Nov 11, 2024 Board Meeting

[00:00:05]

WELCOME. GLAD YOU ALL ARE HERE TONIGHT. HOPE YOU CAN STAY FOR THE WHOLE MEETING. IS THAT FINE? NO. OKAY. THEY GOT OTHER PLACES TO GO. WELL, IN ACCORDANCE WITH IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS

[I. CALL TO ORDER]

MY NAME IS GAIL. FIFTH. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. NEXT. WHAT'S YOUR NAME? SHE CAN'T REACH IT.

SECOND. SECOND. SECOND. SECOND GRADE. GOOD. MY NAME IS TAMMY. I'M IN SECOND GRADE. ALL RIGHT.

GOOD. MY NAME IS ARIA. KENDRICK. AND THEN PRE-K. ALL RIGHT. MY NAME IS. MY NAME IS KESSLER. AND MY GRADE IS THIRD. YAY! ALL RIGHT. I'M OLIVIA, AND I'M IN SECOND GRADE. OKAY. MY NAME IS CHERYL. I'M FOUR. PRE-K. ALL RIGHT. THANK. YOU. HI. MY NAME IS TRISTAN, AND I'M IN THIRD GRADE. OKAY, COOL. HI. MY NAME IS DEZ, AND I AM FOURTH, AND I AM IN FOURTH GRADE. YEAH. HELLO.

MY NAME IS JERIAH AND I AM IN SECOND GRADE. HELLO, MY NAME IS JASON. I'M IN FIFTH GRADE. ALL

[00:05:06]

AGAIN. THANK YOU. STUDENTS FROM RANGE. KELLY LOCKE. APPRECIATE THAT. AND REVEREND BURKE. THANK

[II. TEAM OF EIGHT MOMENT]

TRUSTEES. I AM VERY, VERY EXCITED TO SHARE SOME WONDERFUL NEWS WITH YOU. WE LEARNED LAST WEEK THAT MESQUITE ISD HAS BEEN NAMED AMONG FORBES BEST EMPLOYERS IN TEXAS. IN ADDITION, THE BEST EMPLOYERS FOR WOMEN NATIONWIDE. WE WERE RANKED 56TH ON THE LIST OF BEST EMPLOYERS IN TEXAS. YOU CAN SEE THE ENTIRE LIST IS ON OUR WEBSITE. YOU CAN SEE THE ARTICLE THERE IN THE NEWS SECTION. BUT I'LL JUST MENTION THAT A COUPLE OF ENTITIES THAT WERE RANKED BELOW US WERE THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND SOUTHWEST AIRLINES. THAT TELLS YOU THE KIND OF COMPANY WE'RE IN. ADDITIONALLY, THE STUDY THE FORBES MAGAZINE RANKED AS 65TH ON THE BEST EMPLOYERS FOR WOMEN LIST. THAT'S IN THE NATION. AND THERE WERE ONLY SEVEN SCHOOL DISTRICTS ON THE TEXAS LIST, AND ONLY TEN SCHOOL DISTRICTS RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY. SO VERY, VERY EXCITED. THIS HONOR HIGHLIGHTS THE DISTRICT'S COMMITMENT TO CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE ALL 5450 EMPLOYEES ARE EXCELLING AND BELONG. SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THIS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT GREAT NEWS. I'D LIKE TO NOW ASK DOCTOR RIVERA TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT A COUPLE OF TOPICS. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU, MISTER PRESIDENT. SO I WANTED TO I WANTED TO RAISE A COUPLE OF US. DOCTOR, DOCTOR FIELDS AND DOCTOR MORRIS AND CAROL JACKSON FROM OUR EXECUTIVE TEAM GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRAVEL TO SAN ANTONIO TO CELEBRATE OUR FIVE A BANDS THAT MADE IT TO STATE. AND I WAS AND I'LL SPEAK FOR THEM. WE COULDN'T BE ANY PROUDER OF THE NORTH MESQUITE BIG BLUE BAND AND THE POTEET BAND. THEY REPRESENTED MESQUITE VERY WELL. WE WERE SO PROUD. THEY DID AN AMAZING, AMAZING JOB. SO I WANT TO BRING THAT FORWARD. THAT IT OKAY. I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MINUTE TO SAY THAT WE ARE VERY PROUD TO CELEBRATE MESQUITE ISD TRUSTEE MISTER KEVIN CARBO, WHO WAS NAMED A 2024 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI BY DALLAS COLLEGE THIS LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. MR. CARVILLE GRADUATED FROM DALLAS COLLEGE, EASTFIELD WITH AN ASSOCIATE DEGREE BEFORE EARNING A BACHELOR'S IN FINANCE FROM DALLAS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY AND LATER A MASTERS IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF DALLAS. THE RECOGNITION FROM DALLAS COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS KABUL'S LONG STANDING COMMITMENT TO LEADERSHIP, SERVICE, AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, AND WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS AS A TRUSTEE AND HIS DEDICATION TO SUPPORTING EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES HERE IN THIS DISTRICT FOR THE SUCCESS OF OUR STUDENTS. AGAIN, MISTER KABUL, WE'RE PROUD OF YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. AND I DON'T KNOW HOW HE GOT THIS PICTURE, BUT WE THINK HE HAD A MAKEUP ARTIST TO HELP HIM OUT A LITTLE BIT. NEXT, I'D LIKE TO CALL ON DOCTOR FIELDS TO COME MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT AN ARTICLE. PRESIDENT SEWARD, TRUSTEES AND DOCTOR RIVERA, I AM EXCITED TO SHARE WITH YOU AND OUR COMMUNITY THAT OUR SUPERINTENDENT, DOCTOR RIVERA, WAS RECENTLY SPOTLIGHTED IN AN IN-DEPTH ARTICLE PUBLISHED BY THE HOLDSWORTH CENTER. THE HOLDSWORTH CENTER HAS A LONG HISTORY OF INVESTING IN PUBLIC EDUCATION, AS WELL AS DEVELOPING LEADERS AT THE CAMPUS AND DISTRICT LEVEL. TO THAT END, THEY CHOSE OUR SUPERINTENDENT, DOCTOR RIVERA, AS AN EXEMPLAR LEADER AND SHOWCASED HIS SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION INTO THE SUPERINTENDENCY. THE PORTRAYAL OF DOCTOR RIVERA IN THIS ARTICLE IS EXACTLY THE LEADER WE SEE DAY IN AND DAY OUT, AS HE DESCRIBES HIS TRANSITION FROM THE DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENCY TO THE SUPERINTENDENCY. HE SHARES HIS LEARNING, THE CHALLENGES AND THE SUCCESSES IN HIS TYPICAL TRANSPARENT AND HUMBLE MANNER.

HOLDSWORTH ALSO HIGHLIGHTS HIS PASSION AND COMMITMENT FOR DEVELOPING HIS DIRECT REPORTS, HIS EMPLOYEES SUCH AS MYSELF, AS WELL AS INCREASING STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES ALL THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT. WE ARE PROUD TO SEE THE PROFILE ON DOCTOR RIVERA AND WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ THE ARTICLE IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE SO ALREADY. THE QR CODE ON THE SCREEN HERE TAKES YOU TO THE ARTICLE AT THE HOLDSWORTH CENTER WEBSITE. HOLDSWORTH CENTER DOT ORG. YOU CAN ALSO LOOK AT THE

[00:10:01]

DOCTOR FIELDS. I WILL SAY THAT WE ARE EXTREMELY PROUD OF DOCTOR RIVERA FOR HIS PASSION, BUT I'LL SAY THAT AS A BOARD AND I THINK THE OTHERS COULD SPEAK UP WHEN WE SAY WE HAVE A TEAM OF EIGHT, THE SEVEN BOARD MEMBERS AND THE SUPERINTENDENT, WE TRULY HAVE A TEAM OF EIGHT. AND I THINK THAT THAT'S A GREAT THING FOR THIS DISTRICT. BUT I THINK THAT YOU'LL FIND THAT MAYBE THERE'S DISTRICTS THAT HAVE GREAT TEAMS OF EIGHT, BUT NOT ALL DISTRICTS HAVE IT. BUT WE DO HAVE ONE THAT THE RELATIONSHIP, THE TRUST FACTOR, THE INTEGRITY IS JUST BEYOND OUR EXPECTATIONS. NOW, I HAD SEVERAL EDUCATORS AND OTHER DISTRICTS REACH OUT TO ME BECAUSE OF THAT ARTICLE OF HOLDSWORTH, AND THEY CALLED ME AND TEXTED ME AND SAID, THIS GUY IS THE REAL DEAL. AND I SAID, YOU HAVE NO IDEA. HE REALLY IS. IT WAS IT WAS A WELL, IT WAS VERY WELL DONE. AND IT CONVEYS VERY WELL THE HEART AND SOUL OF THIS MAN. SO WE'RE THANKFUL FOR THAT. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. AND THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOU. PROUD OF YOU. APPRECIATE YOU TOO. AND I'LL SAY TO MY TEAM BECAUSE THEY'RE THEY'RE THEY'RE THE HEART AND SOUL. YOU KNOW, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE TEAM. THANK YOU TO THIS BOARD. AND THE WORK IS JUST GETTING STARTED. AND THE ARTICLE SAYS THAT I'M LEARNING A LOT FROM THIS ROLE, AND THAT'S NOT AN UNDERSTATEMENT. EVERY DAY IS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE IN THIS ROLE. EVERY SINGLE DAY. SO THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NEXT I'D LIKE TO CALL ON MISS TIA COLLIER. WE HAD A CHANCE TO GO CHEER ON WEST MESQUITE. THEY DID AWESOME. THE WEATHER WAS NOT COOPERATING, BUT THEY DID FANTASTIC. THIS IS THE SEASON FOR PEOPLE. START TO GET TIRED, RIGHT? LIKE, WE'RE ROLLING UP TO THANKSGIVING AND PEOPLE ARE READY TO DO OTHER THINGS. WE CAN FINISH STRONG. THERE'S LOTS OF GOOD STUFF HAPPENING AT OUR CAMPUSES.

THERE'S LOTS OF PLACES FOR YOU TO PLUG IN AND TO CHEER PEOPLE ON AND TO SHARE A LITTLE LOVE WITH THEM AND REMIND THEM THAT THEY'RE DOING GOOD WORK. IT'S A TIME WE CAN FINISH OUT STRONG AND THEN COME BACK AGAIN. WELL, THANK YOU, AND I'D LIKE TO CALL ON MISS HORNSBY. YES, THIS IS, AS YOU KNOW, YOU CAME TODAY. YOU KNOW THAT THIS IS VETERANS DAY. AND I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE TWO OF OUR VETERANS THAT ARE ON SCHOOL BOARD. MR. SEWARD SERVED IN THE MILITARY IN AIR FORCE.

