February 1 is the deadline to request compensation for unused leave if you are planning to retire at the end of the 2016 – 2017 school year.
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26 Texas schools nominated for 2017 national Blue Ribbon honors
AUSTIN – The Texas Education Agency today announced the nomination of 26 Texas public schools for national 2017 Blue Ribbon Schools recognition.
Founded in 1982, Blue Ribbon Schools is a U.S. Department of Education program that recognizes public and private elementary, middle and high schools where students perform at very high levels. The nominated schools in Texas include the following:
- Amarillo ISD – Whittier Elementary School
- Banquete ISD – Banquete Elementary School
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Birdville ISD – Smithfield Elementary School
- Dallas ISD – Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy
- Dallas ISD – Dallas Environmental Science Academy
- Dallas ISD – Irma Lerma Rangel Women’s Leadership School
- Edinburg CISD – Austin Elementary School
- Edinburg CISD – Jefferson Elementary School
- El Paso ISD – Green Elementary School
- El Paso ISD – Silva Health Magnet
- Galveston ISD – Austin Middle School
- Gunter ISD – Gunter Elementary School
- Houston ISD – Eastwood Academy
- Houston ISD – Lyons Elementary School
- Jim Ned CISD – Lawn Elementary School
- Judson ISD – Crestview Elementary School
- KIPP Houston – KIPP Shine Prep
- La Porte ISD – Jennie Reid Elementary School
- Laredo ISD – Hector J. Garcia Early College High School
- Los Fresnos ISD – Rancho Verde Elementary School
- Montgomery ISD – Montgomery Intermediate School
- Oakwood ISD – Oakwood Elementary School
- San Antonio ISD – Travis Early College High School
- Whitehouse ISD – Stanton-Smith Elementary School
- Wylie ISD – RF Hartman Elementary School
- Ysleta ISD – Valle Verde Early College High School
All schools that have been nominated for the 2017 honor were selected as exemplary high performing schools as measured by state assessments. Each school has an economically disadvantaged population of 22 percent or greater.
The nominated schools must now complete a rigorous application process through the U.S. Department of Education. Announcements of the national award winners will be made in September 2017. Schools that receive the award are recognized at the Blue Ribbon Schools awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.
RHS Dixie Belle to Dance at Inauguration Celebration
Congratulations to Alyssa Andrews, Richland High School Dixie Belle captain, for being selected to perform with a group at the Black Tie and Boots Inaugural Ball in Washington D.C. This event is sponsored by the Texas State Society of Washington D.C. Alyssa is one of only 25 Texas Dance Educators Association (TDEA) All-State dancers invited to perform at this prestigious event.
2016-2017 ANNUAL 403(b) PLAN NOTICE
TO ALL SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES:
As your 403(b) Plan Administrator, we’d like to make you aware of your eligibility to participate in your employer’s 403(b) retirement plan. The 403(b) plan (often called a “tax-sheltered annuity” or TSA) is a voluntary plan that allows you to defer a portion of your paycheck to a retirement plan. This is a great benefit offered by your employer to help you bridge your retirement income gap and lower your taxes. Under federal tax law, you do not have to pay income taxes on
National Science Teachers Association’s Science and Children Claims and Evidence Publication
Sabrina Dowell, fifth-grade teacher at Mullendore Elementary, was recently published in the National Science Teachers Association’s Science and Children publication. She contributed to the article “Claims and Evidence: Creating opportunities for students to practice speaking and writing about science.” (Used by Permission)
Digital Learning
New Birdville Twitter Chat Slow Chat Challenge: January 10 – 17 … TWEET TO BE ENTERED IN THIS WEEK’S PRIZE DRAWING
A SLOW CHAT:
What is it?
A week long (Tuesday-Tuesday) Twitter chat focused on a specific topic or question.
How does it work?
