10.B. Discussion of color track and mascot options for Williams High School, Urbanski Junior High School, and Dresner Middle School

[11.A. Consider approval of secondary schools' rezoning process and recommended options for Williams High School, Urbanski Junior High School and Dresner Middle School]

[01:10:38]

ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS. DOCTOR NIVENS. TONIGHT, ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT WILL PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE REZONING PROCESS AND SHARE THE DRAFT OPTIONS FOR SECONDARY COMPLEX EIGHT OR WILLIAMS HIGH SCHOOL OR JUNIOR HIGH AND DRESNER MIDDLE SCHOOL. AS A QUICK OVERVIEW, ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT SUPPORTS THE DISTRICT'S EFFORTS IN BALANCING STUDENT POPULATIONS ACROSS CAMPUSES. THAT INCLUDES LEVELING, CAPPING, AND OVERFLOW MANAGEMENT, AS WELL AS PLANNING FOR NEW CAMPUSES. TONIGHT, WE ARE FOCUSED ON THE OPENING OF THREE NEW SECONDARY CAMPUSES IN AUGUST OF 2027, AND WE CURRENTLY HAVE THREE NEW SECONDARY CAMPUSES SCHEDULED TO OPEN. THESE NEW SCHOOLS ARE PART OF THE CONTINUED EFFORT TO STAY AHEAD OF GROWTH AND ENSURE WE MAINTAIN MANAGEABLE CLASS SIZES AND EQUITABLE ACCESS TO RESOURCES. OUR REZONING PROCESS IS GUIDED BY SEVERAL KEY OBJECTIVES. ABOVE ALL, WE AIM TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR STUDENTS. THAT MEANS KEEPING NEIGHBORHOODS AND FEEDER PATTERNS TOGETHER WHENEVER POSSIBLE, ALIGNING ENROLLMENT WITH CAMPUS CAPACITY AND REDUCING OVERCROWDING. WE ALSO CONSIDER STUDENT PROXIMITY TO CAMPUSES, SAFE TRAVEL ROUTES, AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS WITH IMPACTED FAMILIES. THESE CRITERIA HELP ENSURE TRANSPARENCY AND FAIRNESS IN EVERY REZONING EFFORT. OUR PROCESS INCLUDES FIVE MAJOR STEPS. STEP ONE OUR DEMOGRAPHERS DEVELOP MULTIPLE REZONING OPTIONS. THESE ARE VETTED INTERNALLY AND THEN BROUGHT TO THE BOARD TO APPROVE FOR PUBLIC REVIEW. STEP TWO CONDUCT A COMMUNITY SURVEY FOR FAMILIES IN POTENTIALLY AFFECTED AREAS TO PROVIDE INPUT.

STEP THREE THE ATTENDANCE BOUNDARY COMMITTEE, OR ABC REVIEW BOTH REVIEWS BOTH THE DATA AND THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK TO RANK THE OPTIONS. STEP FOUR WE PRESENT THOSE RANKINGS TO THE BOARD FOR REVIEW AND STEP FIVE THE BOARD THEN SELECTS AND APPROVES THE FINAL ZONING AREAS.

THE ABC PROVIDES AN IMPORTANT COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITY FOR PARENT AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT. EACH IMPACTED SECONDARY CAMPUS HAD AT LEAST TWO REPRESENTATIVES SELECTED BY THEIR CAMPUS ADMINISTRATOR, AS WELL AS AT LEAST ONE FROM EACH IMPACTED ELEMENTARY CAMPUS. THE BOARD ALLOWED THE TRUSTEES TO APPOINT UP TO TWO MEMBERS FOR THE ABC, AND WE WANTED THIS COMMITTEE TO REFLECT OUR COMMUNITY AND PROVIDE THOUGHTFUL, BALANCED FEEDBACK TO GUIDE THE REZONING RECOMMENDATIONS. AS A REMINDER, THE ABC OR ATTENDANCE BOUNDARY COMMITTEE FUNCTIONS AS AN ADVISORY BODY AND DOES NOT MAKE FINAL DECISIONS FROM REVIEWING MULTIPLE DATA POINTS, THE ABC DEVELOPS AND PRESENTS A RECOMMENDATION TO THE LAMAR C ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES BY SHARING THE RANK ORDER OF THE ZONING OPTIONS. AND AS A REMINDER, HERE IS THE LIST OF ABC MEMBERS. THIS SLIDE OUTLINES THE TIMELINES FOR THE REZONING PROCESS. WE'VE REVIEWED OPTIONS INTERNALLY AND SHARED THEM WITH IMPACTED PRINCIPALS. THE BOARD APPROVED THE OPTIONS THAT THE ABC REVIEWED, AS WELL AS ALLOWED THE ABC TO CREATE ITS OWN OPTION. THE DISTRICT CONDUCTED A SURVEY IN FEBRUARY, AND THE ABC MET IN MARCH, AND WE HAVE BROUGHT THEIR FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD TONIGHT. SO THESE NEXT SLIDES SHOW ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS AND REZONING OPTIONS FOR HIGH SCHOOL NUMBER EIGHT OR WILLIAMS HIGH SCHOOL. EACH OPTION BALANCES STUDENT POPULATION DIFFERENTLY WHILE AIMING TO MINIMIZE DISRUPTION TO EXISTING ATTENDANCE AREAS. YOU'LL SEE COMPARISONS BETWEEN THE CURRENT BOUNDARIES AND THE PROJECTED ENROLLMENTS FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR. SO THIS ONE IS VERY MUCH FAMILIAR TO EVERYONE. THIS IS OUR CURRENT ZONE FOR FULSHEAR HIGH SCHOOL. HERE'S OPTION ONE. WE UTILIZE HUNT ROAD AND JORDAN ROAD AS THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN SECONDARY COMPLEX EIGHT AND FULSHEAR HIGH SCHOOL. YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBERS AT THE BOTTOM GOING THROUGH THE YEARS. HERE'S OPTION TWO. VERY SIMILAR TO OPTION ONE. WE ADJUSTED THIS A LITTLE BIT BY SHIFTING THE ROAD THE BOUNDARY TO HUNT ROAD AND CAMERON PARKWAY. AND OPTION THREE IS MORE OF AN EAST TO WEST CUT. WE USE BESSEY CREEK, POLO RANCH ROAD AND JORDAN RANCH BOULEVARD AS THE DIVIDING LINES. ANY QUESTIONS ON HIGH SCHOOL BEFORE I JUMP IN AND SHOW THE JUNIOR HIGHS? URBANSKI JUNIOR HIGH WILL LOOK AT THEIR ZONES AND AS A REMINDER, THESE ARE EXACTLY THE SAME BY LAND AS THE OPTIONS FOR HIGH SCHOOL, BUT IT SHOWS THE JUNIOR HIGH NUMBERS AT THE BOTTOM. HERE'S OUR CURRENT AND ALSO AS A REMINDER BOARD INTO THE PUBLIC, WE'LL BE ADDING ADDITIONAL SEATS TO LEAMAN JUNIOR HIGH IN 2028. THUS, WE NEEDED TO SPLIT THE TABLES. HERE'S OPTION ONE. OPTION TWO. AND OPTION THREE. ANY QUESTIONS ON OUR JUNIOR

[01:15:02]

HIGH BEFORE GOING TO MIDDLE SCHOOL? ALL RIGHT. DRESNER MIDDLE SCHOOL AGAIN SAME OPTIONS, SAME LAND, DIFFERENT ENROLLMENT NUMBERS DUE TO THE GRADE LEVELS. HERE'S OUR CURRENT. AND AGAIN WE'LL BE ADDING SEATS TO ROBERTS MIDDLE SCHOOL IN 2829 FOR THE SPLIT TABLE. HERE'S OPTION ONE. OPTION TWO. AND OPTION THREE. SO BOARD I'LL REVIEW THE INITIAL COMMUNITY SURVEY ABOUT THE REZONING OPTIONS. THIS SURVEY WAS SENT TO MORE THAN 12,000 EMAIL ADDRESSES OVER PARENTS AND POTENTIALLY IMPACTED AREAS. WE ALSO SHARED THIS INFORMATION ABOUT THE SURVEYS AND BACKPACK FLIERS, AS WELL AS IN THE CAMPUS NEWSLETTERS. FOR THIS SURVEY, WE RECEIVED OVER 1000 RESPONSES FOR AN 8% RESPONSE RATE. THIS GRAPHIC SHOWS THE PERCENTAGE OF SURVEY RESPONSES FROM EACH POTENTIALLY IMPACTED CAMPUS.

BASED ON THE RESPONSES, OPTION ONE RECEIVED THE HIGHEST SHARE OF VOTES AT 43%, OPTION THREE RECEIVED 39% AND OPTION TWO RECEIVED 19%. NOW, BOARD THE A, B, C COMMITTEE WENT THROUGH A COUPLE DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF POSSIBLE ZONES. WHEN THEY MET FOR THE SECONDARY CAMPUSES, THEY CREATED ONE OPTION, DISCUSSED IT, BUT ULTIMATELY DISMISSED IT DUE TO IT NOT BALANCING THE CAMPUS ENROLLMENTS AS MUCH AS THEY WOULD HAVE LIKED. ULTIMATELY, THE ABC CREATED THIS OPTION, WHICH WE'RE CALLING OPTION FOUR, WHICH UTILIZES THE NEWLY CREATED ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ZONES THAT WERE CREATED FOR SLIVINSKI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND CANTU ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHICH WILL OPEN IN AUGUST OF 2026 AND AUGUST OF 2027, RESPECTIVELY.

THIS OPTION MINIMIZED THE NUMBER OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THAT WOULD BE SPLIT ZONED BETWEEN THE PURPLE TRACK AND THE NEW TRACK. FOR SECONDARY GRADES, ONLY HAGOOD ELEMENTARY WOULD BE SPLIT IN THIS OPTION. THIS OPTION ALSO BALANCES THE NUMBERS AT EACH CAMPUS EVENLY, WHILE ALSO KEEPING TRAVEL FOR FAMILIES IN MIND. HERE'S WHAT THE NUMBERS FOR THE ABC OPTION OR OPTION FOUR WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR THE JUNIOR HIGH. AND THEN THE ABC OPTION FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL. NOW, I'LL REVIEW THE SECOND COMMUNITY SURVEY ABOUT THE REZONING OPTIONS. WE SENT THIS OUT AS THE ABC CREATED THEIR OWN OPTION AND WE WANTED FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC. THE SURVEY WAS SENT TO MORE THAN 12,000 EMAIL ADDRESSES, AGAIN TO OUR PARENTS AND POTENTIALLY IMPACTED AREAS. WE AGAIN SHARED THIS INFORMATION ABOUT THE SURVEYS AND BACKPACK FLIERS AND CAMPUS NEWSLETTERS. FOR THIS SURVEY, WE RECEIVED 675 RESPONSES FOR A 5% RESPONSE RATE. THIS GRAPHIC SHOWS THE PERCENTAGE OF SURVEY RESPONSES FROM EACH POTENTIALLY IMPACTED CAMPUS. BASED ON THE RESPONSES TO THE SECOND SURVEY, OPTION FOUR OR THE ABC CREATED OPTION RECEIVED THE HIGHEST SHARE OF VOTES AT 47%. OPTION THREE RECEIVED 25%, OPTION ONE RECEIVED 18% AND OPTION TWO RECEIVED 10%. BASED ON THE WORK OF THE ATTENDANCE BOUNDARY COMMITTEE, THEY RANKED THE OPTIONS. THEIR OVERALL RECOMMENDATION WAS OPTION FOUR OR THE ABC CREATED OPTION WITH OPTION ONE SECOND. THE COMMITTEE ALSO RECOMMENDS ALLOWING THE EL LEGACY PROVISION, WHICH WOULD ALLOW REZONE STUDENTS WHO MEET CERTAIN CRITERIA IN U.I.L ACTIVITIES TO REMAIN AT THEIR CURRENT CAMPUS, WITH PARENTS RESPONSIBLE FOR TRANSPORTATION. NOW, I'D LIKE TO CALL UP OUR ABC REPRESENTATIVES TO EXPLAIN THE RECOMMENDATION. MISS STEPHANIE WADDELL AND MISS KAYLA FLORENCE. GOOD EVENING, DOCTOR NIVENS AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES. MY NAME IS STEPHANIE WADDELL. I'M THE PARENT OF A CURRENT FOURTH GRADER AT HUGGINS ELEMENTARY AND A CURRENT EIGHTH GRADER AT LEAMAN JUNIOR HIGH. I RESIDE IN THE FULSHEAR RUN COMMUNITY AND HAVE SINCE 2017. MY NAME IS KAYLA FLORENCE. MY HUSBAND AND I RESIDE IN CROSS CREEK WEST AND ARE PARENTS TO FOUR BOYS.

THIS UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR WE WILL HAVE ONE SON ENTERING SEVENTH GRADE AT LEAMAN JUNIOR HIGH, ANOTHER ENTERING SIXTH GRADE AT ROBERTS MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND ONE STARTING KINDERGARTEN AT HAYGOOD ELEMENTARY. WE ALSO HAVE A VERY BUSY TODDLER WHO IS EXCITED TO START THEIR EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY IN LCISD VERY SOON. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE OUR EXPERIENCE AS PART OF THE ATTENDANCE BOUNDARY COMMITTEE FOR SECONDARY CAMPUS. NUMBER EIGHT, THE ATTENDANCE BOUNDARY COMMITTEE PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A GROUP OF PARENTS REPRESENTING EVERY SCHOOL WITHIN THE PURPLE TRACK TO COME TOGETHER AND PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO THEIR VIEWS AND THE VIEWS OF THOSE WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THE COMMITTEE MEETINGS WERE STRUCTURED IN A WAY THAT ENABLED RESPECTFUL AND EFFECTIVE DISCUSSION OF POTENTIALLY DIFFICULT TOPICS. ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE PARTS OF OUR PROCESS DURING THE ABC MEETINGS WAS THE USE OF SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS. THESE SMALLER SETTINGS ALLOWED MORE INDIVIDUALS TO SHARE THEIR PERSPECTIVES COMFORTABLY, ENSURING THAT EVERY VOICE WAS HEARD. WE ALSO ROTATED GROUPS THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, WHICH BROUGHT IN A VARIETY OF PERSPECTIVES AND HELPED ENSURE THAT IDEAS WERE WELL ROUNDED AND THOUGHTFULLY CONSIDERED.

[01:20:03]

THE CONVERSATIONS WERE CONSISTENTLY RESPECTFUL AND CANDID. COMMITTEE MEMBERS FELT COMFORTABLE SHARING NOT ONLY THEIR OPINIONS, BUT ALSO THE REASONING, THE WHY BEHIND THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS. EACH GROUP HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THEIR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE LARGER COMMITTEE, WHICH HELPED EVERYONE BETTER UNDERSTAND DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS AND CONTRIBUTED TO STRONGER DECISION MAKING. THE COMMITTEE MET TWO SEPARATE TIMES WITH THE PURPLE TRACK ELEMENTARY ZONING BEING APPROVED BY THE BOARD ON THE EVENING. BETWEEN THE TWO ABC MEETINGS, THIS MEETING STRUCTURE GAVE US TIME TO FULLY DIGEST INFORMATION, ASK QUESTIONS, REVIEW BOARD APPROVED ELEMENTARY ZONES AND EVEN ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY BETWEEN MEETINGS. THIS PROCESS ULTIMATELY ALLOWED US TO COLLABORATIVELY DEVELOP A UNANIMOUS RECOMMENDATION FOR THE SECONDARY ATTENDANCE BOUNDARIES. REVIEWING THE ELEMENTARY REZONING PROCESS WAS IMPORTANT. IT HELPED US UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT ON SECONDARY BOUNDARIES AND WORK TOWARDS MINIMIZING SPLIT TRACK PATTERNS WHERE POSSIBLE.

THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, MEMBERS REMAINED OPEN TO ONE ANOTHER'S PERSPECTIVES, IN MANY CASES, HEARING THE IMPACT OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS LED INDIVIDUALS TO RECONSIDER WHAT WOULD BEST SERVE THE GREATEST NUMBER OF FAMILIES. WE ALSO ASKED THOUGHTFUL QUESTIONS OF ONE ANOTHER TO ENSURE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF ALL VIEWPOINTS, AND WE GREATLY BENEFITED FROM ACCESS TO DISTRICT STAFF WHO PROVIDED INSIGHT INTO ENROLLMENT TRENDS AND OVERCROWDING CHALLENGES. AS A COMMITTEE, WE WORKED TO KEEP ELEMENTARY CAMPUSES IN NEIGHBORHOODS TOGETHER WHEN POSSIBLE, WHILE WHILE ALSO PRIORITIZING BALANCED ENROLLMENT ACROSS CAMPUSES TO SUPPORT THE DISTRICT'S CONTINUED GROWTH. WE RECOGNIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF FOCUSING ON DATA AND PROJECTIONS, SETTING ASIDE PERSONAL EMOTIONS TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT BEST SUPPORT STUDENTS AND THE DISTRICT AS A WHOLE. COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, INCLUDING THE SURVEY, PLAYED A VITAL ROLE IN GUIDING OUR WORK. WE ALSO CAREFULLY CONSIDERED THE IMPACT OF TRAVEL DISTANCES ON FAMILIES WHEN EVALUATING OPTIONS. AFTER CONSIDERING CONSIDERING ALL OF THESE FACTORS, THE COMMITTEE WORKED TOGETHER TO CREATE AND UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMEND OPTION NUMBER FOUR. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AND SHARE OUR EXPERIENCE. WE ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. I DON'T I DON'T HAVE ANY PARTICULAR QUESTIONS. I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS THAT I WANTED TO EXPRESS. I HAVE HEARD SEVERAL POINTS. FIRST AND FOREMOST, THANK YOU BOTH AND THANK YOU. THANK ALL THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO SERVED. I APPRECIATE THAT WE APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE VERY MUCH. WE KNOW IT'S A SACRIFICE, BUT NONETHELESS, THANK YOU FOR STEPPING UP. YOU KNOW, YOUR REPORT TONIGHT WAS MUSIC TO MY EARS TO TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT YOU WERE ALL RESPECTFUL OF EACH OTHER. THAT IS HUGE. I KNOW, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ON THIS SCHOOL BOARD, WE HAVE SOME HARD CONVERSATIONS AS WELL. AND WE MAY HAVE SOME THIS EVENING. AND FOR EVERYONE TO HEAR THAT OUR PARENTS ARE OUR STAKEHOLDERS, HAVE CONVERSATIONS WHERE YOU'RE RESPECTFUL OF EACH OTHER. THAT IS JUST WONDERFUL TO HEAR. THE FACT THAT YOU SAY THAT PEOPLE REMAIN OPEN MINDED TO OTHER PERSPECTIVES. AGAIN, I COMMEND YOU FOR THAT. I THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE YOU DEMONSTRATING THAT FOR THE DISTRICT, FOR OUR BOARD. ALSO, THE POINT THAT YOU YOU MADE REGARDING SETTING ASIDE EMOTIONS TO MAKE DECISIONS. YOU KNOW, I SPENT A CAREER IN INVESTMENTS. AND ONE OF THE THINGS I ALWAYS EMPHASIZED TO MY TO MY CLIENTS IS THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO TAKE EMOTIONS OUT OF INVESTING BECAUSE, BECAUSE THEY JUST DON'T MIX AND, AND AGAIN, EMOTIONS OUT OF ANY DECISION MAKING PROCESS ARE IMPORTANT. SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR MODELING THAT GREAT BEHAVIOR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU. SO TRUSTEES, ONE OF THE DECISIONS THAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO MAKE IS TO DETERMINE THE GRADE LEVELS THAT WILL OPEN WILLIAMS HIGH SCHOOL. THE TABLES ON THE MAP OPTIONS THAT WE SHOWED BEFORE SHOWED THE ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS FOR GRADES NINE THROUGH 12. ON THIS SLIDE, WE HAVE THE ESTIMATES FOR OPENING WILLIAMS HIGH SCHOOL WITH GRADES NINE THROUGH 11, ALLOWING SENIORS TO REMAIN ON THEIR CURRENT CAMPUS. I'M NOW GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO COACH GABBARD TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE LEGACY PROVISION CONSISTS OF. GOOD EVENING, MADAM PRESIDENT, TRUSTEES AND DOCTOR NIVENS. I JUST WANT TO TAKE A SECOND AND GO OVER THE NOT JUST THE REZONING PROCESS, BUT THE LEGACY PROVISIONS THAT WE HAD IN PLACE FOR WHEN WE OPENED. THOMAS, I WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT THE LEGACY PROVISIONS THAT'S IN PLACE IS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THAT PARTICIPATE IN ACADEMICS, ATHLETICS, AND PERFORMING ARTS. IF PROVIDED THE LEGACY PROVISION, A LEGACY STUDENT MUST PROVIDE THEIR OWN TRANSPORTATION, AND SIBLINGS WHO DO NOT MEET THE LEGACY PROVISIONS ARE NOT CURRENTLY ELIGIBLE FOR LEGACY. SO FOR

[01:25:01]

ACADEMICS, I HAVE THE ACADEMIC CONTESTS THAT ARE LISTED UP THERE. A STUDENT WHO HAS PARTICIPATED IN AN EVENT OR IS ON A TEAM THAT ADVANCED A REGIONAL COMPETITION OR BEYOND AND HAS APPROVAL FROM THE ADVANCED ACADEMICS DIRECTOR, WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR ACADEMICS PROVISION. AND ATHLETICS. YOU HAVE TWO TYPES. YOU HAVE A TEAM SPORT AND AN INDIVIDUAL SPORT.

FOR TEAM SPORTS. IF A STUDENT ATHLETE HAS EARNED A VARSITY LETTER BY PLAYING IN 75% OF GAMES, OR HAS BEEN CALLED UP FOR A PLAYOFF GAME AND HAS PARTICIPATED AND HAVE APPROVAL OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS OR THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR A LEGACY PROVISION FOR INDIVIDUAL SPORTS. THEY ARE KIND OF CONSIDERED TEAM, BUT THE PARTICIPATION IS MORE OF AN INDIVIDUAL SPORT TYPE EVENT. IF THEY COMPETE AT THE DISTRICT GOLF TOURNAMENT AND HAVE THE APPROVAL OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS OR THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR OF APPROVAL, THEY WOULD EARN THE LEGACY PROVISION FOR PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTS. IT'S DEFINED IN OUR STUDENT HANDBOOK. THEY HAVE TO EARN A VARSITY LETTER BY EARNING AT LEAST SIX POINTS PER BAND FOR LETTERING GUIDELINES FOR THE SECONDARY STUDENT HANDBOOK, AND HAVE THE APPROVAL OF THE PVA DIRECTOR. THAT WOULD BE FOR BAND, COLOR GUARD, CHOIR, ORCHESTRA FOR THEATER. THEY WOULD EARN A VARSITY LETTER BY EARNING AT LEAST 40 POINTS, AS DEFINED BY THE SECONDARY STUDENT HANDBOOK, AND HAVE THE APPROVAL OF THE PVA DIRECTOR.

THANK YOU SIR. SO AS A REMINDER, THIS IS AN ACTION ITEM. WE'RE ASKING THE BOARD TO APPROVE THE ZONES FOR WILLIAMS HIGH SCHOOL OR JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL AND DRESNER MIDDLE SCHOOL. AS A REMINDER, THE ABC RECOMMENDS OPTION FOUR AND THE ADMINISTRATION AGREES WITH THIS RECOMMENDATION. ALSO, THE BOARD NEEDS TO DETERMINE THE GRADE LEVELS FOR OPENING WILLIAMS HIGH SCHOOL, AS WELL AS IF THE LEGACY PROVISION WILL BE ALLOWED AND BOARD JUST ONE MORE TIME. HERE IS WHAT THE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE TOGETHER FOR THE DIFFERENT GRADE LEVELS FOR THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS. SO THE VERY TOP SECTION TABLES REPRESENTS NINE THROUGH 11 UNDER EACH OF THE OPTIONS. AND THEN THE SECOND TABLE REPRESENTS GRADES NINE THROUGH 12. AND I'LL KEEP THAT UP THERE. BUT AT THIS TIME I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE OR DISCUSSION. CAN YOU SAY THE OPTIONS AGAIN. WHICH ONES ARE NINE THROUGH 12. SO THE ONES AT THE TOP. SO THESE TOP ONES WOULD BE NINE THROUGH 11. THE TOP ONE AND OPTION THREE YEARS NINE THROUGH 11. THE ONE BELOW IT IS NINE THROUGH 12. OKAY OKAY I SEE. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION BEFORE WE MOVE TO A MOTION. YEAH. SO SO WITH IT BEING NINE THROUGH 11, THEN THEN THE ATTENDANCE, I MEAN THE, IT WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY BALANCE OUT AFTER THE INITIAL FIRST YEAR, RIGHT? BECAUSE. YES, MA'AM. SO BASICALLY WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS WHEN THE, THE SENIOR CLASS LEVEL WOULD ALL STAY AT CURRENTLY FULL. SURE. BUT THEN AS THAT ROLLS OUT THE FOLLOWING YEAR, THEN IT WOULD BE SPLIT DROPS DEPENDING AGAIN, OF COURSE, ON LEGACIES, IF THAT'S ALLOWED TO. OKAY. MR. GABBARD, DO YOU KNOW OFFHAND HOW HOW MANY STUDENTS STAYED WHEN WE OPENED UP TOMAS. BECAUSE WE DID 9 TO 11. AND THEN WE ALSO DID A LEGACY PROVISION. DO YOU DO YOU RECALL? YES, MA'AM. I, I PRINTED THAT OFF BECAUSE I KNEW THAT WOULD COME UP. SO WE ACTUALLY, IF YOU REMEMBER, THERE WERE ACTUALLY FOUR CAMPUSES THAT WERE TOUCHED BY LEGACY COMMITTEES. IT WASN'T JUST FOSTER, WHO EVERYBODY THINKS FOSTER WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO WENT TO TOMAS. IT WAS FOSTER, FOSTER, LAMAR AND RANDALL. YOU HAD 284 THAT APPLIED FOR THE ACTUAL LEGACY. THERE WERE 234 THAT WERE INITIALLY THAT WERE APPROVED AFTER APPEALS, AND THERE WERE 50 THAT WERE DENIED AFTER APPEALS, AND THEN THERE WERE SEVEN THAT RESCINDED THEIR APPEAL AND WENT AHEAD AND TRANSFERRED TO THE NEW SCHOOL.

SO THAT THAT THAT 234 WAS SPREAD ACROSS FOUR CAMPUSES. YOU SAID, YES, MA'AM. OKAY. AND I CAN GIVE YOU THE BREAKOUT BY JUST DO YOU MIND? OKAY, SO FOSTER HAD 120 THAT APPLIED OR.

LET'S GO WITH THE 120 THAT APPLIED FORCE. YOU HAD 108. LAMAR HAD 35. RANDALL HAD 21.

OKAY. AND THEN I CAN GIVE YOU BY LIKE, NOT THE DEPARTMENT, BUT THE ACTIVITY FOR APPROVALS FOR ATHLETICS FOR FOSTER, IT HAD 49 FOR SURE. 61 LAMAR, 20. RANDALL TEN FOR PVA, 47 FOR FOSTER, 18 FOR FULSHEAR, THREE FOR LAMAR, ONE FOR RANDALL FOR A TOTAL OF 69. YOUR ATHLETIC TOTAL WAS 140 OVERALL. FOR ACADEMICS, YOU HAD ONE FROM FOSTER FOR FROM FOSTER, ONE FROM LAMAR. WE HAVE NEVER OPENED A NEW CAMPUS WITH SENIORS. CORRECT. HISTORICALLY.

[01:30:09]

HISTORICALLY, I DO NOT REMEMBER A HIGH SCHOOL OPENING WITH SENIORS. RIGHT. AND IN THE CURRENT ENROLLMENT AT FULSHEAR IS 3003 3324. SOMEWHERE IN THERE, GIVE OR TAKE SOME. SO IF WE DID ONE THROUGH 11, IT WOULD STILL IT WOULD STILL BE DROPPING ABOUT 1000 STUDENTS.

YES. OKAY. YEAH. I KNOW WE WANT TO GIVE THEM AS MUCH RELIEF AS POSSIBLE, BUT I NEVER LIKE MAKING SENIORS MOVE. SO. I CAN EITHER MAKE A MOTION FOR WHAT I THINK WE'RE ALL THINKING OR SOMEONE ELSE CAN MAKE IT. CAN WE GO BACK? CAN WE GO BACK TO THE SLIDE OF THE DECISIONS WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO MAKE HERE? YEP. SO APPROVE THE ATTENDANCE BOUNDARY, WHICH GRADE LEVELS TO OPEN WITH AND WHETHER OR NOT TO ALLOW OR NOT ALLOW THE U. I L LEGACY. WHAT I THINK WE'RE ALL THINKING, WHAT I'M THINKING, WE'RE ALL THINKING IS THAT WE GO WITH OPTION FOUR WITH NINE, THREE, 11 WITH THE U. I L LEGACY PROVISION INCLUDED IS THAT DOES ANYBODY HAVE A. YES.

SO I WILL MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE OPTION FOUR GRADES NINE THROUGH 11 WITH THE U. I L LEGACY PROVISION INCLUDED. ALL RIGHT. TRUSTEE WELCH MAKES THE MOTION. DO I HAVE A SECOND.

I'LL SECOND. TRUSTEE MASTERS SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION. ALL RIGHT. I'LL TAKE THE VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO. THANK YOU DOCTOR MAXWELL. ALL RIGHT. WE

[12.A. Instructional Update - Bluebonnet Learning]

WILL NOW HAVE REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS ON THE INFORMATION ITEMS. ALL RIGHT TRUSTEES WE HAVE MR. KEITH WHO IS REPRESENTATIVE FROM TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY HERE TO DISCUSS BLUEBONNET CURRICULUM. GREAT. WELL GOOD EVENING, MADAM PRESIDENT, BOARD MEMBERS.

DOCTOR NIVENS I APPRECIATE Y'ALL HAVING ME HERE THIS EVENING. SO MY GOAL IS TO GIVE YOU JUST A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE BLUEBONNET LEARNING MATERIALS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE STATE. AND THEN ALSO WE'LL TOUCH BRIEFLY AT THE END ON INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS FUNDING. LIKE AS YOU THINK ABOUT ADOPTING INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS, WHAT BUCKETS OF FUNDING ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU? BECAUSE THIS HAS CHANGED A LITTLE BIT SINCE THE 88TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION. SO IT'S JUST IMPORTANT TO HAVE AN UPDATE THERE. SO THAT'S ME. MY NAME IS NICK. I WORK AT TI AND I'M THE ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION.

SO I OVERSEE TWO TEAMS, ONE THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR READING AND MATH ACADEMIES, AND THE OTHER THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BLUEBONNET LEARNING MATERIALS.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT TONIGHT. REAL QUICKLY ON ME, I WAS I WORKED IN TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR OVER 20 YEARS. I WAS A CLASSROOM TEACHER FOR OVER A DECADE, AN INSTRUCTIONAL COACH. AND THEN BEFORE I CAME TO TI THREE YEARS AGO, I WAS A CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER IN A DISTRICT JUST SOUTH OF FORT WORTH. SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT ON MY BACKGROUND.

OKAY, SO LET'S JUMP IN. SO THIS IS WHAT CURRENTLY EXISTS IN THE BLUEBONNET LEARNING PORTFOLIO.