AND DOCTOR RIVERA IS ALSO A VETERAN FROM THE ARMY. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. WE APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH. AND IF YOU'RE A VETERAN OUT THERE, WE APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR OUR COUNTRY. YOU KNOW, THE FREEDOMS THAT WE EXERCISE ALL OF THE TIME IN OUR CLASSROOMS AND OUR COMMUNITY AND ACROSS OUR NATION IS BECAUSE SOMEBODY DEFENDED THAT FREEDOM. AND SO WE WANT TO SAY THANK EVERY VETERAN FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE. AND WE ARE HAVE PROFOUND RESPECT AND GRATITUDE. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND THANK YOU.

I'LL JUST HAVE TO ADD TO THAT, YOU KNOW, DOCTOR RIVERA USED TO JUMP OUT OF AIRPLANES. AND I THINK THAT'S WHY HE CAN BE A SUPERINTENDENT. HE CAN JUMP OUT WITHOUT A WELL WITH THE PARACHUTE, BUT HE'S NOT AFRAID TO JUMP IN AND GET THINGS DONE. BUT HE HE DID A GREAT HE SERVED HIS COUNTRY WELL AND HE WAS AN ARMY RANGER. AND WE APPRECIATE THAT. ALL RIGHT. LET'S MOVE ON

[III. STUDENT AND STAFF GUESTS]

THE APPLE CORPS AWARD IS MADE POSSIBLE BY A NEW PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE MESQUITE EDUCATION FOUNDATION AND CLAY COOLEY OF MESQUITE. SO WE'D LIKE TO THANK BOTH OF THEM FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF OUR EXCELLENT TEACHERS AND OUR 1ST NOVEMBER NOVEMBER APPLE CORPS HONOREE IS VOULA STEPHANOU OF WEST MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL. VOULA IS AN ADVANCED MATH TEACHER WITH 13 YEARS OF TEACHING EXPERIENCE IN MESQUITE ISD. IF YOU'LL TURN YOUR ATTENTION TO THE SCREENS, WE'RE GOING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MISS STEPHANIE. GREAT. HER CRAFT BUILDS AMAZING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE KIDS. SHE ADVOCATES FOR THEM RELENTLESSLY EVERY DAY, AND SHE DOESN'T STOP UNTIL EVERY STUDENT WHO WALKS THROUGH HER DOOR IS SUCCESSFUL. EVERY PERSON IS BUILDING BETTER BECAUSE THEY'RE AROUND MR. POTTER. SHE MAKES US ALL BETTER. SHE PUSHES US AND WE'RE JUST REALLY THANKFUL FOR HER. SO THERE IS NO ONE MORE DESERVING OF BEING AN APPLE CORPS TEACHER THAN MISS STEPHANIE. I THINK TEACHING IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE TEACHER AS IT IS FOR THE STUDENTS. I THINK AS TEACHERS, IF WE CAN CREATE A SAFE ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT FOR STUDENTS, WE'RE PROVIDING THEM THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO FEEL SAFE AND CONFIDENT IN THEIR LEARNING AND IN THEIR GROWING. I WOULD LIKE TO THINK I FOSTERED THAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT, AND I GET TO TEACH

[00:15:04]

I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU THANK YOU. BORN TO DOCTOR RIVERA WAS AMAZING HONOR. I HAVE ONLY SEEN APPEARANCES IN THE VIP, AND I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE THIS. I DON'T TAKE FOR GRANTED HOW LUCKY I AM TO HAVE A JOB THAT I LOVE. COMING TO EVERY SINGLE DAY. I MAY BE BIASED, BUT I FEEL STRONGLY THAT MESQUITE ISD ARE AT WEST MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL. I'M VERY, VERY PROUD TO BE A WRANGLER IN MY 14 YEARS OF TEACHING, ALL OF WHICH AT WEST MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL. I HAVE HAD THREE AMAZING PRINCIPALS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO THANK TONIGHT FOR ALL OF THEIR SUPPORT AND ALL OF THEIR ENCOURAGEMENT IN MY GROWTH AS AN EDUCATOR. ALICIA AUSTIN, DOCTOR KAREN MORRIS, AND MY CURRENT PRINCIPAL, DOCTOR JORDAN SIMMONS. THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT AND FOR ENCOURAGING ME TO REALLY JUST DO WHAT I WANT IN THE CLASSROOM AND TO BUILD A CAPACITY FOR LEARNING IN MY STUDENTS. I AM ALSO VERY FORTUNATE TO GET TO WORK ALONGSIDE SOME OF MY BEST FRIENDS. I THINK IT'S VERY CONVENIENT THAT I GET TO WAKE UP EVERY DAY AND GET DRESSED AND GO TO WORK AND DO IT ALONGSIDE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SUCH A PASSION FOR EDUCATION THAT I CAN. I CAN CALL MY BEST FRIEND SO THEY KNOW WHO THEY ARE, AND THEY KNOW THAT I VALUE THEIR SUPPORT AND I THANK THEM PERSONALLY. BUT THEY THEY ARE A BIG PART OF ONE REASON WHY I LOVE MY JOB. I WOULD NOT BE THE TEACHER THAT I AM, THE PERSON THAT I AM WITHOUT MY SUPPORTIVE HUSBAND WHO IS HERE TONIGHT. HE ALLOWS ME TO EMBRACE MY SOMETIMES RIDICULOUS PASSION FOR TEACHING. WE PARTNER TOGETHER IN PARENTING OUR TWO WONDERFUL CHILDREN WHO ARE ALSO HERE TONIGHT. AVA AND MICHAEL.

AND THEY'RE ALL THE WAY IN THE BACK THERE. AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE HE KNOWS THAT I LOVE AND APPRECIATE HIM AND HIS UNDERSTANDING AND BRINGING WORK HOME ALMOST EVERY SINGLE NIGHT.

BUT THAT'S JUST, I GUESS, ONE REASON WHY HE HE LOVES ME. SO I WOULD NOT BE THE TEACHER THAT I AM, OR THE PERSON OR THE MOM OR THE WIFE THAT I AM WITHOUT MY ROLE MODEL WHO IS MY MOTHER, A RETIRED CALCULUS TEACHER. I THINK BECAUSE OF HER I ASPIRE TO JUST KEEP GROWING AND LEARNING IN AND OUT OF THE CLASSROOM. SHE IS NOT HERE TONIGHT AS SHE LIVES IN GREECE, BUT I'M FAIRLY CERTAIN THAT SHE IS WATCHING OR WILL BE WATCHING THE RECORDING TONIGHT. I THINK I WANTED TO BE A MATH TEACHER BECAUSE OF HER. EVEN BEFORE I COULD EVEN SPELL MATH, AND SO EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE AS A TEACHER, I CREDIT TO MY MOM, WHO IS MY ROLE MODEL. SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THIS EVENING AND FOR THIS RECOGNITION. I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. OUR SECOND APPLE CORPS HONOREE, THIS EVENING IS SANDRA SIMMONS OF RANGE ELEMENTARY. SANDRA IS A KINDERGARTEN TEACHER WITH 31 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, ALL IN MESQUITE ISD. LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT MAKES MISS SIMMONS AN APPLE CORPS TEACHER. MRS. SIMMONS IS NOTHING SHORT OF AN INCREDIBLE EDUCATOR. FOR OVER 20 YEARS, SHE HAS DEDICATED COUNTLESS HOURS NOT ONLY TO OUR STUDENTS, BUT ALSO TO SUPPORTING AND GROWING TEACHERS THROUGHOUT OUR DISTRICT. AS AN ETIP CLASSROOM SCHOLAR, MISS SIMMONS IS CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR INNOVATIVE WAYS TO SERVE OUR DIVERSE AND EVER CHANGING POPULATION. WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU, MISS SIMMONS.

CONGRATULATIONS FOR BEING INDUCTED IN THE MESQUITE ISD. APPLE CORPS. I THINK EDUCATION IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE I TEACH KINDERGARTEN SO WE ARE THE FOUNDATION. IT'S JUST AMAZING TO

[00:20:06]

I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF ATTENDING LAWRENCE ELEMENTARY, WHERE I MADE SOME OF MY FONDEST MEMORIES WITH TEACHERS AND FRIENDS WHO FELT AND STILL FEEL LIKE FAMILY. VANSTON AND NORTH MESQUITE ALSO HOLD A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART, SHAPING WHO I AM TODAY AND FILLING MY LIFE WITH UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCES AND CONNECTIONS. I AM DEEPLY, DEEPLY GRATEFUL TO MY COLLEAGUES AND ADMINISTRATION FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND COLLABORATION, WHICH HAS WHICH HAVE BEEN ESSENTIAL IN CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE STUDENTS CAN TRULY THRIVE. WE KNOW THAT TEACHING GOES FAR BEYOND IMPARTING KNOWLEDGE. IT'S ABOUT NURTURING, RESILIENCE, CURIOSITY, AND KINDNESS. I COULDN'T DO THIS WITHOUT THE INCREDIBLE COMMUNITY BESIDE ME. THANK YOU TO MY TEAMMATES AND THE ENTIRE RANGE FAMILY FOR YOUR UNWAVERING ENCOURAGEMENT AND FOR THE GENUINE LOVE THAT YOU BRING TO OUR STUDENTS EACH DAY. TO MY PRINCIPAL, KELLY LOCKE, THANK YOU FOR MAKING RANGE A PLACE OF JOY AND SAFETY FOR BOTH STUDENTS AND STAFF. YOUR DEDICATION AND LOVE FOR OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES INSPIRE US ALL AND MAKE RANGE A SPECIAL PLACE TO BE. YOUR FUN, CRAZY PERSONALITY AND IDEAS ARE JUST WHAT WE NEED AND ONE DAY I HOPE YOUR DREAM OF AN INDOOR SLIDE WILL BECOME REALITY. YEAH. THANK YOU TO THE FAMILIES WHO ENTRUST ME WITH THEIR CHILDREN. FIRST, THEIR CHILDREN'S FIRST FORMAL EXPERIENCES. IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO BE A PART OF THESE FOUNDATIONAL YEARS, TO HELP SHAPE THE CONFIDENCE AND JOY THAT CARRY STUDENTS FORWARD. I ALSO WANT TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION TO THE STUDENTS THEMSELVES EVERY DAY. THEY REMIND ME OF WHY I CHOSE THIS CAREER, THEIR GROWTH, EXCITEMENT, AND WONDER MAKE EVERY CHALLENGE WORTH IT. THIS AWARD IS FOR ALL OF YOU AND FOR THE COUNTLESS TEACHERS WHO POUR THEIR HEARTS INTO THIS PROFESSION. A HEARTFELT THANK YOU GOES TO MY HUSBAND, TODD, AND OUR CHILDREN, BLAKE AND LACEY, WHO CANNOT BE HERE TONIGHT. ONCE ON THEIR HONEYMOON, AND THEIR FAMILIES WHO HAVE BEEN MY CONSTANT SUPPORT THROUGH EVERY LATE NIGHT, EVERY WEEKEND SPENT PLANNING, AND EVERY JOY AND CHALLENGE THAT COMES WITH THIS CALLING. I ALSO WANT TO GIVE A

[00:25:01]

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THIS HONOR. IT'S A HIGHLIGHT OF MY CAREER AND THAT I'LL CHERISH ALWAYS.

