DISTRICT EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT COUNCIL

Minutes

January 9, 2024

Kevyn Austin, DEIC Co-Chair of the District Education Improvement Council (DEIC) called the meeting to order at 4:15 p.m. and welcomed everyone. 

Dr. Michael Griffin, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, gave a mid-year review of our new district strategic goals and priorities that were adopted this school year. District and campus highlights for each goal were discussed and celebrated as listed below.

Strategic Goal 1 District Highlights:

• Implemented mClass Literacy Assessment and other BOY and MOY assessments. Using assessment data to support campuses and teachers.
• Provided TEKS clarifying documents to support teachers in planning and instruction.
• Providing support with math & science journal writing to support content literacy across all levels.
• Assisting campuses in monitoring students who have/have not met ‘college and career readiness.
• Strategic Goal 1 Campus Highlights:
• Writing in journals across all content areas.
• Student Progress Monitoring (SPM) in journals for each unit.
• Using mClass data to support individualized goal setting for students
• NEF grant for math picture books to promote literacy in math instruction
• PTA initiative -Wise County students will receive a book at home (under age 5)
• CTE-Content literacy articles added to curriculum. Students are annotating articles and writing responses in CTE classes

Strategic Goal 2 District Highlights:

• Created a Welcome Home Conference for teachers new to the district.
• New Teacher Support Specialists, curriculum coaches and teacher mentor programs are supporting our new teachers to NISD.
• Hosted Grow Our Home Academy.
• Continued focus on our compensation plan to recruit and retain our exceptional teachers and staff.
• Designed and offered Professional Learning sessions based on teacher feedback and provided choice to teachers in PD they have engaged in.
• Engaging in Listening Sessions with each campus and their staff.

Strategic Goal 2 Campus Highlights:

• Listening Session - staff felt valued and heard
• Appreciate stipends that were added for UIL coaches at elementary and compensation for covering classes when we don’t have a GE
• Walk-Through Wednesdays - visiting classrooms and showcasing the great things we see in each other’s classrooms
  • Padlet to give positive feedback
• NEF Resource Store has served approx 1000 different staff members:
  • 87,000 supplies/books
• Buddy & Mentor system for paraprofessionals 
• Hump Day Hooray - write notes of encouragement and appreciation to to each other
• Former NISD students returning as student teachers. Excited to be coming back and to see their former teachers

Strategic Goal 3 District Highlights:

• Re-engaged W.A.T.C.H.Dog programs
• District-wide Anti-Bullying initiative with messages, posters, etc.
• Behavior Support Framework initiative with guidance and support from Emergent Tree.
• Student Wellness Ambassadors at secondary.
• Offering Youth Mental Health First Aid training.
• Sharing district information with our community through a newly designed District Dashboard, Facebook Live updates, construction website, etc.
• Implementing Silent Panic Alert System and installation of digital signage across all campuses to enhance  safety measures.

Strategic Goal 3 Campus Highlights:

• Safety officers on campuses - feel safe and enhancing culture on campus
• Parent info nights-cell phone awareness; drugs/alcohol awareness, etc.-very informative
• Counselors Corner - monthly sent through parent square
• PTA outreach and support 
• PTA Council hosted program on fentanyl
• PTA does a lot to help staff feel appreciated & connect with the community 
• Behavior Framework expectations with common language across campus & across district
  • students using the language too
• Reach & Respond to greet students each day
• Calm down corners in classrooms
• Student survey-students saying the feel their teachers care about them with Reach & Respond and other Behavior Support Framework components

Tim Mcclure, Assistant Superintendent for Facilities updated the council on the ongoing growth and construction within our district. Currently the district is tracking 137 new housing developments.  Main priorities for the planning department is to prevent campus overcrowding, maintain student/teacher ratios, minimize future boundary changes, improve efficiency and new campus considerations. Perrin Elementary will be opening this August to alleviate overcrowding at Clara Love, Hatfield and Justin Elementary.  New boundary lines were approved by the Board of Trustees on January 8, 2024.  

Jonathan Pastusek, NISD Chief Financial Officer presented the district's spring budget timeline.  District leaders will have time to evaluate future needs of their campuses and/or departments and make suggestions for next year.  Official budget for the 2024-2025 school year will be adopted at the last board meeting in June.  

Dr. Foust, the Superintendent wanted all committee members and respective staff members to know we will not wait for the state legislatures, NISD will develop a budget to meet our district needs.  Our main priority is to rewrite the teacher payscale.  Dr. Foust stressed the value and importance of the staff listening sessions. 

Anthony Tosie, Executive Director for Communications presented updates on staff listening sessions.  In efforts to make our staff feel heard, staff listening sessions began and will continue over the next few weeks.  Topics that will be discussed include but are not limited to compensation, benefits, retention and district level support.  District leaders will review all data collected at these sessions and determine what changes can be made.  

Dr. Griffin provided closing remarks and opened the floor to any questions.

Co-Chair Kevyn Austin thanked everyone for their time and adjourned the meeting at 5:14 p.m.