2014-15 Fort Worth ISD Annual Report

2014-2015

BUILDING FORT WORTH INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT

A N N UA L RE P O RT

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TABLE OF

CONTENTS 2014-2015 ANNUAL REPORT

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8

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A GREAT TEAM Fort Worth ISD Board of Education Interim Superintendent Dr. Patricia Linares

INCOMING SUPERINTENDENT Fort Worth ISD welcomes Dr. Kent Scribner to our family

IMPORTANT NUMBERS Our numbers also tell a story

12

20

24

ACHIEVEMENT Celebrated students and more

FWISD EDUCATOR FEATURE Heather Walker and Lee Ann O’Loughlin

FWISD EDUCATOR FEATURE Joseph Cato and Regina Maldonado

32

40

42

EFFICIENCY District decisions, directions, and investments

FWISD EDUCATOR FEATURE Thomas Lopez and Ebony McDonald

CONNECTING Partnerships that help our students excel

50

56

60

FWISD EDUCATOR FEATURE Brian Smith and Ryan Peterson

FWISD EDUCATOR FEATURE Julie Fowler and Bechetta Jackson

SERVICE We’re out to win over everyone with our customer service

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70

76

FWISD EDUCATOR FEATURE Mario Razo and Maria Ceron

LOOKING AHEAD What’s in the works for 2015 - 2016

OUR SCHOOLS List of our campuses

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BOARD OF

EDUCATION

Norman Robbins

Jacinto Ramos Jr.

PRESIDENT, DISTRICT 7 MAY 2014 – MAY 2015

Tobi Jackson

BOARD SECRETARY, DISTRICT 2 MAY 2015-PRESENT

Ann Sutherland

PRESIDENT, DISTRICT 1 MAY 2015 - PRESENT

Christene C. Moss

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT, DISTRICT 3 MAY 2015-PRESENT

BOARD SECRETARY, DISTRICT 6 MAY 2014-MAY 2015

T.A. Sims

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT, DISTRICT 4 MAY 2014-MAY 2015

Matthew Avila DISTRICT 8

Judy Needham DISTRICT 5

Ashley Paz

SECOND VICE PRESIDENT, DISTRICT 9 MAY 2015-PRESENT

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DR. PATRICIA

LINARES I N T E R I M S U P E R I N T E N DE N T This year’s annual report is a testament to the power of relationships in Fort Worth ISD – the connections and partnerships that work in so many ways for the success of our students.

Paramount among them is the teacherstudent relationship.

A recent Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll found that parents consider teachers to be the most trusted and important contact point in their child’s education.

That must be extra true in our District where teachers begin building a rapport with students on the first day of school and also make it their job to connect with families. You will meet some of these teachers in this report and learn just how talented, inspiring, and interesting they are.

I want to thank not only our teachers, but also our students, families, and the multitude of others who made this year so special: amazing principals and staff, counselors, nurses, cafeteria personnel, bus drivers, custodians, maintenance workers, and all other

support staff. I also want to thank our Board of Education for supporting their work. And, as always, we acknowledge the tremendous contributions of our outstanding community partners. We could not do it without them.

As I write this, Dr. Kent Scribner is preparing to become our new superintendent. I congratulate our trustees on their excellent choice, and I congratulate Dr. Scribner for being selected. I know him to be an outstanding leader. He has a wonderful adventure before him and the best people in the world with which to share it. I am proud and honored to have served as interim Superintendent for our great District this school year. As you flip through these pages, you will see the many, many reasons why.

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“I look forward to hitting the ground listening – because you know where the opportunities are and where the challenges are.

I want to learn that from you.”

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DR. KENT P.

SCRIBNER NEW SUPERINTENDENT

Superintendent of the Phoenix Union High School District in Phoenix, Arizona (2008-2015)

Appointed by President Obama to the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics (2011)

Superintendent of the Isaac Elementary School District in Phoenix, Arizona (2003-2008)

Bachelor of Arts, Latin American Studies, Carleton College in Minnesota

Commissioner for the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics

“I DON’T BELIEVE THE JOB OF A LEADER IS TO CREATE FOLLOWERS. I BELIEVE THE JOB OF A LEADER IS TO CREATE LEADERS.”

Master of Education, Counseling Psychology, Temple University Ph.D., Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Arizona State University

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IMPORTANT

NUMBERS 2014-15 OPERATING BUDGET $695,273,881* 2% CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION 3% OTHER INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT 17% 18% DISTRICT OPERATIONS

INSTRUCTION 60%

Our District

Our Schools 2014-2015

ACCREDITATION DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOLS

TOTAL NUMBER OF SCHOOLS TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY SOUTHERN ASSOC. OF COLLEGES & SCHOOLS

TEA DISTRICT RATINGS

MET STANDARD

Transportation

143

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

83

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

26

HIGH SCHOOLS

19

ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS

15

Nutrition Services

NUMBER OF BUSES RUNNING DAILY

382

BREAKFASTS SERVED DAILY

31,147

NUMBER OF BUS ROUTES

1,668

LUNCHES SERVED DAILY

60,727

NUMBER OF STUDENTS TRANSPORTED DAILY

16,727

STUDENTS ELIGIBLE FOR FREE/REDUCED MEALS

66,810

NUMBER OF MILES DRIVEN IN 2013-14

* UNAUDITED

4,188,786

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Our Students

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Ethnic Distribution

TOTAL ENROLLMENT

84,360

CAREER & TECHNICAL EDUCATION

16,233

19.2%

ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED

65,166

77.2%

62.8% 22.7% 11%

25,809

30.6%

2%

GIFTED & TALENTED

7,138

8.5%

1.3%

SPECIAL EDUCATION

6,294

7.5%

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER

0.2% 0.1%

ADDITIONAL ACADEMIC FACTS 2015 NUMBER OF GRADUATES

3,789

2014-2015 SCHOLARSHIP OFFERS

$35,955,875

2014-15 AVG. SAT SCORE

1,240

2014-15 AVG. ACT SCORE

17

HISPANIC

52,963

AFRICAN AMERICAN

19,158

WHITE/ANGLO

9,303

ASIAN

1,650 1,068

2014 STUDENTS TAKING AP EXAMS

5,482

TWO OR MORE RACES

2014 NUMBER OF AP EXAMS TAKEN

10,738

NATIVE AMERICAN

138

2014 STUDENTS TAKING SAT

5,070

PACIFIC ISLANDER

80

TOTAL NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

9,775

Our Employees .6%

2.9% 7.9%

12.3%

51.9%

FULL-TIME TEACHERS

5,218

AUXILIARY STAFF

2,158

PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT

1,268

EDUCATIONAL AIDES

787

CAMPUS ADMINISTRATORS

303

CENTRAL ADMINISTRATORS

42

BEGINNING TEACHER SALARY 24.4%

$47,353

AVG. EXPERIENCE OF TEACHERS

10.4 YEARS

AVG. EXPERIENCE WITH FORT WORTH ISD

8.2 YEARS

AVG. STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO

16:2

ACHIEVEMENT

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GOLD SEAL SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS OF CHOICE

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The Fort Worth ISD Gold Seal Programs and Schools of Choice lead the nation in transforming the classroom experience. Gold Seal gives students and their parents the power of choice – the power to choose courses of study based on personal interests and skills and the job market. Gold Seal Programs and Schools engage students in their learning and excite them about the future.

