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Created by the RISD Board of Trustees in 1981, the Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) is made up of a parent representative from each school, the PAC Chairman, the President of the RISD Council of PTAs, the Superintendent, the Superintendent’s Council, and the Board of Trustees. The purpose of PAC is to provide direct access for parents to administrators and school board trustees in order to convey current and accurate information with regard to districtwide concerns.

Richardson ISD Parent Advisory Committee (PAC)

RISD Parent Advisory Council – 4.8.08

Is RISD adequately prepared to address the educational needs of Autistic children? What is the district lacking by way of tools and resources that could otherwise improve such educational needs? Have these tools and resources been budgeted?

Yes, RISD is equipped to address the needs of our entire range of students, from gifted & talented to severely disabled.  The district does not feel it lacks tools, resources, or expertise to productively work with disabled students.

The Special Education Department is specifically budgeted to address the educational needs of students that present significant challenges, and allocates their resources accordingly.

What plans does the district have to increase the number of course options for the class of 2011 and beyond in math and science?

The “4x4” initiative passed by the 80th legislative session starts with this year’s freshmen and mandates they earn four credits of math and four credits of science prior to graduation.  Currently, a student in math must take Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II and one course beyond. For the course beyond, we offer two options, Algebra III or Pre-Calculus.  We also offer Math Models for those students who might need extra preparation for Algebra II, which means a student may take Algebra I, Geometry, Math Models and Algebra II to satisfy the four years of math.

The science requirements for the four years are Biology, Chemistry, Physics and one course beyond. Currently, options for that course beyond are Aquatic Science, Anatomy, Principles of Technology, Research and Design or any of the AP classes in Biology, Chemistry or Physics.

What is the district doing for children with dyslexia after they have completed a program such as Alpha-Phonics? Is there any possibility that American Sign Language (ASL) will be offered at the high school level during the regular school year or summer school?

Students who complete the Alpha-Phonics program may still require an intervention, as indicated by assessment(s) and evaluation.  Such students will enter the intervention that is offered by the district for students that score in the Strategic or Intensive range on DIBELS.  These intervention programs meet the criteria for an intervention for Dyslexia. 

The only ASL course RISD has at present is a one semester elective.  

How many benchmarks and simulations are there for each TAKS test? Are these set by the district or individual schools?  How many hours of classroom teaching are being spent on these practice tests?

In RISD, the benchmarking process is an integral component of our curriculum, and an element that the district feels is a core component of our success.

With the exception of the DIBELS benchmark which is used to determine a student’s reading level, all benchmarking starts in the middle of October.  During October, RISD benchmarks Reading, Math, and Science because students have received six weeks of instruction and it provides a valuable gauge of how students are learning the curriculum.

The next set of benchmarks occur in December, again falling near the end of the six weeks.  After the holidays, a mid-year DIBELS assessment is taken to determine reading progress and begin benchmarking again at the end of January with Science.

The benchmarks get progressively harder and longer at the beginning of the second semester, with simulations in TAKS-tested areas which help the teachers identify students who need interventions such as tutoring or Saturday School, and also those who are excelling and may need additional challenge.

The benchmark calendar is set by our Elementary Curriculum Department and our spring TAKS data drives when and how we assess.  The benchmarks are actually an assessment of what is being taught in the curriculum daily and are an excellent measure of how well a student is grasping concepts and applying them as needed. 

Given the fact that elementary students are required to have 135 minutes a week of physical activity and 90 minutes comes from PE and the rest is supposed to be made up in recess, how can recess be taken away for behavior or primary reach or TAKS testing? Does RISD have some alternative solutions for consequences?

Texas law provides for a limited number of minutes each day in which to teach all the TEKS required under our state curriculum.  Due to the volume of curriculum that is required by law, if a student participates in extra offerings, the time has to be taken from somewhere.

The district absolutely recognizes the need for students to have physical activity, and has had a committee examine the requirements and offer suggestions as to how to fulfill them within the limited number of minutes available in a school day.

How did RISD come to the decision to add AP Human Geography to the high school freshman list of core classes?  Also, why was pre-AP World Geography dropped from the classes offered?

The College Board made the AP Human Geography course available to high schools in 2001. At that time, the district did not have staff prepared to begin offering it to our students. We now have nine qualified teachers trained and ready, including three on the Berkner campus and two each on the other high school campuses.

The district is excited about this course, because it will be strong preparation for the demanding AP World History course offered at the sophomore level. The new AP Human Geography course is traditionally a college-level, one-semester course that will be taught in RISD as a two-semester class. This lengthening will allow our teachers to cover the seven required concepts and also add the physical geography component that students are required to have in alignment with TEKS. The extended length also allows for a course pace that is less stressful for freshmen, and additionally, it is not essential for students to pass the exam required to earn college credit in order to receive the high school credit for the course.

