As the nation's eleventh largest school district, Dallas Independent School District serves more than 161,500 students who come from homes where 58 different languages are spoken. Operating with a $1 billion dollar budget, DISD employs 18,678 employees including 10,000 teachers in 218 schools.
16 Aug 2001
DISD ACCOUNTABILITY RATINGS SHOW MARKED IMPROVEMENT, STILL MUCH WORK TO BE DONE
The Ratings of Exemplary and Recognized Schools Almost Double Over 2000
DALLAS—DISD General Superintendent Mike Moses on Thursday said the 2001 Accountability Ratings released by the Texas Education Agency show a marked improvement with almost double the number of exemplary and recognized schools in the nation's eleventh largest school system.
The ratings, released Thursday morning in Austin, were discussed by Moses in a news conference with five DISD principals whose schools received exemplary or recognized ratings. Moses noted a significant reduction in the number of "low-performance" ratings, while emphasizing the need to continue the focus on student achievement.
"We said back in May when the TAAS scores were released that we were pleased with the progress made, but we still had a lot of work to do," Moses said. "That message is the same today. We can step back only for a moment to tell our students, teachers and administrators we are proud of their efforts to do better. We are beginning to receive recognition for our efforts, but must never be satisfied. We must always aim for greater success."
The accountability ratings released Thursday show that the district has 16 schools rated as "exemplary," 32 schools rated as "recognized" and only 10 rated as "low-performing." The ratings are based on a statewide system that takes into account a school's TAAS scores, dropout rate and student attendance. There are four classifications with exemplary being the highest, and low-performing being the lowest. Most DISD schools were rated as "acceptable."
The superintendent also thanked the DISD Board of Trustees for their support and the resources they have committed to make the improvements possible.
Moses said he was pleased to learn that while 28 schools received "low-performing" ratings in 2000, that number had been cut to only 10 in 2001. He also said that the number of recognized schools had totaled 30 in May when TAAS scores were released, but the other base indicators had helped improve the ratings of two additional schools. With the other indicators, two schools slipped from exemplary ratings to recognized.
Five DISD principals whose schools had received exemplary and recognized ratings, joined Moses at the news conference.
"I've asked these principals here to commend them on their efforts to do better and to encourage them to keep aiming for success," Moses said. "I've talked with each of them and believe they all are dedicated professionals who want the best for the teachers and students in their schools. We have a district full of people just like them. We need to stand with them in their quest to do better."
Moses noted that DISD students scored at the highest passing rate in the history of TAAS on 16 of 20 testing categories by demographics.
The 16 schools rated as exemplary, with 90 percent of every subgroup passing each TAAS sub-test are:
Middle College, even though it cannot receive exemplary status because it is under the state's Alternative Accreditation System, met the testing requirements; William B. Travis Academy 7-8 is included under Travis K-8; Booker T. Washington High School for Performing and Visual Arts; the School of Education and Social Services Magnet; the School Health Professions Magnet; the Magnet Center for Public Services: Government, Law and Law Enforcement; the School of Science and Engineering Magnet; the School for the Talented and Gifted Magnet; George Bannerman Dealey Academy; Harry Stone Middle School Montessori; Henry W. Longfellow Career Exploration Academy; William B. Travis Academy and Vanguard; Julia C. Frazier; Stonewall Jackson Elementary School; Elisha M. Pease Elementary School; Jose Navarro Elementary School; Prairie Creek Academy and Priscilla L. Tyler Elementary School.
The 32 rated as recognized, with 80 percent of every subgroup passing each TAAS sub-test are:
David W. Carter High School; A. Maceo Smith High School; Skyline Center; W.T. White High School; the School of Business and Management Magnet; W. H. Atwell Fundamental Academy; Dallas Environmental Science Academy; Nathan Adams Elementary School; Gabe P. Allen Elementary School; Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary School; James B. Bonham Elementary School; Harrell Budd Elementary School; John W. Carpenter Elementary School; Casa View Elementary School; Billy Earl Dade Learning Center; Everette Lee DeGolyer Elementary School; James W. Fannin Elementary School; Tom C. Gooch Elementary School; N. W. Harllee Elementary School; Fannie C. Harris Elementary School; Daniel "Chappie" James Learning Center; Joseph J. McMillan Elementary School; George Peabody Elementary School; J. W. Ray Learning Center; Joseph J. Rhoads Learning Center; John H. Reagan Elementary School; Charles Rice Learning Center; Erasmo Seguin Elementary School; J. P. Starks Elementary School; H. S. Thompson Learning Center; Walnut Hill Elementary School; and Phyllis Wheatley Elementary School.
The 10 rated as low-performing, having failed at least 50 percent in one or more subgroups, are:
Nathaniel Hawthorne Elementary School; Nancy Moseley Elementary School; Sam Houston Elementary School; Lakewood Elementary School; David G. Burnet Elementary School; Ascher Silberstein Elementary School; Edison Henderson Academy; Edison Titche Academy; Community Education Partners; and Buckner Charter Academy. The Language Academy is awaiting peer review by the state.
During the news conference, Moses was joined by Rachel George, principal of Frazier Elementary; Robbie Pipkin, principal of Longfellow Academy; Leslie Williams, principal of Carter High School; Edith Krutilek, principal of the Business Magnet; and Gilbert Gonzalez, principal of James B. Bonham Elementary School.