SO IF YOU LOOK ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SLIDE, THESE ARE OUR ENGLISH MATERIALS. SO WE HAVE KINDERGARTEN THROUGH THIRD GRADE FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS. THAT'S FOR READING. WE HAVE KINDERGARTEN THROUGH FIFTH GRADE READING LANGUAGE ARTS. WE HAVE K-5 MATH. AND WE ALSO HAVE SECONDARY MATHEMATICS. SECONDARY MATH CURRENTLY GOES ALL THE WAY UP THROUGH ALGEBRA TWO. AND THEN YOU CAN SEE OUR SPANISH PORTFOLIO ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE. SO WE ALSO HAVE FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS IN SPANISH. WE HAVE READING LANGUAGE ARTS. IN SPANISH WE HAVE K-5 SPANISH MATH. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE SIXTH GRADE MATH IN SPANISH AS WELL. SO THESE HAVE ALL BEEN APPROVED BY THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION THROUGH THEIR NEW INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS REVIEW AND APPROVAL PROCESS. AND THEY'RE AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION IN THE 2627 SCHOOL YEAR AND BEYOND. SO REALLY, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS JUST TAKE THAT PORTFOLIO AND JUST SORT OF BREAK IT DOWN INTO THE FOUR MAIN CATEGORIES. SO WHAT YOU CAN SEE HERE ON THE LEFT ARE THE READING LANGUAGE ARTS MATERIALS. WHAT YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT ARE THE MATH MATERIALS. I JUST WANT TO KIND OF CRACK THESE BOOKS OPEN SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S INSIDE OF THOSE, WHAT'S AVAILABLE FOR TEACHERS, HOW THEY'RE BUILT, WHAT'S AVAILABLE FOR STUDENTS. SO STARTING WITH READING LANGUAGE ARTS, THE BEST WAY TO UNDERSTAND HOW THESE MATERIALS ARE DESIGNED IS THROUGH SOMETHING CALLED THE SIMPLE VIEW OF READING. SO A SIMPLE VIEW OF READING IS RESEARCH THAT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR QUITE A WHILE, SINCE ABOUT THE MID 80S, BUT IT'S BEEN VALIDATED QUITE A BIT OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS. AND BASICALLY WHAT IT SAYS IS LIKE FOR KIDS TO BE ABLE TO READ TWO THINGS REALLY NEED TO BE TRUE. SO THE FIRST THING THAT NEEDS TO BE TRUE IS THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO DECODE. SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT DECODING, JUST THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO SOUND OUT THE LETTERS THAT ARE ON THE PAGE, RIGHT? THEY NEED TO CRACK THE WRITTEN CODE. AND WHAT WE KNOW FROM THE SCIENCE OF TEACHING READING IS THAT TAKES VERY EXPLICIT, SYSTEMATIC INSTRUCTION. THE TEACHER HAS TO DIRECTLY TEACH KIDS HOW TO DO THAT, BUT WE

[01:35:02]

ALSO KNOW THAT IT'S NOT ENOUGH FOR STUDENTS TO JUST BE ABLE TO CRACK THE WRITTEN CODE. THEY ALSO HAVE TO HAVE LANGUAGE COMPREHENSION. SO WHEN KIDS ARE VERY YOUNG, THIS THIS STARTS EARLY, RIGHT? THIS IS WHY WE READ TO OUR KIDS WHEN THEY'RE GROWING UP. WE'RE GETTING THEM USED TO THE SOUND OF LANGUAGE. WE'RE INTRODUCING NEW VOCABULARY. AND SO IF YOU THINK FOR JUST A SECOND ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IF A STUDENT HAS ONE OF THESE BUT NOT THE OTHER, RIGHT? SO IF THEY HAVE JUST DECODING, IF THEY HAVE JUST THE YELLOW. I'VE WORKED WITH KIDS WHO CAN READ ALL OF THE WORDS ON A PAGE AND THEY CAN READ THEM REALLY FAST. AND THEN YOU SAY, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THAT WAS ABOUT? AND YOU JUST GET A BLANK STARE, RIGHT? THAT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE GREAT AT DECODING. THEY HAVE CRACKED THE WRITTEN CODE, BUT THEY LACK THE LANGUAGE COMPREHENSION SIDE. BUT THEN IF YOU HAVE A STUDENT WHO HAS GREAT VOCABULARY, KNOWS A LOT OF STUFF ABOUT A LOT OF STUFF, THAT'S THE LANGUAGE COMPREHENSION SIDE, BUT DOESN'T HAVE DECODING, THEY MAY BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY HEAR OR SOMETHING THAT'S READ TO THEM, BUT UNTIL THEY CRACK THE WRITTEN CODE, THEY CAN'T ACCESS THAT FOR THEMSELVES. SO THAT'S WHY THESE TWO THINGS ARE SO IMPORTANT. AND ULTIMATELY, THIS IS WHAT LEADS TO READING COMPREHENSION. SO THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THIS IS ALSO HOW WE HAVE SET UP OUR OUR LA MATERIALS. SO FOR READING LANGUAGE ARTS, LIKE I SAID, THIS IS SPLIT INTO TWO DIFFERENT PARTS. ONE IS FOCUSED SPECIFICALLY ON KINDERGARTEN THROUGH THIRD GRADE FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS. THIS FOCUSES ON DECODING, CRACKING THE WRITTEN CODE. AND SO WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE ARE THINGS ARE THINGS LIKE THIS EXPLICIT PRACTICE WITH HANDWRITING AND LETTER FORMATION. THIS IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT THAT KIDS GET INSTRUCTION AND PRACTICE ON HOW TO FORM LETTERS. BUT THEN THE REALLY, THE BULK OF THE FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS INSTRUCTION IS ALL ABOUT DIRECT INSTRUCTION AND PRACTICE WITH SOUND SPELLING, WITH SOUND SPELLING CONNECTIONS. SO IN THIS FIRST GRADE LESSON, FOR EXAMPLE, THE TEACHER IS INTRODUCING THE SOUND E AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN PRINT. YOU CAN SEE HOW STUDENTS PRACTICE THAT ON THE SIDE THERE. THEY READ IT, THEY WRITE ABOUT IT, THEY SPEAK USING IT. BUT ULTIMATELY WHAT THIS LEADS TO IS THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS TO READ TEXT USING THE SOUND SPELLING CORRESPONDENCES THAT THEY HAVE BEEN TAUGHT. SO IN NEARLY EVERY FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS UNIT, THERE'S WHAT'S CALLED A DECODABLE TEXT. SO YOU HEAR THAT WORD DECODE THERE.

AGAIN, THAT JUST MEANS A TEXT THAT THE STUDENT CAN READ ON THEIR OWN. SO WE BUILD UP ALL OF THESE SKILLS IN PRACTICE, AND THEN THEY GET A CHANCE TO APPLY THEM. AND SO THEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF READING LANGUAGE ARTS, WE JUST TALKED ABOUT FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS. NOW ON THE THE LANGUAGE ARTS SIDE OF THINGS. THIS IS WHERE WE REALLY BUILD THAT BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE AND VOCABULARY BECAUSE NOT ONLY DO KIDS NEED TO BE ABLE TO CRACK THE WRITTEN CODE, THEY NEED TO KNOW BASICALLY A LOT OF STUFF ABOUT A LOT OF STUFF. BECAUSE AS YOU ALL KNOW, AUTHORS DON'T FILL IN ALL THE DETAILS. THEY LEAVE A LOT OF GAPS, AND THEY ASSUME THAT THE READER KNOWS CERTAIN THINGS. AND SO THE MORE YOU KNOW, THE EASIER IT IS TO COMPREHEND. AND SO WHAT YOU CAN SEE THERE ON THE SCREEN IN FRONT OF YOU IS WHAT WE CALL THE KNOWLEDGE MAP FOR KINDERGARTEN THROUGH FIFTH GRADE BLUEBONNET READING LANGUAGE ARTS. AND SO WHAT OUR PROGRAM IS, IS RICH IN LITERARY WORKS, SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES, ALL WITHIN THE READING LANGUAGE ARTS BLOCK. SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE COLUMN THAT SAYS FIRST GRADE, YOU CAN SEE THAT STUDENTS ARE STARTING OUT THE YEAR SHARING STORIES. SO WE TALK ABOUT THINGS LIKE FABLES THERE. BUT THEN RIGHT AWAY IN THE SECOND UNIT, THEY'RE INTO A SCIENCE READING LANGUAGE ARTS UNIT ABOUT THE HUMAN BODY. NEXT, THEY'RE ON TO EARLY AMERICAN CIVILIZATION. THEN IT'S ASTRONOMY. IT'S GEOLOGY WITH THIS PLANET ROCKS, ANIMALS AND HABITATS, FAIRY TALES. AND THE WHOLE GOAL IS THAT, YES, STUDENTS ARE PRACTICING THOSE READING SKILLS, BUT THEY ARE ALSO LEARNING ABOUT THINGS AS THEY DO THAT. BECAUSE THE MORE YOU KNOW, THE EASIER IT IS TO COMPREHEND. AND SO WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN KINDERGARTEN THROUGH SECOND GRADE IS A WHOLE LOT OF READ ALOUDS. SO A WHOLE BUNCH OF TIME WITH THE TEACHER, INTERACTING WITH THE STUDENTS, READING THEM TEXTS ABOUT THESE THINGS, BUILDING THEIR VOCABULARY, HAVING A GREAT TIME WITH WORDS TO INTRODUCE STUDENTS TO THIS BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE. THEN WHEN YOU GET INTO THIRD GRADE, THERE ARE FULL COLOR INDIVIDUAL STUDENT READERS AT THESE GRADE LEVELS THAT STUDENTS ARE READING ON THEIR OWN TO BUILD THEIR BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THESE DIFFERENT CONCEPTS. SO FOR EXAMPLE, YOU HAVE THIS IN THE AGE OF EXPLORATION, YOU HAVE THIS STUDENT READER IN GRADE FOUR PERSONAL NARRATIVES ABOUT TOMAS RIVERA. THEN THIS IS AN EXAMPLE FROM GRADE FIVE, UNIT NINE FROM THE JUNETEENTH AND BEYOND UNIT. AND YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A VOCABULARY CHART THERE ON THAT SCREEN. YOU CAN SEE THE TYPES OF VOCABULARY THAT STUDENTS GET TO HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH AND START TO ADD TO THEIR PERSONAL TOOLBOX. THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE FROM THAT SAME UNIT AS STUDENTS ARE BEING PREPARED FOR THE END OF YEAR EXAM, WHICH HAS A SIGNIFICANT WRITING COMPONENT TO IT. THEY ARE WRITING THROUGHOUT THE UNIT. THEY'RE WRITING ABOUT WHAT THEY READ, AND THEY'RE ALSO DEVELOPING WHAT WE CALL AN EXTENDED CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE, OR BASICALLY LIKE A LONG ESSAY, A LONG COMPOSITION. AND SO THE RUBRICS THAT TEACHERS USE AND THAT OTHER STUDENTS USE TO GIVE FEEDBACK MATCH THE SAME WRITING RUBRIC THAT THEY SEE ON STAR.

IT'S JUST IN STUDENT FRIENDLY LANGUAGE. OKAY, SO NOW I'M GOING TO SWITCH FROM READING

[01:40:03]

SKILLS AND READING LANGUAGE ARTS OVER TO THE MATH SIDE. AND SO I'LL START WITH K-5 MATH.

AND SO WITH K-5 MATH FOR EACH UNIT, THERE IS A TEACHER GUIDE. SO YOU CAN SEE GRADE ONE MODULE ONE HERE. THIS IS ABOUT SUMS AND DIFFERENCES TO TEN. AND THEN FOR EACH UNIT OR MODULE THERE ARE THREE STUDENT BOOKS. SO THEY'RE CALLED PRACTICE LEARN AND SUCCEED. AND SO IN THE TEACHER GUIDE WHAT TEACHERS GET ARE THINGS LIKE THIS MODULE OVERVIEW. SO A LOT OF TIMES WHEN TEACHERS COME INTO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, ESPECIALLY AT THE YOUNGER GRADE LEVELS, THAT THEY HAVE A FOCUS ON LITERACY. AND SO WE REALLY WANT TO BUILD THEIR BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE IN MATH INSTRUCTION. THE MODULE OVERVIEW DOES THAT. IT SAYS, WHERE ARE STUDENTS COMING FROM IN KINDERGARTEN? WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO IN THIS MODULE AND WHERE ARE THEY GOING NEXT? WHEN IT COMES IN THIS CASE TO SECOND GRADE OR THE NEXT UNITS? SO THEN WE HAVE MISCONCEPTIONS THAT THE TEACHER CAN IDENTIFY BEFORE THEY EVEN START TEACHING. WE HAVE A TERMINOLOGY AND VOCABULARY. SO AS A FORMER MATH TEACHER IN ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL, I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT REALLY MESSES UP KIDS WHEN THE TEACHER OF THE YEAR BEFORE YOU CALLS IT ONE THING AND YOU CALL IT SOMETHING ELSE. SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THAT VOCABULARY IS THE SAME ALL THE WAY UP THROUGH THE GRADE LEVELS. AND THEN WE HAVE VERY DETAILED DAILY LESSONS. THESE HAVE PRACTICE IN FLUENCY EVERY DAY. SO STUDENTS PRACTICE THINGS LIKE GETTING FASTER AT THEIR MATH FACTS, BUT THEY ALSO BUILD A CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF MATH. AND THEY HAVE QUITE A BIT OF PRACTICE AS WELL. SO THAT'S IN THE TEACHER GUIDE. AND THEN THESE ARE THE THREE STUDENT BOOKS. SO YOU HAVE PRACTICE FOR THAT FLUENCY PRACTICE THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER, BECAUSE KIDS NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO THINGS LIKE AUTOMATICALLY RECALL MATH FACTS. WE HAVE PROBLEM SOLVING AND PROBLEM SETS IN THE LEARN BOOK. THAT'S THAT PRACTICE AND THAT REAL WORLD APPLICATION. AND THEN WE HAVE THE SUCCEED BOOK, WHICH IS HOMEWORK AND PRACTICE. AND ONE THING, IT'S A LITTLE SMALL ON THE SCREEN, BUT UNDERNEATH HOMEWORK AND PRACTICE, THERE IS ACTUALLY A FAMILY SHEET THERE FOR EVERY HOMEWORK ACTIVITY THAT SAYS, HEY, HERE'S WHAT WE DID. HERE'S WHAT YOUR KIDDO LEARNED. HERE'S HOW TO SUPPORT THEM WHILE THEY DO IT. BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL HAVE EVER SEEN YOUR I HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS. THEY'RE 19 AND 16, BUT I HAVE EVEN GOTTEN A HOMEWORK HOME AND I'M LIKE, I DON'T THINK I WAS TAUGHT MATH THIS WAY. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO DO THIS? AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THOSE ARE THERE FOR. AND THEY'RE AVAILABLE FOR EVERY PROBLEM SET AS WELL. AND THEN FINALLY, ON THE SECONDARY SIDE, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE CURRENTLY SIXTH GRADE THROUGH ALGEBRA TWO. SO GRADE SIX, THE EXAMPLE HERE, THERE'S A TEACHER EDITION. THEN THERE'S TWO STUDENT EDITIONS. THE TEACHER EDITION LOOKS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU SAW IN K-5 MATH. SO THERE ARE THESE TOPIC OVERVIEWS TO HELP BUILD TEACHER BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE. THERE ARE PACING GUIDES THAT CAN BE CUSTOMIZED AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL TO MATCH YOUR CALENDAR. THERE ARE THESE DETAILED LESSONS, AND THEN THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO SEE STUDENT RESPONSES. LIKE IF A STUDENT HAS THIS CONCEPT DOWN, WHAT SHOULD IT LOOK LIKE? AND THEN IN THE STUDENT BOOKS, YOU HAVE YOUR MAIN STUDENT EDITION. SO THERE ARE THINGS LIKE WORKED EXAMPLES TO SHOW STUDENTS HOW TO WORK THROUGH PROBLEMS THAT THEY'VE BEEN SHOWN HOW TO DO. THERE ARE FAMILY GUIDES FOR THOSE HOMESCHOOL CONNECTIONS, LESSONS AND APPLICATION PROBLEMS. AND THEN THERE IS A FULLY DEVOTED PRACTICE BOOK AS WELL. SO PRACTICE ON THE CURRENT TOPIC AS WELL AS WHAT WE CALL SPACED PRACTICE, WHICH GOES BACK TO THINGS THAT KIDS HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY TAUGHT AND GIVES THEM LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES TO PRACTICE AGAIN SO THEY DON'T FORGET IT OVER TIME. OKAY, SO THAT'S JUST A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE BLUEBONNET LEARNING MATERIALS.

SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO NOW IS JUST TAKE YOU THROUGH WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT FUNDING FOR INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS, I JUST WANT TO TALK YOU THROUGH THE THREE BIG BUCKETS. AND THEN I'LL STOP AND I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL HAVE. OKAY, SO THIS IS A SUMMARY. OF COURSE, ANYTHING THAT COMES FROM THE LEGISLATURE HAS TO BE AT LEAST SLIGHTLY COMPLEX. BUT THIS IS A SUMMARY OF YOUR THREE BIG BUCKETS OF FUNDING FOR INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS. OKAY.

