Superintendent Update - March 2012

[Watch the video from inside the Mansfield ISD network using the Video Portal.]

Dr. Bob Morrison visits Lake Ridge High School, the newest MISD high school campus, discusses STAAR testing, the new school start/end times for next year, Passport to Kindergarten and graduation information for the new MISD Center for the Performing Arts.

Superintendent Update - February 2012

Dr. Bob Morrison discusses the new MISD Center for the Performing Arts, an update to changes in the STAAR EOC testing program, Kindergarten Round-up (Passport to Kindergarten) and contest season for many of the MISD programs in the latest Superintendent Update:



[Watch the video from inside the Mansfield ISD network using the Video Portal.]

Note: The video was recorded and produced prior to the state championship win by the Mansfield Summit High School girls basketball team over the weekend.

Student Testing Update - STAAR/EOC

New state testing begins this school year with the implementation of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness or STAAR The standardized testing program includes tests for students in grades 3–12.

Mansfield ISD will use this blog, the MISD Department of Research, Assessment and Accountability website, as well as information at the campuses to keep parents informed of the changes in student testing.

About STAAR (3-8)

Texas is phasing in the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness exams which will test the same subject areas as the TAKS tests. STAAR testing will begin in March 2012 on these subjects:

• Grades 3 through 8: reading and math
• Grades 4 and 7: writing
• Grades 5 and 8: science
• Grade 8: social studies

End Of Course
Ninth grade in the 2011–2012 school year will be the first class required to take STAAR End Of Course (EOC) assessments. The 12 EOC assessments are:

• English I, English II, English III
• Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II
• Biology, Chemistry, Physics
• World Geography, World History, and U.S. History

The test will have three levels of proficiency. Level 1 is for unsatisfactory academic performance, level 2 for satisfactory performance and level 3 for advanced academic performance. State accountability ratings, which will be based largely on STAAR results, have been suspended for the 2011-12 school year.

Source: Texas Education Agency

Additional Resources:

Open publication - Free publishing - More assessment

STAAR - A guide to the High School Testing Program

STAAR - A parent’s guide to the student testing program

Wondering what the STAAR and End of Course exam questions will look like? 

Wonder no more, see the STAAR Released Test Questions.

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On Tuesday, February 28, the Mansfield ISD school board voted to amend the grading guidelines so that the End-of-Course assessments are not calculated in the final course averages for this 2011-2012 school year.

Mansfield ISD among top-rated districts in new FAST report

Earlier this week the Texas Comptroller's Office released the Financial Allocation Study for Texas (FAST) report. The report grades districts on how well they spend money compared to student performance.

"The 2009 Legislature required the comptroller’s office to develop a way to determine how well districts were spending money compared to how well their students performed.

"Each campus and district were rated based on how well students performed on math and reading tests from year to year, whether it was a 'very low' to 'very high' spending district and compared to peer districts of similar size and student makeup." [SOURCE: Extra Credit]

The Mansfield ISD was among the top-rated districts, with 4.5 stars and a "very low" (which is good) spending index according to the report.

When asked by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram how MISD has such a good balance between spending and academic success, Dr. Jim Vaszauskas, Associate Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Accountabilitysay said it was because of two things:

"First, we give our principals a great deal of latitude on how they spend their professional development campus funds, and they do a very good job of spending those monies on trainings that focus on instructional improvement.

"Second, we try to closely align our professional development with our district curriculum. Some of the best and least expensive professional development we have is simply giving our teachers time to talk with each other and time to collaboratively produce quality lessons for our students. It’s a really exciting time to be a part of Mansfield ISD."

Since the study is still so new, we will need more time to closely analyze it. However, we are encouraged by seeing these types of results.

Read more about the Financial Allocation Study for Texas (FAST) report or read the study.

MISD Research, Assessment, and Accountability Web site Launched

The Mansfield ISD has recently launched a comprehensive Web site dedicated to research, assessment, and accountability data. The primary purpose of this site is to provide the community a “one stop shop” for all data related to student performance.

What do we hope to achieve by providing access to this type of data/research?
Providing performance data will support the district’s efforts of identifying strengths, weaknesses, and any achievement gaps that may exist between groups. With this insight, we will be able to set goals, develop strategies, and plan more effectively, taking into account the unique needs of each student.

Site visitors will have access to all accountability summaries at the district and campus level so progress on state and national standards can be assessed.

Information on this site includes the following:

• Evaluation and research reports
• Relevant links to external Web sites
• Manuals and guides for administering the different assessments
• School and district level reports (and ratings) – both state and federal
• Information for parents
• State mandated test dates
• Three to six years of test results for each school
• State and National Accountability Reports
• College Board results and links on how to register for College Board and ACT exams

Why are we providing this Web site?
While it is great to praise progress, it is counter-productive to avoid accepting and dealing with academic short-comings. Therefore, all data are made available publicly so we can see where the district’s been, where it is currently, and can plan for where it wants to go in the future. The goal is to be pro-active and not ignore those areas where improvement is needed.

Staff Benefits
The old phrase knowledge is power is relevant when one considers the fact that with knowledge comes an increase in one’s ability to utilize resources including time, personnel, and funding in a way that positively affects our students. By having access to current and trend level data, district educators are empowered. Our capacity to more effectively plan begins with being able to identify what’s working and what’s not. By having access to up-to-date data, action plans that are meaningful, measurable, and on target can be developed and implemented. Lastly, and more importantly, providing teachers with easy access to student level data will hopefully prevent any student from falling between the cracks and will enable teachers to identify areas that need attention before a pattern of failure develops.

Benefits for Parents
Parents will have easy access to how their child’s campus is performing on state and national tests and will be able to determine where their support can be most beneficial and effective to the campus. Additionally, in a later phase of the site’s development we will provide parents with access to their child’s test performance. This will enhance their ability to make informed decisions and to monitor their child’s academic progress.

What’s next for the site?
The MISD Research, Assessment and Accountability Department has several online projects currently in development.

• Phase I, just completed, provides readers with campus and district level summary reports, research studies and other articles, and links to external sites. Most of the reports presented at this time are in PDF and easily downloaded.
  
• Phase II of the Web site’s development focuses on a “query-based” system that extracts data from a centrally-maintained database. This phase will be available to the user via the “Report Builder” tab. Access to this function will be available on a limited basis to campus level teachers and administrators. With the implementation of this interactive feature, campus personnel will be able to access student level test data including TAKS and norm-referenced results so instructional strategies can be planned based on the unique needs of each student.
  
• Phase III will expand the “Report Builder” functionality to include campus summary reports based on a series of selection criteria designated by the user.
  
• Phase IV of this project is focused on the development of a portal that will provide parents with the means to access their child’s test performance via a login and password. The goal for providing this access is to empower parents in a way that helps them more fully understand their child’s academic needs so they can be better informed advocates.

Please visit the Mansfield ISD Research, Assessment, and Accountability site and let us know what you think.