3,000+

6,019

3,904

NUMBER OF STUDENTS AND FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ATTENDED OUR CHOICES EXPO TO LEARN ABOUT GOLD SEAL

NUMBER OF GOLD SEAL APPLICATIONS RECEIVED IN 2014-2015 (THE NUMBER OF ONLINE APPLICATIONS MORE THAN DOUBLED FROM THE YEAR BEFORE)

NUMBER OF STUDENTS ASSIGNED TO GOLD SEAL SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS OF CHOICE

NEW WORLDS OF LEARNING

• Tarrant County College South/Fort Worth ISD Collegiate High School (our District’s third Early College High School) • Trimble Technical High School Advanced Applied Learning; Theater Arts Production School

• Cum Laude Cole Costello, Kristian Gaytan, Chansen Lake • Certificate of Merit Hugo Ceja • Blue Ribbon Perfect Introductory Latin Hugo Ceja • Achievement Certificates Cristobal Cajero, Stefano Cruz, Riley Knapp, Bryan Mendoza, Tayshaun Smith

We added more Programs and Schools of Choice in 2014-2015, including the highly-anticipated World Languages Institute (WLI). This School of Choice opened its doors to 150 sixth and seventh-graders. WLI students come from Spanish Immersion Programs of Choice and Dual Language Enrichment programs. Others are beginning Spanish learners. All students take Latin and exploratory world languages.

Students in seventh grade begin studying a third language in the spring semester.

Other new Gold Seal offerings included: • Benbrook Middle-High School Benbrook Entrepreneur Student Training; Public Leadership and National Security • Diamond Hill-Jarvis High School DHJ Agricultural Professions • North Side High School Music Excellence Through Mariachi Education; Scholars Academy • Polytechnic High School Automotive Technology • South Hills High School Academy of Teaching and Learning

We also added programs at Monnig Middle School and five elementary schools: Maude Logan, Christene Moss, A.M. Pate, Hazel Harvey Peace, and J.T. Stevens.

IT’S LATIN TO THEM! For the second year in a row, students at our Young Men’s Leadership Academy (YMLA) School of Choice excelled nationally. They won 1st Place Public Middle School at State Latin competition.

Then, at the 2015 National Latin Exam, Hugo Ceja and Miguel Venegas scored perfect papers. Other top prizes included: • Gold Summa Cum Laude Matthew Burgos, Luis Chabes, Jaime Romero, Leo Valenzuela, Miguel Venegas • Silver Cum Laude Juan Menchaca, Kirk Preston, Tecorian Rutherford, Mario Terrell, Alfred Williams • Magna Cum Laude London Zambito

FLYING HIGH A helicopter was delivered to Dunbar High School to call attention to the Aviation Technology Program of Choice. The OH-58 chopper was donated by generous partner Bell Helicopter and will go on display outside the 12,000-square-foot, state-ofthe-art Aviation Maintenance Education Center to be completed at Dunbar in December 2015.

SPANISH IMMERSION MILESTONE Fluent in both Spanish and English, the first cadre of Kindergarten through fifth-grade Gold Seal Spanish Immersion students were promoted from Burton Hill Elementary and Morningside Elementary. Many of them will continue their language studies at the District’s World Languages Institute.

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Golden Grads

Our first full group of Gold Seal graduates — 1,037 of them — received their diplomas in 2015. They left high school with hands-on experience, certifications and licensures, college credits, and the Gold Seal mark of excellence on their diploma.

Among them were 37 students who graduated with associate degrees.

So Many Choices

We’re all about making it easy for families. Our Choices Expo does just that with one-stop Gold Seal shopping to help parents and students find the program or school that’s a perfect fit. Attendance at this year’s Expo at Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center was approximately 3,000. Families visited booths, watched demonstrations, and talked to teachers and students. Many filled out applications on the spot.

Finely Tuned Teaching

The B Sharp Program of Choice at Como Elementary added these high notes: four carefully selected instructors to provide academic instruction infused with music to first, second, and third-grade classes. B Sharp students also receive an additional class to learn about music theory and play the violin, viola, or cello.

FOR THE BIRDS

DAY OF THE GIRL

There’s a better way to see the birds at Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center.

Students from the Paul Laurence Dunbar Young Men’s Leadership Academy put their STEM skills to work and built a new bird blind that allows visitors to view birds without scaring them away.

In September, Audubon will launch the Young Women’s Conservation Leadership program with students from Fort Worth ISD’s Young Women’s Leadership Academy (YWLA). The girls will participate in educational events and outings throughout the year, including an overnight camping trip to the coast.

Young Women’s Leadership Academy (YWLA) students joined Mayor Betsy Price in celebrating the International Day of the Girl. They marched down Main Street to a rally at Sundance Square to call attention to issues that impact young women and to raise money for Girls Inc. of Tarrant County.

YWLA Principal Mia Hall and students join Mayor Price at the International Day of the Girl rally.

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ACCOUNTABILITY PROGRESS

SCHOOLS SHINE Our Young Men’s Leadership Academy (YMLA) received the 2015 Silver National Excellence in Urban Education Award.

Three Fort Worth ISD schools were awarded the Bronze: Charles Nash Elementary School, North Hi Mount Elementary School, and Stripling Middle School. Burton Hill Elementary received an Honor-Roll award. The National Center for Urban School Transformation presents the awards each year to the nation’s highest performing urban schools which meet a strict set of criteria, including rigorous curricula and effective instruction.

Twelve Fort Worth ISD campuses previously rated Improvement Required achieved Met Standard ratings. The 2015 State Accountability results released by the Texas Education Agency showed three fewer Fort Worth ISD campuses (a total of 21 compared to 24 in 2014) rated Improvement Required.

Out of our 129 rated campuses, 108 (84 percent) Met Standard. Additionally, the number of distinctions earned by our campuses rose by 39 to 181.

Here are the 2015 ratings by level: 14 of 15 High Schools (93%) Met Standard 26 of 27 Middle Schools (96%) Met Standard 67 of 85 Elementary Schools (79%) Met Standard 1 of 2 Alternative schools Met Standard

SUPERINTENDENT SCHOLARS The District honored 131 students as Superintendent Scholars. It’s a distinction that places the students in the top echelon of the District. They often hold additional honors such as selection for the National Merit, National Hispanic, and the National Achievement programs, as well as Advanced Placement Scholars.