SO I JUST KIND OF WANT TO GET YOU ORIENTED HERE. IF YOU LOOK ON THE FAR LEFT COLUMN WHERE IT SAYS INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY ALLOTMENT, THAT'S YOUR I'M T A OKAY IN THE MIDDLE. THIS IS THE SBO APPROVED INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ENTITLEMENT. IF YOU'RE TAKING NOTES, THAT'S THE $40 BUCKET. WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT ONE. AND THEN ON THE FAR RIGHT THAT'S THE STATE DEVELOPED OER INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ENTITLEMENT. WE CALL THAT THE $20 BUCKET. OKAY. SO LET'S BREAK THESE DOWN. SO LET'S START BACK OVER ON THE LEFT. SO IF YOU LOOK, WE'RE IN THE 2627 BIENNIUM RIGHT NOW, STARTING WITH THE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY ALLOTMENT. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT DISTRICTS GET EVERY TWO YEARS. SO BASICALLY THE LEGISLATURE SETS THE AMOUNT. IT'S A PER STUDENT AMOUNT. SO YOU CAN SEE FOR THE CURRENT BIENNIUM IT'S ABOUT $174 PER STUDENT. AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, YOU GET A BIT OF ADDITIONAL MONEY, ABOUT $15 FOR EVERY EMERGENT BILINGUAL STUDENT AS WELL. SO THE THING ABOUT IMTA IS IT IS YOUR MOST FLEXIBLE SOURCE OF FUNDS BECAUSE IT COVERS THINGS LIKE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS, BUT IT ALSO COVERS TECHNOLOGY PURCHASES. IT ALSO COVERS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. LIKE THERE ARE A WHOLE BUNCH OF THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO WITH IMTA. ALL OF IT'S LISTED IN CHAPTER 31 OF TEXAS EDUCATION CODE. BUT WHAT YOU DO IS YOU TAKE YOUR ENROLLMENT, YOU MULTIPLY IT BY THE PER STUDENT AMOUNT, AND THAT GIVES YOU YOUR AMOUNT FOR THE BIENNIUM. SO I WANTED TO ADD SOME LAMAR SEE

[01:45:06]

ISD SPECIFIC NUMBERS IN HERE. SO I DID THESE USING YOUR PRIOR YEAR ENROLLMENT. BUT WITH THIS FAST AS YOU ALL GROW, I AM SURE THIS NUMBER IS LIKE PROBABLY 1500 TO 2000 MORE ALREADY. BUT THIS WAS DONE WITH ABOUT 46,700 STUDENTS FROM LAST YEAR. I THINK YOU ALL ARE WELL PAST THAT MARK, BUT IF YOU TAKE YOUR 46,700 ISH STUDENTS, YOU MULTIPLY IT BY THAT $174 PER STUDENT, AS WELL AS YOUR PERCENTAGE OF EMERGENT BILINGUAL STUDENTS. IT GIVES YOU ABOUT $8.1 MILLION OVER THE BIENNIUM FOR INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY.

KEEPING IN MIND, RIGHT? LIKE THIS IS FOR EVERYTHING, LIKE THIS IS WHAT YOU USE TO PURCHASE TEXTBOOKS FOR, FOR EVERY CONTENT AREA EVERYWHERE. SO FOR A LONG TIME, SINCE REALLY 2011 IS WHEN THE IMTA REALLY KICKED INTO GEAR, THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE SOURCE OF FUNDS THAT DISTRICTS HAVE HAD. BUT BACK IN 2023, THE LEGISLATURE PASSED A BILL. IT'S CALLED HOUSE BILL 1605. AND WHAT HOUSE BILL 1605 DID WAS IT ADDED TWO ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR PURCHASING INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS? SO THOSE ARE THE ONES I WANT TO TALK ABOUT NEXT. SO WE'RE GOING TO MOVE OVER NOW AND LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS MIDDLE COLUMN. SO YOU'VE GOT YOUR IMTA. YOU GET THAT EVERY SINGLE BIENNIUM. NOW IN THIS MIDDLE COLUMN, THE THE LEGISLATURE ADDED AN ADDITIONAL $40 PER STUDENT PER YEAR ALLOTMENT. NOW THERE ARE SOME STRINGS ATTACHED. THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION HAS A NEW INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS REVIEW PROCESS THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER. SO THE ONLY THING THAT YOU CAN USE THAT $40 ON ARE MATERIALS THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION. AND THAT IS A THAT'S A GROWING LIST. LIKE THERE ARE MORE AND MORE THINGS ON THERE BLUEBONNETS ON THERE, BUT THERE ARE OTHER PUBLISHERS ON THERE AS WELL. SO IT'S JUST IMPORTANT TO KNOW YOU GET THAT $40 PER STUDENT, BUT IT'S JUST FOR THE STUFF ON THE STATE BOARD'S LIST. SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT LIKE, WHAT DO YOU HAVE HERE, IT'S HELPFUL TO KNOW THAT THIS ACTUALLY ROLLS OVER EVERY SINGLE YEAR. SO LIKE IF YOU DON'T USE IT, IT'S FINE. IT'S JUST SITTING THERE IN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT UNTIL YOU DO WANT TO USE IT. SO WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE? SO IF YOU TAKE YOUR ENROLLMENT FROM LAST YEAR, RIGHT NOW, YOU'VE GOT ABOUT $1.8 MILLION FOR FOR THIS YEAR SITTING IN THAT ACCOUNT. BUT YOU ALSO HAVE NOT PURCHASED ANYTHING OFF OF THAT LIST IN THE LAST TWO YEARS. SO YOU ACTUALLY HAVE THAT FOR THE PRIOR YEAR AND THE YEAR BEFORE.

SO WHEN YOU ADD THOSE TOGETHER IN THAT BUCKET, YOU'VE GOT ABOUT $5.6 MILLION SITTING THERE. BUT JUST REMEMBER STRINGS ATTACHED, RIGHT? IT HAS TO COME FROM THE STATE BOARD'S APPROVED LIST. THAT LIST CONTINUES TO GROW EVERY YEAR. SO YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF GOOD OPTIONS, BUT IT JUST HAS TO BE SOMETHING OFF OF THAT LIST. AND THEN IF YOU DON'T PURCHASE ANYTHING UNTIL LIKE THE END OF THE 26, 27 SCHOOL YEAR, YOU WOULD HAVE ANOTHER LIKE 1.8 ON TOP OF THAT. YOU GET THAT EVERY YEAR. OKAY. AND THEN I'M GOING TO MOVE ONE MORE TO THE RIGHT.

SO THIS IS YOUR MOST RESTRICTED SOURCE OF FUNDS. AND SO WE CALL THIS WE REFER TO THIS AS LIKE THE $20 BUCKET. AND SO WHAT THE LEGISLATURE DID WITH HOUSE BILL 1605 WAS THEY SAID, HEY, Y'ALL GET $40 TO PURCHASE ANYTHING OFF THE STATE BOARD'S LIST. BUT BECAUSE THEY ALSO DIRECTED US AS AN AGENCY TO DEVELOP BLUEBONNET LEARNING, THEY SAID, WE WANT TO MAKE IT EASY ON DISTRICTS AND COVER PRINT COSTS, AND SO THAT $20 PER STUDENT CAN JUST BE SPENT ON BLUEBONNET MATERIALS. AND SO FOR YOUR PURPOSES, IT'S ABOUT 935,000. BUT WITH THIS ONE, IF YOU DON'T USE IT, YOU LOSE IT. BUT THEN YOU START OVER THE NEXT YEAR, RIGHT? SO IT DOESN'T ACCUMULATE.

YOU WOULD JUST HAVE AT THIS POINT, PROBABLY ABOUT $1 MILLION SITTING THERE IN THAT ACCOUNT EVERY SINGLE YEAR. OKAY, SO YOU HAVE YOUR $8.1 MILLION IN INTO THERE ON THE LEFT, AND THEN YOU HAVE THESE NEW SOURCES OF FUNDS HERE ON THE RIGHT THAT ARE ABOUT $6.5 MILLION THAT ARE COMBINING THAT $40 PER STUDENT AND THAT $20 PER STUDENT, DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO PURCHASE. OKAY, SO THAT IS JUST AN OVERVIEW OF THE BLUEBONNET LEARNING MATERIALS AVAILABLE FROM THE STATE, HIGH LEVEL PICTURE OF THE FUNDING THAT'S AVAILABLE TO YOU. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE. MR. KEITH, I'LL HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS FOR YOU, AND I'LL ALSO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR DOCTOR NIVENS AS PART OF THIS THIS INFORMATION.

BUT THANK YOU FOR FOR COMING THIS EVENING AND PROVIDING THIS EXPLANATION. YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR INTRODUCTION THAT YOU HAVE 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION. YES, SIR. TEN OF THOSE YEARS AS A CLASSROOM TEACHER. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. THANK YOU. NOW, WHILE YOU HAVE THAT PARTICULAR SLIDE UP, I'VE READ QUITE A BIT ABOUT THE $60 PER STUDENT INCENTIVE PROVIDED.

SO. SO IS THAT SIMPLY THE $40 BUCKET PLUS THE $20 BUCKET? THAT'S WHAT WE'RE REFERRING TO.

OKAY. SO SO IF WE AS A DISTRICT WERE CONSIDERING ADOPTING ONLY THE MATH PORTION OF BLUEBONNET MATERIALS, WOULD WE STILL QUALIFY FOR THE FIRST FULL 60? YOU WOULD. SO THE, THE, THE

[01:50:02]

SORRY ENTITLEMENT. I WANT TO MAKE SURE I GET MY WORDS RIGHT. THE ENTITLEMENT IS PER STUDENT, NOT PER SUBJECT. SO LIKE THIS IS THE MONEY THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH. NO MATTER WHAT YOU DECIDE TO PURCHASE, OKAY. NOW, AND YOU DID MENTION THAT THERE ARE OTHER. ITEMS ON THE STATE BOARD'S LIST, OTHER APPROVED MATERIALS THAT THAT OBVIOUSLY ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE BLUEBONNET. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. AND IF WE PICKED ONE OF THOSE OTHER ITEMS, WE WOULD STILL QUALIFY FOR THE $660 OR JUST THE $40 BUCKET. IN THAT CASE, IT WOULD BE JUST FOR THE $40 BUCKET. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SO WE'VE HEARD AND READ QUITE A BIT ABOUT THE THE RELIGIOUS THE BIBLICAL REFERENCES IN THE BLUEBONNET MATERIALS DOES THE MATH PORTION OF THE CURRICULUM INCLUDE ANY BIBLICAL REFERENCES? NO, SIR. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ALSO. WE'VE READ AND HEARD A LOT ABOUT ERRORS THAT ARE IN THE CURRICULUM. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING, BASED ON MY RESEARCH, THAT THERE ARE SOME INCORRECT MATH EQUATIONS, BUSTED PROBLEM SETUPS, AND WRONG ANSWER KEYS. WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE CORRECTION OF THOSE ERRORS? SURE. NO, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP. SO WHAT THE BOARD REQUIRES IS THAT ANY MATERIAL THAT'S BEEN APPROVED BY THEIR PROCESS, IF YOU MAKE A CHANGE TO IT, IT HAS TO BE APPROVED. AND SO IN THE JANUARY BOARD MEETING, WE DID BRING SOME ERRORS THAT HAD BEEN FOUND IN THE FIRST YEAR. SO WE PUBLISHED ABOUT 200,000 PAGES OF MATERIALS IN THE PAST TWO YEARS. AND SO AS SOON AS THEY WERE OUT IN THE FIELD, TEACHERS ARE GREAT PROOFREADERS AND THEY'RE LIKE, YOU ARE GOING TO WANT TO FIX THE EQUATION ON PAGE 67. AND SO WE TOOK THAT. WE MADE THOSE FIXES. BUT THEN WE ALSO HEARD TEACHER FEEDBACK.

THERE WERE SOME PLACES WHERE LIKE THE DIRECTIONS COULD BE IMPROVED OR, OR THINGS COULD BE MADE CLEARER. AND WE SUBMITTED THOSE ENHANCEMENTS AS WELL. SO THOSE WERE ALL SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD. THOSE WERE APPROVED BY THE STATE BOARD. AND THEY ARE ALL UPDATED FOR THE 2627 SCHOOL YEAR AND BEYOND. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO SO SIMPLY PUT, IS THIS IS THIS CURRICULUM ESSENTIALLY SCRIPTED TEACHING. WE CONSIDER IT TO BE STRUCTURED TEACHING. AND JUST LIKE ADOPTION IS A LOCAL DECISION. LIKE AT THE END OF THE DAY, Y'ALL CHOOSE WHAT YOU ADOPT FOR INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS, RIGHT? IMPLEMENTATION WORKS THE EXACT SAME WAY YOU DECIDE HOW YOU CHOOSE TO IMPLEMENT. SO FOR LIKE A YEAR ZERO TEACHER IN THE CLASSROOM, WHEN I WAS AN INSTRUCTIONAL COACH, THAT'S WHO I TENDED TO WORK WITH. YOU MIGHT WANT THEM TO STAY A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO THE STRUCTURE OF THAT LESSON, RIGHT? FOR A MORE EXPERIENCED TEACHER, YOU'RE OBVIOUSLY GOING TO GIVE THEM SOME MORE FLEXIBILITY, BUT WITHIN THE WITHIN THE CONSTRAINTS OF THE CURRICULUM, JUST LIKE YOU WOULD WITH ANY SET OF MATERIALS. SO IT'S 100% A LOCAL DECISION ON HOW THAT'S IMPLEMENTED IN THE CLASSROOM. SO, SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT AN EXPERIENCED TEACHER COULD USE OUTSIDE RESOURCES TO SUPPORT STRUGGLING STUDENTS? THAT'S A LOCAL DECISION. OKAY. OKAY. WELL, I APPRECIATE YOU POINTING THAT OUT BECAUSE I'M VERY MUCH AN ADVOCATE FOR LOCAL CONTROL. AND, AND SO THAT THAT IS CERTAINLY ONE CONCERN THAT I HAVE NOW DO. HOW CLOSELY DOES THIS TRACK TEACH TESTING? HOW CLOSE IS IT? I'M SORRY, TAKES TESTING OR STAR TESTING? OH. GOT IT. SO WE'RE 100% ALIGNED TO THE STATE STANDARDS. THAT'S PART OF THE THAT'S PART OF THE SB REVIEW PROCESS. AND BECAUSE WE'RE ALIGNED TO THE STANDARDS, THE STAR TEST IS BASED ON THOSE STANDARDS. SO WE'RE ALIGNED TO THE STATE TEST. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

SO SO ABOUT HOW MUCH TIME WOULD YOU SAY THAT IT TAKES FOR ONE OF THESE LESSONS TO BE TAUGHT DURING THE FOR ONE SESSION? I MEAN, CAN IT BE TAUGHT WITHIN THE CONFINES OF, LET'S SAY, A 50 MINUTE CLASSROOM SESSION? SURE. SO THE NUMBER DIFFERS BASED ON MATERIALS. SO IN KINDERGARTEN THROUGH FIFTH GRADE MATH, IT'S 50 MINUTES IN KINDERGARTEN, 60 MINUTES FOR FIRST THROUGH FIFTH GRADE, WHICH IS PRETTY STANDARD FOR AN ELEMENTARY MASTER SCHEDULE, READING LANGUAGE ARTS, KINDERGARTEN THROUGH THIRD GRADE IS 120 MINUTES. FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADE IS 90 MINUTES. ALSO VERY TYPICAL FOR AN ELEMENTARY MASTER SCHEDULE.

