DATES: February 8 First Day to File for School Trustee

TISD Board Meeting – 5:00 p.m.

February 9THS BB vs. Gilmer – H

February 12 THS BBB vs. Gladewater – H

Reduction in Force: Program Change

· The TISD Board of Trustees will consider a Reduction in Force for Program Change recommendation at the February meeting scheduled for 5:00 p.m. on Monday, February 8. The actual recommendation will read “reduction in force for a program change and the employment areas to be designated as full time choral music position, elementary grades 4 - 6 and secondary 7 -12; and grades 9-12 drivers education.”

· Exposure to fine arts is a strategic goal area, so moving forward choir will continue as an after school program at TPS & TES. Currently TPS & TES students receive choir once a week and participate in an afterschool program. At TMS & THS the full time position would be eliminated. If a qualified applicant can be found, choir will be offered one period a day or as an after school program. These actions will then bring the choir program into compliance with the three efficiencies identified below.

· For an organization to practice continuous improvement, data must be systematically gathered and analyzed for efficiencies. The efficiency analysis contains at least three components – financial efficiency, efficiency of meeting program goal objectives and efficiency of the program addressing strategic emphasis areas in the district.

TISD practices three major continuous improvement loops that are separate but connected. These practices are TISD program evaluation, TISD strategic planning goal setting and TISD CIA process. Program evaluation consists of the 11 major areas of operation in the district that have a set data criteria that is annually measured and evaluated. The TISD strategic planning goal setting is a process that begins after the data from the program evaluation analysis is conducted and areas for improvement are then identified as priority areas for the upcoming year. The data from program evaluation is also used in the CIA process to further develop student academic achievement.

After applying the above methodologies to the fine arts programs in the district (Band, Choir, Art, Theater, Dance) the data has led for several years to discussions on the efficiencies of the music programs. In general, TISD offers music in choir beginning at TPS and band beginning at 6^th grade. The data indicates the following:

o Choir is the only music exposure for students prior to the sixth grade. When participation becomes voluntary at the sixth grade choir has a limited number of students compared to band. (Efficiency of program meeting goal objectives of student participation.)

o Since band has a much larger interest the student body exposure to that curriculum should be considered at earlier grades. In fact, the band program could be offered in the same rotation that choir is offered in the 4^th and 5^th grades. Thus, negating the need for a 4^th & 5^th grade choir instructor. (Financial efficiency.)

o Student competitive participation and finishes has diminished over the past several years. (Efficiency of program meeting goal objectives.)

o These factors combine to lead to considering the feasibility of continuing the staffing pattern of a program that on average attracts 16 THS students, 14 TMS students and 12 6^th grade students, for a total of 42 students; has diminished extra-curricular impact and one full time instructor. (Efficiencies of financial and meeting program goals)

· The same analysis of program evaluation data and efficiencies has led to discussions on the merits of offering drivers education in grades 9 – 12. Driver’s education course work is offered for two periods a day and is not part of the required curriculum. The in car driving curriculum is privately operated outside of the school day on a fee basis. Two of the three efficiencies are being contradicted in this analysis – financial efficiency and efficiency of the program addressing strategic emphasis areas in the district. TISD would continue to contract with a private vendor to offer the driving portion and the classroom portion for a fee.

21^st Century Skills Program

· Attached is a “white paper” from the 21^st Century Fluency Series titled “Teaching for Tomorrow, Teaching Content and Problem Solving Skills.” The paper does a good job of outlining the reasons why TISD is currently reviewing the literature on 21^st century skills and has several committees meeting for recommendations on implementation in 2010-11.

· The world around us is changing drastically with Asia, automation and abundance as described in Daniel Pink’s book “A Whole New Mind.” At the same time our students are digital natives and have grown up in a world dominated by technology in ways that are changing by the minute. To better prepare our students for this new world, new skills are needed for both the student and the teacher. The instructional skills of a teacher must include methodologies that require the student to be creative and problem solve at a rigorous and relevant level, while incorporating the vast array of technology that is ever changing. Are students today prepared for creative thinking and problem solving? Have teachers mastered instructional practices that lead to creative thinking and problem solving? Probably not and that’s why we’ve undertaken this journey for improvement.

ATTACHMENT – 21^ST Century Fluency – Teaching for Tomorrow.pdf 21st Century Fluency - Teaching For Tommorrow.pdf

Dee W. Hartt, Ed. D.

Superintendent

Tatum ISD

(903)947-0161