RIBBON OF DISTINCTION Tie a blue ribbon on Charles Nash Elementary. The U.S. Department of Education named Nash a 2014 Blue Ribbon School. The honor recognizes public and private schools based on their overall academic excellence or progress in closing achievement gaps.

To qualify, schools must also have an economically disadvantaged student population of 40 percent or greater.

Nash was among 25 Texas public schools that received the honor.

AWARD-WINNING PRODUCTIONS

LIFE-SAVING SKILLS

Students in the Gold Seal Broadcast Journalism and Media Technology program and the Advanced Media Program at Southwest High School put on another great showing at SkillsUSA state and advanced to the national contest.

Tatiyana Giddings, LaShonda Green, and Nancy Maradiaga took 1st place in Career Pathways at state and placed 2nd at nationals. David Gibson, Kenneth Nash, Daisha Sipho, and Raven Williams finished in 1st place in Broadcast News Production at state and came in 7th at nationals.

Three Health Science Technology students earned top honors at the National HOSA – Future Health Professionals competition in Anaheim, California. Trimble Technical High School seniors Nahomi Rodriguez and Carolina Velasquez won 1st place in the EMT skills team event. Texas Academy of Biomedical Sciences junior Mariel Schroeder won 2nd place in Research Persuasive Speaking.

Focus on Excellence

Trimble Technical High School photography students excelled in several competitions, including: Black & White Images Exhibition (two 1st place awards), Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) (15 Perfect Score medals; 2 Perfect Score medals at State), and the Skills USA state contest (1st, 2nd, and 3rd place medals and Best of Show).

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NICE SHIRT! Fort Worth ISD and Lockheed Martin awarded 457 Academic Sweatshirts to deserving students.

BIG NIGHT THIS WAY, PLEASE...

More than 5,000 students attended

World language students led tours

the Fort Worth ISD College Night

during the 10th annual Global Gallery

at Amon Carter, Jr. Exhibit Hall

Night at the Kimbell Art Museum.

to talk to representatives from 250 colleges and universities.

LOUD & PROUD Students from 37 elementary schools sang out against bullying at the INOK (It’s Not Okay) rally that was part of the 5th Annual Tarrant County Harambee Festival.

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CREDIT

FORT WORTH ISD STUDENTS EARNED SCHOLARSHIPS TOTALING $35,955,875 IN 2014-2015.

Texas Christian University awarded four-year, full tuition Community Scholarships worth approximately $250,000 to 13 District students.

• Oreoluwa Abimbola South Hills High School • Melina Aguero-Adame South Hills High School • Michael Chau Trimble Technical High School • Hellena Cooper Polytechnic High School • Gloria Cruz Trimble Technical High School • Sunkin Duarte Trimble Technical High School • Essence Flowers Polytechnic High School • Tek Ghimire O.D. Wyatt High School • Emi Gomez South Hills High School • Destinee Hernandez Dunbar High School • Jayla Johnson Dunbar High School • Leosi Kaloso O.D. Wyatt High School • Thomas Jefferson Diamond Hill-Jarvis High School • Jennifer Martinez North Side High School • Brandon Molina Diamond Hill-Jarvis High School • Yenifer Morales Trimble Technical High School • Roshani Niraula South Hills High School • Victor Norris Dunbar High School

• Laura Ortega North Side High School • Vanessa Ortega South Hills High School • Chris Prasai South Hills High School • Caitlin Reed Trimble Technical High School • Caleb Rogers Trimble Technical High School • Armando Romero Trimble Technical High School TCU awarded a Student Engagement & School Completion (SESC) Scholarship to Action Ghimire of O.D. Wyatt. South Hills’s Alejandro Avila earned an SESC Scholarship from Texas Wesleyan University.

Six graduating seniors earned National Merit Scholarships sponsored by colleges and universities. These awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years.

• Elizabeth Anderson Paschal High School, University of Oklahoma • Anna Cook Paschal High School, Texas A&M University • Charles Corder III Arlington Heights High School, Vanderbilt University • Matthew Stone Paschal High School, Texas A&M University • Mary Taylor Paschal High School, University of North Texas

• Eric Tilley Paschal High School, University of Alabama Three Paschal High School students received corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarships.

• Sarah Mockler National Merit Lockheed Martin Academic Scholarship • Edward Q. Nguyen National Merit Lockheed Martin Academic Scholarship • Wellington Lawton Owen National Merit Jerry R. Junkins Memorial Scholarship Nine seniors received Chesapeake Scholarships worth from $2,300 to $17,800 annually for four years: Christopher Keeton, Dunbar; Ris Ma, O.D. Wyatt; Dia Chanell McMillan, Eastern Hills; Raul Moreno, North Side; Susana Murillo, Trimble Technical; Kevin Murphy, Eastern Hills; Ashley Perkins, Polytechnic; Samone Sostand, O.D. Wyatt; Angel Trevino, Trimble Technical.

Three middle school students were awarded Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation $2,500 college scholarships: Savanna Gunn, Monnig Middle; Thu Pham, McLean Middle; Natalie Tran, William James Middle.

On a related note, Fort Worth ISD’s four-year graduation rate increased from 72.1 percent in 2007 to 84.1 percent in 2014.

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ADDING UP

BRAIN FOOD

BANKING ON COLLEGE

The Fort Worth ISD and the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) celebrated the addition of three more District high schools to NMSI’s College Readiness program. The new additions are Arlington Heights, CarterRiverside, and Southwest. The program was initiated last year at North Side and Trimble Technical high schools.

NMSI’s College Readiness programs dramatically increase the number of students taking and achieving qualifying scores on AP exams.

We added more sizzle to the alwaysexciting Fort Worth ISD Whiz Quiz final matches – food! Future chefs from the District’s high school culinary programs (North Side, Paschal, Polytechnic, South Hills, Trimble Tech, and O.D. Wyatt) hit the board room’s kitchen before the matches and prepared gourmet appetizers for audience members. The Southwest High School Jazz Quintet provided great music between rounds. CBS11 meteorologist Jeff Jamison (Western Hills High School, 1995) and Clint Bond, the District’s External and Emergency Communications Director, served as match moderators. But academic action was the main attraction, with Paschal High School, McLean Middle School, and McLean 6th Grade Center coming out on top.

Ten District fifth-graders received early money for college in the form of scholarships from the Mexican American College Education (MACE) Fund. The $500 scholarships – made possible by William Berenson, The Miles Foundation, the family of Rufino Mendoza Sr., and the teachers of Rufino Mendoza Elementary School – were awarded to: • Leadership: Jason Herrera, Christilena Martinez, Kenia Montanez, Tony Rios, and Kevin Rodriguez • Reading: Yesenia Hernandez • Science: Geovanny Botello, Cristable Calderon, Paloma Hernandez, and Nevaeh Vega

THE WRIGHT STUFF For seven weeks, nine engineering students at Dunbar High School researched, sketched, drafted, crafted, and eventually flew a downsized version of the Wright Brothers’ historic 1903 airplane.

