7 Aug 2003
New Curriculum to Boost Prekindergarten Students' Reading Readiness
DALLAS–The Dallas Independent School District will begin the school year with the opening of an enrollment center for immigrant students who speak languages other than English, the construction of bond-financed schools and a safety initiative featuring a new district police force, among other new developments.
• Intake Center to Simplify, Ease Enrollment of Immigrant Students
Housed at James Bonham Elementary School, the Intake Center serves as a one stop location with assistance and answers for immigrant students and families who are new to the country. At the center, bilingual staff will test students' language proficiency to determine their placement in bilingual education, English as a second language or general education. The center's bilingual staff will provide information on immunization requirements for children as well as availability of adult ESL, GED and citizenship classes. The center seeks to smooth the enrollment and placement process for students whose families are new to the United States and who speak languages other than English in their homes. More than 100 students and families have been assisted to date. The Intake Center is located on the Bonham campus at 2617 N. Henderson and is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Bond Construction Projects Get UnderWay
District officials will break ground this fall for the first round of construction projects funded by the $1.37 billion bond package approved by voters in January 2002, including construction of Arcadia Park Replacement Elementary School in Oak Cliff and Reilly Annex Elementary School in Northeast Dallas. The new schools are expected to open in 2004. Renovations and additions to 55 other campuses also are scheduled to begin this school year.
• DISD Police Force to Begin Operation The new DISD police and security department approved by the Board of Trustees in April will continue the district's focus on one of its top priorities, ensuring safety on school campuses. The police force will have the authority to respond to school safety issues both on and off campuses. The police and security officers will operate under a single department umbrella. The security unit will be responsible for campus safety and investigate allegations of abuse. The police unit will be responsible for 24-hour campus patrol, crime prevention and criminal investigations.
• Prekindergarten Students to Benefit from Teacher Support, Increased Assessment Students in prekindergarten will benefit from an expanded mentoring and coaching program for prekindergarten teachers funded by the publicly supported Dallas Foundation. The foundation's $475,000 grant will fund 21 mentor teachers and seven coaches to support PK teachers. The mentors and coaches will provide guidance and training to teachers in the implementation of the district's Language Enrichment Activities Program created in conjunction with SMU. The goal of the LEAP literacy development program is to help teachers better prepare prekindergarten students to enter kindergarten ready to read and learn.
Those same prekindergarten students will be tested this fall to determine their levels of learning readiness for school. The new test, Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning, helps teachers assess students' strengths and looks at young learners' motor skills, self-help skills, level of independence and self-reliance, language skills and social development. The DIAL III test is to assess areas in which students need help so that teachers can prepare them to be successful in school as early as possible, said Beth Steerman, executive director–Early Childhood Education.