Several districts across Texas saw declines in their standardized test scores since 2019. Eanes ISD saw a five-point drop in its average SAT score, while Lake Travis ISD went down 26 points. COMING OUT ON TOP AVERAGE SAT SCORES AT HIGH-PERFORMING DISTRICTS
STUDENTS LEARNBESTWHEN THEYHAVE A CONSISTENT TEACHER IN THE CLASSROOMWHOKNOWSWHAT THEIRDEFICITS ARE ANDKNOWSWHAT THEIR STRENGTHS ARE AND CAN REALLY CREATE LESSONS FOR STUDENTS. ANY TIMEWE HAVE AN INTERRUPTION, THAT DISRUPTS THE LEARNING CYCLE. STEPHANIE ALLEN, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION FOR LAKE TRAVIS ISD
2018-19 2020-21
THE HIGHEST SCORE POSSIBLE ON THE SAT IS A 1600.
EANES ISD
1319 1314
when necessary, compared to remedial instruction, which focused on students “catching up” with their peers, Allen said. In 2020-21, EISD teachers introduced “personal work time” into the school calendar, which provided one day a week when students were not learning new material so teachers could support students who needed extra help. LTISD currently has a similar practice in place for students who were identified as needing accelerated instruction. These students now have time built into their schedules to address areas of need determined either by STAAR or the test given to all students at the beginning of the year. With the introduction of House Bill 4545 in June 2021, some students now come before, during or after school to receive tutoring and targeted intervention based on their needs. At the elementary level, EISD has “Whatever I Need” time for students to get support on specific skills that have been identified by teachers as needing improvement. EISD school board
the impacts on students. LTISD used a significant portion of the ESSER III funds to create new positions for counselors and social workers in the district to adequately support students. Addressing academic needs LTISD and EISD have also had to deal with staffing shortages since thepandemic began. Between teacher and student absences, students have been in a situation that is not ideal for achieving the best educational outcomes, Allen said. “Students learn best when they have a consistent teacher in the classroomwho knows what their deficits are and knows what their strengths are and can really create lessons for students,” Allen said. “Any time we have an interruption, that disrupts the learning cycle.” When students perform poorly on standardized tests, they now receive accelerated instruction to assist them in their learning. Accelerated instruction focuses on teaching students content alongside their peers at their current grade level while spiraling in concepts from previous grades
members
received
a
LAKE TRAVIS ISD
presentation
on
the
1220 1194
2021 Academic Performance Report at its March 8 meeting. The report breaks down STAAR data alongside metrics such as graduation rates and college readiness indicators to track student progress. In the report, data is broken down by grade level instead of by school. Since STAAR 2021 data is still being utilized, these performance drops are also reflected in the TAPR report, with some grades seeing 10-15 percentage Texas point drops in master levels. “I agree ... thatour teachers and our administrators have done a yeoman’s job of through the pandemic, and I am exceptionally proud of that,” board member Ellen Balthazar said. “But I am concerned we may have curriculum gaps. I’m curious as to how we can evaluate where we are with our levels of mastery, and as we develop district and campus improvement plans, how we can regain some of that ground we’ve lost.”
AUSTIN ISD
1137 1109
DRIPPING SPRINGS ISD
1194 1194
LEANDER ISD
1122 1094
ROUND ROCK ISD
1169 1141
STATEWIDE
1027 1019
SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
learning is given to students on several topics such as handling stress and anxiety, dealing with peer pressure and setting smart goals. While virtual instruction taught students the value of communicating their needs with teachers, Sealy said teaching students in person has “made all the difference” in allowing her to read facial expressions and gauge the mental state of students. “[The student-teacher relationship] is everything in a classroom, and it impacts how they learn,
what they learn and if they want to learn,” Sealy said. “I think there has been a rewriting of expectations in terms of what is the most important thing right now. Ultimately, if their social and emotional needs aren’t met, then academics are almost impossible.” As part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief III funds are being provided to districts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, safely reopen schools and address
For more information, visit communityimpact.com.
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LAKE TRAVIS - WESTLAKE EDITION • MARCH 2022
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