THANK YOU. MISS SIMMONS, COULD WE GET YOUR FAMILY? JUST YOUR HUSBAND'S HERE. IF YOU STAND FOR US TO RECOGNIZE HIM AND THANK HIM FOR BACKING. AND THOSE FROM RANGE ELEMENTARY THAT ARE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU TONIGHT, THEY WOULD STAND. WE'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THEM AND THANK THEM.

COME ON. KELLY. WOW. THERE THEY ARE. YEAH. YEAH. HI. AND MISS TIFFANY, IF YOUR FAMILY IS HERE, IF THEY WOULD STAND, WE'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THEM. AND YOUR WEST MESQUITE FAMILY THAT'S HERE. ANY WEST MESQUITE? I'M SURE THERE'S A COUPLE. THERE HE IS, DOCTOR. THANK YOU BOTH. WE'RE VERY PROUD OF YOU AND APPRECIATE YOU VERY MUCH IN THIS DISTRICT. ALL RIGHT. WE WILL COME DOWN FOR THE NEXT ONE. ALL RIGHT. CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH OUR APPLE CORPS HONOREES THIS EVENING. EACH MONTH WE RECOGNIZE ONE OF OUR OUTSTANDING PARAPROFESSIONALS WITH THE STAR PAIR AWARD. THIS YEAR, WE ARE EXCITED TO HAVE FIRST FINANCIAL GROUP OF AMERICA PARTNERING WITH US TO PROVIDE THE STAR PAIR OF RECIPIENT WITH A $50 GIFT CARD. I'D LIKE TO ASK OUR FFG REPRESENTATIVE TO JOIN OUR STAR, OUR NOVEMBER STAR PAIR, PATRICIA CARSON AND THE LEARNING CENTER PRINCIPAL DOCTOR VALERIE NELSON AT THE PODIUM UP FRONT FOR A PHOTO. HEY, GOOD.

PICTURE FIRST OR AFTERWARDS YOU PICK. WELL, GOOD EVENING TO OUR AMAZING SCHOOL BOARD AND MY BOSS, THE SUPERINTENDENT, MR. RIVERA. ALL Y'ALL. MY BOSSES. REALLY? AREN'T YOU? I STAND BEFORE YOU WITH GREAT HONOR TO PRESENT TO YOU, MISS PATRICIA CARSON. MISS CARSON HAS BEEN WITH US SHORT OF A DECADE. BUT I MET MISS CARSON ABOUT 8 OR 9 YEARS AGO AS A SUB AT TYSON WHEN I WAS THE PRINCIPAL THERE. SHE WAS A HARD WORKER THEN, AND SHE'S EVEN MORE OF A GO GETTER NOW. IF GET IT DONE. IT WAS A PERSON, IT WOULD BE MISS CARSON. IF THERE'S A WAY TO MAKE IT BETTER, SHE'S LOOKING TO DO THAT. SO WE ARE DELIGHTED AND EXCITED TO BE A PART OF HER CAREER AND JOURNEY HERE IN MESQUITE ISD, AT THE LEARNING CENTER AND WE'RE JUST SO EXCITED TO SHARE THIS AWARD WITH YOU, AND THANK YOU FOR MAKING US BETTER.

NEXT, WE ARE PLEASED TO RECOGNIZE OUR NOVEMBER COMMUNITY PARTNER FOR SUPPORTING MESQUITE ISD AND THE MESQUITE COMMUNITY, COMMON THREADS COOKING FOR LIFE HAS JOINED WITH OUR FAMILY ENGAGEMENT CENTER TO OFFER HANDS ON COOKING CLASSES FOR MESQUITE FAMILIES. WE HAVE A VIDEO TO SHOW YOU MORE ABOUT THIS GREAT PARTNERSHIP. THIS MONTH WE ARE HAPPY TO PRESENT COMMON THREADS AS OUR COMMUNITY PARTNER. COMMON THREADS HAS BEEN A PARTNER WITH MESQUITE ISD FAMILY ENGAGEMENT AND PROVIDING HEALTHY COOKING CLASSES TO PARENTS, FAMILIES AND CHILDREN. WE HAVE CERTIFIED CHEFS THAT COME BY AND TEACH THE CLASS. IT'S A HANDS ON, INTERACTIVE COURSE WHERE PARENTS AND CHILDREN CAN LEARN ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WHAT IS A HEALTHY MEAL AND WHAT IS NOT A HEALTHY MEAL. WE ALSO OFFER A PROGRAM CALLED SMALL BITES, WHICH IS AN AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM PROMOTED IN THE SCHOOLS WHERE CHILDREN LEARN WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEALTHY SNACKS AND NON HEALTHY SNACKS. THEY GET TO ENJOY AND PREPARE THESE MEALS WITHIN THEIR CLASSROOM AND THEN GET TO TASTE TEST IT. IN ADDITION, COMMON THREADS HAS ALSO PROVIDED PRODUCE BOXES WITH FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FOR OUR FAMILIES ATTENDING ANY OF THE COOKING CLASSES. WE ARE SO EXCITED ABOUT ALL THE NEW ADVENTURES! COMMON THREADS WILL HOST FOR US AT THE FAMILY ENGAGEMENT CENTER AND ON ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS. THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN FOR SHOWING US HOW TO HAVE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE.

[00:30:08]

OVER AT FRAZIER MIDDLE SCHOOL, WE HAVE CARLOS DIAZ WITH SPONSOR DAVID PEACOCK. CO-PRESIDENTS.

AND WE WELCOME FROM KIMBALL KIMBRO MIDDLE SCHOOL, OUR CO-PRESIDENTS OF NATIONAL JUNIOR HONOR SOCIETY, BAILEY BAILEY BLACK AND RYAN SMITH. THEIR SPONSOR IS JENNIFER MILLER. AND.

FROM WEST MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL WE HAVE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY PRESIDENT MADISON GILBERT AND THEIR SPONSOR IS OUR APPLE CORPS NOMINEE. TONIGHT, MISS STEPHANI. NEXT UP, WE HAVE A NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY PRESIDENT FROM JOHN HORN HIGH SCHOOL, MAKENNA BRIGGS, WITH SPONSOR REBECCA WILBURN. OVER TO YOU. OKAY. FROM VANGUARD HIGH SCHOOL, WE HAVE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY PRESIDENT AMARACHI. OKEH WITH SPONSOR MERCY RAISE. FROM NORTH MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL, NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY PRESIDENT ARIEL EASTER SPONSORS JOHNNY HUTCHINSON AND MANDY MCCLAIN.

THANK YOU. PRESIDENT. THANK YOU. FROM POTEET HIGH SCHOOL, WE HAVE CO-PRESIDENTS DAVID FLORES AND MARIA ALVARADO WITH SPONSOR MYRA PRATTS.

AND LAST UP TONIGHT, BUT NOT LEAST, WE CERTAINLY WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO SOME VERY TALENTED STUDENT ATHLETES. WE'RE GOING TO CELEBRATE THEIR IMPRESSIVE ATHLETIC

[00:35:02]

YEAH. ARE WE DOING A GROUP PICTURE? OH COME BACK JOG ON BACK.

NOW FROM POTEET HIGH SCHOOL WE HAVE ALEXA HARRIS WHO PLACED FIFTH IN THE DISTRICT CROSS COUNTRY MEET ALONG WITH MELANIE CORONADO, WHO PLACED EIGHTH IN THE DISTRICT CROSS COUNTRY MEET.

JACQUELINE CISNEROS PLACED NINTH IN DISTRICT CROSS COUNTRY MEET. JEREMY MARTINEZ PLACED 10TH IN THE DISTRICT CROSS COUNTRY MEET. AND THANKS THEIR COACH, SERGIO ESTRADA. POTEET HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY. LET'S GET A GROUP PHOTO. COACH. OKAY. OKAY, OKAY. NEXT UP, WE'RE GOING TO RECOGNIZE THE POTEET HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS TEAM. THEY WERE BY DISTRICT CHAMPIONS AND AN AREA QUALIFIER. WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE TEAM HERE, ALONG WITH COACH PHIL GORDON. NATALIA. NATALIA. AND FINALLY TONIGHT WE HAVE FROM MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL NATALIA SANCHEZ, SIXTH PLACE IN THE DISTRICT CROSS COUNTRY MEET. AND. THAT'S IT. THAT CONCLUDES OUR STUDENT RECOGNITIONS FOR THIS EVENING. THANK YOU. WE DID HAVE A BREAK.

SO YOU GET OUT OF HERE, YOU'LL STAND WITH US FOR A COUPLE ITEMS OR SOMETHING. THANK. YOU.

I GOT TWO. INDICATE THEY WANTED TO SPEAK BEFORE THE BOARD TONIGHT ON AGENDA ITEMS. NO.

[VI. REPORTS OF THE SUPERINTENDENT (PART 1 OF 2)]

GOOD EVENING PRESIDENT. SO WE'RE HECTOR RIVERA. HERE TONIGHT FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. THE APPROVAL OF THE FY 2324 AUDIT WITH US TONIGHT IS SELENA CERECERES. SHE IS THE PUBLIC SECTOR PARTNER IN CHARGE FOR WILEY PENN WITH THE REPORT. AND SHE'LL BE ABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE. ALSO JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO THE ACCOUNTING TEAM, SPECIFICALLY KIMBERLY CHAPPELLE AND MARY MARTINEZ FROM OUR TEAM THAT HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB GETTING US TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY. BUT I AM CERTAIN THAT YOU WILL BE HAPPY TO HEAR THE REPORT FROM SELENA.