The team in Shawn K. Hale’s engineering class used the same design process that the Wright Brothers used. The students designed their model to 1/20th scale and handcrafted from balsa wood each rib, spar, bracing, and the flight controls. Like Orville’s and Wilbur’s first try, the students’ first flight attempt was rocky. On a second try, the plane flew.

A+ FOR ATTENDANCE There’s nothing like having a little extra cash (or the equivalent) in your pocket! Just ask the 50 students at East Handley Elementary School who earned $5 gift cards for perfect attendance the second six weeks of the school year. AT&T, one of the school’s community partners, delivered the cards.

Horatio Alger Award

A total of five Texans received 2015 Horatio Alger National Scholarships, and one of them was our own Trimble Tech High School senior Norberto Martinez.

He will be able to apply the $22,000 scholarship to the University of Texas at Austin where he plans to study aerospace engineering.

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Heather Walker & Lee Ann O’Loughlin

EXTRAORDINARY

VISION ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY TEACHERS OF THE YEAR

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HEATHER WALKER

FIRST-GRADE TEACHER TANGLEWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING MY WAY Every morning each child has the opportunity to share something with the class.

I also share something about myself and my family. We call it 30-Second News. We connect, and that’s very powerful.

THE PAY-OFF I hear about sports, pets, trips, lost teeth, birthdays, and anything students want to talk about. I gain insight into my students’ lives, and we have fewer interruptions during instructional time.

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“ALL CHILDREN NEED TO FEEL SUCCESSFUL IN SOME AREA. BUT THEY ALSO NEED TO KNOW IT’S OKAY NOT TO BE THE BEST AT EVERY ACTIVITY. THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO LEARN FROM MISTAKES AND TRY YOUR BEST.” LEE ANN O’LOUGHLIN

SEVENTH-GRADE ENGLISH TEACHER STRIPLING MIDDLE SCHOOL

RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING MY WAY

“I HAVE LEARNED TO BOLDLY SPEAK UP FOR MY STUDENTS AND PROFESSION. I WANT TO LET EVERYONE KNOW HOW PROUD AND HOW GRATEFUL I AM TO BE A TEACHER.”

I go to their choir concerts, soccer games, and basketball games. I talk to them about what they did over the weekend. It’s about being totally invested in my kids.

WHAT TEACHING HAS TAUGHT ME To be myself. When I started out, I was trying to follow a book, a script, or a professor’s advice. It was only by being my true self that kids connected with me. When you’re honest with them, they’re more honest with you.

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NEXT GENERATION OF STEWARDS

SCIENTIFIC SOLUTIONS From testing the strength of paper towels to figuring out what type of wood burns the fastest, young scientists made interesting discoveries as they prepared for the Elementary Science Investigative Research Fair. The event allowed kids to apply lessons learned in class to real world situations.

Top winners were: • Best Overall Berlin Aguilar, Eric Diaz, Benjamin Tavera, Macie Warren/ George C. Clarke Elementary School • 5th Grade Individual Andrea Jones/ Springdale Elementary School • 5th Grade Team Chris Diaz, Daniel Herrera, Johnny Montoya, Angel Trevino/Sam Rosen Elementary School

LEARNING TO LEAD AND SERVE Our JROTC programs were on the move. A group of cadets participated in a “staff ride” to Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park in Georgia and Tennessee. The Chattanooga region was the site of three significant battles during the Civil War. Students studied the sites beforehand, and while at the park, shared presentations with their fellow students. Highlights of the trip included exploring Lookout Mountain and the Chattanooga National Cemetery and learning from the National Park Service.

The Air Force JROTC from Western Hills High School wrapped up the school year with a six-day trip to Washington, D.C. The trip was funded by a grant from Lockheed Martin Fort Worth with the

A group of Meacham Middle School eighthgraders spent the first week of summer vacation in San Antonio learning how to preserve the world around them. The 15 students attended the Preserve America Youth Summit, which gives young people an opportunity to get out of the classroom to learn about history, archaeology, cultural heritage, and preservation. The students won full scholarships to cover transportation, meals, and lodging.

• 4th Grade Individual Alex Tran/ Riverside ALC • 4th Grade Team Berlin Aguilar, Eric Diaz, Benjamin Tavera, Macie Warren/ George C. Clarke Elementary School • 3rd Grade Individual Jordan Elizalde/Ridglea Hills Elementary School • 3rd Grade Team Kyndall Langford, Payton Vlasow-Gillen/Westpark Elementary School • 2nd Grade Individual Andrea Morales/Riverside ALC • 2nd Grade Team Carmen Cisneros, Khang Do, Kaitlyn Guerra, Anacriss Lopez, Lee Martinez/Alice Carlson ALC

intent to expose students to military history and heritage, build character, and inspire interest in the aerospace industry through Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Using Joint Base Andrews as their base, the 31 students visited many magnificent landmarks, including the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, the National Gallery of Art, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, and Arlington National Cemetery.

JROTC COMMERCIAL “Want a challenge? Come join us,” says a cadet in a 30-second JROTC commercial produced by the Fort Worth ISD. The award-winning video played on the big screen at the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl at TCU and at many District events.

CULTURAL EXCHANGE McLean Middle School students shared their day-to-day lives with three dozen students and teachers from Nagaoka, Japan. They traveled to Fort Worth as part of the Ambassador Middle School program of Fort Worth Sister Cities. The Japanese students attended classes at McLean and the other host schools, Fort Worth Country Day and Trinity Valley School. The visitors stayed in the homes of families from all three schools. Next year, 25 Fort Worth ISD students chosen as Fort Worth Youth Ambassadors will travel to China, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, and Japan.

FINAL REVIEW The threat of spring storms caused the JROTC to abbreviate its Final Review, but it was an impressive showing nevertheless.

This annual tradition recognizes the hard work and accomplishments by cadets during the school year and usually features a full military review. This year’s event consisted mainly of the award ceremony which honored dozens of deserving cadets.

The winners of the annual JROTC intramural competition, Showdown in Cowtown, were: 1ST PLACE OVERALL Carter-Riverside High School 2ND PLACE OVERALL Eastern Hills High School 3RD PLACE OVERALL Dunbar High School

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A VIEW TO HISTORY Lookout Mountain above Chattanooga, Tenn., offers cadets a panoramic view of Civil War battle sites.

THANKFUL FOR SERVICE

A BUSY YEAR

Cadets honored LTC John L.

Cadets leave Camp Rango with skills

Wilkerson, a decorated World War II,

that will serve them throughout life.

Korean, and Vietnam War veteran.

FINAL REVIEW JROTC exercises and drills build self-confidence and communication skills.