Why can’t the girls uniforms for track and volleyball be somewhat similar to the ones they use for basketball?  Is any extensive thought given to the uniforms?

RISD uses the same track and volleyball uniforms as those used in other districts around the state.  Uniforms are designed to be appropriate for use in the specific sport being played.

What is the district’s policy regarding high school students who are registered sex offenders? Are they allowed to participate in UIL sports, after school events, etc? If there is a policy, how was it formulated?

This is specifically addressed in the RISD Student Code of Conduct, adopted annually by the RISD Board of Trustees.

It specifies that upon receiving information that a student must register as a sex offender, the student shall be removed from the regular classroom to an appropriate placement, unless the court orders a JJAEP (Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program) placement.

If the student is under any form of court supervision, including probation, community supervision, or parole, the placement will be to either the DAEP (District Alternative Educational Program at Christa McAuliffe Learning Center) or JJAEP for at least one semester.

If the student is not under any form of court supervision, the placement may be to DAEP or JJAEP for one semester or the placement may be in a regular classroom.  The placement may not be in the regular classroom if it is determined that the student’s presence:

1. Threatens the safety of the other students or teachers.
2. Will be detrimental to the educational process.
3. Is not in the best interest of the district’s students.

At the end of the first semester a student’s placement in an alternative educational setting is reviewed by a committee.

How much money is collected annually from cell phone confiscation penalties? How is the money used?

Administrative fees collected when a student violates the rules regarding use of an electronic communications device are deposited into individual campus accounts.  Principals oversee the campus accounts and funds are spent on teacher and student supplies and services.

The amounts collected vary substantially from year to year and campus to campus.

What is the policy on elementary after school quality programs? Who is responsible for setting up an after school program, administering it, hiring staff, setting pricing, funding it, etc?

In the past, and through this year, elementary after-school programs have been provided by several outside organizations at some, but not all, campuses around the district.  The Board if Trustees recently approved a district proposal that will bring all elementary after-school programs in-house beginning next school year (2008-09).  This is something that a number of surrounding districts have already done.

RISD is in the process of hiring a Director of After School Programs, who will administer the programs, hire staff, approve pricing, etc., based on best practices and surrounding districts.

The district took control of the programs for three primary reasons:

• RISD can benefit from the additional revenue the programs generate, rather than outside entities.
• We feel we can establish a stronger link between after-school programming and the curriculum taught during the day.
• The district ultimately wants to expand after-school opportunities to more campuses than currently served.

For 2008-09, RISD will operate at all campuses currently served by an outside provider.  Beginning the following year, the district intends to expand offerings to additional campuses.

How often are actual changes made based on input received from the questions submitted by the Parent Advisory Committee? Is the intent of the PAC meetings primarily to answer questions or to take action on the issues brought forth from parents?

The primary purpose of PAC is to provide RISD parents an opportunity to meet with senior RISD leadership to discuss districtwide issues. RISD values the PAC process and feels it serves to both inform parents and as a tool to help us evaluate the need for change in policy or practice.  It is important to note that PAC has never been intended as a forum for campus-specific questions or discussion.

RISD Parent Advisory Council – 1.22.08

Does RISD have a districtwide program to address bullying in schools?

RISD has several programs in place to educate students and staff about bullying, how to identify it in its different forms, strategies to prevent it, and what steps to take when it does happen.

Every campus must adopt a bully prevention action plan annually.  It outlines what that specific campus will do each year to combat bullying.

The district purchases a bully prevention manual for each campus, and bullying awareness training is available as part of their staff development requirements.

In addition, RISD uses a program called Discovery Health Connection, which covers bullying and a number of additional health and mental health issues.  This program is available to all campuses.

If you are experiencing bullying issues at your child's campus, please report the specifics to the principal or appropriate administrator.  They need to know the specific facts of each incident. This assists the administrator in investigating the issue to his/her fullest ability.

Why does the RISD focus on band instead of a foreign language in elementary school?

Unlike many districts, RISD’s instructional model includes sixth-graders at the elementary level instead of middle school.  In most districts, music instruction begins in sixth grade, the difference being that in RISD, those students are still at an elementary campus.

Beginning music instruction in sixth grade is essential to building quality and competitive fine arts programs at the secondary level, and for many students, offers a co-curricular activity that keeps them engaged in school throughout their secondary career.  The connection between Fine Arts and other co- & extra-curricular activities and academic success is significant and supported by data. 

RISD has offered foreign languages at the elementary level in the past, with mixed interest and success.  Given the expense and time necessary, the district feels foreign language instruction is better suited for middle school.

The AVID Program, which is gaining a foothold at the elementary level in RISD, specifically teaches time management, organization and study habits.  The program is also present at all secondary campuses.

