District officials delivered a presentation on LISD’s Community-Based Accountability System report for the 2023-24 school year at an Oct. 10 board of trustees meeting. The presentation focused on improvements and growth opportunities related to student learning and staff retention.
How it works
LISD's Community-Based Accountability System measures the district’s progress in five key areas outlined it its strategic plan, including:
- Empowered student learning
- Empowered staff
- Impactful family engagement
- Equitable access
- Safe and innovative learning environments
A closer look
Last school year, LISD saw a reduction in staff turnover across the board. Some of the greatest improvements were observed among auxiliary workers, such as transportation and child nutrition services staff. This district employed a variety of recruitment efforts, including job fairs, college visits and alternative certification programs for teachers, said Rachel Mackey, LISD executive director of human resources.
Opportunities for growth included improving compensation and work-life balance, according to the report. About 11% of staff reported that their pay kept pace with the area’s cost of living and 57% said they agreed or strongly agreed that they had a balance between work and their personal life.
Additionally, the presentation addressed students' feedback on teachers' instructional methods.
“Some students expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of teaching they receive, citing a need for different teaching methods; lack of engagement and desiring some teachers to be more respectful and supportive,” according to the presentation.
What else?
Among high school students, the number of industry-based certifications awarded increased from 1,362 to 4,653 from the 2019-20 to 2023-24 school year.
An additional 1,700 AP exams were administered to 500 more students last school year, and the passage rate increased from 72% to 76%, Area Superintendent Kristen Alex said. In 2023, College Board recognized LISD as the Advanced Placement Large District of the Year.
The district has looked to provide students more opportunities to explore their interests through career and technical education, programs of study, and advanced, extra- and co-curricular courses, Alex said.
Moving forward, the district will focus on helping students learn through goal setting, personalized learning plans, and making real world connections to passions and interests that could lead to possible careers, said Chris Clark, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction. Staff will also work collaboratively in teams known as professional learning communities.
Something to note
In previous school years, the district provided an update on its A-F accountability rating from the state, which factors in performance on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness and indicators college, career and military readiness, said Assistant Superintendent of Empowered Learning Brenda Cruz.
For the last two years, however, district courts have blocked the Texas Education Agency from issuing new ratings as school districts have sued the state over proposed changes to its rating system.
“We are not, as a system, anti-accountability," Cruz said. "We are actually looking at many additional measures, many more measures than just our state accountability. We are holding ourselves to a much higher degree.”
Learn more
Click here to read the full Community-Based Accountability System report for the 2023-24 school year.
This year, the district piloted campus-specific reports for Vista Ridge High School, Cedar Park Middle School and Parkside Elementary, and may create more campus reports going forward, Cruz said.