MIDDLE SCHOOLS. OBVIOUSLY, WE WANT TO PROVIDE FLEXIBILITY FOR DIFFERENT SCHEDULES, WHETHER IT'S LIKE TRADITIONAL OR BLOCKS. SO IT WORKS IN BOTH. SO YOU CAN TEACH ONE LESSON EACH DAY FOR 45 MINUTES. YOU CAN TEACH TWO LESSONS IN ONE DAY IN A 90 MINUTE BLOCK AND THEN SKIP A DAY. THERE ARE A LOT OF WAYS TO IMPLEMENT IT, BUT IT'S DESIGNED FOR A SINGLE DAY, 45 MINUTE IMPLEMENTATION AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL. YES, SIR. WELL, I APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION YOU PROVIDED. I'VE HEARD THAT YOU WERE A VERY EFFECTIVE TEACHER IN THE CLASSROOM. IN FACT, SOMEONE HAS ONE. SOME SOMEONE ONCE PUT IT, YOU COULD TEACH MATH TO A ROCK. AND SO THAT'S PRETTY EFFECTIVE. HOW IMPORTANT WOULD YOU SAY TEACHER BUY IN IS TO, TO THE ADOPTION OF THIS, OF

[01:55:01]

A, OF ANY CURRICULUM, INCLUDING THIS CURRICULUM? I MEAN, I WOULD SAY IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE TEACHER IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM. I THINK THE BEAUTIFUL THING ABOUT HIGH QUALITY MATERIALS, WHETHER THEY'RE BLUEBONNET OR ANYTHING ELSE, IS THAT YOU GIVE A GREAT TEACHER GREAT MATERIALS AND YOU JUST INCREASE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS. IT'S A IT'S THE ART AND THE SCIENCE OF TEACHING. THE SCIENCE IS LIKE, GET THE MATERIALS AS STRONG AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN. THE ART IS YOU GOT A GREAT TEACHER WHO LOVE KIDS. THEY'RE GOING TO DO SOME PRETTY PHENOMENAL STUFF WITH THEM. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND GIVE EVERYONE ELSE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS THEY MAY HAVE. AND I'LL HAVE A FOLLOW UP FOR DOCTOR NIVENS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I DO HAVE A QUESTION. SO EARLIER IN THE PRESENTATION, IT TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF EFFORT ON PAPERWORK BOOKS AND TAKE HOME BOOKS AND PENCILS AND PAPER AND DOING THE WORK WITH, YOU KNOW, START TESTING ONLINE. IS THERE A DISCONNECT WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING BACK TO IT, PUTTING AN EFFORT IN KIDS GETTING PENCIL AND PAPER IN THEIR HAND AND DOING THE WORK HERE, BUT THEN WE'RE GOING TO ASSESS THEM IN A WAY WHERE THEY DIDN'T LEARN IT. DOES WHAT WHAT ARE THE THOUGHTS REGARDING THAT? ARE THERE THOUGHTS? I'M SURE IT'S ONE YEAR. IT'S BEEN DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS? I DO, I DO HAVE THOUGHTS. YES. SO SO WE ARE PROUDLY PAPER AND PENCIL FIRST LIKE THAT. WE ARE A PAPER NATIVE. YOU RECEIVE PALLETS FULL OF BOOKS LIKE THAT IS WHAT THE KIDS WRITE IN, ANNOTATE IN WORK IN. THERE ARE A LOT OF REASONS FOR THAT RIGHT THERE. THERE'S THIS THING CALLED COGNITIVE LOAD THEORY IN THE RESEARCH, RIGHT, THAT SAYS, HEY, YOUR WORKING MEMORY IS PRETTY LIMITED. AND SO A LOT OF TIMES JUGGLING A DEVICE AND LEARNING AT THE SAME TIME CAN BE IN CONFLICT. IT CAN BE OVERWHELMING TO WORKING MEMORY, AND YOU CAN LOSE THE FOCUS ON THE THING YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO LEARN. SO WE JUST SIMPLIFY THAT AND WE FOCUS ON THE PENCIL PAPER APPROACH. NOW THAT BEING SAID, I WOULD NOT DISCOUNT THE REALITY OF THE FACT THAT THE STAR TEST IS ADMINISTERED ONLINE. SO I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT KIDS LEARN HOW TO TYPE, FOR EXAMPLE, BECAUSE BY THIRD GRADE YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO PUT THOSE QUESTIONS IN. WE ALSO DO HAVE DISTRICTS WHO CREATE THEIR OWN SUPPLEMENTS WHERE STUDENTS LIKE WILL SUBMIT ASSIGNMENTS ONLINE THROUGH GOOGLE CLASSROOM OR THROUGH CANVAS OR THEIR LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. AND THAT'S, THAT'S A LOCAL CONTROL ADDITION THAT ANY DISTRICT IS WILLING TO MAKE IF THEY FEEL LIKE STUDENTS NEED A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA PREPARATION. SO IT'S VERY FLEXIBLE IN THAT REGARD. WELL, I. I DO JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. IT REALLY MEANS A LOT THAT YOU PERSONALLY CAME TO OUR DISTRICT TO EXPLAIN THIS BECAUSE IT'S IT'S IN THE MEDIA. IT'S EVERYWHERE. AS A BOARD MEMBER, WE ARE CONSTANTLY BOMBARDED TO PLEASE, PLEASE ADOPT THIS, DON'T ADOPT THIS.

WHY DON'T WE HAVE THIS? AND WHEN I CAME ON THIS BOARD, IT CAME TO MY KNOWLEDGE THAT WE DIDN'T REALLY KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT. AND SO IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME AS A TEACHER.

AND THE DISTRICT THAT I WORK IN IS USING IT AND IS IS GOING TOWARD THAT ROUTE 100%. SO I DO TALK TO TEACHERS WHO USE IT, WHO HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH IT. I WILL PUT MY HAT ON THAT. I AM A TEACHER'S NERD. I AM FASCINATED BY THE TEAKS. I HAVE SPENT THE MAJORITY OF MY CAREER. WRITING TAKES, ANALYZING, TAKES, TEACHING TEACHERS WHAT IT MEANS TO LOOK AT YOUR TEACH AND MAKE YOUR TEAC AND MAKE THAT AN INTERACTIVE LESSON TO GET YOUR KIDS TO LEARN IT. IT WAS AN ODD PASSION THAT WAS PLACED ON MY HEART WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG AND EARLY ON IN MY CAREER, AND I RODE THE TRAIN OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION. I'M FASCINATED BY IT. I CAN SPEAK AS A TEACHER THAT FOR MY ENTIRE CAREER, I MEAN, I'M IN YEAR 24. THERE'S NEVER BEEN A RESOURCE THAT HIT ALL OUR T'S. AS A TEACHER, I FELT LIKE I WAS ALWAYS THROWING DARTS AT A DARTBOARD. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHEN MY KIDS TOOK THAT TEST, I'M JUST HOPING I DID THE RIGHT THING.

AND TO KNOW THAT THERE'S NOW AN OPTION. I WAS AT REGION FOUR LAST WEEK, TOOK A REALLY GREAT TRAINING WITH TEA, AND MY TRAINER SAID EVEN WITH DISTRICTS THAT HAVE PHENOMENAL CURRICULUM AND I WANT TO SAY THAT ABOUT LAMAR, WE HAVE A DEPARTMENT THAT CREATES PHENOMENAL CURRICULUM. WE HAVE AMAZING SCOPE AND SEQUENCES. OUR TEACHERS ARE GIVEN EVERYTHING THEY SHOULD NEED TO BE A PLUS TEACHERS. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS INSTRUCTOR FROM REGION FOUR TOLD ME THAT EVEN OUR TEACHERS, THEY GO TO GOOGLE, THEY GO TO PINTEREST, AND THEY NOW GO TO CHATGPT. AND WHEN THEY DO THAT, WE HAVE COMPLETELY LOST. ARE THEY

[02:00:08]

TEACHING THE TEAKS? AND THAT IS SCARY. AND THAT'S A REALLY SCARY PLACE TO BE IN, BECAUSE THEN AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE SEVEN OF US THAT SIT IN THESE CHAIRS, EVERYTHING RIDES ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND STUDENT OUTCOMES. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF WE CAN'T SAY FOR CERTAIN THAT OUR TEACHERS ARE TEACHING THE TEAKS, WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT OUR OUTCOMES ARE GOING TO LOOK LIKE. SO I DON'T KNOW IF I'M FOR THIS. I DON'T KNOW IF I'M AGAINST THIS.

I JUST WANT TO PUBLICLY SAY THAT. BUT I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND FOR TAKING THE TIME TO EXPLAIN THIS TO OUR DISTRICT. IT TRULY MEANS SO MUCH TO ME TO KNOW THAT YOU WOULD TAKE THAT TIME TO TELL US, AND WE COULD HEAR IT FIRSTHAND AND NOT RELY ON THE MEDIA AND SOCIAL MEDIA AND ALL OF THE CHATTER OUT THERE THAT WE CAN HEAR IT FROM YOU, AND THEN WE CAN MAKE THOSE DECISIONS AS A DISTRICT. SO THANK YOU. ONE QUESTION. HOW MANY DISTRICTS ARE CURRENTLY USING BLUEBONNET IN ANY FORM? IN ANY FORM? OH, YOU'RE GOING TO TEST MY MEMORY.

SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE OUR FOR K-5 MATH HAS THE LARGEST ADOPTION ACROSS THE STATE. AND THAT IS SITTING AT AROUND 550 TO 600 DISTRICTS. FOR REFERENCE, THERE ARE 1200 SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN TEXAS, SO ABOUT 50% ARE USING IT IN SOME FORM OR FASHION. SECONDARY MATH. I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK OUT OF TURN. I THINK IT IS IN LIKE THE 30 TO 35% OF DISTRICTS RANGE, AND OUR LA IS IN THE 20 TO 25%. THIS IS THAT IS 25, 26 DATA. WE ARE RECEIVING ORDERS RIGHT NOW THAT INDICATE THAT ADOPTION IS EXPANDING ACROSS THE STATE, BUT WE REALLY WON'T HAVE THOSE. WE KIND OF HAVE TO TRIANGULATE A COUPLE DATA SETS TO GET THOSE NUMBERS. SO WE'LL HAVE THOSE IN ABOUT SEPTEMBER TO REALLY BE ABLE TO NAIL THAT DOWN. BUT THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.

ONE, ONE QUICK QUESTION, I'M SORRY, WITH TRUSTEE ARROYO SAID ABOUT THE $40, DEPENDING ON WHICH SUBJECT AND $60 DEPENDING ON SUBJECT. IF YOU DO BOTH SUBJECTS, IS THAT 120 OR IS IT JUST 60? SO IT'S JUST IT'S PER STUDENT, PER STUDENT. BUT SO IF YOU'RE ONLY DOING ONE SUBJECT, YOU STILL GET 60. BUT IF YOU'RE DOING BOTH SUBJECTS, YOU STILL ONLY GET 60. THAT'S RIGHT. YEAH.

MR. KEITH, OF ALL THE OTHER APPROVED CURRICULUMS BY THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION THAT THE TI MANAGES, HAS THERE EVER BEEN ERRORS FOUND IN THOSE CURRICULUMS? THERE HAVE THERE WAS ACTUALLY SOME MULTIPLE PUBLISHERS SUBMITTED IT THIS LAST BOARD MEETING. IT'S A PROCESS CALLED UPDATES AND SUBSTITUTIONS. THEY SUBMITTED THE BOARD APPROVED THOSE SO THAT THEY COULD GET THOSE OUT INTO THE FIELD FOR 2627. WHY DO YOU THINK THAT THIS CURRICULUM WAS DEVELOPED? COULD YOU REPEAT WHAT YOU SAID EARLIER? DID YOU SAY THE LEGISLATURE ENCOURAGED THE TI TO DEVELOP ITS OWN, OR HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT? YEP. SO THERE WAS THE BILL THAT I REFERENCED EARLIER CALLED HOUSE BILL 1605. IT'S A MASSIVE ABOUT 50 SECTION BILL THAT WAS PASSED IN THE 88TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION. SO IT WAS FINALIZED IN JUNE OF 2023 WHEN THE GOVERNOR SIGNED IT. THERE WERE A LOT OF PARTS TO THAT BILL. ONE OF THOSE WAS THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION NOW REVIEWS MATERIALS FROM ALL PUBLISHERS. SO THAT'S THEIR NEW PROCESS. ANOTHER PART OF THE BILL WAS WHAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT HERE. THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF ADDITIONAL MONEY FOR INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS. THERE'S SOME PARENT TRANSPARENCY THINGS IN THERE, LIKE IF YOU'RE APPROVED BY THE BOARD, YOU HAVE TO PUT ALL OF YOUR MATERIALS ONLINE WHERE EVERY TEACHER, WHERE EVERY PARENT CAN SEE THEM. BLUEBONNET DOES THAT, RIGHT? SO AS PART OF HOUSE BILL 1605, TO YOUR QUESTION, THE LEGISLATURE SPECIFICALLY DIRECTED US IN CHAPTER 31 OF EDUCATION CODE TO DEVELOP WHAT ARE CALLED OPEN EDUCATION RESOURCES. SO OPEN EDUCATION RESOURCES JUST MEAN THAT THEY'RE FREELY AVAILABLE. LIKE RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN GO TO THE BLUEBONNET WEBSITE, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE BLUEBONNET PDFS, YOU CAN USE THEM IN A CLASSROOM, HOMESCHOOLING, PRIVATE SCHOOL, PUBLIC SCHOOL, WHEREVER YOU WANT TO. REALLY, THE ONLY COST IS JUST BECAUSE PAPER COSTS MONEY. AND SO THE PRINTING AND SHIPPING COSTS. AND SO THE LEGISLATURE DIRECTED THE AGENCY TO DO THAT IN 2023. AND THEN WE'VE BEEN GRADUALLY ROLLING OUT GRADE LEVELS AND CONTENT AREAS OVER THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS. WOULD YOU SAY THAT THE BLUEBONNET CURRICULUM IS THE PREFERRED CURRICULUM OF THE TI OR, OR HOW WOULD YOU HOW WOULD YOU PHRASE THAT? WE'LL SAY THAT THE BLUEBONNET CURRICULUM IS THE CURRICULUM OF TI, BUT THERE IS A THERE IS A WORLD OF OPTIONS OUT THERE THAT THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION HAS REVIEWED. SO WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE WERE TO ADOPT THAT AS A DISTRICT? WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO A DISTRICT'S. THE STAFF OF HOW WE ALL THE FOLKS IN OUR IN OUR DISTRICT THAT SPEND A LOT OF TIME WRITING AND MANAGING THE CURRICULUM THAT WE ALREADY HAVE. SURE, I WILL

[02:05:02]

SPEAK FROM MY EXPERIENCE AND EVERY DISTRICT HANDLES THIS DIFFERENTLY. WHEN I WAS A CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER, WE TURNED OVER OUR ENTIRE MATH CURRICULUM IN ONE YEAR. SO WE WENT FROM OUR DISTRICT CREATED CURRICULUM TO KINDERGARTEN THROUGH ALGEBRA TWO, WHAT WAS BASICALLY THE PILOT VERSION OF BLUEBONNET. AND SO MY TEAM, MY CURRICULUM TEAM ACTUALLY APPRECIATED IT PRETTY SIGNIFICANTLY BECAUSE WHAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO DO WAS SPEND THE TIME WRITING MATERIALS ANYMORE. WHAT THEY SPENT THE TIME DOING WAS TRAINING ON THE MATERIALS AND COACHING TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOM, HOW TO USE THEM. SO THEY PLAYED AN INCREDIBLY VITAL ROLE IN THE DELIVERY OF THE MATERIALS, AND IT JUST SORT OF REPURPOSED THEIR ROLE FROM, YOU HAVE TO GENERATE ALL OF THIS CONTENT TO CONTENTS THEIR, MAKE WHATEVER ADJUSTMENTS YOU NEED TO WRITE, BUT THEN GO AND HELP TEACHERS DO THEIR BEST JOB AT IMPLEMENTING IT. GIVEN THE NUMBERS THAT YOU GAVE US FOR THE FUNDING, WERE WE TO ADOPT IT, WOULD WE HAVE TO CONTRIBUTE ANY MONEY, OR WOULD THIS COVER THE COSTS FOR A DISTRICT OUR SIZE? I CAN'T SPEAK SPECIFICALLY TO THAT. FOR LAMAR ISD'S NUMBERS, WE DO HAVE A CALCULATOR, LIKE AN EXCEL THAT I CAN GET YOU ALL IF YOU WANT TO RUN NUMBERS ON IT. I WILL SAY WHAT HAS TYPICALLY HAPPENED IS DISTRICTS START IN THE FAR RIGHT BUCKET. THEY USE IT UP. THAT'S WHERE WE START. THEY MOVE TO THIS LEFT, THIS MIDDLE BUCKET. THEY USE UP SOME OF IT, AND THEN THEY BANK THE REST OF IT. I'VE VERY RARELY SEEN DISTRICTS HAVE TO DIP INTO THEIR I'M T A, BUT I WILL SAY IT DOES DEPEND ON LIKE HOW MUCH YOU PURCHASE. LIKE IF YOU'RE JUST PURCHASING MATH, IT IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET VERY FAR INTO THE ORANGE. IF YOU PURCHASE MATH AND READING LANGUAGE ARTS, YOU'LL GET FURTHER INTO THE ORANGE. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW FAR YOU'D GO, BUT IT. I THINK IT IS UNLIKELY YOU WOULD END UP IN YOUR. I'M T A FOR THAT.