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JOSEPH

CATO A.M. PATE ELEMENTARY • FIFTH GRADE MATH TEACHER

RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING MY WAY I grew up in the same area as my students, and that makes it easy to connect. When I ask how they’re doing, they know I really care and they can talk to me.

WHAT TEACHING HAS TAUGHT ME To be real. Students know if you’re faking it.

But if they believe you are sincere and really care about them, they will perform.

“I’M HERE TO INSPIRE AS WELL AS TEACH. MY STUDENTS RECEIVE MOTIVATIONAL MESSAGES EVERY DAY AT THE SAME TIME THEY’RE LEARNING MATH.”

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RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING MY WAY I help coach the cheerleading squad. That way, I get to know girls before they’re actually in fifth grade.

I also have a running club after school and I help coach a baseball team.

WHAT TEACHING HAS TAUGHT ME

“I GREW UP FIVE MINUTES FROM THE SCHOOL WHERE I TEACH. I WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT IF I DID IT, THEY CAN DO IT, TOO.”

To surround myself with positive people on campus.

When you start teaching, you’re really excited. It’s easier to stay positive if you’re around people who inspire and uplift you.

GEORGE C. CLARKE ELEMENTARY FIFTH-GRADE MATH AND LEAD SCIENCE TEACHER

REGINA

MALDONADO

RIVALS IN BLUE The Dunbar Wildcats and the O.D. Wyatt Chaparrals met on the football field early in the 2014 season.

PLAYING TO WIN

BULLDOGS MEAN BUSINESS

Fort Worth ISD athletes and

All three Lady Bulldogs basketball

teams advanced to play-off

teams at Trimble Technical were

competition in just about

District champions: Freshmen Girls,

every sport offered.

Junior Varsity, and Varsity.

STEER SPIRIT The North Side Steers prepare to take the field.

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DOUBLE THREAT Two Trimble Technical High School seniors, LaKendra Bassett and Karrington Brown, became the first two players from the same school to be named to the Texas Girls Coaches Association all-state basketball team.

They also competed in the Texas ShootOut All Star Game in Waco, hosted by the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. LaKendra signed to play basketball for Tyler Junior College. Karrington signed with Nicholls State University.

Extra The Trimble Technical High School Girls Varsity Basketball team won the championship game of the 23rd annual Fort Worth ISD Cowtown Tournament by defeating Cedar Hill High School 61-52.

Erin Backus, a starter on the Trimble Technical girls basketball team, was the Wingstop Scholar Athlete of the Month for February. Erin was also Trimble Tech’s 2015 valedictorian. She will attend the University of Texas at Austin on a $250,000 scholarship.

Western Hills High School sophomore Alexis Hackney won the gold medal in the 100-yard breaststroke at the 5A Region I swim meet in Lubbock.

Zach Cole, a junior at Arlington Heights, earned the silver medal at the 5A-Region I golf tournament in Lubbock. At the state tournament at Lost Pines Golf Club, Zach came in 7th overall out of 72 students.

HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT CHAMPIONS Boys and Girls Cross Country, Arlington Heights Boys and Girls Golf, Arlington Heights Boys and Girls Track, Arlington Heights Volleyball, Arlington Heights, Western Hills

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Davey O’Brien Award

Christine Vonder Haar is not only a great student – she earned a 4.693 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale and was Paschal’s salutatorian – but also a talented basketball player and leader. Her achievements earned her the 2014 Davey O’Brien High School Scholarship Award, presented each year to an outstanding student-athlete in North Texas. With the recognition, Christine received a $30,000 scholarship underwritten

by Higginbotham and Southwest Bank. She will study computer science at MIT.

CREDIT Girls Golf, Paschal Softball, South Hills Team Tennis, South Hills HIGH SCHOOL BI-DISTRICT CHAMPIONS Boys Basketball, Arlington Heights, O.D. Wyatt Football, Arlington Heights Girls Soccer, Arlington Heights HIGH SCHOOL AREA CHAMPIONS Boys Soccer, Diamond Hill-Jarvis, South Hills Girls Soccer, Paschal HIGH SCHOOL REGIONAL QUARTER-FINAL CHAMPIONS Boys Basketball, Dunbar Boys Soccer, North Side HIGH SCHOOL REGIONAL SEMI-FINALS CHAMPIONS Baseball, Arlington Heights Girls Basketball, Trimble Tech HIGH SCHOOL TRACK AND FIELD Regional Gold Medalists/State Qualifiers Diamond Lee, Arlington Heights, 200m Dash Taylor Martin, Dunbar, 100m Dash Tylan Wallace, South Hills, Boys Triple Jump

Regional Silver Medalists/State Qualifiers DeAndrii Bradley, Dunbar, Girls 200m Dash Dunbar Girls, 400m Relay

Dunbar Girls, 800m Relay Arlington Heights Boys, 400m Relay Arlington Heights Boys, 800m Relay Arlington Heights Boys, 1600m Relay Sukyennon Bell, Arlington Heights, Boys Discus Brandon Reasoner, Southwest, 800m Run

Team Standings Arlington Heights, Boys, Region I 5A Runner-Up Dunbar, Girls, 5th place out of 32 teams MIDDLE SCHOOL CITY CHAMPIONS Football, Morningside Volleyball, McLean Boys Basketball, Wedgwood Girls Basketball, McClung Boys Soccer, Rosemont Girls Soccer, J.P. Elder Boys Track, Morningside Girls Track, McLean The J.P. Elder Middle School Yearlings girls soccer team outscored the defending champion McLean Middle School Cardinals by one point to win the Fort Worth ISD 8th Grade Soccer City Championship. In the boys championship game, the Rosemont Middle School Broncos defeated the William James Middle School Bears. The Broncos finished the season undefeated (7-0).

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Transported by Art

Top artwork produced by students in the District’s Fort Worth After School Program beautified city buses during the summer months. The eight winners of the Fort Worth Transportation Authority’s annual “Expressions That Move You” contest were: Jun Wah Le, Poe Reh, and Cung Nei Sang, L. Clifford Davis Elementary School; Diavian Cameron and Julissa Lozano, W.C. Stripling Middle School; and Atlanta Brown, Arlington Heights High School (Grand Prize); Brian Dickson, Young Men’s Leadership Academy (Grand Prize); and Ajaunici Johnson, Arlington Heights High School.

SO ARTSY! Our Fort Worth ISD art students demonstrated their talent and skills throughout the year at many events.

Four District students took top honors at the 2015 Youth Art Month state competition: • Samuel Elizalde, Ridglea Hills Elementary School • Bienvenido Serato, Arlington Heights High School • Minoo Tapper, Western Hills High School

Life after High School

• Sophia Varnell, Alice Carlson Applied Learning Center The Fort Worth ISD High School Art Show at Billingsley Field House featured 2,100 works of art by some very talented students. Top winners received scholarships for college.

Another 1,500 pieces of art went on display at the Middle School Art Show – which was the biggest showing ever. And, the Elementary Art Show featured 4,000 works of art.

