirements
• Criminal History Checks • Educator Misconduct Reporting • Elected Boards of Trustees • Open Meetings • Public Records • Financial Accountability and Reporting
What Should an Innovation Plan Include An Innovation Plan Should: • Provide for a comprehensive educational program which includes innovations • Identify the Texas Education Code provisions from which the District could be exempted
What is the Process for Becoming a District of Innovation Board Resolution
Public Hearing
Appoint Innovation Plan Committee
(Brd Mtg - 2/20/17)
(Brd Mtg - 3/20/17)
(Brd Mtg – 3/20/17)
(Brd Mtg – 4/10/17)
Notification and Publish
Final Vote by Board of Trustees
DEIC Meeting to Vote on Plan
Needs Majority Vote to Pass
Plan Posted Online for 30 Days & Sent to Commissioner
(May 22, 2017)
(4/11 – 5/10)
(Brd Mtg – 6/19/17)
Committee to Develop Plan for Presentation to Board
Frequently Asked Questions What impact could innovations have on school funding? • Funding will remain substantially the same for Districts of Innovation. • Depending on plan, Districts may have flexibility in use of compensatory funds.
Frequently Asked Questions What impact could innovations have on school personnel? • Possibly none • Depending on plan, Districts may have changes in employment policies related to contracts. • Example:
Up to two years of probationary contracts for new employees with the last five-of-eight years in education
Frequently Asked Questions How will the District change the calendar to start or end the school year? • TEC states a school district may not begin student instruction before the fourth Monday of August. • District may adjust the start date to equalize the number of student minutes between the first and second semesters.
Frequently Asked Questions What effect will innovations have on class size? • TEC requires Districts to maintain 22 students or less in kindergarten through 4th-grade classes. • Goal of the District is to adhere to the 22:1 mandate; however, if highly-qualified, certified personnel are not available, the District would have other options concerning class size.
Frequently Asked Questions In what areas would the District adjust the requirements for teacher certifications? • TEC states a person may not be employed as an educator by a school district unless the individual holds an appropriate certificate or permit issued by the appropriate state agency. • District of Innovation would allow for flexibility in hiring CTE teachers. • District of Innovation would allow for a certified teacher to teach a subject in a related field for which he/she is not credentialed by the state.
Frequently Asked Questions Could these innovations have an impact on District policy? • District of Innovation will likely need to make changes to LOCAL policies. • District of Innovation may need adjustments to LEGAL policies to reflect changes made to legal provisions through the innovation plan.
Frequently Asked Questions How long does an innovation plan stay in effect? • Plan may have a term of up to five (5) years.
• Plan may be amended, rescinded or renewed by a majority vote of the DEIC and the Board of Trustees. • If District receives unacceptable academic and/or financial performance ratings for two consecutive years, commissioner may terminate the plan or require District to amend the plan. • Plan will be terminated after three consecutive years of unacceptable performance – academically or financially.
DISTRICT OF INNOVATION Proposed Timeline
Date February 20, 2017 February 21 - March 20, 2017
Activity Board Meeting – Board Resolution District of Innovation Introductory Power Point Posted on District Website
March 20, 2017
Board Meeting – Public Hearing and District of Innovation Committee Members
March 23, 2017
District of Innovation Committee Meeting – Development of Plan
April 5, 2017
District of Innovation Committee Meeting – Finalize Plan
April 10, 2017
Board Meeting – Public Hearing – Present District of Innovation Plan
April 11 – May 10, 2017
Posting of District of Innovation Plan on District Website & Notification to Commissioner
May 22 , 2017
District Education Improvement Committee (DEIC) Meeting for Vote
June 19, 2017
Board Meeting – Final Presentation to Board of Plan and Vote
DISTRICT OF INNOVATION Committee Members (To Be Recommended to the Board of Trustees at the March 20, 2017 Board Meeting)
Superintendent
Central Office
Special Education Department
Monahans High School
Monahans Education Center
Walker Junior High
Sudderth Elementary
Tatom Elementary
Cullender Kindergarten
Kellye Riley
Doug Doege
Kim Gilliam
Patty Dominguez
Chad Smith
Glen Jones
Matt Pond
Jill Steen
Lauri Pond
Jeff Jones
Alison Jones
Kim Thomas
Jay Thomas
Nancy Rolfe
Amy Strickland
Erica Robledo
Kathy Cornelius