COULD YOU SUMMARIZE HOW THIS CURRICULUM IS SET APART OR THE THE THE BENEFITS THE THE PROS OF IT COMPARED TO A SOME OF THE OTHER CURRICULUMS IN THE STATE BOARD IS APPROVED. YEAH, I'D BE HAPPY TO. SO VERY BRIEFLY ON THE MATH SIDE, THERE'S A VERY CONSISTENT MATH ROUTINE THAT HAPPENS EVERY SINGLE DAY. ONE THING THAT OUR PRODUCT HAS THAT YOU DON'T SEE IN A LOT OF MATERIALS IS SOMETHING CALLED FLUENCY PRACTICE. SO I DON'T KNOW ABOUT Y'ALL, BUT LIKE WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL, WE LEARNED OUR TIMES TABLES, RIGHT? THIS IS NOT ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS. AND SO THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS IN MATH THAT KIDS JUST NEED TO BE, THEY NEED TO BE FAST AT, RIGHT? LIKE IT'S HARD TO KNOW WHAT 21 TIMES THREE IS WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THREE TIMES ONE AND THREE TIMES TWO IS. SO THERE'S THAT FLUENCY PRACTICE COMPONENT HAPPENS EVERY SINGLE DAY. AND THEN AFTER THAT PIECE, THERE'S ALWAYS REAL WORLD APPLICATION, RIGHT? THERE'S ALWAYS A CONNECTION TO WHAT THIS MATH LOOKS LIKE IN THE REAL WORLD.

AND THEN WE'RE VERY STRONG IN WHAT WE CALL REPRESENTATION. SO LIKE HANDS ON EXPERIENCE WITH MATH THAT THEN MOVES INTO NUMBERS. AND SO THE ADVANTAGES OF THAT IS THAT'S JUST A VERY WELL-ROUNDED SETUP. YOU'VE GOT KIDS GETTING FASTED, THINGS THAT THEY NEED TO BE. YOU'VE GOT THEM CONNECTING IT TO THE REAL WORLD LIKE THEY NEED TO. AND YOU HAVE THEM BUILDING A STRONG CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF MATH THROUGHOUT THE LESSON CYCLE. SO I THINK THAT'S, THOSE ARE REALLY STRENGTHS OF OUR, OF OUR MATH COMPONENT. ON THE READING SIDE, WE HAVE, LIKE I MENTIONED, EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION IN FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS. SO THINGS LIKE HANDWRITING, THERE'S CURSIVE BECAUSE THAT IS REQUIRED BY THE STANDARDS. AND SO THERE IS INSTRUCTION IN CURSIVE HANDWRITING STARTING IN SECOND GRADE. AND THEN ON THE KNOWLEDGE SIDE, I WILL, I WON'T GO BACK BECAUSE IT'S A WAYS BACK, BUT I SHOWED YOU THAT MAP OF EVERYTHING THAT KIDS GET TO READ ABOUT. I'LL JUST TELL YOU, I HAVE BEEN IN HUNDREDS OF SCHOOL VISITS, AND YOU WOULD THINK THAT THE WAR OF 1812 IS NOT SOMETHING THAT SECOND GRADERS WOULD FIND INCREDIBLY INTERESTING. THEY ARE RIVETED. AND SO KIDS JUST LIKE TO KNOW STUFF ABOUT STUFF, RIGHT? THEY LEARN ABOUT GREEK MYTHOLOGY IN SECOND GRADE ROMAN MYTHOLOGY. IN THIRD GRADE, THEY LEARN ABOUT THE MIDDLE AGES. IN FOURTH GRADE, THEY LEARN ABOUT THE RENAISSANCE IN FIFTH GRADE LIKE IT IS AMAZING. AND KIDS RISE TO THE CHALLENGE. AND SO I THINK WHAT MAKES US STAND OUT THERE IS THAT WE HAVE THAT DEEP KNOWLEDGE BASE OF THINGS KIDS NEED TO KNOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT THE NEXT LEVEL IN READING, AND IT'S DONE VERY COHESIVELY, VERY COHERENTLY, IN A WAY TO SET KIDS UP FOR SUCCESS. I JUST HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION FOR YOU AND THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER. I HAVEN'T KNOWN, LIKE TRUSTEE HENDERSON, I'VE HEARD SO MUCH ABOUT THIS AND I'M. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE REALLY UNDERSTOOD A LITTLE BIT OF THIS CURRICULUM. I DID HEAR COMMISSIONER MORATH HAVE A PRESENTATION ABOUT THIS AT ONE OF THE LOCAL EVENTS THAT HE WAS AT ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO, AND HE WAS BRAGGING ABOUT IT AND REALLY ENCOURAGED DISTRICTS TO ADOPT IT. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO WHY YOU THINK PERSONALLY OR THE T, THE FEEDBACK THAT YOU ALL HAVE RECEIVED? WHY IS THIS THING SO CONTROVERSIAL? WHAT WHAT ARE YOU HEARING? WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT PEOPLE ARE REACTING TO AND WHY? SURE. I THINK THERE ARE TWO KEY MISUNDERSTANDINGS. ONE'S GENERAL AND ONE IS SPECIFIC TO READING LANGUAGE ARTS. SO LET ME TAKE THE GENERAL ONE FIRST. I THINK THE GENERAL ONE IS ANY TIME THE STATE DOES SOMETHING, PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT IT BECAUSE

[02:10:04]

THEY FEEL LIKE IT IS GOING TO BE IMPOSED ON THEM. RIGHT? THAT'S WHY I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR. THIS IS A LOCAL DECISION. LIKE Y'ALL ADOPT WHAT IS RIGHT FOR YOUR COMMUNITY. IF IT'S BLUEBONNET, THAT IS GREAT. IF IT IS NOT BLUEBONNET AND YOU FIND SOMETHING THAT WORKS FOR Y'ALL, THAT IS GREAT. THAT'S WHY I WANT TO BE REALLY CLEAR ABOUT THAT. BUT IF YOU DON'T HEAR THAT MESSAGE AND YOU HEAR IT KIND OF THROUGH A GAME OF TELEPHONE, THEN IT IS IT BECOMES THE STATE'S CURRICULUM THAT EVERYONE IS GOING TO HAVE TO ADOPT. THAT IS NOT THE CASE.

TEXAS IS A LOCAL CONTROL STATE. YOU ARE A LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD. THIS IS WHAT YOU DO, RIGHT? SO SO THAT'S THE GENERAL ONE. AND THEN I THINK THE SECOND ONE THAT WE HEARD EARLIER IS SOMETIMES PEOPLE WILL TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT THERE IS RELIGIOUS SOURCE MATERIAL IN THE READING LANGUAGE ARTS KNOWLEDGE MAP THAT I SHOWED YOU EARLIER. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW LIKE ONE Y AND TWO LIKE WHAT'S ACTUALLY GOING ON, RIGHT? AND SO, SO WHY IS THIS SO? BECAUSE KIDS NEED TO KNOW A LOT OF STUFF ABOUT A LOT OF STUFF TO KNOW HOW TO READ, RIGHT? BECAUSE AUTHORS DON'T ALWAYS FILL IN THE GAPS. AND SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT, I SAW THIS POST THE OTHER DAY, IT'S LIKE THERE'S BASICALLY FOUR THINGS THAT YOU REALLY NEED TO READ TO READ ANYTHING GREEK MYTHOLOGY, ROMAN MYTHOLOGY, SHAKESPEARE AND THE BIBLE. AND THIS WAS NOT FROM LIKE A RELIGIOUS GROUP. THIS WAS JUST LIKE A STATEMENT THAT IF YOU KNOW THESE THINGS, YOU HAVE A PRETTY GOOD HANDLE ON WHAT'S COMING NEXT. AND SO IF YOU TAKE SOMETHING LIKE THE MIDDLE AGES THAT TALKS ABOUT JUDAISM, ISLAM, CHRISTIANITY, YOU CAN'T TALK ABOUT THE MIDDLE AGES WITHOUT COVERING THAT. THERE IS A NUMBER OF STARS IS A NOVEL STUDY IN FOURTH GRADE THAT COVERS NAZI OCCUPATION OF DENMARK AND JUDAISM. RIGHT. IT'S HARD TO TALK ABOUT WORLD WAR TWO IN FIFTH GRADE WITHOUT A MENTION OF RELIGION. THE STORY OF THE PRODIGAL SON IS IN FIRST GRADE UNIT ONE. THAT UNIT IS CALLED SHARING STORIES. EVERYTHING LEADING UP TO THAT IS A FABLE. IT IS JUST POSITIONED AS A STORY BECAUSE THESE ARE IMPORTANT CULTURAL THINGS TO UNDERSTAND IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO COMPREHEND TEXT. AND SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY THE SECOND ONE. THERE'S JUST A MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE PURPOSE OF THAT. THE PURPOSE OF THAT IS TO GIVE KIDS THE BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE. THEY NEED TO READ ANY TEXT THAT THEY WANT TO EVER. AND THAT'S ULTIMATELY THE GOAL OF THAT. SO REALLY, THOSE TWO THINGS LIKE HIGH LEVEL, IT'S CONNECTED TO THE SECOND. SO PEOPLE HAVE SOME MISUNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT IT. AND THEN ON THE RL SIDE, JUST MAYBE A MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHAT BUILDING BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE LOOKS LIKE FOR STUDENTS AND WHAT'S INVOLVED IN DOING THAT. ALL RIGHT. I HAVE A COUPLE OF FOLLOW UPS ON THAT. SO I'M GOING TO RESEND MY PREVIOUS STATEMENT. ARE THE RELIGIOUS REFERENCES THROUGHOUT THAT PORTION OF THE CURRICULUM OR IS IT JUST A I MEAN, IF YOU IF YOU SAY TO A LIKE A FOOTBALL TEAM, HEY, WE'RE DAVID AND THOSE GUYS ARE GOLIATH, WE'RE GOING TO GO GET THEM TODAY. IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY BIBLICAL UNDERSTANDING, JUST CULTURALLY, YOU DON'T KNOW, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE COACH IS SAYING. IS IT THAT KIND OF STUFF? AND IS IT SPREAD OUT OR IS IT EVERY LESSON ALL THE TIME? I WOULD SAY IT IS VERY SPREAD OUT. LIKE, I MEAN, I CAN GIVE YOU JUST A FEW EXAMPLES, PLEASE, PLEASE. HELPFUL. THERE'S A LESSON ON THE GOLDEN RULE IN KINDERGARTEN AND GRADE SEVEN. BUT WHAT COMES BEFORE THAT? IT'S ALL ABOUT COMMUNITY HELPERS. WHAT'S A FIREMAN? WHAT'S A POLICEMAN WHO ARE HELPERS AT SCHOOL? HOW DO WE TREAT EACH OTHER? AND ALSO POINT OUT THAT THE GOLDEN RULE UNIT, OR THE GOLDEN RULE LESSON ALSO STARTS WITH WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE ACROSS RELIGIONS? THERE'S A TABLE AT THE BEGINNING, SIX DIFFERENT RELIGIONS, AND IT SAYS, HEY, THIS IS THE VERSION OF THE GOLDEN RULE THAT EXISTS IN EACH OF THESE. I MENTIONED THE PRODIGAL SON IN IN FIRST GRADE.

THERE'S A REFERENCE TO BUDDHISM WITH A SHERPA. AT THE END OF FIRST GRADE. I MENTIONED FOURTH GRADE IN THE MIDDLE AGES UNIT. THE RENAISSANCE HAS A REFERENCE WHEN THEY LOOK AT THE LAST SUPPER TO THE BOOK OF MATTHEW, BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO UNDERSTAND LIKE WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT CAME FROM. AND THEN JUST ONE OTHER EXAMPLE TO YOUR POINT IN THE JUNETEENTH AND BEYOND UNIT THAT I SHOWED YOU IN GRADE FIVE, STUDENTS ACTUALLY SPEND TWO LESSONS ON DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER KING JR'S LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM JAIL. IF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM JAIL, YOU KNOW THAT HE REFERENCES DANIEL IN THE LION'S DEN AND SHADRACH, MESHACH AND ABEDNEGO IN THE LETTER. AND SO IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE THINGS ARE, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND HIS CALL TO CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. SO WHAT'S NEXT TO THAT IS JUST WHAT'S THE STORY OF DANIEL? WHAT'S THE STORY OF SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABEDNEGO, AND WHY DOES IT MATTER IN THIS CONTEXT? AND STUDENTS ANALYZE THOSE TOGETHER. AND SO, I MEAN, I'M LISTING MULTIPLE THINGS. IT IS THAT SPREAD OUT. YOU'RE LOOKING AT LIKE A COUPLE LESSONS ACROSS THE COURSE OF THE UNIT. AND THEN, OF COURSE, GOING BACK TO THE QUESTION EARLIER ABOUT WHAT DID THE DISTRICT FOLKS DO? THEY GO THROUGH, Y'ALL DECIDE WHAT'S RIGHT FOR YOUR COMMUNITY, WHAT'S NOT RIGHT FOR YOUR COMMUNITY. AND THAT'S ULTIMATELY A LOCAL DECISION. DOES THE CURRICULUM TRY TO PROSELYTIZE AND CONVERT ANY STUDENTS TO ANY PARTICULAR RELIGION? IT DOES NOT. DOES IT TRY TO GET KIDS TO BELIEVE THAT ZEUS WAS REAL? IT DOES NOT. SO THAT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ROMAN AND GREEK MYTHOLOGY, IT REFERENCES IT. IT TALKS ABOUT IT IN A CULTURAL SENSE, OR TO UNDERSTAND PAST STORIES OR FABLES. THAT'S CORRECT. AND ARE YOU SAYING IT DOES THE SAME THING WITH THE BIBLICAL TEXTS? THAT'S CORRECT. I APPRECIATE YOU COMING BECAUSE I HAVE A

[02:15:01]

BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF IT NOW. SO THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. WITH WITH THE MATH PORTION, SINCE IT'S VERY WORKBOOK HEAVY, ARE THERE MANIPULATIVES THAT ARE INCLUDED OR ARE THEY SUPPLEMENTED WITH THAT? MANIPULATIVES ARE ACTUALLY PART OF YOUR PURCHASE. SO IT COMES WITH THE MANIPULATIVE. THAT'S RIGHT, THAT'S RIGHT. AND, AND I WILL ADD, IF Y'ALL ALREADY HAVE MANIPULATIVES, WHICH A LOT OF DISTRICTS ALREADY DO, YOU CAN GET A WAIVER FOR THOSE. SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO PURCHASE THEM AGAIN. SO IT'LL ACTUALLY SAVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY THERE.

CAN I ASK A QUESTION? DO Y'ALL GET, DO Y'ALL HEAR A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM PEOPLE WHO SAY, DID YOUR MATH CURRICULUM AND THEN, YOU KNOW, PUT IT IN PLACE FOR A YEAR AND THEN THEIR SCORES CAME BACK AND THEY IMPROVED OR THEY STAYED THE SAME? DO Y'ALL HEAR A LOT OF FEEDBACK ON THAT? OR DO Y'ALL DO SURVEYS? OR DO YOU MEAN, HOW DO YOU FIND OUT? SURE. SO THIS IS REALLY YEAR ONE FOR BLUEBONNET. THERE'S BEEN SOME PILOT VERSIONS IN THE FIELD FOR A WHILE, BUT BLUEBONNETS FIRST YEAR WAS SCHOOL YEAR 2526. SO ANYTHING THAT I HAVE WOULD BE ANECDOTAL RIGHT NOW, BUT I CAN I CAN TELL YOU THIS, THAT I WILL NOT STAND UP HERE AND TELL YOU THAT ANY SET OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IS A SILVER BULLET. IT IS NOT. WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN IS ADOPTION OF A SET OF MATERIALS, STRONG PROFESSIONAL LEARNING, COMMUNITY LIKE TEACHER TEAM MEETINGS, STRONG OBSERVATION IN THE CLASSROOM, ALONG WITH COACHING FOR TEACHERS TO HELP THEM GET BETTER, AND A TON OF SUPPORT ALONG THE WAY. IF YOU DO THAT, YOU'VE GOT A REALLY GOOD SHOT AT SUCCESS. I WILL TELL YOU THAT I WAS ON A SITE VISIT WITH COMMISSIONER TWO DAYS AGO. NOPE. TODAY'S TUESDAY. YESTERDAY WE WERE ON A SITE VISIT YESTERDAY AT TWO ELEMENTARY CAMPUSES THAT HAD BEEN MULTI YEAR D'S AND F'S.