Fort Worth Project Search wrapped up its second year with achievements by special needs students transitioning to life beyond high school. The program helps students prepare for jobs and independent living. Six of the ten students in Cohort II had permanent jobs by the end of the school year at Texas Wesleyan University (TWU) and in the community. The program is licensed through Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and is a partnership of Fort Worth ISD, Tarrant County Mental Health and Mental Retardation, Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services, Goodwill Industries of Tarrant County, and TWU.

Both middle school and high school art students enter the Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) each year. This year, 33 Fort Worth ISD students took top honors at the regional event and advanced to the state competition.

The Fort Worth ISD Art Department partnered with the Don’t Mess with Eugene McCray Park community outreach program. Students cleaned the park and also entered the t-shirt art competition. The Young Men’s Leadership Academy won 1st prize.

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ARTISTIC PARTNERS

COMPETITION HIGHLIGHTS

Our partners in the theater community came through with excellent artistic support, as usual. Plaza Theatre Company students collaborated with students and staff at Carter-Riverside High School and Forest Oak Middle School on several productions. Artes de la Rosa Cultural Center for the Arts provided free tickets and question-andanswer sessions with students from Carter-Riverside High School, North Side High School, Polytechnic High School, and Southwest High School.

Southwest High School theater students competed at the state UIL contest in Cross-Examination Policy for the first time.

GALA EVENT The first annual all-district Dance Gala featured dancers from Arlington Heights High School, Carter Riverside High School, Diamond Hill-Jarvis High School, South Hills High School, and O.D. Wyatt High School.

Students from Western Hills High School won theater scholarships to Oklahoma City University and Southwestern University.

Students from Southwest High School and the World Languages Institute won awards at the Stolen Shakespeare Guild’s festival.

GREASE IS THE NAME South Hills High School staged its first musical, Grease, complete with band, choir, orchestra, and dance departments.

Students from Rosemont 6th Grade Center were treated to one of the performances.

LEAPS AND BOUNDS IN P.E.

MAYOR’S CHALLENGE

Fort Worth ISD had 3 percent more students in the BMI (Body Mass Index) healthy zone. That’s an increase of 1,000 students from the previous year. Health and Physical Education Director Georgi Roberts praised the District’s Coordinated Health Program that was launched six years ago to slow obesity and diabetes rates and improve the general health of students.

Mayor Betsy Price cheered Fort Worth ISD students for taking on her fitness challenge. A total of 19,690 students participated in the 2014 Mayor’s Fall Challenge, which measures the amount of time spent exercising. Together they ate 1.5 million servings of fruits and vegetables, drank 4.4 million glasses of water, and put in 18.8 million minutes of physical activity.

The District ramped up Adventure/Outdoor Education classes for many of our high school students. They visited archery ranges and state parks for fishing, camping, hiking, and geocaching, a hide-and-seek game using navigational technology and techniques.

Fancy Footwork

More students than ever took to the dance floor, a great way to have a lot of fun and get fit. Our P.E. department expanded the Dancing Classroom program to 21 schools, allowing more fifth-graders to get a workout while learning ballroom dancing and social etiquette skills.

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Extra

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CREDIT

FORT WORTH ISD STUDENTS MADE AWARD-WINNING MUSIC IN 2014-2015.

CHORAL AND GENERAL MUSIC Texas Music Educators Association All State Choir • Christian Ladinos, Diamond Hill-Jarvis High School • Giovanni Salas, Diamond Hill-Jarvis High School • Wellington Owen, Paschal High School UIL Concert and Sight Reading Sweepstakes • Paschal High School • Young Women’s Leadership Academy (middle school) Polytechnic High School and Southwest High School earned Division 1 ratings in Concert at the UIL contest hosted by Southwest. Applied Learning Academy received a Division 1 for Concert.

Jean McClung Middle School earned a Division 1 for Sight Reading.

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC Texas Music Educators Association AllState • Thomas Banks, Southwest High School • Josiah Butterfield, Southwest High School • Jakab Macias, Paschal High School • Luis Moreno, Southwest High School • Thomas Nyul, Paschal High School • Leonardo Saldivar, Southwest High School • Adam Taber, Western Hills High School • Mary Taylor, Paschal High School • Kevin Wolfskill, Southwest High School

BANDS Sweepstakes (earned a Division 1 in UIL Concert and Sight Reading) • Arlington Heights High School • Paschal High School, Varsity • Southwest High School, NonVarsity • Southwest High School, Varsity • William James Middle School • Leonard Middle School • McLean Middle School, Varsity • Monnig Middle School • Wedgwood Middle School, NonVarsity • Wedgwood Middle School, Varsity Division 1 at UIL Marching Contest • Paschal High School • Southwest High School • Trimble Technical High School • Western Hills High School Divison 1 (Superior) in UIL Concert or Sight Reading • Paschal High School, NonVarsity • Paschal High School, Sub NonVarsity • Trimble Technical High School • J.P. Elder Middle School • Rosemont Middle School • Benbrook Middle-High School • Young Men’s Leadership Academy ORCHESTRAS Sweepstakes (earned a Division 1 in UIL Concert and Sight Reading)

• Paschal High School, Varsity • McLean Middle School, Varsity Division 1 in UIL Concert or Sight Reading • Arlington Heights High School, Varsity • Benbrook Middle-High School Non-Varsity • Paschal High School, Non-Varsity • Southwest High School, Varsity • Western Hills High School, Varsity • Applied Learning Academy, NonVarsity • Daggett Montessori, Non-Varsity • J.P. Elder Middle School, NonVarsity • Handley Middle School, NonVarsity • William James Middle School, Varsity • Rosemont Middle School, Varsity • Wedgwood Middle School, Varsity • Young Women’s Leadership Academy, Non-Varsity The Western Hills High School Wind Ensemble won Outstanding in Class at the Alamo Showcase of Music in San Antonio.

The Arlington Heights High School String Orchestra was named runner-up at the Lone Star Showcase of Music at the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas.

The McLean Middle School Symphonic Band won Best in Class at the Lone Star Showcase of Music at the Murchison Performing Arts Center in Denton.

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MEDLEY OF STUDENTS Why do students love Honor Choir?

They sing great songs, perform on stage, and meet other Honor Choir kids from around the state. This year, Fort Worth ISD Children’s Honor Choir teamed up with choirs from Arlington ISD and Crowley ISD for the Let Music Live Choir Festival. It was held at Trimble Technical High School under the direction of award-winning choral composer/arranger Greg Gilpin. The District also released a tune-filled, fun Honor Choir video hosted by Jackson Scheer, a Daggett Montessori fourth-grader.

ON PARADE District students fell into formation for big parades in January. Seven

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high school bands marched in the 2015 Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo’s annual All-Western Parade.

Five District bands participated in the Greater Fort Worth Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade. Fort Worth ISD JROTC from four high schools and Junior Cadet Corps students from 12 middle schools also took part in the MLK Day celebration.