Why isn't BCIS (Business Computer Information Systems) or Spanish I offered at North Junior High when it is offered at West Junior High? 

BCIS is a high school course, and the district only receives funding for the course if offered in grades 9-12 or as part of a magnet program.  West Junior High is a technology magnet campus and BCIS is offered as a course only to students in the technology magnet.

The district offers 12 one-semester courses for technology explorations, which is a focus for Junior High technology.

Spanish I is offered at all junior highs.  A student must earn credit by taking Spanish A in the 7th grade and Spanish B in the 8th grade.  Upon the completion of Spanish A and B, the student is awarded a credit for Spanish I.

As with many elective courses, there must be sufficient student interest each year at each campus for a section to be scheduled.

A student may also earn a math credit in junior high by taking Pre-AP 8th grade math.

RISD will also be offering Health and Communication Applications in junior high, which are semester credit courses.

Our PTA is trying to buy and maintain some sunshade structures for the playground/teachers area and irrigation systems for beautifying the area around the school. Can the process of working with RISD Facility Services to complete the project be made less complicated?

RISD developed a process for evaluating campus projects several years ago, which initially includes completing a one-page document. This allows the district to ensure proposed projects are built to appropriate city code and district construction standards, are sustainable projects using durable materials, do not conflict with existing function and infrastructure at the campus, and are approved by all parties involved. 

This process became necessary since in the past, a number of campus projects were implemented somewhat haphazardly, resulting in inferior quality projects, unmanageable costs to the campus, and/or underutilization. 

The district feels this is reasonable information to request and does not create an undue burden.  Facility Services is always willing to work with each campus/group to address specific requests and issues, but groups should always first work through their respective campus principal.

Do the REACH bus routes or schedules need to be reviewed?  My child gets to REACH after 8:30 a.m., when they are supposed to be there by 8:00 a.m.

None of the individuals associated with REACH transportation or the REACH program at this specific campus are aware of any issue that involves any of the buses being consistently late.  Based on traffic, etc., any bus is going to run early or late from time to time.  One area of confusion may the start time for REACH.  The buses are not scheduled to arrive before 8:10 a.m. at the request of the REACH program.

For specific questions about REACH transportation, please contact terry.mcguffin@risd.org in the Office of Advanced Academic Studies.

Other than the campus cafeteria manager, who is the best person to talk to about school lunches running out of the advertised food for the last classes of the day?

The campus principal is always the best contact for issues involving their specific school.

Parents are always welcome to visit with the cafeteria manager, but they can also direct concerns to roseann.martin@risd.org  - Director Child Nutrition Services for issues involving Child Nutrition. 

Each campus manager estimates the amount of food needed for each day based on their historical production records for each menu item and time of year in order to have appropriate quantities available without wasting food.  Every effort is made to have enough of the advertised menu item; however, there is no way to predict exactly how many students, teachers, and visitors will choose to eat in the cafeteria on a particular day. 

Note: The Child Nutrition supervisor for this campus will contact the manager and review meal planning.

What is RISD’s policy on re-entering a home campus after school hours, but before staff members depart for the day? Are all doors to be locked at 3:00 p.m., with no chance of re-entering to retrieve any lost or forgotten items?

In this day and age, it cannot be overstated how important safety and security is at every campus.  Maintaining secure facilities can, by definition, be inconvenient to the students and staff who are being kept safe, resulting in a balance that RISD must find.

The expectation is that all of the doors except the front doors are locked during the school day, with restricted, monitored access only through the front doors. 

A student or parent entering the building after the end of the school day should enter the building through the front door and check-in with the office.  Such entry is not prohibited, but does require the knowledge and assistance of campus personnel, who have end-of-day duties to complete and may not always be available to monitor the front door after-hours.

The district is working with buildings to develop a plan to allow for notification of the office that a student wants to re-enter the building to retrieve a forgotten item.

It is important to note that after the school day is over, most facilities are used for other purposes, and staff have additional duties to complete, so maintaining security remains critical.

Is RISD exploring the possibility of converting its buses to biofuel?  If so, is there a timeline for this conversion?

All of the buses that run routes for Richardson ISD belong to Dallas County Schools and these buses have been equipped with technology that has reduced emissions by as much as 95 percent over standards in place ten years ago. 

All 2007 model and newer buses have engines that meet or exceed Federal standards and buses older than 2007 have filters installed in the exhaust system that meet these same standards. 

This new technology, along with the new ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) that is in use for all diesel vehicles that serve RISD, has lowered the emissions for nitrous oxide (NOX) by 95 percent and particulate matter by 90 percent. 

Biodiesel fuel has no better emission results than ULSD and costs 30 to 50 cents per gallon more than ULSD.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has chosen to make ULSD required in this area, so the availability of biodiesel fuel is not as great (in other parts of the country the opposite is true). 