THANK YOU, MR. DOCTOR RIVERA. PRESIDENT SEWARD, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TONIGHT. AND WE'LL GO THROUGH THE RESULTS OF THE 2024 FINANCIAL STATEMENT AND SINGLE AUDITS. AND I WANT TO ECHO MR. PRADO'S COMMENTS AS WELL. THE PROCESS WAS A LOT SMOOTHER, A LOT SEAMLESS. AND YOU ALL HAVE BEEN IMPROVING ON THE LAST 2 OR 3 YEARS. SO, SO KUDOS TO YOUR TEAM THAT YOU THAT YOU HAVE IN PLACE. AND I THINK YOU'LL YOU'LL BE PLEASED WITH WITH THE RESULTS. SO THE PURPOSE

[00:40:04]

I HAD ALLUDED TO THESE PROCEDURES, BUT HERE IT IS IN ONE SCREEN, ALL OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SUBSTANTIVE PROCEDURES. WE START WITH OUR BASIC ANALYTICAL PROCEDURES OF FLUX ANALYSIS. WHAT CHANGED FROM THE PRIOR YEAR TO THE CURRENT YEAR? AND THEN WHEN WE OBTAIN A AN EXPLANATION FROM YOUR MANAGEMENT TEAM, WE THEN HAVE TO CORROBORATE THAT. WAS THAT IN THE BOARD MINUTES? WAS THE BOARD AWARE. WE JUST DON'T TAKE INQUIRY ALONE IS NOT SUFFICIENT.

WE PERFORM PREDICTIVE TESTS. AND THE BEST EXAMPLE OF THAT IS LOOKING AT THE COLLECTION RATE OF YOUR PROPERTY TAXES IN THE LAST TEN YEARS COMPARED TO WHAT YOU COLLECTED IN THE CURRENT YEAR. VOUCHING IS LOOKING AT. DID IT MAKE IT TO THE BANK? IS THERE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION AND CONFIRMING WOULD BE YOUR INVESTMENT POOLS? ANY TYPE OF INVESTMENTS THAT ARE NOT YOUR YOUR YOUR NORMAL POOLS AND ALSO YOUR CASH CONFIRMATION AND FINALLY YOUR DEBT IS CONFIRMED THROUGH A THIRD THROUGH THE BOND AGENCIES OR THE HOLDERS OF THAT THE THIRD PARTIES OF THAT, THE THIRD PARTY REPORTS ARE FROM THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY. THERE'S A PAYMENT REPORT OF ALL FUNDING, WHETHER STATE OR FEDERAL, THAT IS FLOWED THROUGH THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY. THEN WE ALSO USE THE COMPTROLLER'S PAYMENT REPORT THAT ALLOWS US TO SEE WHAT TYPE OF STATE FUNDING HAS FLOWED THROUGH THE STATE OF TEXAS IN IN TOTAL, NOT JUST THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY. AND THEN FINALLY, STATE AID, SINCE IT'S SUCH A LARGE PORTION, WE CAN VERIFY WITH THE SUMMARY OF FINANCES THE INFORMATION THAT'S PRESENTED IN THERE. BUT BECAUSE STATE AID IS SUCH A HUGE PORTION OF YOUR REVENUE SOURCES, WE DO PERFORM A LOT OF PROCEDURES OVER ATTENDANCE AND TEAMS BECAUSE THAT DRIVES IT NOT JUST PROPERTY TAXES, BUT ALSO ATTENDANCE ON THE FEDERAL PROGRAM SIDE, EVERY YEAR WE HAVE TO SELECT DIFFERENT PROGRAMS BASED ON RISK AND BASED ON SIZE. THIS YEAR, THE CHILD NUTRITION CLUSTER WAS SELECTED AS A MAJOR PROGRAM. THE BIG THREE I LIKE TO CALL THEM ARE TITLE ONE CHILD NUTRITION. THE SPECIAL EDUCATION CLUSTER IN PRIOR YEARS. IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, TITLE ONE AND SPECIAL EDUCATION WERE TESTED AND IT WAS THE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS TURN ESSER TWO THREE T-CLASS AND ALL OF THE TRANCHES THAT COME WITH ESSER AND THE ARPA FUNDING.

THE LAST REMAINING TRANCHES HAD TO BE AUDITED. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DID NOT, ODDLY, DID NOT MAKE IT HIGHER RISK, BUT BECAUSE THE COMPLIANCE SUPPLEMENT WAS NOT ISSUED UNTIL

[00:45:05]

CHILD NUTRITION EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES TOTALED $28 MILLION, WHILE ESSER AND ALL OF ITS COMPONENTS TOTALED $26 MILLION. YOU SPENT $86 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDS ALONE. THESE TWO PROGRAMS MAKE UP 62%. WE DO HAVE TO ISSUE AN OPINION OVER THESE FEDERAL PROGRAMS, AND WE ARE ISSUING AN UNMODIFIED OPINION. WE ALSO LOOK AT THE INTERNAL CONTROLS OVER THAT, OVER THESE PROGRAMS AND WE HAVE NO FINDINGS TO REPORT. I BELIEVE. ALSO, DID I INCLUDE THAT? OKAY, I DIDN'T I DIDN'T INCLUDE THE OPINION FOR THE THAT'S THE THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE. THE OPINION FOR THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS IS ALSO UNMODIFIED. SO BECAUSE YOU DO SPEND MORE THAN $750,000, WE SEE HERE THAT YOU SPENT $86 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDS. WE HAVE TO APPLY GOVERNMENT AUDITING STANDARDS ON TOP OF ANY FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS AND ON TOP OF ANY GENERALLY ACCEPTED AUDITING STANDARDS. SO THERE'S THREE TYPES OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS, ANY ANY CONTROL IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE SEE. THERE COULD BE SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCIES OR MATERIAL WEAKNESSES. MATERIAL WEAKNESSES BEING THE WORST TYPE OF CONTROL DEFICIENCY THAT THERE IS THIS YEAR. WE DON'T HAVE SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCIES OR MATERIAL WEAKNESSES. WE MADE TWO RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH I'LL DISCUSS HERE IN A BIT WHEN WE GO OVER THE BUDGET TO ACTUAL, BUT NOTHING THAT NEEDED TO BE REPORTED IN THE SINGLE AUDIT REPORT OR TO ANY REGULATORY AGENCY. AND THAT'S WHY IT'S KUDOS TO YOUR TEAM FOR THOSE EFFORTS. IF WE LOOK AT START WITH THE GENERAL FUND AND THIS IS YOUR OPERATING FUND, THE MOST IMPORTANT FUND WITHIN YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, NOT TO DISCOUNT ANY OTHER FUND, BUT THIS IS WHAT YOU, YOU, YOU BUDGET FOR ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. AND YOU REVIEW CLOSELY. WHAT I'VE PRESENTED HERE IS THE FINAL BUDGET FOR 2024 COMPARED TO THE ACTUAL RESULTS. AND THEN ALSO LOOKING AT HOW THE DISTRICT PERFORMED REVENUE WISE IN THE PRIOR YEAR, SO THAT YOU'LL SEE THAT IN YOUR LOCAL REVENUE, YOU'LL SEE A DROP IN YOUR LOCAL REVENUE, PRIMARILY DUE TO PROPERTY TAXES. THIS YEAR, YOUR PROPERTY TAXES WITHIN THAT, $99 MILLION IN THE LOCAL REVENUE WAS $87 MILLION. BUT IF YOU GO OVER TO THE NEXT GROUP OF GRAPHS, YOU'LL SEE THAT YOUR STATE REVENUE FROM PRIOR YEAR TO CURRENT YEAR INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. AND THAT'S BECAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS THAT INVERSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PROPERTY TAXES AND STATE AID. EVEN THOUGH YOUR TAX RATE WAS COMPRESSED, PROPERTY TAX COLLECTIONS WERE LESS. THE STATE THEN SUPPLEMENTED THAT DEFICIENCY IN PROPERTY TAXES. SO TO MAKE THE DISTRICT WHOLE, IF YOU WILL. WELL, WE NEVER WE DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE EVER MADE WHOLE. SO I SAY THAT LIGHTLY. I USE THAT I'VE BEEN VERY CAREFUL WITH THAT. BUT WHEN YOU SEE THAT DECLINE IN LOCAL REVENUE, YOU'LL SEE THE, THE INCREASE IN ON THE STATE SIDE, YOU'LL SEE THAT YOU HAD BUDGETED FOR $319 MILLION IN OF STATE REVENUE. THE ACTUAL YOU PERFORMED BETTER THAN YOUR BUDGET. AND OF COURSE, LAST YEAR IT WAS $272. FEDERAL REVENUE.

BUT YOU BUDGETED $14 MILLION. ACTUAL RESULTS WERE $12 MILLION. WITHIN THAT, THE $12 MILLION INCLUDES INDIRECT COSTS FOR ALL YOUR FEDERAL PROGRAMS AND THEN ALSO YOUR SCHOOL HEALTH AND RELATED SERVICES, OR CHARGE THAT MAKES UP ABOUT 11 MILLION OF THE $12 MILLION. LAST YEAR. IT WAS A LOT LARGER, AND FOR TWO REASONS. YOU HAVE MORE FEDERAL FUNDING LAST YEAR FOR THE VARIOUS TRANCHES OF ESSER FUNDS. AND THEN ALSO THERE WAS A CHANGE AT THE STATE LEVEL FOR SCHOOL HEALTH AND RELATED SERVICES, WHERE FUNDING WAS CUT SIGNIFICANTLY. SO OVERALL, YOU'LL SEE THAT YOUR YOUR REVENUE INCREASED OVERALL BY ABOUT $28 MILLION. AND YOU PERFORMED BETTER THAN YOUR BUDGET. WHEN WE LOOK AT YOUR YOUR YOUR EXPENDITURES, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE BULK OF YOUR FUNDING IS SPENT ON INSTRUCTION AND RELATED SERVICES. AND THE SECOND LARGEST CATEGORY IS YOUR FACILITIES MAINTENANCE AND SERVICES, WHICH IS YOUR REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE. YOUR UTILITIES. ANYTHING HAVING TO DO WITH AS THE NAME INDICATES, YOUR YOUR FACILITIES AS WELL. YOU'LL ALSO SEE THAT IN THE TOTAL COLUMN THAT YOU HAD BUDGETED FOR $429 MILLION, YOU EXCEEDED THAT BY ABOUT $2 MILLION. YOU'LL SEE IN THE NOTE DISCLOSURES OF THE ENTIRE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT THAT WE MAKE MENTION OF THAT OVERAGE. THAT IS A 1% OVERAGE, WHICH IS VERY GOOD BUDGETING, MAINLY WHAT WE SEE WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS IS 4 TO 5% VARIANCE FROM BUDGET TO ACTUAL. SO ALTHOUGH YOU WENT OVER IT'S A 1% INCREASE AND IT'S NOT MATERIAL.

