As the nation's eleventh largest school district, Dallas Independent School District serves more than 164,500 students who come from homes where 58 different languages are spoken. Operating with a $1 billion dollar budget, DISD employs 19,234 employees including 10,500 teachers in 218 schools.
5 Nov 2001
Moses Sets Reading & Writing As Top Priorities In DISD
DALLAS—Superintendent Mike Moses on Monday joined a classroom of 21 first-graders at Ben Milam Elementary to highlight a reading program adopted by the district this year, and to read from Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type, one of the books used in the classroom.
The Science Research Associates' "Open Court Reading" program is used in Dallas Independent School District K-6 classes. The program's curriculum uses phonics and literature to emphasize reading writing and comprehension skills.
"Ensuring that students learn to read and write remains one of the top priorities of the DISD. While it's too early to have statistical data on how the program is working in DISD, it was introduced here because we felt strongly about the success it has had in other areas," Moses said. "Earlier this year, we did see a significant rise in reading test scores, and we certainly hope to see continued improvement by using Open Court."
The Open Court Reading curriculum is different from many traditional reading programs because it involves direct instruction that is based on scientific research and almost 40 years of practical experience. DISD reading teachers follow a sequential order of instruction using basic reading information to address Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills and TAAS objectives.
The superintendent said because the program is used throughout the district and lessons are so tightly scripted, schoolchildren who frequently change schools within the district don't fall behind or miss lessons.
"Nearly 30 percent of our district's population migrates around the city on a constant basis. However, because this program is in place uniformly throughout the district, there is continuity in the classroom and the students are less affected by the change," Moses said.
When he became superintendent in January, Moses set improving reading initiatives and reading test scores as high priorities for the district. Statistical analysis of the spring 2001 scores from the Stanford 9/Aprenda achievement tests taken by almost 102,500 DISD students show a dramatic rise in reading comprehension and math scores that have not been mirrored since the early 1990s.
The superintendent will take part in a number of events over the coming weeks to promote reading in the district. On Saturday, November 10, he will take part in a reading summit that will involve about 2,000 teachers from around Texas who will come to Dallas to talk about various reading programs. DISD is sponsoring the event at the Dallas Apparel Mart.