With the DFW area being identified as a "Non-attainment Area" in terms of air quality by the EPA, bus emissions is an issue taken very seriously by RISD and its contracted service provider, Dallas County Schools.  We will continue to stay abreast of all available technology to make the vehicles used by RISD safe and environmentally friendly.

At what point is it the responsibility of parents to supply supplies to the classrooms, such as sanitizer, antibacterial wipes, erasers and markers for dry boards?  Are these not things that should be supplied by the district?

Every campus should be submitting school supply lists annually to central administration for approval.

Items such as sanitizer and antibacterial wipes are an individual teacher’s preference and not necessarily something the district asks parents to provide.

Given that, teachers are certainly welcome to request such items from parents or PTA throughout the year, with the understanding these are not core components necessary for instruction, nor should parents feel compelled to provide the items if they feel they are excessive.

Materials necessary for instruction, such as dry erasers and markers, are provided for in each campus budget.

What is the possibility that the calendar will revert back to previous years’ schedules with the first semester ending with the start of winter break? Many parents are unhappy with the first semester lasting through the winter break period with exams coming after winter break.

The calendar is different this year because the Texas Legislature passed a law prohibiting districts to begin classes prior to the 4th week of August.  This caused RISD, and many other districts, to move their calendars back to account for the later start date.  Most school districts opposed the new law, because they felt it’s not in the best academic interest of students.

In January of 2007, RISD administration and the Board of Trustees solicited parent input on calendar options through the district newsletter, website and board meetings.  The option recommended by RISD staff was adopted, and is the current 2008-09 calendar.

Given the start date constraints, RISD feels the current calendar is best academically for students, for two primary reasons:

First, the current calendar has close to an equal number of days in each semester.  Finishing the first semester before winter break would create a substantial imbalance in semester days. 

This is important because RISD offers many one semester courses, and imbalanced semesters would be both unfair to students in those courses, and would also make continuity between courses in a sequence difficult.

Second, one of the critical elements of RISD’s recent academic success is the district’s ability to review performance data for every student throughout the year.  This allows each campus to evaluate which students require academic intervention in enough time for them to recover and still be successful. 

For this to happen, teachers and campus administrators utilize one professional development day intentionally placed approximately every six weeks for this specific purpose.  Scheduling finals prior to winter break would remove RISD’s ability to place these days, as all professional development days would have to occur prior to  the start of school.

Thus far, the district has received mixed reviews on exams after the winter holiday. 

Some parents and staff believe that coming back to school for one week prior to semester exams gives students plenty of time to study and prepare without cramming over the holiday.  They also believe that semester exams are removed from the rush prior to the holidays. Others really liked that we closed out one semester prior to the holidays and started fresh in January. 

The Board will adopt the 2008-09 calendar in February, and will continue to take staff and community input until their February 11 Regular Meeting.  RISD plans to compare exam grades from last year and this year to see if there is a difference.

A handful of other north Texas districts have calendars which complete exams prior to winter break, and parents have questioned whether RISD can do the same.

It’s important to note that every district operates under different priorities, community expectations, history and student populations.  RISD feels the current calendar (working within the less than ideal parameters required by the legislature) is best academically for students.  It’s also important to note that some of those same districts have visited RISD to find out what we are doing to produce such excellent student performance.

Is there any thought to eliminating field questions or other questions that great numbers of students miss on benchmark tests so that the resulting grade will better reflect the students’ actual understanding of the concepts being taught?

To clarify, field questions are not placed on benchmark tests, only on TAKS tests by the Texas Education Agency.  Field questions on TAKS do not count toward the final score, and are a way that TEA can test questions before including them on future tests.

RISD tests students periodically throughout the year to assess how well they are mastering the curriculum.  These are called benchmark tests, and count as a portion student’s final grade.  Benchmark tests are a critical component of RISD’s overall academic success as a district, because they allow teachers and administrators to know how well each individual student is learning, and help educators realize which students are falling behind in specific areas so interventions may be implemented.

Benchmark tests may contain some questions of higher rigor, which help educators understand which students have mastered the material to the point where they can apply critical thinking to problem solving.

RISD regularly reviews benchmark tests to determine appropriate rigor and wording. Parents with questions about specific tests or questions are encouraged to speak with their campus principal.

Westwood Junior High offers a test to 6th graders to be able to take Algebra in 7th grade, if they pass the Algebra test with a 90 or better. In the past two years, I have been told that no one has passed the test. Why do we continue to offer this option at a cost to the district and not change the way we teach math in elementary school? Why don’t we offer an accelerated math class for 5th and 6th graders so that they have a chance to pass a test like this?

For students who may be ahead of their peers mathematically, it’s important to offer options to allow them into more challenging content earlier in their school career.