THEY GOT THEIR MID-YEAR AND END OF YEAR PERFORMANCE BACK. THEY'VE BEEN IMPLEMENTING OUR MATH CURRICULUM WITH STRONG SYSTEMS. THEY'RE PROJECTING TO BE A B I. I WOULD NOT CLAIM THAT THAT IS THE MATERIALS, BUT THE MATERIALS HELP. IF YOU PUT GOOD SYSTEMS IN PLACE. THANK YOU MR. KEITH. MY, THE, THE BALANCE OF MY QUESTION IS FOR DOCTOR NIMITZ. SO SO THIS IS PRIMARILY A FOR THE BOARD. YOU KNOW, AS MR. KEITH COMMENTED ON, ON TIMES TABLES, IT TOOK ME BACK TO EARLIER IN THE YEAR WHERE TRUSTEE BOX TRUSTEE MASTERS AND I WENT TO BOWIE ELEMENTARY TO READ TO THE STUDENTS THERE. AND, AND I, I WAS IN A MATH CLASS, I WAS READING A MATH CLASS AND I JUST FOR KICKS AND GRINS, ONE OF THE, THE THINGS I REMEMBER VIVIDLY ABOUT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MATH WERE THE TIMES TABLES. AND SO I THREW OUT SOME SOME QUESTIONS FOR THE KIDS. AND WHAT AMAZED ME ABOUT OUR STUDENTS AT BOWIE ELEMENTARY IS THAT THEY ANSWERED EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE QUESTIONS. YOU KNOW WHAT, SIX TIMES SIX. WHAT'S THREE TIMES NINE? WHAT'S FOUR TIMES EIGHT? AND AND I WAS SO IMPRESSED. I THOUGHT, MY GOODNESS, THAT IS INCREDIBLE. AND THAT IS A TESTAMENT TO THE TEACHERS THAT WE HAVE AT LAMAR.

SEE ISD, THE PRINCIPALS, EVERYBODY, THE WHOLE TEAM, EVERYONE WHO ADDS VALUE. AND SO BRINGING THIS BACK TO MY POINT, YOU KNOW, THE POINT I WANT TO EMPHASIZE IS THAT WE ARE AN ELITE SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND WE ALL KNOW THAT, AND WE SHOULD PRIDE OURSELVES ON THAT. AND, AND I WAS SO PROUD THIS WEEKEND AS WE WATCHED SO MANY GRADUATES, SO MANY OF OUR ELITE GRADUATES GRADUATE WITH ALL THE ACCOLADES. AND, AND IT REMINDED ME OF HOW WHEN I WAS ELECTED INTO THIS POSITION ONE YEAR AGO, TRUSTEE MASTERS AND I WERE WERE INVITED TO TO TEA. WE SAT THROUGH THE SAME PRESENTATION, LISTENED TO COMMISSIONER MORATH AND AND, YOU KNOW, WE HEARD ABOUT ELITE SCHOOL DISTRICTS. AND LO AND BEHOLD, THE EXAMPLE THEY USED WAS KATY ISD. SO THAT THAT GOT ME CURIOUS. I THOUGHT, MY GOODNESS, WELL, WHERE, WHERE DO HOW DO WE COMPARE TO KATY ISD? SO, SO I, I ASKED FOR SOME INFORMATION AS TO, YOU KNOW, OUR OWN RATING. AND LO AND BEHOLD, WE HAVE JUST AS HIGH A RATING AS KATY ISD DOES. AND AS I DRILL DOWN ON THOSE NUMBERS, I THOUGHT, WELL, LET ME LOOK AT THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF KATY ISD. WHAT I FOUND IS THAT WE HAVE A VERY DIFFERENT POPULATION OF LAMAR RSD, VERY DIFFERENT. BUT IF YOU IF YOU RECALL THIS PAST WEEKEND AS WE WATCHED TERRI HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE, 31 OF THEIR GRADUATES EARNED AN ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE BEFORE EVEN BEFORE THEY GRADUATED FROM LAMAR, SEE ISD FOR THEIR IN.

RECEIVED THEIR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. I MEAN, IF YOU RECALL, LAMARR CONSOLIDATED HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL WENT ON AND ON AND ON ABOUT ALL OF THE ACADEMIC ACCOLADES AT LAMAR ISD AND I MEAN, AND, AND THEIR THEIR THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT. SO, SO FOR ME, I'M JUST BRIMMING WITH PRIDE RIGHT NOW THAT WE ARE NOT A STRUGGLING SCHOOL DISTRICT. WE ARE A THRIVING SCHOOL

[02:20:01]

DISTRICT. WE ARE AN ELITE SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND, AND, AND IT TAKES ME BACK TO. TRUSTEE HENDERSON'S VERY GOOD POINT. AND I THOUGHT, GOSH, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT I'M NOT A I'M I CAN'T SAY I'M A I'M A NERD. YOU KNOW, I'LL HAVE TO HAND IT TO YOU ON THAT ONE. I'M MORE OF A POLICY NERD. AND THE THING WITH ME AS A BOARD MEMBER AND IS THAT IS THAT WHAT I, WHAT I CONTINUALLY STRIVE FOR IS TO IS TO REMAIN KEEP MY POLICY MAKERS HAT ON, UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF THE POLICY MAKER. AND AS IT RELATES TO CURRICULUM, REMIND MYSELF, YOU KNOW, WE, WE EMPLOY A SUPERINTENDENT AND NOT JUST ANY SUPERINTENDENT. WE HAVE DOCTOR NIVENS. OKAY. AND AND WE ALL KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. WE HAVE DOCTOR NIVENS. WE WE HIRE HIM, WE EMPOWER HIM. OKAY. AND THEN WE HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE. AND, AND, AND WHEN WE EMPOWER HIM, YOU KNOW, WE EXPECT THERE'S A CERTAIN EXPECTATION, THERE'S A CERTAIN GOALS THAT WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE LAID OUT FOR THIS YEAR AND BEYOND. AND SO TO ME, YOU KNOW, I LOVE TO TURN TO THE EXPERTS IN THE ROOM AND, AND, AND AS I, AS I THINK ABOUT CURRICULUM AND I THINK ABOUT ABOUT OTHER CURRICULUMS THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE AND SO FORTH IN THE CONTEXT OF HOW THIS ALL FALLS IN. YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO ASK DOCTOR NIVENS, I WOULD JUST, YOU KNOW, DO WE HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF CURRICULUM? AND IF SO, I MEAN, HOW DOES THAT TAKE IN TEACHER BUY IN INTO ACCOUNT? AND HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT? DOCTOR NIVENS YES, SIR. WE DO HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE WHICH IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT BECAUSE OUR TEACHERS ARE THE END USERS. AND AS MR. KEITH SAID, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A PHENOMENAL TEACHER IN THE CLASSROOM, THAT IS THAT IS 99% OF THE BATTLE. IF YOU HAVE A PHENOMENAL TEACHER IN THE CLASSROOM, AND IF YOU GIVE THEM STRONG INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS, THEN THEY CAN DO SOME WONDERFUL THINGS. I HAVE MISS COTTON AT THE PODIUM TO TALK THROUGH THE PROCESS FOR CURRICULUM ADOPTION. AND THEN WE TALK ABOUT TEACHER INPUT AND COMMUNITY INPUT. SO, MISS COTTON. YES, SIR. GOOD EVENING. WE DO HAVE A PROCESS AND WE ALSO HAVE AN ADOPTION CYCLE. SO WE HAVE WE'VE CALENDARED OUT A SCHEDULE SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE WHAT IS NEEDED ACROSS THE BOARD, NOT JUST IN READING AND MATH. AND SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DOCTOR OR NOT DOCTOR, BUT KATIE MARTIN, BECAUSE SHE OVERSEES THE PROCESS. AND SO I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO HER TO EXPLAIN OUR ADOPTION PROCESS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MISS COTTON. SO WE ARE GEARING UP FOR A MATH ADOPTION NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. SO AS MISS COTTON MENTIONED, WE HAVE A MULTI YEAR PLAN FOR ADOPTION CYCLES. AND IT'S TIME FOR US TO GO THROUGH A K-12 MATH ADOPTION. GENERALLY, WE BEGIN THAT PROCESS IN THE EARLY FALL. THE STATE BOARD WILL ADD MATERIALS TO THEIR LIST THAT ALLOW US TO USE THAT $40 THERE IN THE MIDDLE AT THEIR NOVEMBER BOARD MEETING. AND SO IF WE WAIT TO START OUR ADOPTION PROCESS TO NOVEMBER, THEN THAT LIST IS AS COMPREHENSIVE AS IT'S GOING TO GET FOR THIS NEXT CYCLE. WHEN WE START THE PROCESS, WE GATHER NAMES OF TEACHER REPRESENTATIVES FROM EVERY CAMPUS. SO WE HAVE A TEACHER LEADER THAT TEACHES THE CONTENT. SO IF WE'RE DOING K-12 MATH, WE HAVE A KINDERGARTEN MATH. WE HAVE A MATH TEACHER FROM EVERY ELEMENTARY CAMPUS. THEY OVERSEE THE ADOPTION FEEDBACK GATHERING FROM EVERY MATH TEACHER ON THEIR CAMPUS. AND SO BETWEEN NOVEMBER AND FEBRUARY ISH, TEACHERS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DIG INTO THE MATERIALS, TEST, DRIVE THEM, PARTICIPATE IN PRESENTATIONS BY VENDORS, LOOK AT ALL OF THE MATERIALS THAT TI PROVIDES AS FAR AS YOUR EVALUATION PROCESS, THEIR RATINGS, AND THEN EACH CAMPUS GETS A VOTE. SO THE TEACHERS ALL COME TOGETHER FROM THAT CAMPUS. THEY DECIDE, OKAY, FROM AUSTIN ELEMENTARY, WE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE BLUEBONNET MATH, OR WE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE MATH. AND THEN THAT WHOLE COMMITTEE COMES TOGETHER WITH ONE REPRESENTATIVE FROM EVERY CAMPUS, AND WE CREATE A VOTE.

WE BRING THAT TO THE BOARD AS A RECOMMENDATION. ULTIMATELY, YOU ALL HAVE THE AUTHORITY OVER ADOPTING THE MATERIALS. WE BRING THE TEACHER FEEDBACK, WE BRING THE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY AND WHAT THEIR INPUT IS ON THE PROCESS, AND THEN WE SHARE THOSE VOTES WITH YOU AND YOU ULTIMATELY MAKE THAT DECISION. SO BOTH TEACHER FEEDBACK AND COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.

ABSOLUTELY. WE USUALLY HAVE A VENDOR FAIR THAT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. SO WE HOST THAT AT ONE OF OUR LARGE HIGH SCHOOLS. AND WE HAVE WE INVITE THE PUBLIC, WE ADVERTISE IT, WE INVITE THEM TO COME OUT AND SEE THE VENDORS, ASK THEIR QUESTIONS, GET, GET INFORMATION. AND THEN WE HAVE A PROCESS FOR COLLECTING THAT FEEDBACK ONLINE THROUGH A FORM. AND WE'LL SHARE THAT FEEDBACK WITH THE COMMITTEE AS THEY'RE MAKING THEIR VOTES, BUT ALSO WITH YOU ALL AS YOU'RE MAKING YOUR FINAL DECISION. AND HOW OFTEN DOES THAT CYCLE HAPPEN IN LAMAR? SO IT'S BASED ON A SCHEDULE THAT TI HAS PUT OUT FOR THEIR ADOPTION OF MATERIALS AND THEIR ADOPTION OF NEW TEAKS.

[02:25:05]

SO AS LONG AS THE TEAKS DON'T CHANGE, THEN THE MATERIALS DON'T USUALLY CHANGE. WE CAN'T AFFORD TO DO AS A DISTRICT OUR SIZE, WE CAN'T AFFORD TO DO MULTIPLE CONTENT ADOPTIONS ON A REGULAR BASIS, BECAUSE YOU'RE HAVING TO PURCHASE ALL NEW MATERIALS. SO OUR MATH ADOPTION, THE LAST MATH ADOPTION WAS IN 2014. OUR MATH TEAKS HAVEN'T CHANGED SINCE THEN. AND SO WE'RE IN THAT, THAT TIME FRAME. IT'S TIME. CAN YOU SPEAK TO WHY WE HAVEN'T PURCHASED THE SBOE APPROVED INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IN THE LAST THREE YEARS? WE JUST HAVEN'T GONE THROUGH AN ADOPTION PROCESS SINCE THEY LAUNCHED. KIM. SO OUR LAST ADOPTION WAS K-12 SCIENCE, AND THAT WAS RIGHT BEFORE THE TI ROLLED OUT THE KIM PROCESS. SO OUR MOST RECENT ADOPTION WASN'T ELIGIBLE FOR THAT $40 BUCKET. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT EXPLANATION.

THANKS, Y'ALL. AND MR. KEITH, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I THINK MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ASKED EVERY SINGLE QUESTION I COULD HAVE POSSIBLY THOUGHT OF MYSELF. SO I APPRECIATE YOU. THIS REALLY VERY MUCH HELPED MY UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT BLUEBONNET IS. SO WE APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CAN WE TAKE A BREAK? SURE. FIVE MINUTES. OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A. OH, SORRY. IS THAT OKAY? OKAY. TO TURN ON SOMETHING? JUST GO. OKAY.

GOOD EVENING. BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND DOCTOR EVANS. I'M HERE. JUST. JUST ONE SECOND. JUST ONE SECOND. GOTCHA. ALL RIGHT, IT'S 904 AND WE ARE BACK. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING, BOARD OF

[12.B. After School Programs]

TRUSTEES AND DOCTOR EVANS. I'M HERE THIS EVENING TO PRESENT THE PROCESS FOR SELECTING AND RENEWING AFTER SCHOOL PROVIDERS FOR OUR AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS. AFTER SCHOOL PROVIDERS PROVIDE A SAFE, SUPERVISED PLACE FOR STUDENTS TO GO AFTER SCHOOL. THEY SUPPORT LEARNING THROUGH HANDS ON ACTIVITIES AND REAL WORLD EXPERIENCES. THEY KEEP STUDENTS ACTIVELY ENGAGED WITH STRUCTURED, SUPERVISED PROGRAMING, AND THEY BUILD SOCIAL SKILLS BY GIVING STUDENTS OPPORTUNITIES TO PRACTICE COMMUNICATION AND TEAMWORK. PROVIDERS ARE EXPECTED TO PROVIDE A SAFE, STRUCTURED, AND WELL SUPERVISED SETTING WITH APPROPRIATE STAFF TO STUDENT RATIOS. THEY OFFER HIGH QUALITY ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES BEYOND HOMEWORK SUPPORT. THEY STRENGTHEN STUDENTS SOCIAL EMOTIONAL SKILLS, INCLUDING COLLABORATION, CONFLICT RESOLUTION, AND SELF-CONFIDENCE THROUGH THROUGH GUIDED GROUP ACTIVITIES, THEY OFFER DAILY OPPORTUNITIES FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WITH BOTH INDOOR AND OUTDOOR OPTIONS, AND THEY PROVIDE FAMILIES WITH RELIABLE AFTER SCHOOL COVERAGE AND INCREASED CONFIDENCE IN STUDENT SAFETY AND SUPERVISION. PROVIDERS MUST FURNISH EVIDENCE AND OF GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE COVERAGE IN THE AMOUNT OF $1 MILLION. THEY MUST BE LICENSED BY THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES, OR BE EXEMPT FROM LICENSING BY THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE ONE PROVIDER OPERATING UNDER AN EXEMPTION, OPERATING A BEFORE AN AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM IN TEXAS. UNDER THIS EXEMPTION IS PERMITTED. THIS EXEMPTION IS COMPARABLE TO AN EDUCATOR WORKING TOWARD. CERTIFICATION PROVIDERS MUST OPERATE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FROM SCHOOL DISMISSAL UNTIL 6:30 P.M. THEY MUST OFFER SERVICES ON EARLY RELEASE AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAYS, AND PROVIDERS MUST ALSO OFFER SCHOLARSHIPS AND DISCOUNTS TO FAMILIES. THE FOLLOWING IS A PROCESS WE UTILIZE FOR SELECTING AND RENEWING THE CAMPUS AFTER SCHOOL PROVIDERS. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SECOND SEMESTER, PRINCIPALS ARE SENT A SHORT SURVEY TO TOUCH BASE ON THEIR AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS. THIS CHECK IN HELPS IDENTIFY ANY CONCERNS, AND PRINCIPALS ARE INVITED TO DISCUSS ISSUES IF NEEDED. PRINCIPALS ARE ALSO ENCOURAGED TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEIR SITE MANAGERS TO ENSURE THE PROGRAMS ARE RUNNING SMOOTHLY. IN MARCH, A FOLLOW UP SURVEY IS CONDUCTED WITH PRINCIPALS TO DETERMINE IF THEY WILL STAY WITH THEIR CURRENT PROVIDER, OR CONSIDER A NEW PROVIDER FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR BASED ON THE CAMPUS NEEDS AND FAMILY INTERESTS, PRINCIPALS MAY CHOOSE TO SWITCH PROVIDERS. IF A PRINCIPAL DECIDES TO CHANGE, THEY ARE ASKED TO NOTIFY THEIR CURRENT PROVIDER. THE RESULTS OF THE MARCH SURVEY ARE USED TO COMPILE TWO LISTS ONE FOR CAMPUSES RETAINING THEIR CURRENT PROVIDERS AND ANOTHER FOR CAMPUSES SEEKING NEW

