15 Aug 2005
New Programs and Services Also Welcome Students
DALLAS—More than 126,000 students headed for classes in the Dallas Independent School District on Aug. 15 and with the exception of a few teary-eyed elementary school students, no major incidents were reported.
At an end-of the-day news conference, Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said that he was pleased with the day's events.
"We're off to a good start on the first day of school. In my visits to campuses today I was encouraged by the level of compliance with school uniforms and the neatness and readiness of our buildings," he said. "We know there have been a couple of minor issues associated with air conditioning and those issues have been brought to our attention. The staff is working around the clock to be ready for Tuesday."
A hotline to provide information to parents and guardians about school-related issues will continue to function until Friday. Bus routes, enrollment, free- and reduced-lunch application process, school locations and hours of operation are some of the areas the hotline was established to address. The hotline number is (972) 925-5437.
What's New in 2005-2006 School Year:
Early Childhood
Kindergarten students will attend classes from 8 a.m. to noon the first week of school. Classes are held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the remainder of the school year. The district has added more than 40 new pre-kindergarten classrooms to serve four year olds. Pre-K students, expected to total more than 8,300 this school year, will begin classes on Monday, Aug. 22.
Discipline and Safety Issues
Beginning this school year, parents no longer can request that schools use corporal punishment. The discipline policy was revised to encourage proactive and character-building actions at the local campuses, including verbal correction, cooling off periods, peer mediation, detention, out of school suspension and alternative school placement.
Surveillance cameras have been installed in 22 DISD high schools to keep track of incidents in schools that may affect the safety of students and staff. The district's police and security staff have access to all cameras at each high school, and principals or their designated staff can log on to a computer with Internet access to view real-time images from any camera in their school.
Transportation
With the addition of two new schools, and students from the Wilmer-Hutchins area, more than 40,600 DISD students are expected to be served by transportation to and from school. Buses serving DISD students are operated by the Dallas County Schools.
Substitute recruitment program
To better serve the growing Spanish-speaking or Limited English Proficient student population of the district, the district has set a goal of hiring 300 bilingual substitute teachers. The bilingual teachers will not only help meet the instructional needs of the Limited English Proficient students, but will also provide assistance to visiting parents who do not speak English.
Closing the Gaps
To increase retention and graduation rates in DISD high schools and increase the number of graduates who pursue higher education programs, DISD and Region I are piloting a post secondary success initiative. A $1.7 million grant from the Texas Education Agency and $330,000 from federal Title I funds will provide higher education counseling and career guidance support to students and their parents at these campuses:
- Seagoville HS and Seagoville MS
- South Oak Cliff HS and Boude Storey MS
- Sunset HS and Quintanilla MS
- W.T. White HS and Marsh MS
- Woodrow Wilson HS and Long MS
Destination Graduation
Destination: Graduation is a collaboration between United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, DISD, DCCCD, corporations, foundations and community leaders to improve educational success. A Texas Instruments Foundation grant of $100,000 will provide funding for the pilot program year at W. W. Samuell High School; Dallas Concilio, Princeton Review and Big Brothers/Big Sisters are three of the organizations that will receive funding from the grant to implement programs. Call (972) 925-3379 for further information.
Bond Program
Across the district, more than 280 new classrooms have been installed, with construction at 142 campuses under way. Two schools will open their doors for the first time August 15.
• In Oak Cliff, about 700 PreK-2 students will attend Rosemont Primary School-Chris V. Semos Campus, located adjacent to Rosemont Elementary, which will now serve grades 3-6.
• In Northeast Dallas, Lee A. McShan Jr. Elementary School opened its doors to 750 students who previously had been bused to schools outside the Vickery Meadow community.
• The Jesse Owens Memorial Complex will host a dedication scheduled for 3:35 p.m. Saturday, August 27. The first new athletic complex in more than 35 years will serve students competing in football, track, soccer, basketball, volleyball and wrestling.
• Eight groundbreakings for additional schools were held this summer, and eight more are in the
planning stages.