Westwood is a Math Science Magnet and offers Algebra I to 7th graders who meet the criteria for the course. This includes passing an exam for acceleration of 8th grade mathematics with a passing score of 90+. The exam is 120 questions and covers 7th and 8th grade mathematics (but not algebra).

This is RISD’s second year to offer the exam and students have passed the exam, although not as many as the district would like.

The problem is one of logistics, as the exam is offered in December, which means a 6th grade student would be taking a test covering two and half years of mathematics they have not yet covered.

RISD is working on a way to give the test at the end of the year to encourage a higher success rate.  The district does offer an accelerated math course in the summer for students who want to take PreAP 7th grade math and also offers exams for acceleration in the summer, where success rate is better. 

With the new revisions of the math TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) the district will be working this summer to move more 7th grade topics into the 6th grade. Pre-AP math starts in the 7th grade in RISD, so advanced math classes are not offered in the elementary grades, other than the REACH program which gives the student extra work in critical thinking essential for success in higher mathematics courses.

With the growing number of students diagnosed with Dyslexia, why does RISD not have a special student service specified for this learning disability, with its own budget for materials, needed programs and qualified teachers to teach the programs?

RISD does have a person whose job description includes addressing the identification, placement, and teaching of students with Dyslexia.  The district contact is Nelwyn Shows (nelwyn.shows@risd.org), who is the elementary director of language arts and literacy. 

The district currently has four teachers at the elementary level who teach the Alphaphonics Program lessons and two additional teachers who attend CIT meetings and test students. 

At the secondary level, we have one teacher at every campus who is trained to screen, teach the curriculum, and participate in CIT meetings.  RISD also has a parent support group for parents of Dyslexic students.  There is a budget for supplies such as test materials, tapes, and textbooks. 

A positive element of the interventions which meet the criteria for dyslexia is that they can be taught by a trained paraprofessional, with monitoring from campus and district personnel.

Why is the district spending extra money to teach bilingual classes? What purpose is served through putting a BP/DP (Behavioral/Developmental) class at a magnet school in terms of students deriving benefit from the specialized curriculum?

Bilingual classes are offered in accordance with Texas law.

“Each school district which has an enrollment of 20 or more limited English proficient students in any language classification in the same grade level districtwide shall offer a bilingual education program.  The goal of the bilingual education programs shall be to enable limited English proficient students to become competent in the comprehension, speaking, reading, and composition of the English language through the development of literacy and academic skills in the primary language and English.”  This explanation is taken directly from Chapter 89 of the Texas Education Code. 

Although behavioral or developmental program students have more challenges than students not in those programs, each and every student is capable of learning.  Our mission as a district and as educators is to help each student realize their potential, and behavioral or developmental program students are no different.  They absolutely derive benefit from the magnet curriculum, just in different degrees and ways.

In this instance, the principal requested the programs be present at his campus because he recognizes the benefits of having students with diversity on the campus. 

Because the nature of a magnet campus includes a central location, it also serves students in surrounding schools to not have to travel farther away from their home campus as is absolutely necessary.

Many districts require testing to get into a magnet school. Why does RISD use a lottery system instead of testing?

Magnets that require testing for entry are usually gifted and talented magnets.  None of the RISD magnets are designed as gifted and talented magnets, although all of the opportunities for gifted instruction are available in each of them.  Since our magnets have no academic requirements for entry, RISD uses the lottery because there are usually have more applicants than can be accommodated.

Why are my child’s grades subject to test scores as opposed a daily average of his work? How does this account for students who may have a bad day on test day?

Secondary grades are based on a combination of daily work, quiz grades, projects and major test grades. RISD has a policy that no grade may count more that 25 percent of a student’s six week average.

Academically, the goal of junior high is to prepare students for the high school curriculum, and the goal of high school is to prepare students for college. Students are required to take many tests during junior high and high school, such as semester examinations, benchmark tests, TAKS, PSAT, SAT and ACT just to mention a few.  The ability to prepare for and take a test is something that is critical to success in college, and is a primary reason that meaning and value are placed on testing in junior high and high school.

If a student has a bad day on a test, the teacher will usually work in good faith with the student to earn a better grade through extra work, or give the student another opportunity via retest. Many times students must learn to overcome test anxiety.  Parents are always free to talk with students’ teacher to explain why the student might have experienced a bad test day.

Some parents at my campus have noticed that there are some grade levels and classes in the school with a high number of students, and unacceptable student-teacher ratios. Has this been identified as an issue, if so, where are the students coming from, and what is being done about it?

The state-mandated student-teacher ratio in grades 1 through 4 is 22 to 1.  There is no state requirement for grades 5 and 6, but RISD targets a standard ratio of 28-1, and has for a number of years.