[00:50:04]

[00:55:03]

THIS IS AN ACTION ITEM I'M SORRY. NO MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND. THERE'S A MOTION BY MR. CAVO AND A SECOND BY MR. EVERETT. ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ALL RIGHT. THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS YOUR CONSENT AGENDA.

[V. CONSENT AGENDA]

[VI. REPORTS OF THE SUPERINTENDENT (PART 2 OF 2)]

[01:00:06]

AND WE ALSO MONITOR THE ACTUAL SERVICES. WE EVERY YEAR WE MONITOR THE LIST OF STUDENTS THAT NEED TO BE RECEIVING ESL SERVICES AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE PLACED AT THE CORRECT AT THE CORRECT SECTION. AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, DUE TO THE SHORTAGE THAT WE'RE FACING, CAMPUSES STRUGGLE EVERY DAY TRYING TO BE ABLE TO SERVE STUDENTS. CORRECT. SO WE WORK WITH THEM TRYING TO ELABORATE OR DESIGN THE PLAN OF ACTION TO COVER THOSE, THOSE STUDENTS AND THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED. WHEN IT COMES TO INSTRUCTION, WE START WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BILINGUAL CURRICULUM. ALL THE PIECES THAT WE PRESENT IN FRONT OF OUR STUDENTS AND ALL THE LESSON PLANS, THE EVERY, EVERY SINGLE PIECE THAT WE PRESENT IN OUR BILINGUAL CLASSROOMS ARE ELABORATED BY OUR TEAM FROM GRADES PRE-K THREE ALL THE WAY THROUGH FIFTH GRADE. WE DEVELOP WE DEVELOP ALSO THE ESL CURRICULUM. WE FOLLOW A GRADUAL RELEASE, NOT PROGRAM, BUT GRADUAL RELEASE PROCESS WHERE THE STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO DIGEST THE INFORMATION AND THEN BE ABLE TO MASTER THE SKILLS. WE DO THAT ALL THE WAY FROM PRE-K THROUGH 12TH GRADE. THE IMPLEMENTATION PIECE MEANS THAT WE ARE OUT THERE, OUR LEAD TEACHERS AND OUR COORDINATORS ARE ON A DAILY BASIS, JUST MAKING SURE THAT THE CURRICULUM THAT WE DESIGN FOR, FOR TO BE IMPLEMENTED OUT THERE, IT'S ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTED AND THE IMPLEMENTATION IS DONE IN THE IN THE CORRECT WAY DEVELOPMENT OF SPANISH DISTRICT CHECKPOINTS IS ANOTHER AREA THAT WE OVERSEE. WE I MEAN, WE CREATE THEM FROM SCRATCH, TRYING TO ALIGN THE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AS AS THE ELA COUNTERPART. NEXT, WE DEFINITELY HAVE A VERY ROBUST AND SOLID SUPPORT SYSTEM. LAST YEAR WE DEVELOPED AND PROVIDED 61 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS. THEY WERE DEVELOPED AND DELIVERED FOR PRE-K THREE ALL THE WAY THROUGH 12TH GRADE. INSTRUCTORS AND ADMINISTRATORS 548 COACHING SLASH PLC SESSIONS WERE GUIDED, DIRECTED OR THEY COLLABORATED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THOSE SESSIONS FROM GRADES AGAIN PRE-K THREE ALL THE WAY THROUGH 1235 ELEMENTARY CAMPUSES. THAT MEETINGS AND 27 SECONDARY DAD MEETINGS ATTENDED WERE ATTENDED ALSO BY OUR LEAD TEACHERS, COORDINATORS AND ALL THE STAFF. YOU KNOW, THE TEAM MEMBERS. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I WANT TO SHARE ABOUT THE PARENTS, COMMUNITY, PARENTS, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY AREA THAT WE OVERSEE AS WELL. MESQUITE ISD HAS ITS OWN OUT THERE, I'M SORRY, ITS OWN DEPARTMENT THAT OVERSEES THIS PART, BUT BECAUSE WE MANAGE THE TITLE THREE FUNDS, WE HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND AND PROVIDING THAT SUPPLEMENTAL PAR. SO BASED ON WHAT THE LAW SAYS AND THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK, THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE OVERSEE, PROVIDE OR DEVELOP NEEDS TO BE IN ADDITION TO WHAT WE ALREADY

[01:05:04]

THIS DIVERSE PRESENTS A CHALLENGE AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO MEET THEIR NEEDS IN THE CLASSROOM. MORE THAN A THIRD OF OUR STUDENT POPULATION IS EMERGING BILINGUAL, AND SO THAT'S WHERE THE HEART OF OUR CAMPUS IS. SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE SO FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE THAT EVERY STUDENT GETS TO ATTEND A SCHOOL WHERE A TEACHER WENT TO SEND THEIR KID. MARIA THOUGHT.

MY DAD THOUGHT SHE WAS MORE THAN THE DEPARTMENT OF BILINGUAL AND THE ESL DEPARTMENT PROVIDE GREAT RESOURCES. THEY ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS WE HAVE ABOUT OUR EMERGENT BILINGUAL STUDENTS.

THEY PROVIDED ME WITH MY AID, WHICH HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST BLESSING IN MY CLASSROOM. SHE HELPS ALL OF MY NEWCOMERS TO HELP FEEL SUPPORTED AND CREATE A REALLY GOOD ENVIRONMENT IN MY CLASSROOM. WE HAVE TRAININGS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AFTER SCHOOL, DURING SCHOOL, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, WE ASSESS STUDENTS USING A RESOURCE CALLED AMPLIFY. WE TAKE THOSE RESULTS AND WE MEET WITH OUR INSTRUCTIONAL COACH TO COME UP WITH IDEAS OF HOW TO GIVE DATA DRIVEN INSTRUCTION THAT HELPS AND GUIDES STUDENTS AS WELL TO MEET ALL OF THEIR NEEDS. PLCS.

WHICH MEANS WE MEET AND WE TALK ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE CAN USE FROM THE CURRICULUM, AND WE GET MONTHLY STRATEGIES THAT HELP US WITH OUR STUDENTS. ALSO, WE HAVE A WONDERFUL LEAD TEACHER WHO IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE, AND SHE'S NEVER SCARED TO COME OUT TO OUR CLASSROOM. THAT PART IS HUGE. MY FAVORITE THING THAT I GET TO WORK WITH TONY. SHE LOOKS AT DATA WITH US. HOW ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT THIS LESSON FITS THE NEEDS OF EVERY LEARNER, INCLUDING OUR EMERGENT BILINGUALS? THE OUTCOME IS MAKING MY CLASSROOM A BETTER LEARNING ENVIRONMENT, MAKING ME A BETTER TEACHER, PROVIDING ME WITH THE TOOLS THAT I NEED.

UNLIKE BEFORE, WHERE WE WOULD HAVE TO GO FIND THEM EVERYWHERE, NOW THEY'RE MORE REACHABLE AND IT MAKES MY JOB EASIER. AND I CAN PROVIDE MORE RESOURCES, MORE STRATEGIES FOR MY STUDENTS TO LEARN. WE SEE OUR STUDENTS HAVE SO MUCH GROWTH. IT HELPS MY STUDENTS A LOT RECEIVE NOT ONLY

[01:10:01]

OUR STUDENTS ARE MORE SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE OF THOSE THINGS. I THINK THAT'S A GOOD A. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO, THANK YOU. EVERYTHING IS BECAUSE OF YOU. THANKS. NEXT REPORT IS STUDENT PERFORMANCE ACCOUNTABILITY. DON'T RUN. DON'T RUN. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. SO I'M HERE TO TALK TO YOU ALL THIS EVENING ABOUT ASSESSMENT DATA FROM 2024 AND WHAT I CAN ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY. AS YOU KNOW, WE STILL HAVE SOME RESULTS THAT ARE HELD UP IN LITIGATION. SO I HAVE PLENTY OF OTHER THINGS TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT. FIRST THING WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT IS COMPARISON DATA. AND THEN FIVE YEAR TRENDS. SO THAT YOU CAN SEE HOW DID MESQUITE ISD DO VERSUS THE STATE. AND THEN HOW HAVE WE DONE OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL YEARS SO THAT WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT JUST ONE YEAR IN ISOLATION? WE'LL LOOK PRIMARILY AT THE THREE PERFORMANCE LEVELS APPROACHES, MEETS AND MASTERS. BUT WE WILL FOCUS ON MEETS OR BETTER BECAUSE APPROACHES IS NOT WHERE WE WANT OUR STUDENTS TO BE. IT'S AN ACCEPTABLE BY THE STATE STANDARD. BUT, YOU KNOW, MEETS GRADE LEVEL LITERALLY MEANS THEY'RE ON GRADE LEVEL. SO THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD WANT FOR OUR KIDS. AND THEN WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT FIVE YEAR TREND DATA, REMEMBER, WAY BACK IN 2021, THAT WAS OUR FIRST YEAR AFTER COVID WHEN WE WERE DOING VLA AND HYBRID INSTRUCTION, WHICH SEEMS LIKE FOREVER AGO AT THIS POINT. AND THEN 2022 WAS OUR SECOND YEAR AFTER COVID, BUT IT WAS ALSO THE LAST YEAR BEFORE ALL STAR TESTS WERE REDESIGNED. SO THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT FIVE YEAR TRENDS. AND THEN I'LL SHARE WITH YOU TOWARD THE END SOME FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE GOTTEN AND JUST BEST PRACTICES THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED ALONG THE WAY. SO THE FIRST THING YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS STAR LA AT THE MEETS LEVEL. THIS IS READING LANGUAGE ARTS. YOU KNOW, WE TEST THIRD GRADE THROUGH EIGHTH AND THEN ENGLISH ONE AND TWO AND READING LANGUAGE ARTS.

