CONSTRUCTION by the numbers

In April 2014, Dallas ISD trustees approved spending $130 million to fix what they deemed the worst of the district’s facility problems, as well as to overhaul the facilities of new choice schools. Here’s how it impacts schools in our neighborhood:

$25 million $20 million $15 million $10 million $5 million million

“but in middle school, we have to address the social and emotional needs as well as academic needs. They’re going through so many changes personally, as well as with their learning, so we’re trying to address both.”

To that end, Marsh also is rolling out a school-wide focus on “habits of mind,” which Niewinski describes as “scholar skills,” giving students really clear expectations of what it means to do one’s best or to be persistent. Part of this e ort includes a partnership with local nonprofit Momen-

$21.7 million

W.T. White High School: $21.7 million for renovations to the existing building and a 39,000-square-foot addition to relieve overcrowding tous Institute, which specializes in training educators to rebuild students’ social and emotional health. The institute will teach Marsh’s teachers about the developmental changes that a ect their students’ brain and learning.

All of these e orts combined equal “excitement from parents and kids,” Niewinski says.

“When we first announced we received the personalized learning grant, we had several phone calls at the front o ce asking, ‘What’s the process for sending my student to Marsh?’ ” she says.

Construction on all of these projects is expected to begin next summer and finish in time for the 2017-18 school year.

Source: Dallas ISD, as of July 10, 2015

That’s the great thing about Dallas ISD’s choice school model, she says: Anyone zoned to Marsh is automatically in, and anyone wanting to be part of a personalized learning campus can submit a transfer form.

“We’re still a home school,” Niewinski says. “There’s no weeding out process, no test to take.”

Choice: International Baccalaureate, kindergarten through 12th-grade Preston Hollow Elementary nearing the finish, with Franklin Middle School, Hillcrest High School and Kramer Elementary soon to follow

This coming spring, Preston Hollow Elementary expects to be named an o cial International Baccalaureate school after three years of demonstrating its success with the “global thinking, global learning,” curriculum.

Hillcrest High School and Franklin Middle School, where Preston Hollow students will attend, also are embarking on the process and won’t be far behind. Neighborhood school Arthur Kramer Elementary is making e orts toward International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum, too.

The change should reorient these schools in terms of how their students think and how they synergize. East Dallas has seen great suc- experts say. In middle and elementary school, however, IB is a sweeping change across the campus, infusing all classrooms and studies.

“IB moves from a traditional classroom, which is teacher-based, to student–based, student-centered and student-led.” says K.C. Cox, Preston Hollow Elementary’s IB coordinator. “Instead of, ‘Here’s worksheets, here’s what we’re covering today, guys — turn to chapter 7,’ we would have one of our scholars get up and do a lecture or presentation, just like you would see in a college class. It’s not a quiet setting, not a sit-at-your-desk-and-take-notes kind of environment.”

“Scholars” is a term Cox latched onto during his time at two Uplift schools that went through the IB process. The language of IB is intentional and used daily, he says, by everyone from service and personnel sta to parents to students to classroom instructors. “It’s 100 percent buy-in,” Cox says.

It’s also a questioning environment, Cox says. Instructors continue to probe, not letting students o the hook with “I don’t knows.” They want to students to begin asking — and answering — the questions for themselves.

The ultimate goal is to create lifelong learners who continue their education, Cox says, citing a study that children with an IB education are 40 percent more likely to attend a college or university.

“Our zip code over here in DISD is about 3 to 7 percent. It’s not that high,” Cox says. “Anything to o set that and get kids into college would help break the poverty gap.” cess with this model; Woodrow Wilson High School and J.L. Long Middle School both are o cial IB schools, with two of their elementary schools implementing the program this year.

IB doesn’t change what students are taught; it changes how they learn. As the Woodrow IB coordinator puts it, “We’re teaching to think versus just filling students up with rogue knowledge.”

The concept is appealing, especially to educated, middle- and upper-class Dallas families. But the overall idea of creating “global thinkers, global learners” is a bit esoteric. At the high school level, it translates to a rigorous, opt-in diploma track, which isn’t for everyone, IB

The hope is that starting IB early, at the elementary and middle school levels, will give students a better shot at success once they enter IB courses at the high school level. The stakes are high — Hillcrest’s Dallas ISD Trustee, Mike Morath, graduated with an IB diploma from Garland High School that translated to 36 hours of college credit.

Hillcrest mother Debbie Sherrington says the IB momentum provides another strong reason for Preston Hollow and North Dallas families to choose Dallas ISD.

“I hope people will look at it as an opportunity to be able to use their neighborhood school,” Sherrington says. “This is a way to get them in the door to see what we have.”

Baptist

PARK CITIES BAPTIST CHURCH / 3933 Northwest Pky / pcbc.org

Worship & Bible Study 9:15 & 10:45 Traditional, Contemporary, Spanish Speaking / 214.860.1500

WILSHIRE BAPTIST / 4316 Abrams / 214.452.3100

Pastor George A. Mason Ph.D. / Worship 8:30 & 11:00 am

Bible Study 9:40 am / www.wilshirebc.org

Bible Churches

NORTH HIGHLANDS BIBLE CHURCH / www.nhbc.net

Sunday: Lifequest (all ages) 9:00 am / Worship 10:30 am

Wed: Student Ministry 7:00 pm / 9626 Church Road / 214.348.9697

Disciples Of Christ

EAST DALLAS CHRISTIAN CHURCH / 629 N. Peak Street / 214.824.8185

Sunday School 9:30 am / Worship 8:30 am - Chapel 10:50 am - Sanctuary / Rev. Deborah Morgan-Stokes / edcc.org

Lutheran

FIRST UNITED LUTHERAN CHURCH / 6202 E Mockingbird Lane

Sunday Worship Service 10:30 am / Call for class schedule. 214.821.5929 / www.dallaslutheran.org

Methodist

LAKE HIGHLANDS UMC / 9015 Plano Rd. / 214.348.6600 / lhumc.com

Sunday Morning: 9:30 am Sunday School / 10:30 am Coffee

Worship: 8:30 am & 10:50 am Traditional / 10:50 am Contemporary

Unity

UNITY OF DALLAS / A Positive Path for Spiritual Living

6525 Forest Lane, Dallas, TX 75230 / 972.233.7106 / UnityDallas.org

10:30 am Sunday - Celebration Worship Service

UNITY ON GREENVILLE / Your soul is welcome here!

3425 Greenville Ave. / 214.826.5683 / www.dallasunity.org

Sunday Service 11:00 am and Book Study 9:30 am