It is a very rare circumstance when the district exceeds the 22-1 ratio, and a waiver must be provided to the state explaining why it was exceeded.  When this does occur, it’s usually when a student moves into a neighborhood, has multiple siblings, and the school may have room for all except one.  Generally, the school agrees that the family needs to stay together in their home school and will exceed a cap to accommodate that. 

Sometimes first time fifth-grade parents are surprised when they see their child’s class has gotten larger than it was in grades 1-4, but for fifth and sixth grade teachers, it is manageable, appropriate and conducive to academic success.

Why does each student no longer receive their own copy of subject books that are brought home to study from?  We were told this year that there is only a class copy of the book.  It is difficult when you are trying to go over graded work (especially in Science, Math and Social Studies) and there isn’t a reference of how it is being taught or a way to study for upcoming tests.

As technology has evolved over the last two decades, so have instructional materials used in a classroom.  Rarely is a textbook the sole source of information anymore, and in many classes, textbooks are a secondary reference. As such, textbooks are now considered just one resource to assist a teacher in teaching the curriculum. 

The state provides the content and standards districts are expected to teach, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), so RISD’s framework for instruction is the curriculum which is electronically available for every teacher.  In this curriculum, various resources are utilized to teach various TEKS and skills.  Some of these resources are leveled readers, wall charts, vocabulary cards, handouts, textbooks, etc. 

Students are assigned a personal textbook if there is one that is current enough to contain material currently being taught.  New textbooks are a substantial expense, which is reimbursed by the state only if districts use a state-adopted text.  Problems arise when the state does not adopt textbooks often enough to reflect changes in the TEKS, so districts must devise alternate materials to remain current.

In the case of math, there has not been a new elementary textbook adopted in 12 years, so all of RISD’s math textbooks at the K-5 grades are outdated, although the selection process to get a new math textbook is finally underway. 

The main focus of this answer is that students and teachers have multiple resources from which to learn and we try to incorporate the best resources to teach a concept.  In many cases, the textbook simply may not be the best.

Teachers are very aware of the need to ensure student access to instructional materials over which they are to be evaluated.  If you feel your child is being tested on material solely covered in a resource to which he/she does not have adequate access, please clarify the situation with your child’s teacher.

Questions Provided By PAC Reps for the October 23rd Meeting

Question 1
What are RISD guidelines/policies as to how/when teachers should respond to parent emails?  Is there such a policy?

There is no policy but there are recommendations.  Each campus administrator addresses this with their staff and may even put something in their campus handbook that states how or when this should occur.  If you have questions regarding specific issues at your campus, please talk to your principal. RISD does ask that teachers not be on their computer during instructional periods or when students need to be monitored.

Question 2
What is the status of, and projected timeline for parent and student online access to student grades?

Student and parent data is currently being "cleaned up" in the district’s new Student Information System to allow a parent to have access to information about all of their children enrolled in RISD with one account and one sign-on.  This will be called Parent Portal, and it is being piloted by RISD employee/parents, during the 2nd and 3rd six weeks.   Input will then be gathered from the pilot and necessary changes made.   Following that, RISD will pilot Parent Portal in three schools, and again gather input and make necessary changes.  Finally, we plan to implement Parent Portal districtwide in March, 2008.

Question 3
What is the current status of the Hamilton Park school?

There are no plans to change the status of Hamilton Park Pacesetter Magnet school.  In the event that the talked-about mass property ownership change occurs in the Hamilton Park neighborhood, RISD will address any possible changes to the school at that time.

Question 4
What is RISD going to do with the property next to Restland Cemetery, on the NE side of Walnut and Greenville? 

Currently, there are no specific plans for the property across from Restland Cemetery.  Several different opportunities exist to develop that property to best suit the needs of our district, and the district is currently exploring the possibility/feasibility of a special events center on that site.

Question 5
Why is Huckleberry Finn no longer being taught in RISD?

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was once on the list to be read/taught at the 7th grade level.  Over the years, a number of complaints were received about using this novel with students of this age level.  Therefore, RISD decided to utilize its literature review process, which is outlined in the Instructional Operating Guide, to determine whether use of Huck Finn should be reconsidered.  RISD’s Director of Library/Media Services chaired a committee which included teachers, administrators, and parents, to look at the efficacy of teaching Huck Finn to 7th graders.  The committee agreed that the language, as well as some of the content, in Huck Finn was a bit strong for 7th grade level.  The recommendation was to make the novel available for students in the libraries, but not to teach it at the 7th grade level.

Question 6
Are there any restrictions on the type of summer camp (i.e. Vacation Bible School and religious based camps) brochures and literature that the PTA can have at their spring “Summer Fun” program for parents to pick up? 

The district does not restrict the type of information the PTAs distribute during meetings that are held on RISD campuses.

