Richardson ISD is set to adopt campus improvement plans for all 49 schools in the district, including targeted plans at schools identified as needing additional support.
Based on accountability scores from the Texas Education Agency, eight campuses will be required to develop Turnaround Plans or Targeted Improvement Plans that incorporate additional strategies, support and resources to improve outcomes at those schools.
The board of trustees discussed the district’s campus improvement plans at the Oct. 15 meeting and is set to officially approve the plans in November.
The overview
The board of trustees is required to approve campus improvement plans annually for all 49 schools. The plans include similar goals and components to the 2026-27 District Improvement Plan, or DIP, including academic growth, staff retention and strengthening instruction, but with strategies tailored to each campus. The board officially approved the DIP Oct. 15.
“[Campus improvement plans are] individualized so that the campus feels like they’re not just implementing what the district is telling them to implement,” Superintendent Tabitha Branum said. “They’re implementing what they know based upon what their teachers and their students need.”
The plans may focus on specific challenges a campus is facing, such as teacher retention, literacy or testing, Branum said.
The Texas Education Agency also requires certain schools to develop targeted and turnaround improvement plans. The agency designates a letter grade for each campus annually, and uses those scores to identify campuses that require additional support.
RISD advanced to a B accountability rating this year after several years of C ratings, but some individual schools fell below the acceptable threshold from the agency. Based on their TEA scores, five campuses will be required to develop a Targeted Improvement Plan and three campuses will be required to develop a Turnaround Plan.
A closer look
Turnaround Plans, or TAPs, are required if a campus has been identified as unacceptable by the TEA for two consecutive years, said Anabel Ruiz, school improvement executive director. TAP is a two-year plan that includes a detailed outline of support for the campus.
Based on the 2025-26 ratings from the TEA, the following three campuses are required to develop a TAP:
Dover Elementary
Liberty Junior High
Skyview Elementary
RISD Academy and Audelia Creek Elementary are currently in year two of their Turnaround Plans, Ruiz said.
Targeted Improvement Plans, or TIPs, are required if a campus has been identified as unacceptable for one year, has been identified as a Comprehensive Support and Intervention campus or participates in certain state grants. A TIP is a one-year program.
Based on the 2025-26 ratings from the TEA, the following five campuses are required to develop a TIP:
Ruiz said Forest Meadow Middle School and Hamilton Park Pacesetter Magnet Elementary School are also required to develop a TIP due to their participation in certain state grants.
How it works
Both TIP and TAP include similar components, starting with establishing campus-specific strategies and providing support and resources for curriculum, instruction and professional development at the school. The plans also include tools to evaluate progress and student outcomes, with regular reviews by district leaders.
Ruiz said RISD Academy and Skyview Elementary School remain particularly “high-focus campuses” for the district.
“I got to visit RISD Academy not too long ago, and I clearly saw the difference,” board trustee Nazlee Burney said. “Strategies are aligned to individual campuses and those needs, and I actually did get to witness some things that I have not seen in any of the other elementary campuses.”
Looking ahead
The board is set to officially approve all campus improvement plans on Nov. 19.