AND SO IF YOU LOOK THERE AT THAT ORANGE BAR, THAT'S THAT FIRST YEAR AFTER COVID WHEN LOTS OF KIDS WERE AT HOME AND WE WERE TEACHING THROUGH COMPUTERS, AND WE ALL EXPECTED A LEARNING GAP, THERE THE NEXT YEAR, AFTER THAT, 2022 IS WHEN WE HAD A BIT OF A BOUNCE BACK FOR THE MOST PART, BUT THAT WAS ALSO THE LAST YEAR THAT THE STAR TEST LOOKED THE WAY THAT IT DID. AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THERE IS NO 2020 YEAR IN THERE. SO 2019 IS REALLY SIX YEARS AGO, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE A TEST IN 2020. SO NEXT YEAR THAT'LL LOOK DIFFERENT. WE'LL BE ABLE TO CYCLE THROUGH AND HAVE FIVE CONTINUOUS YEARS, BUT YOU'LL SEE THAT IN GRADES THREE THROUGH EIGHT, WE SAW A BIT OF A DIP AFTER THE GREEN BAR FOR THE PREVIOUS TWO YEARS, AND WE'RE KIND OF WORKING THROUGH RECOVERY BECAUSE IT LOOKS A LITTLE DIFFERENT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL. PART OF THAT IS JUST THE WAITING ON THE TESTS FOR THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF IT. SO THAT'S AT THE MEETS LEVEL.

AND THEN THIS IS THE MASTER'S LEVEL, AND YOU'LL NOTICE QUITE A BIT OF A CHANGE HERE. WE ATTRIBUTE THIS PRIMARILY TO THE REDESIGN OF THE EXTENDED CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE OR THE ACR.

THE WRITING PART OF THE TEST. PRIOR TO 2023, STUDENTS ONLY WROTE FOR STAR AND FOURTH GRADE AND SEVENTH AND THEN ENGLISH ONE AND TWO. NOW IT'S EVERY GRADE LEVEL AND THE TEST ITSELF IS DIFFERENT. SO THERE REALLY ARE THREE THINGS THAT WE THINK ATTRIBUTED TO THIS DROP OFF AT MASTER'S LEVEL. ONE IS WHAT I JUST SAID. THE FACT THAT STUDENTS ARE NOW TESTING EVERY GRADE LEVEL. THERE'S ALSO THE WEIGHT OF THE ACR THAT ONE ESSAY IS WORTH BETWEEN 16 AND 19% OF THEIR OVERALL SCORE, SO IF THEY DON'T DO WELL ON IT, IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO HIT THE MASTER'S LEVEL. IN FACT, FOR SOME OF OUR GRADE LEVELS, IF THEY'RE NOT PERFECT ON EVERY OTHER PART, IF THEY GET A ZERO ON THEIR ACR, WHICH ISN'T HARD TO DO AT THIS POINT, THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HIT THE MASTER'S LEVEL. THE OTHER THING THAT'S IMPACTING THAT IS JUST THE WAY THE TEST, THE QUESTION IS SCORED. IT USED TO BE IF YOU WROTE SOMETHING, ANYTHING THAT MADE EVEN A LITTLE BIT OF A SENSE, THEY GIVE YOU A FEW POINTS FOR YOUR EFFORT. THAT IS NOT THE CASE ANYMORE. IF THEY DON'T ADDRESS THE PROMPT, THEY GET ZERO. IF IT'S A PERFECTLY WRITTEN ESSAY WITH EVERY COMMA IN THE RIGHT PLACE AND EVERY WORD SPELLED CORRECTLY, BUT IT DOESN'T ADDRESS THE PROMPT, THEY'RE GETTING ZERO. AND SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE THAT THAT'S REALLY WHERE OUR STUDENTS HAVE STRUGGLED. SO THE NEXT PART I'LL SHOW YOU IS BREAKDOWN BETWEEN MISD VERSUS THE STATE. AND NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT APPROACHES MEETS AND MASTERS. BUT WE'RE LOOKING FOR OUR TWO BIGGEST GROUPS OF STUDENTS. SO THIS IS JUST OUR ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED AND HISPANIC BECAUSE THOSE REALLY ARE THE BIGGEST GROUPS THAT ARE THE BEST

[01:15:02]

SO OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO HAVE MORE GREEN THAN RED. YOU'LL SEE WITH HISPANIC STUDENTS THAT'S GREEN ALMOST AT EVERY GRADE LEVEL. BUT THERE'S A LOT OF RED ELSEWHERE. SO I WANTED TO SHOW YOU THEN 2023, SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE MADE GAINS. THERE'S MORE RED HERE. WE'VE MADE MORE PROGRESS. IF I GO BAC, WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. BUT I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE IT'S NOT WHERE WE WANT TO BE AT THIS POINT IN TERMS OF OFF STATE AVERAGES FOR THOSE GRADE LEVELS. THE NEXT THING THAT I WANTED TO SHOW YOU THEN IS ABOUT THE ACR ITSELF, BECAUSE THIS HAD SUCH A BIG IMPACT ON OVERALL SCORES. SO LOOKING AT 2023 VERSUS 2024 AND THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS THAT GOT A ZERO ON THAT ACR. SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE 2023 COLUMN, WE REALLY WEREN'T NECESSARILY SURPRISED. IT WAS THE FIRST YEAR OUT AND WE WERE FIGURING OUT HOW IT SCORED AND WHAT STUDENTS NEED TO DO. THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK PUT IN LAST YEAR TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS AND WE DIDN'T SEE IT FOR THE MOST PART ACROSS THOSE GRADE LEVELS. SO IF YOU LOOK JUST ACROSS AS A GRADE BAN, THIRD AND FOURTH GRADE ARE THE ONLY TWO THAT SAW LESS ZEROS.

THOSE ARE THE PERCENTAGES. THE REST WERE AN INCREASE. THE BIGGEST CHANGE THAT WE'VE NOTED BETWEEN THE TWO, THE 2023 TEST VERSUS 2024 WAS HOW THEY WERE SCORED STARTING IN DECEMBER OF 2023 FOR THE EOC RETEST STUDENTS. THOSE WERE THOSE AUTOMATED SCORING ENGINE GRADED BY THE COMPUTER, NOT AI SET UP. AND THEN ALL OF THE ONES FROM THE SPRING WERE TESTED THAT WAY.

75% BY THE COMPUTER SCORING ENGINE, THE OTHER 25% BY HUMAN GRADERS. IF YOU LOOK, THOUGH, ON THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM, STUDENTS THAT GOT A SIX THROUGH TEN BECAUSE I THOUGHT, WELL, IF THE BOTTOM END HAS GOTTEN BIGGER, BUT SO HAS THE TOP END, SO THAT'S A GOOD SIGN. WE HAVE IN SOME WAYS BEEN ABLE TO GET STUDENTS MORE OF THEM TO SCORE BETWEEN 6 AND 10. A SIX WOULD MEAN YOU GOT TWO POINTS FOR THE IDEA THAT YOU WROTE, AND ONE POINT FOR YOUR GRAMMAR AND YOUR MECHANICS, AND SPELLING A TEN IS A PERFECT SCORE. THAT MEANS TWO EITHER TWO SCORING ENGINES OR TWO HUMANS EACH GAVE YOU FULL CREDIT, WHICH IS FIVE POINTS, THREE FOR YOUR IDEAS AND TWO FOR YOUR MECHANICS. EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE ONE RED NUMBER HERE, IF WE FOLLOW THE COHORT OF STUDENTS, RATHER THAN GO ACROSS GRADE LEVELS. IN OTHER WORDS, THE EIGHTH GRADERS IN 2023 GOT 21% WHEN THEY GOT TO HIGH SCHOOL. EOC, THEY GOT UP TO 25%. SO IF YOU FOLLOW THE STUDENT RATHER THAN THE GRADE LEVEL, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE WAS AN INCREASE FROM EACH GRADE LEVEL. ON INCREASING SCORING ON THE ACR. OKAY. I'M GOING TO MOVE ON TO MATH. UNLESS YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT RLA, WE CAN ALWAYS GO BACK. OF COURS. SO NEXT SUBJECT MATH AT THE MEETS LEVEL. ALSO WE TEST MATH AT ALL GRADE LEVELS THREE THROUGH EIGHT. AND THEN ALGEBRA ONE. THIS TEST PROBABLY GOT THE LEAST AMOUNT OF REDESIGN. THERE IS NO WRITING ON THE MATH TEST LIKE THERE IS ON THE OTHER THREE, WHERE THERE'S A SHORT CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE. BUT WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THE MATH TEST WITH THE REDESIGN IS THE WHAT WE CALL STAR 2.0 QUESTIONS, WHERE IT'S THINGS LIKE DRAG AND DROP, WHERE THEY HAVE FOUR NUMBERS OR EQUATIONS, AND THEY HAVE TO PULL THEM INTO THE MENU ON THE SCREEN RATHER THAN JUST WORK OUT A PROBLEM. SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT QUESTION TYPES THAT STUDENTS HAVEN'T BEEN AS EXPOSED TO. AND SO THAT'S REALLY THE REDESIGN THAT WE SAW ON MATH. PROBABLY THE BIGGEST DROP THAT YOU SEE HERE, AND WE ALWAYS WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS THAT SEVENTH GRADE NUMBER BECAUSE IT LOOKS SO LOW. KEEP IN MIND THAT THOSE SEVENTH GRADERS THAT TOOK THE SEVENTH GRADE TEST WERE THE ONLY SEVENTH GRADERS THAT WE DID NOT ADVANCE TO EIGHTH GRADE. IN SEVENTH GRADE, WE'VE GOT KIDS TAKING SEVENTH GRADE CONTENT, AND THEN THEY'RE FAST TRACKING THROUGH SEVENTH TO GET TO EIGHTH, AND THEY'RE TAKING THE EIGHTH GRADE STAR, AND THAT'S SO THAT THEY CAN TAKE ALGEBRA ONE AND EIGHTH GRADE SO THAT ULTIMATELY THEY CAN TAKE CALCULUS WHEN THEY'RE A SENIOR. IF THEY DON'T GET FIVE YEARS OF MATH IN, THEY WILL NEVER GET TO CALCULUS. SO THAT NUMBER IS HISTORICALLY LOOKED LOW. THOSE ARE ALL STUDENTS THAT PROBABLY HAVE BEEN WEAKER MATH STUDENTS OVER THE COURSE OF A FEW YEARS. WHAT YOU WHAT YOU'LL PROBABLY SEE NEXT YEAR IS A BIT OF A CHANGE. WHEN WE DO A COMPARISON TO THE STATE, BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN MOVING THOSE STUDENTS ON A FAST TRACK BEFORE WE WERE REQUIRED TO DO SO. NOW IT IS A NOW, IT IS A MANDATE THAT WE DO THAT FOR THE TOP 40% OF OUR STUDENTS IN FIFTH GRADE. THAT SCORE, THEY HAVE TO GO INTO ADVANCED SIXTH GRADE MATH SO THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE KIND OF SIPHONED THAT WAY. GOING

[01:20:05]