BY POPULAR DEMAND North Side High School’s Mariachi Espuelas de Plata and an ensemble from the Southwest High School Symphonic Band were invited to the 2015 Midwest Clinic, the largest music conference of its kind in the United States. Mariachi Espuelas

de Plata won 4th place in Division 5A at the Mexican-American School Board Members Associationsponsored Texas State High School Mariachi Festival. The Southwest Jazz Ensemble won Best in Class for Division 5A at the TCU Jazz Festival.

MARIACHI MARATHON Mariachi ensembles from high schools across North Texas competed at the Mariachi Spectacular de Fort Worth XV, hosted by Fort Worth ISD at North Side High School. Special guests included the University of North Texas Mariachi Aguilas and Steve Carrillo of Cobre Mariachi, which performs regularly at EPCOT in Orlando, Florida.

Cool Cats

Students in the Paschal High School Jazz Ensemble took a trip of a lifetime. They performed at the Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, the oldest and most respected jazz concert series in Europe.

The students received the invitation after submitting a professionally produced recording. The group also played at the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris and at the Vienne Jazz Festival in southern France.

The Paschal Jazz Ensemble took Best in Class honors for Division 6A at the TCU Jazz Festival. Paschal High School senior Tom Nyul was selected to the Texas UIL All-State Jazz Band.

March-A-Thon

The Paschal High School Panther Band stepped off from its campus just as the Arlington Heights High School Yellow Jackets Band marched out of the parking lot at the Thomas Place Community Center.

The ensuing March-A-Thon led the bands through neighborhoods until they met up at the Trinity Commons Shopping Center at Hulen and Bellaire for a pep rally and “battle of the bands.” The event serves as a major fundraiser for both bands.

EFFICIENCY

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THE COMMITMENT CONTINUES Major construction projects in the 2013 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) were completed or began taking shape this past year. We had named our informational bond campaign Commitment to Classrooms. The commitment is still strong, as is evidenced by the building underway across the District.

113 NUMBER OF NEW SCHOOL BUSES THAT OUR TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT PURCHASED TO REPLACE AGING ONES

BRAND NEW SCHOOLS With great fanfare, the Fort Worth ISD broke ground for two complete new schools authorized by the CIP: • Westpark Elementary School – 84,400 sq. ft.; $15.6 million; current Westpark school becomes part of Benbrook Middle/High School; opens fall 2016 (featured on left) • Washington Heights Elementary School – 60,000 sq. ft.; $10.5 million; replaces one of the District’s underground schools; opens fall 2016 (featured on right)

NEW LIFE FOR A LANDMARK Coming soon to a Fort Worth landmark — two dynamic academies overwhelmingly approved by voters in the 2013 bond election. The Fort Worth ISD Board of Education voted to remodel the historic I.M. Terrell Elementary School to be the home of

both the Visual and Performing Arts Academy and the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Academy. The $68.4 million renovation will not alter I.M. Terrell’s historical exterior.

BENBROOK GOES BIG Benbrook Middle School began the transition to a larger Benbrook MiddleHigh School campus. The complex will include the nearby Westpark Elementary school, which the CIP will totally renovate in time for fall 2016. The CIP will also build a new 12-classroom addition.

Pre-K Preps

On a March morning, District officials and young children dug in at a groundbreaking ceremony to represent the construction to expand Pre-Kindergarten in Fort Worth ISD. Work got underway at six District schools to provide extra classroom space for the start of school in August 2015: Alice Contreras, Diamond Hill, Greenbriar, Sam Rosen, Springdale, and Woodway elementary schools. Fort Worth ISD Board of Education members used shovels for groundbreaking duties. Their small helpers used trowels.

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STATE OF EDUCATION ADDRESS Students from across the District helped Interim Superintendent Dr. Patricia Linares deliver the State of Education address at the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce’s annual luncheon presented by Chase. Dr. Linares updated the more than 250 guests on our District’s academic success, family and community collaboration programs, commitment to continuous improvement, 2013 Capital Improvement Program, and Gold Seal Schools and Programs of Choice. Students talked about their own education experience, including two recent graduates who are now at Harvard University and the United States Military Academy at West Point.

THE DREAM TEAM Karen Molinar Asst. Superintendent, School Leadership & Learning / Learning Network 1

That’s what interim Superintendent Dr. Patricia Linares calls the men and women who make up her cabinet and work to continuously improve processes and outcomes throughout Fort Worth ISD.

Valerie Carrillo Chief Legal Counsel

CABINET 2014-2015 Michael Sorum Deputy Superintendent, Leadership, Learning & Student Support Services

Carolyne Creel Asst. Superintendent, Curriculum & Professional Development, Acting

Jerry Moore Exec. Director for Administrator Learning

Kyle Davie Chief of Information & Technology

Elsie Schiro Chief Financial Officer

Kevin Greene Exec. Director, Athletics Department

Maria Sheffield Asst. Superintendent, Special Programs

Margaret Balandran Asst. Superintendent, School Leadership & Learning / Learning Network 2

Barbara Griffith Senior Communications Officer

Michael Steinert Asst. Superintendent, Student Support Services

Sherry Breed Chief of Leadership, Learning & Student Support Services

Sharon Meng Asst. Superintendent, Advanced, Accelerated & Innovative Learning

Cherie Washington Asst. Superintendent, School Leadership & Learning / Learning Network 3

Sara Arispe Assoc. Superintendent of Academics & Accountability

Art Cavazos Chief of District Operations

Sammy Monge Chief of Human Capital Management

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163 MILLION GRANTS RECEIVED BY THE FORT WORTH ISD IN 2014-2015 – UP FROM $137 MILLION THE PREVIOUS YEAR

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KNOW THE PLAN

CAMPUS CHECK-IN

Thank goodness we had a solid plan for inclement weather in place this year. Between the heavier than usual winter snow and record-setting spring rainfalls, our Incident Command Team had their work cut out for them. They worked closely with the City of Fort Worth’s Incident Command Team to coordinate the city and District’s plans for early release, late arrival, and closings.

We made all of our elementary schools safer this year by installing and implementing an access card entry system. The security upgrades, which were approved as part of the 2013 bond program, include video surveillance, access entry, visible signage throughout the campus, and visitor check-in system.

More than 6,000 employees at the elementary schools received photo ID badges with access entry rights.

Secondary campuses begin getting the visitor management system next year.

Eastern Hills students are among the first to receive laptops through the DiG iN 1:1 program.

DiG iN 1:1

Fort Worth ISD issued smart new tools for school: laptops. It was the launch of the 1:1 (One to One) program – one laptop for every high school student to allow them to access resources and complete their work whenever and wherever needed.