• All schools will receive renovations or additions under the bond program, to be completed by 2007.
Information about the bond program can be found at www.dallasisd.org/bond/.
Food & Child Nutrition Services
Cafeterias across the school district will have an increased emphasis on ethnic foods this school year, prepared in a healthy way. For instance, pizzas are now made with whole-wheat crust and skim milk cheese. By student request, a Southwestern style grilled chicken salad will be one of the options, and a turkey wrap sandwich will make its debut. Baked instead of fried potato chips, and both fresh and dried fruit will give students the opportunity to build skills in making healthful choices.
Immunizations
DISD students must be immunized against vaccine preventable diseases in order to comply with guidelines established by the Texas Department of Health. All immunization records must be validated by a physician's signature or health clinic stamp. For the first time this fall, children attending child-care facilities including Head Start and pre-kindergarten, will need to be vaccinated against hepatitis A and pneumococcal disease.
Administrative Services
The DISD now has six areas rather than eight. Locations and feeder patterns of the new area offices are as follows:
• Area 1 (Samuell/Seagoville/Spruce): Haskell Bldg., 408 N. Haskell Ave., 75246, (972) 925-4619
• Area 2 (Lincoln/Madison/Roosevelt/Smith/South Oak Cliff): Fannie C. Harris Bldg., 4212 E. Grand Ave., 75223, (972) 794-7900
Area 3 (Jefferson/North Dallas/Wilson): Haskell Bldg., 408 N. Haskell Ave., 75246,
(972) 925-4600
• Area 4 (Adams/Hillcrest/White): E.D. Walker, 12532 Nuestra Dr., 75230, (972) 502-6040
• Area 5 (Carter/Kimball/Magnets): Pegasus Complex, 912 S. Ervay St., 75201, (972) 749-2220
• Area 6 (Adamson/Molina/Pinkston/Sunset: Nolan Estes Plaza, 3434 So. R.L. Thornton Frwy., 75224, (214) 932-5077
Support for the alternative schools will be coordinated from Nolan Estes Plaza, 3434 So. R.L. Thornton Frwy., 75224, (972) 925-4878
Special Education
Full implementation of the Dallas Inclusion Model is under way this fall. More special education students are being included in the general education curriculum and subsequently the state and federal accountability systems. Special education teachers are taking on new roles and responsibilities to provide support not only to students with disabilities in general education classes but also to general education teachers as well, collaborating in planning, delivery of instruction and external supports. It is anticipated that implementation of the model will raise student expectations, students skills and ultimately student achievement.
PTA
The Dallas Council of Parent Teacher Associations has committed to work closely DISD parents to ensure that they participate more in their children's education and in school activities. Walter Price, president, described the goal of building a team concept including parents, students and teachers. The PTA has also announced four initiatives: educating grandparents who are raising their grandchildren, increasing participation from the Hispanic community in the PTA, exploring solutions to the issues parents have regarding education and organizing a dad's club to promote fathers' involvement. Call your local school or (972) 925-3169.
Adult Basic Education
The Adult Basic Education Program offers instruction in Adult Secondary Education, English as a Second Language and Citizenship. Most classes are held twice weekly on a two-hour schedule. Times vary per site, but most classes are held in the evenings. The 85 GED classes, which are free, are self-paced, so adults can join a class at any time. Call (972) 749-2525.
Volunteers in DISD
Anyone who wants to volunteer at a school must complete a volunteer application process. All tutors, mentors, field trip chaperones, speakers, hall monitors and others interacting with students must complete the application form. In addition to protecting students, the application process creates accurate records of volunteers' participation. Applications are available online at www.dallasisd.org/partners.
Virtual School
The alternative program department is currently providing a Virtual Learning Academy for students grades 9-12 who require a non-traditional program to remain enrolled in school or obtain credits toward graduation. After face-to-face communication at the beginning of the program, student lessons or instructional activities are frequent, but take place in an on-line environment. The program's web instructors are certified in the content area of the course taught, and counselors monitor and report student eligibility and course completion.