BUT YOU'LL SEE HERE THAT THE FIFTH GRADE ACROSS THE STATE WAS REALLY LOW. WE'RE NOT THAT FAR OFF FROM WHERE THE STATE IS. IT LOOKS LOW BECAUSE IT IS. THAT'S NOT WHERE WE WANT TO SEE OUR STUDENTS. FIFTH GRADE SCIENCE IS THE FIRST SCIENCE TEST THEY'VE EVER TAKEN. AND SO IT REALLY IS IMPORTANT THAT THEY GET SOME GOOD FOUNDATIONAL SCIENCE CURRICULUM BEFORE THEY GET THER.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE MASTER'S LEVEL, SIMILAR TRENDS AFTER COVID, WE DIPPED. THEN AFTER THE TEST WAS REDONE, THE DIFFERENCE REALLY FOR THE SCIENCE TEST WAS THE INCLUSION OF THOSE SHORT CONSTRUCTED RESPONSES WHERE THEY ARE HAVING TO RESPOND TO A PROMPT AND DO SOME WRITING, AND THOSE ARE WORTH 1 TO 2 POINTS. WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT VERSUS THE STATE, YOU'LL SEE THAT EVEN THOUGH FIFTH GRADE SCIENCE WAS LOW, WE'RE AHEAD OF WHERE WE ARE FOR APPROACHES. BUT AGAIN, THAT'S NOT WHERE WE WANT TO BE. MEATS AND MASTERS. WE'RE A LITTLE BIT OFF PACE WITH THE STATE FOR FIFTH GRADE, BUT AHEAD IN EIGHTH GRADE AND BIOLOGY. FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR, THOUGH, YOU'LL SIMILAR VERY SIMILAR NUMBERS. FOR SOCIAL STUDIES WE HAVE TWO TESTS EIGHTH GRADE AND THEN US HISTORY AND EIGHTH GRADE SOCIAL STUDIES BY FAR IS THE TEST THAT ACROSS THE STATE AND IN OUR DISTRICT WAS THE LOWEST PERFORMING FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS. WE HAD 55%. IT DID NOT MEET WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE STATE, IT WAS ABOUT 50. SO WE'RE NOT THAT FAR OFF. BUT THAT'S DEFINITELY NOT WHERE WE WANT TO BE. WHAT I CAN SAY IS THOSE ORANGE BAR STUDENTS THAT 21% IN 2021 WERE THE US HISTORY STUDENTS THAT ARE THE PURPLE. AND THEN SO IT TOOK A FEW YEARS, BUT ONCE THEY GOT TO HIGH SCHOOL AND GOT INTO US HISTORY, WE WENT FROM 21 TO 64% WITH THOSE STUDENTS. IF WE FOLLOW THE COHORT. SO WE KNOW WE HAVE SOME WORK TO DO WITH SOCIAL STUDIES.

THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE. IT'S THE FIRST TIME THEY'VE EVER TAKEN A SOCIAL STUDIES TEST.

IT'S A LOT OF READING, AND IT'S DIFFERENT THAN WHEN I LEARNED SOCIAL STUDIES. AND PROBABLY A LOT OF YOU NAMES, DATES, PLACES. WHAT HAPPENED. IT'S NOT THOSE AREN'T THE TYPES OF QUESTIONS THEY ANSWER. NOW IT'S A LOT OF CAUSE AND EFFECT AND DRAW CONCLUSIONS. AND YES AND NO MEMORIZING YOUR CAPITALS. IT'S NOT THAT'S JUST NOT WHAT WE DO ANYMORE, WHICH IS NOT A BAD THING, BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TEACH THEM THAT WAY. SO THAT THAT SO THEY LEARN AT THE LEVEL THAT THEY'RE TESTED. IF YOU LOOK AT THE MASTER'S LEVEL, YOU CAN SEE GRADE EIGHT IS OBVIOUSLY EVEN LOWER. WE'VE GOT SOME THINGS IN PLACE TO HELP WITH THAT. BUT I'LL TALK ABOUT IN A MOMENT. BUT US HISTORY, WE HAD A NICE TURNAROUND ON THIS. SO THIS WAS IN MY CITY VERSUS THE STATE.

YOU CAN SEE WE'RE OFF PACE AT GRADE EIGHT, BUT A LITTLE BIT ABOVE FOR US HISTORY. IF YOU LOOKED AT THE PREVIOUS YEAR, 23, YOU'LL SEE WE WERE BEHIND. SO THERE WERE SOME STRATEGIES WE PUT IN PLACE FOR U.S. HISTORY THAT LOOKS LIKE THEY PAID OFF. SO WE'RE JUST REPLICATING SOME OF THOSE NOW WITH OUR EIGHTH GRADE CURRICULUM. SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE DISTRICT WIDE

[01:25:02]

WE GET THOSE BACK NOW, AND WE'RE ABLE TO SHOW THE STUDENT AND WORK WITH THEM SPECIFICALLY ON WHAT THEY DID TO IMPROVE THEIR WRITING, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T DO A WHOLE LOT OF GOOD TO HAVE THEM REWRITE IT. IF THEY DON'T GET FEEDBACK ON HOW THEY WROTE IT, AND TO KNOW SPECIFICALLY WHAT TO ADDRESS. WE'RE ALSO KEEPING EYES ON ELEMENTARY SCIENCE AT ALL LEVELS SO THAT ADMINISTRATORS ARE WALKING, LOOKING FOR SCIENCE INSTRUCTION TO MAKE SURE IT'S HAPPENING IN THE THIRD AND FOURTH GRADES AT THE LEVEL THAT IT NEEDS TO BE, SO THAT IT'S NOT JUST THAT FIFTH GRADE SCIENCE TEACHER THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR GETTING STUDENTS READY FOR THE TEST. WE ALSO HAVE A NEW RESOURCE THROUGH LEAD FORWARD. WE'VE HAD SOME REALLY GOOD SUCCESS WITH LEAD FORWARD RESOURCES PRIOR. AND SO SOCIAL STUDIES PLUS IS ONE THAT WE ARE UTILIZING NOW TO ASSIST EIGHTH GRADE SOCIAL STUDIES. AND THEN THE BIG THING THAT WE SAW WAS JUST WE HAVE A LOT OF TEACHERS THAT ARE REALLY GOOD AT TEACHING STUDENTS THAT ARE LOW TO HELP THEM TO THE NEXT PERFORMANCE LEVEL, BUT WE CAN'T ALWAYS TEACH WHERE THEY ARE. WE NEED TO TEACH WHERE WE WANT THEM TO BE SO THAT WE'RE NOT GETTING COMFORTABLE WITH KIDS OR FEELING GOOD ABOUT GETTING QUESTIONS RIGHT, BUT THEY'RE AT THE APPROACHES LEVEL. WE'VE GOT TO GET THEM TO MEETS OR BETTER, OR WE'RE NOT GETTING THEM WHERE WE NEED THEM TO BE. WE'RE CREATING BIGGER GAPS EVERY YEAR ALONG THE WAY IF THEY STAY AT APPROACHES. AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS NOT JUST IDENTIFYING STUDENTS THAT DID NOT MEET FOR INTERVENTION, BUT STUDENTS WHO WERE MASTERS PRIOR WHO FELL BACK TO MEET. SO THAT WE GET THEM BACK TO WHERE THEY HAVE PERFORMED SO THAT WE'RE REALLY INTERVENING AT ALL PERFORMANCE LEVELS, NOT JUST THE LOWEST LEVELS. AND THEN THE LAST TWO, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF COLLABORATION WITH EDLEY'S AND TEACHING AND LEARNING JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE HAVING GOOD COMMUNICATION ABOUT WHAT I SEE IN MY DEPARTMENT VERSUS WHAT THEY'RE SEEING. BOOTS ON THE GROUND. AND THEN FROM TEACHING AND LEARNING, THE SUPPORT THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING. AND THEN WE'VE KIND OF ADDED BACK IN SOMETHING THAT WE HAD NOT DONE FOR A FEW YEARS, JUST UPDATES EVERY MONTH. WE HAVE ADMINISTRATORS INFORMATION, WHETHER IT'S SOMETHING THAT I LEARNED AT THE TEXAS ASSESSMENT CONFERENCE OR KEEPING THINGS IN FRONT OF THEM TO REMIND THEM OF THE BEST PRACTICES THAT WE'VE COMMITTED TO DO TO IMPROVE OUR STUDENTS OUTCOMES, SO THAT WE HAVE THAT SUSTAINED FOCUS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. IT'S REALLY EASY TO TELL THEM IN JULY WHAT THEY NEED TO DO. AND IF WE NEVER REVISIT IT, IT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. SO WITH THAT, I WILL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. YOU MIGHT SEE SOME THINGS THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. UNDER ADMINISTRATION IS A SPECIAL DISTRICT WIDE IMPROVEMENT REPORT FINDINGS. MR. MORRIS. I'LL BE BRIEF, AS USUAL, BUT I DID WANT TO REMIND YOU ALL OF WHAT THE TO INTRUDER AUDITS ENTAIL, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A IT'S BEEN ABOUT A YEAR SINCE WE'VE REALLY TALKED ABOUT WHAT THEY DO WHEN THEY COME AND VISIT OUR CAMPUSES. BUT YOU ALL KNOW THAT THEY COME AND VISIT EVERY ONE OF OUR CAMPUSES. THEY'LL DO 100% OF OUR CAMPUSES THIS YEAR. THEY SEND AN AUDITOR THAT WORKS THROUGH REGION TEN, AND THE AUDITOR WILL TRY TO GET INTO THREE EXTERIOR DOORS. THEY'LL PARK IN THE PARKING LOT, WALK UP TO THE BUILDING. THEY MAY WALK AROUND THE BUILDING, AND THEY'RE GOING TO TRY TO GET INTO THREE EXTERIOR DOORS TO SEE IF THEY CAN GAIN ACCESS TO THE BUILDING.

ONCE THEY CAN'T DO THAT, THEY GO TO THE FRONT OFFICE AND CHECK IN WITH THE FRONT DESK, AND THEN THEY'LL WALK WITH THE MEMBER OF THE LEADERSHIP TEAM, THE PRINCIPAL, THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, OR ONE OF THEIR OTHER LEADERS, AND THEY'LL WALK EVERY EXTERIOR DOOR IN THE BUILDING AND TO SEE IF ANY DOORS ARE AJAR, IF ANY DOORS ARE PROPPED OPEN, IF ANY DOORS ARE UNLOCKED.