Question 7
Many from our school received the welcoming phone call from the auto message system from the Superintendent at the beginning of the year, but those same parents did not receive a call when PWE and other schools were in lockdown due to nearby police activity in September. It would seem this phone system would have been useful during that emergency to let us know not to come up to the school, and to alert us to when the lockdown was over. Was this system used during that emergency and/or will the system be utilized in future emergencies? What other uses will the district phone message system be utilized for in addition to situations like the one in September that affected a number of RISD schools?

The system used at the beginning of school is the new Connect-ED system. RISD is currently in the process of training school personnel and defining individual school lists for notification. While many campuses are already using the system, by the end of the semester, all schools will be ready to communicate to their parents via the Connect-ED system. The system will be utilized to notify parents in any future emergency situations, to report a student's absence from school, or to relay important school information.

The system was not used in the September incidents because it was not yet operational at the campus level.

Question 8
Why doesn’t RISD report a high school senior’s QP weighted GPA to prospective colleges, universities and other scholarship institutions?

RISD reports GPA information to colleges, universities and other scholarship institutions in the manner those entities have requested it be reported.   

Question 9
Due to recent issues related to students and alcohol offenses, it appears that there are not consistent standardized policies regarding drug and alcohol offenses and consequences across the district and between various extra curricular activities even at one campus. Does the district plan on establishing such policies? If so, when and how will those policies be decided? Will parents, students, and community members be allowed input into that process?

The district is in the process of reviewing discipline policies for all extra and co-curricular activity groups.  Students from the Superintendent's Student Advisory Council, group sponsors, and selected parents will be asked for their input as these policies are developed.  The goal is to have guidelines in place for the 2008-09 school year. 

Question 10
The district encourages all students, and particularly seniors, to take a full load (seven periods) each year, as well as to take the most academically rigorous courses they can handle. However, high schools are not offering AP courses in any subject at the senior level during seventh period for the 2007-2008 school year. Why is there this contradiction? And what can be done to address this for the seniors in future years? 

The district does not have enough senior students interested in scheduling AP courses during 7th period.  With the new 4 by 4 requirements, that will change.  RISD parents can expect to see AP course offerings change beginning with the 2008-09 school year.

Question 11
What will the district be doing in the future to better plan/forecast the number of incoming kindergarten students to ensure that the majority, if not all, of students are able to attend their neighborhood school versus being overflowed to schools further from their homes?

Most RISD students attend their neighborhood school. As always, the planning for each school year begins the previous spring with kindergarten round-ups and designated days/times for kindergarten pre-registration.  RISD strongly encourages parents to pre-enroll, and uses that data, demographic data, historical trends and other sources of information to set the initial number of teachers and classrooms needed for the upcoming year.  Without parents pre-enrolling, it is not possible to accurately predict or track the number of students moving into RISD during the summer, or how many children may need to be enrolled from a particular family.  Often a kindergarten student will have older siblings that will require space in other grade levels, and a school may have a slot for one of the children but not for the other.  Therefore, both students are overflowed to the closest possible location so that the family will be in one school.  RISD places a priority on keeping families together, and also considers distance and space at other locations when assigning overflow students.

Question 12
Richardson North Junior High, along with three other junior high campuses, is piloting a new eight class schedule. Will there be a written report on the pilot? Will there be any meeting or focus group with parents, teachers, and students to provide input into the report? Will additional academic class choices be added in second semester for those junior highs that are piloting the new schedule?

The Superintendent's Advisory Council recently received an update on the pilot program being conducted at the three RISD junior high schools where students in 7th and 8th grade have an eight-period day.  All seventh graders take a reading course in addition to their four core subjects of math, science, English/Language Arts, and social studies.   In 8th grade, a reading course is offered for those students who would benefit from additional reading instruction.  Data will be collected throughout the school year and will be carefully studied to determine whether to go districtwide with this program.  A substantial and growing body of research shows that reading instruction for adolescent learners pays high dividends in later years.  The district is committed to developing readers who have the skills and stamina to handle the difficult text required higher-level courses and college.

Any RISD stakeholder is always encouraged to offer feedback regarding any issue. This can be done at the campus, district or board level, through various mediums. The district appreciates and evaluates all feedback.

The principals of the three pilot schools report that they have more students taking high-school credit courses in 8th grade because of the eight period day.  Under consideration for next year, should this program go districtwide, would be to set parameters for elective choices for students.

Question 13
RISD high schools have all the information for athletics on the web - schedules, results, rosters, etc. Is there a possibility of also having this available for our junior high schools?

Currently, high school athletic information is primarily maintained by booster club websites.  However, high school and junior high athletic departments are currently implementing pages on the district's online 'Blackboard' program that will include information on athletic schedules, directions to games, coach's names, game scores, etc.  At this time, student athlete's names cannot be published.  Please watch for information from your school about their athletic pages on Blackboard.