Throughout this week:
· Tweet your answer to the “I resolve …” question
· Retweet/Quote/Like other “I resolve …” tweets that you like
· Reply to other “I resolve …” tweets to ask questions or share ideas
· Tweet to share photos and examples of things you do throughout the week to make your resolution happen.
BIRDVILLE TUESDAY NIGHT TWITTER CHAT RETURNS JAN. 24 AT 8 p.m.
January 16 Flex Day Information
January 16, 2017
Please submit your flex day request for approval in eduphoria! formspace by January 10
> Flex Day Approval Instructions
If you are not approved for the January 16 flex day, CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR A DAY OF SIOP LEARNING.
*Those who attended the October 10 SIOP training will receive the next level of training
BISD Staff and Families,
On Friday, Jan. 6, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) will release provisional A–F ratings for districts and campuses based on data from the 2015–16 school year as required by HB 2804 passed by the Texas Legislature in 2015.
While Birdville ISD believes that schools and districts should be held accountable for providing the highest quality education for students, we encourage parents and community members to use caution when interpreting these provisional A–F ratings for the following reasons:
- Birdville ISD and all BISD campuses received the highest rating (Met Standard) on the current accountability system. We are proud of our students and teachers for their performance in those areas.
- The A-F rating system is still a work in progress. The TEA will make several changes to the system before the first official ratings are released in August 2018. The current ratings are based on incomplete data from the 2015–16 school year and do not include several components that will be included in the ratings in 2018.
Although an A–F grading system seems simple and understandable to most people, the calculations needed to determine each letter grade are extremely complicated and lack transparency. In fact, TEA did not release information to districts on exactly how the calculations were to be made until December 16, 2016. Therefore, it is recommended that parents and community members keep in mind the work-in-progress nature of the A–F rating system.
- TEA has limited the number of schools and districts that may be rated as A or B. According to this system, the most common rating across the state is a C. Thus, these provisional ratings reflect performance as compared to all other schools, rather than whether or not schools have met certain predetermined standards.
- Ratings for Domains I, II, and III are based entirely on STAAR results. No school’s performance can accurately be reduced to a letter grade based on one test, given on one day. Several problems with administration of STAAR across the state in 2015–2016 have raised questions about the accuracy of scores and validity of test results.
- Ratings for Domain IV for elementary schools are based entirely on the percentage of students who are absent more than 10 percent of the time. Attendance at small schools may be negatively impacted by only a few students who do not attend regularly. For example, the rating for a school of 300 students may drop from a C to an F if only three additional students are chronically absent (i.e., the number of chronically absent students increases from 22 to 25). Because elementary students usually depend on family members to get to school each day, our schools are being rated on a factor that may be beyond their control.
Regardless of the new labeling system, we have high standards in Birdville ISD. The new system will inform us, but it will not define us. Plans are already in place that continue to make us an innovative district that is responsive to the needs of our students. In addition, it is important for us to continue to tell our story of excellence every chance we get.
New Electronic Fyer Communication Tool Called Peachjar
Effective Tuesday, Dec. 13, BISD launched a new electronic flyer communication tool called Peachjar. A Peachjar button was placed on each campus website, so parents, students and staff can easily view, in a digital format, all flyers that are currently in circulation. Families will now receive an email when new flyers are uploaded. Visitors can also click the Peachjar button to view flyers on the website or soon within the mobile app. Appropriate campus staff have completed training and flyers are beginning to circulate.
For additional information on Peachjar, go to www.birdvilleschools.net/peachjar.
This “green” initiative will save our schools tons of paper and reduce copy costs by thousands of dollars. Posting school flyers in this electronic backpack also removes a significant administrative burden from teachers, office staff, and volunteers.
Reminder: Change your Voicemail and Email to Reflect Holiday Break
Before you leave for the holiday break, is your voicemail and email updated?
As we prepare for the holiday break, please make sure all phone messages and out of office emails reflect current information concerning days off and returning dates for your campus or department.
Campus principals need to make sure that the main campus voicemail message reflects pertinent information for your campus.