ONCE THEY DO THAT, THEY'LL COME INSIDE THE BUILDING AND THEY'LL CHECK CLASSROOM DOORS. THEY'LL ALSO CHECK TO SEE IF WE HAVE A LOG OF HOW WE DO OUR DOOR CHECKS. AND SO, YOU KNOW THAT WE GO WAY BEYOND WHAT THE STATE'S REQUIREMENT IS AND CHECK DOORS FOUR TIMES A DAY. AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO SHOW THOSE THINGS. SO THAT'S WHAT THEY DO EACH TIME THEY VISIT. SO FAR WE'VE HAD 18 CAMPUSES THAT HAVE BEEN VISITED. SO ABOUT 35% OF OUR CAMPUSES. AND WE'RE SITTING AT ABOUT A THIRD OF THE WAY THROUGH THE SCHOOL YEAR. SO THEY'RE ON PACE TO GET FINISHED 14 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, THREE MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND ONE HIGH SCHOOL. WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY FINDINGS SO FAR THIS YEAR, BUT AS A REMINDER, WE DO. IF WE HAVE FINDINGS, WE DISCUSS THOSE AT THE UPCOMING DISTRICT SAFETY AND SECURITY COMMITTEE MEETING. ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY, TAYLOR, LET ME ASK YOU THIS.

ONCE THEY PULL UP TO THE PARKING LOT AND THEY GO AROUND THE BUILDINGS TO START CHECKING DOORS, AT WHAT POINT DO THEY RAISE EYEBROWS INSIDE? WELL, IF ANYBODY SEES THAT HAPPENING, WE HAVE HAD SOME INSTANCES WHERE WE'VE HAD A COACH ON THE FIELD. THEY'LL ASK SOMEBODY, CAN WE

[01:30:03]

AND SO THE 67 OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE NORTH TEXAS AREA THAT WE WORK WITH, WE ARE ALL GOING IN WITH THESE AREAS. AND WE ARE ASKING FOR WHAT WE NEED. AND THEN THE LAST THING IS, IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN A PRIORITY FOR US FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS, AND IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE A PRIORITY. AND WE ARE GOING TO ASK THAT TO PREVENT THE USE OF TAX DOLLARS FOR PRIVATE SCHOOL FUNDING. AND THIS IS AN ACTION ITEM. THAT IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE VERY ACTIVE. THIS YEAR. AND NOT ONLY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, BUT THE CITY AND THE CHAMBER. AND WE'RE ALREADY HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS OF TEAMS THAT ARE GOING TO GO TO AUSTIN. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. YES, SIR. OUR COMMUNITY IS BACKING US AND THEY'RE GOING TO AUSTIN WITH US.

I LIKE THE WAY THIS WAS LAID OUT BECAUSE THIS FOCUSES ON FULLY FUNDING PUBLIC EDUCATION AND HITTING OUR HIGHEST NEEDS AND PREVENTING VOUCHERS IS THE BOTTOM, BECAUSE WE KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN DOWN THERE. BUT WE CAN STILL FIGHT AND ASK FOR GUARDRAILS ON THAT PART. BUT I THINK THE BIGGEST THING AND I SIT IN ON ONE OF THE CONFERENCE CALLS WITH THE DISTRICTS IN THE AREA, THEY TALKED ABOUT, THEY TOOK AWAY. THEY'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT VOUCHERS AT ALL. THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT FULLY FUNDING FUNDING WHERE WE'RE UNDERFUNDED AND KEEP THAT FOCUS WITH ALL OF OUR LEGISLATORS FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? DO I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED.

MR. CARVER? YEAH. MR. ABBOTT, I ROSE TO SECOND MISS COLLIER. I MOTION BY MR. CARVER AND SECOND BY MISS COLLIER TO APPROVE THE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY I INDICATE BY SAYING I THOSE OPPOSED MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU. NEXT ITEM IS UNDER INSTRUCTION. IT'S AN ACTION ITEM TO APPROVE THE POLICY. EIC LOCAL. THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT CLASS RANKING. DOCTOR MORSE FUN FUN FUN FUN. GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. I WAS ASKED BACK IN THE SUMMER TO TAKE A LOOK AT OUR EIC LOCAL REGARDING OUR RANKING GRADE POINTS. AND SO WHAT I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU IS THE PROPOSAL THAT WE'VE COME UP WITH FOR YOU. AND THEN I'M GOING TO TALK YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS OF HOW WE'VE COME TO THAT. SO THE CHANGE THAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS THAT OUR GRADE WEIGHT CATEGORIES, WHICH ARE CURRENTLY AP HONORS AND REGULAR, WOULD BE CHANGED TO COLLEGIATE, ADVANCED AND REGULAR. WITH THIS CHANGE, OUR AP DUAL CREDIT AND ON RAMPS COURSES WOULD ALL BE IN THE SAME GPA CATEGORY THAT WOULD BE IN COLLEGIATE. CURRENTLY IN THE IN

[01:35:06]

ADDITIONALLY, WE'RE OFFERING A LOT MORE DUAL CREDIT COURSES IN MESQUITE ISD. WHEN WE DID A STUDY OF SEVEN LIKE DISTRICTS AND ALL OF THEM HAD MOVED TO THIS CHANGE AS WELL. SO THAT MADE US FEEL EVEN MORE CONFIDENT. SO LIKE I MENTIONED BEFORE, THIS WAS NOT THE KAREN MORRIS PROJECT AT ALL. THIS WAS AN ABSOLUTELY INCLUDED A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE. AND IN ADDITION TO CAMPUS ADMIN COUNSELORS, CTE ADMIN SERVICES AND ADVANCED ACADEMICS, I REALLY WANT TO THANK SPECIFICALLY DOCTOR RHONDA DAVIS AND VALERIE MAY, WHO GAVE COUNTLESS HOURS TO REALLY MAKE THIS CHANGE FAR MORE SHARP AND CRISP AND READY. WE REVIEWED, LIKE I SAID, OUR LOCAL REGION TEN DISTRICTS THAT ARE SIMILAR AND THEN ALSO REACH BEYOND THAT TO LOOK AT OTHER DISTRICTS IN THE STATE WHO ARE LIKE US IN THEIR MAKEUP AND THEN WHAT WE ALSO DID AND I SAY WE IT WAS REALLY RHONDA AND VALERIE AND PROTOTYPED THE PROPOSED CHANGES WITH EXISTING TOP TEN KIDDOS TO SEE WHAT THAT IMPACT WOULD BE. AND WE ALL FELT REALLY GOOD ABOUT THE WAY THAT THAT WOULD LINE UP. AND SO OF COURSE, AS WE FOLLOW THIS CHANGE FROM ITS DEVELOPMENT AND INCEPTION ALL THE WAY TO ITS ROLLOUT, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO ALL OF THOSE IMPLICATIONS, AND THAT IS THAT WE CAN'T JUST START THIS NOW. THAT COULD BE REALLY DISRUPTIVE TO OUR KIDDOS WHO ARE CURRENTLY IN HIGH SCHOOL. AND SO WE WOULD BEGIN THIS CHANGE IN THE COMING YEAR WITH NEXT YEAR'S NINTH GRADERS. ADDITIONALLY, WE WORKED WITH LANE KING AND DANNY CHAPMAN AND INFORMATION SERVICES TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WOULD WORK IN TERMS OF WHAT THOSE WEIGHTS WOULD LOOK LIKE IN SKYWARD. AND SO THAT THAT WOULD BE NICE AND CLEAN. I DON'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING THAT THEY TOLD ME, BUT IT SOUNDED LIKE IT'S GOING TO WORK. SO BUT THAT'S THEIR JOB TO KNOW THAT STUFF. AND THEN WHAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IS THAT WE ARE COMMUNICATING THE BENEFITS OF ALL ADVANCED COURSES TO OUR STUDENTS AND TO OUR FAMILIES. THERE IS PLENTY OF ROOM FOR OUR STUDENTS TO HAVE DUAL CREDIT ON RAMPS AND AP COURSES, AND WE FEEL LIKE THIS GIVES THEM SO MANY DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO EXPLORE MANY OPTIONS IN HIGH SCHOOL. AND WITH THAT, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE THEM. QUESTIONS. MR. ROSE. SO IN THE PAST, A STUDENT WHOSE GOAL IS TO GET THE HIGHEST CLASS RANK POSSIBLE WAS GEARED TOWARDS AP COURSES BECAUSE THEY WEIGHED MORE AS FAR AS THE POINTS YOU GET DEPENDING ON YOUR GRADE. THAT'S TRUE. WHAT WE'VE DONE IS ALIGNED AP DUAL CREDIT AND ON RAMPS TO WHERE THEY'VE GOT MORE CHOICES AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO STICK TO STRICTLY AP BECAUSE I FOUND FROM EXPERIENCE WITH ONE OF MY COLLEGE KIDS THAT NOT ALL COLLEGES HONOR AP, THEY DON'T HONOR ALL THE AP TESTS EITHER, SO YOU CAN ALSO GET BURNED THAT WAY. SO THIS SEEMS LIKE IT'S GOING TO DO A WHOLE LOT MORE GOOD FOR A WHOLE LOT MORE KIDS. I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE VARIETY OF OPTIONS THAT IT PROVIDES. I THINK IT ALSO GIVES SOME SPACE IN OUR STUDENTS SCHEDULES FOR THINGS LIKE FINE ARTS AND ATHLETICS, SO THAT THEY'RE NOT SO PINNED DOWN TO THOSE COURSES THAT ONLY MEET ONCE. AND SO IT GIVES THEM A WIDER RANGE OF OPPORTUNITIES. FANTASTIC. THAT WAS GOING TO BE ONE OF THE QUESTIONS. ANYBODY ELSE ANY QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT. THANKS Y'ALL. IT IS A MOTION AND IT'S AN ACTION ITEM. MR. ROSE WHO WAS THE SECOND MR. BINGHAM I HAVE A MOTION BY MR. ROSE AND A

[01:40:08]

AYE. THOSE OPPOSED MOTION PASSES. NEXT ITEM UNDER BUSINESS. WE ARE TAKEN. WE MOVE THAT UP EARLIER. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ON THE AGENDA ITEMS THAT WERE IN YOUR BUCKET, YOUR PACKET? NONE YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU AND A REMINDER OF THE TENTATIVE AGENDA FOR NEXT MONTH, AS WELL AS UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES. IT'S GOING TO BE A BUSY MONTH UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN, AND ESPECIALLY THIS WEEK IS GOING TO BE VERY BUSY. ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? I KNOW THE BIG ONE IS WHAT IS IT? WELL, THAT'S WEDNESDAY, BUT THERE'S A BIG ONE COMING MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25TH THROUGH FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29TH. MESQUITE ISD HOLIDAY BREA. I'M SURE EVERYBODY'S LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT NICE THANKSGIVING BREAK TOO. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE CALENDAR OR EVENTS? IF THERE IS NO OTHER BUSINESS AND

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.