Question 14
What type of training have lower elementary teachers been provided to identify dyslexic students?  What programs are in place to help remediate dyslexic students? Into which “group” is a dyslexic student placed from a RISD administrative perspective?  Who is the Dyslexia Coordinator for RISD?

The Dyslexia Coordinator for RISD is Literacy/ Language Director Nelwyn Shows.  She is responsible for the Language Arts program at the elementary level and also handles dyslexic testing and programming for students identified as dyslexic that are not coded as special education students.  The district offers a core reading program and intervention which addresses all the components that are required for a dyslexia program under Texas Education Code 28.006.  Assessment tools include DIBELS and DRA, and we follow a three tier program which addresses each area for at-risk students.

Instructional programs are offered in small class settings and include reading, writing, and spelling.  Components of instruction for reading include:  phonemic awareness, phonics instruction, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.  The program is individualized, intensive, sequential, and explicit.  Current reading interventions in Richardson include Voyager Passport, Early/Soar to Success, and Texas Scottish Rite Alpha Phonics.  Each of these programs is research-based, and meet all of the criteria necessary under state requirements.  The determination of which program is to be used is made at a Campus Intervention Team meeting after assessment has been completed.  The group or tier the student is placed in depends on what the assessment indicates.

Question 15
What is RISD's protocol or policy for notifying parents about additional educational opportunities, such as the Duke TIP Talent Search, advanced summer programs, or preparing for taking the ACT/SAT pre-test, etc.?

We have at least one counselor on every campus, and they are responsible for obtaining this information and communicating it through the campus newsletter, bulleting board and PTA.  The Tuesday or weekly packet contains information received from various summer programs, after approval through our Student Services office.  

Parents who are interested in such additional opportunities and have not received any information are encouraged to contact their child's counselor.

Question 16
What protocols or policies exist on conducting fundraisers as opposed to just asking parents to contribute financially for a particular cause?

Typically, PTAs or other organizations conduct fundraising events or promotions; it is not done through the district.  Because of the volume of fundraising opportunities, the district does maintain a list of approved fundraising entities that affiliated organizations such as the PTA may utilize.

Question 17
What, if anything, is the district planning to entice back to RISD the hundreds of neighborhood families with children who have departed to private schools, home schooling and/or neighboring districts?

There is no current or substantive data that indicates how many children within RISD boundaries do not attend RISD schools. As a public school, RISD must educate every student who lives in our district. The single most important thing RISD can do is to be an appealing option to all parents is offer an exceptional education. In this regard, RISD continues to be successful by virtually any measure, including being the only "Recognized" district of its size in the metroplex. RISD continually showcases our schools and are proud to publish the accomplishments of our students and school faculties.  We also meet with area realtors and civic groups to educate them about RISD and encourage attendance. 

An updated demographic study is currently underway, which will provide insight regarding how many children residing in the district do not attend RISD schools.  Our goal is to provide a rich, warm learning environment for any student at a successful school.  While we would love to have every child in our district attend an RISD school, we're aware that parents have choices and some prefer other types of schools for their children.  We turn no students away and do our best to make sure all children and their families feel welcome in our schools, as active, engaged parents are a prime contributor to academic success

Question 18
Senate Bill 530 states that 6th through 8th grade students in the state of Texas must have at least 30 minutes of daily physical activity for a least four out of six periods per school year. How will RISD change schedules to meet this new law? 

Because sixth grade is still an elementary grade in RISD, requirements for sixth grade are different than requirements for seventh and eighth grade.  Currently, sixth graders have two 45-minute PE periods every week, and a daily "Take 9" PE program that gives them an additional 45 minutes of exercise per week, which gives our sixth graders the 135 minutes per week required by law. 

For seventh and eighth graders, the law requires students to take physical education for two of the four semesters they are in junior high.  RISD already requires students to take two semesters of physical education in junior high, so no changes are necessary in RISD to comply with the new law. 

Question 19
There was a June 2007 Supreme Court decision on magnet school selection and racial quotas. Will this decision impact RISD’s selection process for any of its magnet schools or other district programs? 

As a public school, the RISD must educate every student who lives in our district and chooses to attend our schools. The district does not use race as a factor in placement of magnet students. 

Question 20
What efforts are being put in place to improve the bus conditions and address the shortage of drivers? Are there any plans to replace old buses?  Have all those who drive buses had background checks done on them, and are they licensed to drive the buses?

RISD contracts with a vendor, Dallas County Schools, to provide most transportation of RISD students. Dallas County Schools replace their buses on a 12 year cycle.  The three routes serving Big Springs Elementary (the impetus for this question), have buses that range from 3 to 8 years old.  At the start of this year, there were some air-conditioning issues with two of these buses, and substitute buses were placed on the routes while repairs were being done.  The substitute buses are older but maintained to the same standards as all of the buses in the Dallas County Schools fleet. 

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