[02:30:03]

PROVIDERS. PRINCIPALS ARE REMINDED TO CONTACT THEIR CURRENT AFTER SCHOOL PROVIDER REGARDING THEIR DECISION. CURRENT PROVIDERS ARE EMAILED ABOUT CAMPUSES WISHING TO CONTINUE THEIR SERVICES FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR. PROVIDERS ARE ASKED TO RESPOND SO THEIR CONTINUED SERVICE CAN BE CONFIRMED AFTER RECEIVING RESPONSES. VENDORS ON THE AFTER SCHOOL PROVIDER LIST ARE CONTACTED TO SEE IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN INTERVIEWING FOR PROGRAMS AT SPECIFIC CAMPUSES. RESPONSES FROM VENDORS ARE COLLECTED AND INTERVIEWS ARE SCHEDULED WITH PRINCIPALS IN MAY. VIRTUAL INTERVIEWS ARE HELD DURING WHICH VENDORS PRESENT WHAT THE ORGANIZATION CAN OFFER. CAMPUS PRINCIPALS MAY ASK QUESTIONS AFTER THE PRESENTATIONS. ONCE ALL INTERVIEWS ARE COMPLETED, PRINCIPALS REVIEW THEIR NOTES AND MAKE A SELECTION. SELECTIONS ARE COMMUNICATED AND PRINCIPALS CONTACT THE CHOSEN VENDOR FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR. PRINCIPALS ALSO SEND EMAILS TO VENDORS WHO WERE NOT SELECTED THANKING THEM FOR THEIR PRESENTATIONS. IN THE SUMMER, THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT IS CONSULTED TO FINALIZE THE ONE YEAR RENTAL AGREEMENT. RENTAL AGREEMENTS ARE EMAILED TO VENDORS AND AFTER RECEIVING SIGNED AGREEMENTS, THEY ARE FORWARDED TO THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT. THE AFTER SCHOOL PROVIDER LISTS ON THE DISTRICT WEBSITE IS UPDATED FOLLOWING RECEIPT OF ALL SIGNED AGREEMENTS. MEETINGS ARE HELD WITH NEW CAMPUSES. CAMPUS LEADERS TO ENSURE PREPARATIONS ARE ON TRACK FOR THE OPENING OF NEW CAMPUSES. A FINAL CHECK IN WITH PRINCIPALS IS CONDUCTED IN AUGUST TO MAKE SURE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS ARE READY FOR THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. CAMPUS BADGES ARE DELIVERED TO SITE MANAGERS FOR BUILDING ACCESS.

AT THIS POINT, PREPARATIONS ARE COMPLETE AND THE SCHOOL YEAR IS READY TO BEGIN. HERE IS A LIST OF THE CURRENT AFTER SCHOOL PROVIDERS AND THE CAMPUSES THEY SERVE. THE FOLLOWING CAMPUSES CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE AFTER SCHOOL PROVIDERS HUBERT SMITH AND TRAVIS. THIS IS DUE TO THE LOW STUDENT ENROLLMENT AND JACKSON AND PINK ARE CURRENTLY SERVED BY THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF GREATER HOUSTON. THIS IS A LIST OF THE POTENTIAL AFTER SCHOOL PROVIDERS FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. WE WILL ADD AN ADDITIONAL PROVIDER. BOARD. THIS IS AN INFORMATION ITEM. NO ACTION IS NEEDED. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION? I HAVE A QUESTION. SO. SO ALL OF THESE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS ARE ON OUR CAMPUSES. YES, THEY COME AND THEY'RE ON THE CAMPUS. SO THAT'S WHY THEY NEED THE RENTAL AGREEMENT. YES. RIGHT. OKAY. AND THEN SO ONE VENDOR PER CAMPUS. YES. ONE PER CAMPUS, MA'AM, DO WE GIVE ANY PREFERENCE TO LOCAL BUSINESSES OR TEXAS BASED COMPANIES VERSUS OUT-OF-STATE COMPANIES? DO WE GIVE A PREFERENCE AS A DISTRICT? DO WE KNOW THEY ALL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW AND CAMPUS PRINCIPALS GET TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS? IF OUT-OF-STATE PROVIDER IS PROVIDING AN AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM, THEY ARE LICENSED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS TO DO THAT. IS THAT CORRECT? OR THEY CAN HAVE AN EXEMPTION ALSO, AS THEY'RE WORKING TOWARDS GETTING A LICENSE, AS I UNDERSTAND IT.

SO THE DECISION IS MADE BY THE CAMPUS PRINCIPAL, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. IS THERE EVER A TIME WHERE THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, YOURSELF OR SOMEBODY ELSE WOULD GATHER ALL THE PROVIDERS ON A PARTICULAR DAY, ONCE A SEMESTER, POSSIBLY ONCE A QUARTER, AND TO HAVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM, TO HAVE A CONVERSATION, TO GET FEEDBACK? OR IS IT OR, OR NOT? WE HAVE NOT DONE THAT. I KNOW SOME CAMPUSES HAVE MEETINGS, MAYBE ONE ON ONE WITH THEIR VENDORS THAT THEY CURRENTLY HAVE, AND WE HAVE HAD SOME VENDOR MEETINGS, BUT NOT AS A WHOLE, ALL VENDORS TOGETHER. SO THE FOLKS WHO, WHO SIGN UP FOR THIS. THEY HAVE A RENTAL AGREEMENT, BUT IT'S WOULD YOU CALL THAT A CONTRACT AS WELL? THE DISTRICT CALLS IT A RENTAL AGREEMENT. DOES THE RENTAL AGREEMENT SPECIFY THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE AFTER SCHOOL CARE PROGRAM? IT DOES HAVE SPECIFICATIONS IN THE RENTAL AGREEMENT OF THINGS THAT WHAT I JUST LISTED. THAT WAS SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE LISTED THAT ARE REQUIRED. IS A PROGRAM REQUIRED TO TAKE EVERY STUDENT WHOSE FAMILY CAN AFFORD TO PURCHASE THEIR SERVICES ON A CAMPUS. CAN YOU SAY THAT AGAIN, PLEASE? IS IS AN AFTER CARE PROVIDER

[02:35:03]

REQUIRED TO TAKE EVERY STUDENT WHOSE FAMILY CAN AFFORD THEIR SERVICES? OR DO THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO TO SAY, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE WE'RE GOING TO TAKE JOHNNY, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE BETTY. I HAVE NOT COME ACROSS ANY THAT HAVE DENIED ANY PARENTS. IF SO, I HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THAT. HOW ABOUT SPED CHILDREN ON OUR CAMPUSES, OR ARE THEY. I DO KNOW THERE ARE SOME VENDORS THAT DO ACCEPT THE STUDENTS, BUT IF THERE ARE SOME PROBLEMS THAT OCCUR DURING THAT TIME FRAME, THAT VENDOR USUALLY CONTACTS THE PARENTS BECAUSE IF THEY'RE UNABLE TO.

HANDLE SOME OF THE SITUATIONS THAT THEY MAY OCCUR, THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO, BUT THEY ARE THE ONES THAT USUALLY CONTACT THE PARENTS. AND THESE PROVIDERS DO THEY DO THEY PROVIDE THEIR SERVICES IN OUR IN OUR ELEMENTARY CAFETERIAS AND GYMS? IS THAT WHERE THEY'RE USUALLY SET UP OR IS THAT WHERE THEY'RE ALWAYS SET UP? YES, IT'S THE CAFETERIA GYM. AND THEN THEY HAVE THE PLAYGROUND FROM DISMISSAL UNTIL 630. SO IN THAT SCENARIO, IF THEY HAD TEN CHILDREN, FOR INSTANCE, AND ONE OF THEM WAS A SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD, ARE THEY REQUIRED TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF SPECIAL NEEDS LICENSED PERSON ON THEIR STAFF TO HELP CARE FOR THAT CHILD UNTIL 630 EVERY DAY? I BELIEVE SOME OF THEM DO. I'M NOT FOR SURE IF ALL OF THEM DO, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME SPECIALIZED STAFF MEMBERS FOR SOME OF THE VENDORS. ARE THERE EVER TIMES THAT YOU KNOW OF WHERE A AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM HAS A AN AGREEMENT, BUT THEN THEY'RE NOTIFIED BY THE SCHOOL? YOU CAN'T COME NEXT WEDNESDAY BECAUSE WE HAVE A SCHOOL PROGRAM THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE USING THE CAFETERIA FOR. AND THEN THE, AND THEN THE AFTER CARE PROVIDER IS SURPRISED BY THAT. OR DOES THAT SCENARIO EVER HAPPEN? IT COULD HAPPEN. I HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THAT, BUT I CAN'T SPEAK TO SAY IT HASN'T. BUT THEY PRINCIPALS ARE NORMALLY ASKED TO NOTIFY THE PROVIDERS IN ADVANCE IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO OCCUR ON THE CAMPUS, AND THEN THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE ANOTHER AREA FOR THOSE STUDENTS TO GO TO AT THE END OF THE DAY. I MIGHT HAVE SOME MORE QUESTIONS. I WANT TO PAUSE FOR ANYBODY ELSE. ARE THERE ANY REQUIREMENTS OR ANY VERBIAGE IN THE CONTRACTS OR AGREEMENTS THAT SAYS THAT THE AFTER SCHOOL PROVIDER WOULD NOTIFY THE SCHOOL IF THERE ARE ANY MAJOR DEFICIENCIES FROM LICENSING? I DON'T THINK IT'S IT'S IN THERE. NO, NO. NO, SIR. OKAY. SO THEN.

OKAY, I BACKGROUND RAN AFTER SCHOOL FOR 72 LOCATIONS IN THE AUSTIN AREA. WE HAD CONTRACTS WITH ROUND ROCK, TAYLOR, LEANDER, PFLUGERVILLE AND HUTTO. BACK IN THE DAY. THERE WAS NO MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR SHARED SPACE. LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN A SHARED SPACE. YOU KNOW, A AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM WOULD COME INTO AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT IS ALREADY LICENSED FOR FIRE, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS THAT I MAY NEED TO FORM AND JUST FOLLOW UP WITH. YOU WENT OFF WITH DOCTOR EVANS ON THIS FOR THIS. BUT IF THERE IS AN AFTER SCHOOL OR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT IS NOT HAPPY, THEN THAT WON'T COME TO THE DISTRICT AT ALL. THAT IS FOR THEM TO WORK OUT WITH THE AFTER SCHOOL PROVIDER. YES, THEY USUALLY CONTACT THE PROVIDER. THEY SOMETIMES WILL CALL ME ALSO JUST TO LET ME KNOW THAT THEY'RE HAVING SOME SITUATIONS WITH AFTER SCHOOL PROVIDER, BUT NORMALLY THEY TALK TO THEM THEMSELVES, THE PRINCIPALS. OKAY. AND SO THEN THE, THE ONE THAT WE HAVE THAT IS NOT LICENSED, DO THEY, IS THERE A TIMELINE WHERE THEY HAVE TO BE LICENSED BY DO WE SET THAT AND SAY, BECAUSE THAT'S WITH HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, NOT BECAUSE AT ONE POINT IT WAS ALL TFS THEN IT SWITCHED TO HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND IT CAME BACK TO TFS IS THERE LIKE A. THEY HAVE TO HAVE IT DONE BY A CERTAIN TIME. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED THAT INFORMATION, BUT NOTHING FROM OUR INTERNAL OPERATIONS SAYING, OKAY, WE REALLY WANT ALL TO BE LICENSED, RIGHT? NO SIR, I HAVE NOT RECEIVED THAT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, I HAVE. CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE SLIDE THAT SHOWS THE SERVICES THAT THEY PROVIDE? IF I GO BACKWARDS? DO DO ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE DO WE HAVE ANYBODY CHECKING THIS? YES. I PERIODICALLY GO OUT TO SOME OF

[02:40:06]

THE CAMPUSES AND CHECK TO SEE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. I JUST GO IN AND DO SOME SPOT CHECKS. BUT IF THERE IS ANY SITUATIONS THAT ARE OCCURRING, THE PRINCIPALS NORMALLY CONTACT ME AND THEN I WILL GO OUT AND DO ANOTHER VISIT. THANK YOU. DO WE AFFECT THE OR OR GIVE ANY PARAMETERS AROUND THE RATE THAT THESE AFTER SCHOOL PROVIDERS CAN CHARGE FAMILIES FOR THEIR STUDENT TO THEIR CHILD TO BE TAKEN CARE OF? NO, WE DO NOT. BUT I KNOW THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE PRINCIPALS LOOK AT IS THE RATES, BECAUSE SOME OF THE RATES WITH EARLY RELEASE FOR THIS PAST YEAR, SOME WERE CHARGING EXTRA. AND I KNOW THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS THEY WERE LOOKING AT THE MONETARY AMOUNTS. EXTRA ON THOSE PARTICULAR DAYS OR FOR EARLY RELEASE DAYS, BECAUSE SOME OF THE VENDORS STATE THAT THEY HAVE TO HIRE PEOPLE TO COME IN EARLY FOR THOSE TIME FRAMES. SO THEY MAY HAVE CHARGED FAMILIES $20 PER CHILD FOR THOSE DAYS, WHEREAS SOME SAID IT WAS ALREADY INCLUDED, THE ONLY THE DROP INS WOULD HAVE TO PAY THE ADDITIONAL AMOUNT. SO IT WOULD BE THE ONES THAT WERE NOT THERE ON A WEEKLY BASIS. MY ONLY QUESTION IS. BESIDES THE RENTAL AGREEMENT IS THIS DO WE GENERATE MONEY THROUGH OUR AFTER SCHOOL CARE PROGRAMS OR IS IT PRETTY SELF-SUSTAINING? CAN YOU PLEASE REPEAT? I'M SORRY I COULDN'T, BESIDES THE RENTAL AGREEMENT, I MEAN, I'M ASSUMING THAT THE DAYCARES PAY US TO USE OUR FACILITIES IS ARE WE GENERATING INCOME FROM THAT, OR IS IT JUST WE ONLY RECEIVE IT FOR THE RENTAL PART. THAT IS THE ONLY MONEY WE RECEIVE AND THEN EVERYTHING ELSE IS ON THEM.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THAT WAS MY ONLY QUESTION. OKAY. THANK YOU, DOCTOR MUMFORD. OKAY. EVERYBODY ELSE GOOD. ALL RIGHT. SORRY. DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO ADD. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

[13. FUTURE CONSENT AGENDA]

MOVING ON TO FUTURE CONSENT. ARE THERE ANY ITEMS ON THE FUTURE CONSENT AGENDA THAT TRUSTEES WOULD LIKE TO PULL FOR DISCUSSION AT THE JUNE BOARD MEETING? ALL RIGHT. HEARING

[14. CLOSED SESSION]

NONE, IT IS 9:20 P.M. WE ARE ADJOURNING TO CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, SECTION 551.071551.072551.074 AND 551.082. THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT TO DISCUSS PERSONNEL, LAND ACQUISITION OR

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.

May 19, 2026 Regular School Board Meeting

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