We began this year with six pilot high schools: Arlington Heights, Dunbar, Eastern Hills, North Side, South Hills, and Western Hills. Distribution to all high schools is expected to be completed

by March 2016. 1:1 is part of the Dig In Initiative, an ongoing effort to empower and engage students by providing the tools they need to be successful.

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DAILY DASHBOARD Principals received a handy new tool to keep tabs on their students’ progress and participation. Our Division of Technology Application Development team developed the Principal Daily Dashboard that provides – at a glance – information on: Student attendance Student discipline Student failures Teacher attendance Campus safety drills Budget summaries

FULLY CHARGED More than 1,000 teachers, administrators, and technology professionals flocked to Western Hills High School, the site of the 10th Annual Fort Worth ISD Technology Conference. They came to get up-tospeed on new innovations and to learn how to integrate them into instruction.

The conference was hosted by our Division of Technology. The keynote speaker was Dean Shareski, Community Manager for Discovery Education Canada and a top tech blogger.

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

IN THE GREEN

The District held 14 Continuous Improvement workshops for employees on topics that included setting goals, implementing leading indicators, and mapping processes. Cross Functional Teams (CFTs) began tackling important District issues that involve multiple departments and functions, including: • Digital Integration • Quality Curriculum and Instruction • Workforce Development • Family and Community Engagement • Acquisition and Retention of Talent • Equity in Achievement

John T. White Elementary School was recognized as one of the most sustainable schools in Texas. The school received TX-CHPS verification, a stringent green school building standard. John T. White is the first TX-CHPS school in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The school, which opened in 2011, was designed for better air quality, lighting, and acoustics, and less water and electricity usage.

CFTs are supported by a Project Manager from the Program Efficiency, Effectiveness and Sustainability Department.

$279,000 REBATE FROM THE DISTRICT’S PROCUREMENT CARD PROGRAM, WHICH SIMPLIFIES PURCHASING PROCESSES AND CUTS DOWN ON THE NUMBER OF CHECKS WRITTEN TO VENDORS

PURCHASING POWER Our Purchasing Department won the Texas Association of School Business Officials Award of Merit for Purchasing Operations for the sixth year. The award recognizes commitment to the “highest professional standards in the acquisition of goods and services.”

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100 YEARS YOUNG Two District schools hit the century mark with a lot of fanfare. At George C. Clarke Elementary School, Ballet Folklorico performed as visitors toured the 1915 building and viewed memorabilia. A slide show told the school’s history. The building was named after George Carson Clarke, a real estate developer and banker who served as president of the school board from 1913-1916. De Zavala Elementary School also turned 100 with a big party. The celebration included Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price. De Zavala, which sits in the Fairmount-Southside Historic District, is an excellent example of a school in the monumental Classical Revival style of architecture.

Young in Spirit

Westcreek Elementary School threw itself a birthday party that was a blast from the past. The theme of the celebration was the 60’s, the decade in which the school was built. There was dancing and music. But the highlight of the event just may have been the hula hoop contest.

ALL SMILES Students cheer the start of construction for the new Westpark Elementary School.

A GREAT PLACE TO LEARN

FUTURE’S SO BRIGHT...

The new Westpark Elementary

A bright, shiny new school is in the

will accommodate 625

near future for Washington Heights

lucky students.

Elementary students.

GROUNDBREAKING Students lend a hand at the Washington Heights groundbreaking.

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THOMAS

LOPEZ DAGGETT MIDDLE SCHOOL SEVENTH AND EIGHTH-GRADE MATH TEACHER

RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING MY WAY I don’t leave relationships to chance.

I deliberately set aside time once or twice a week to have lunch with a different student and talk about soccer or whatever the child is interested in.

WHAT TEACHING HAS TAUGHT ME To never write off a student.

One student, a real challenge, told me he wanted to be smart. I had my doubts, but put him in an honors class. He came early, stayed late, and toughed it out. He ended up being one of my best students.

“MATH IS NOT ALWAYS THE MOST INTERESTING THING IN THE WORLD. SOME DAYS I THINK THE REASON MY STUDENTS ARE WORKING SO HARD IS BECAUSE OF THE RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE BUILT.”

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RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING MY WAY I have students answer a “fun facts” questionnaire at the beginning of the school year. Their answers help shape the lessons. For example, if I know a student loves soccer, I use soccer in a math problem.

If a student likes cats, then we count cats!

WHAT TEACHING HAS TAUGHT ME

“WE ALL WANT SOMEONE TO BELIEVE IN US. I’VE LEARNED THAT HELPING STUDENTS BECOME CONFIDENT LEARNERS IS AS VITAL TO THEIR SUCCESS AS TEACHING THE ACADEMICS.”

To not take myself so seriously. When I started teaching, some people told me not to smile the first day of school. I quickly learned it’s ok to smile. In fact, it’s better to let students know you’re happy to be there and happy to see them.

WESTCLIFF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOURTH-GRADE TEACHER, DUAL LANGUAGE ENRICHMENT (DLE)

EBONY A.

M DONALD C

CONNECTING

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PASS THE POPCORN! We rolled out the red carpet on a warm summer evening for approximately 500 families at a brand new back-to-school event: the Fort Worth ISD Coyote Drive-In Family Movie Night. We treated parents and kids to a free showing of the popular “The Lego Movie” while making sure they had all the information they needed for the upcoming school year. We handed out information packets and answered questions as cars drove in and at the concession area. The movie event “sold out” in just two days.

Family Ties

Two important programs in our Family Communications Department underwent makeovers to better support students and their families. Parent Liaisons became Family Communications Liaisons. With the new name came new duties, such as implementing more social media to build connections. The Volunteer Program utilized a new online application process that checks backgrounds, creates volunteer profiles, and lets applicants know when they’ve been accepted to begin serving students and campuses.

READY (ROSIE) ON THE SET

CAMERA-READY KIDS

Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price, Fire Chief Rudy Jackson, Police Chief Rhonda Robertson, and NBC5 anchor Deborah Ferguson are the newest stars of ReadyRosie, the free videos provided by Fort Worth ISD for parents and caregivers of pre-school children.

ReadyRosie is part of the District’s strategy to make sure all children in our community are ready for school.

Television viewers were in for a treat over several weeks in the spring – our own students excitedly sharing the benefits of Pre-Kindergarten in Fort Worth ISD. The kids were the stars of a District-produced television commercial to get 4-year-olds registered for District-wide Pre-K.

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COMMUNICATIONS CONNECTS Fort Worth ISD was an early adopter of social media and continues to lead the way with one of the most aggressive social media strategies in the country.

Facebook? Twitter? Instagram? Check. Check. Check. Even Vine.

APP-ETITE FOR WEATHER NEWS

14,140 NUMBER OF FWISD MOBILE APP DOWNLOADS THAT HAPPENED AFTER JANUARY 1, 2015

We hit 17,000 new downloads of the Fort Worth ISD Mobile App for the school year. Our goal was 3,000. What accounted for the extra app activity, especially the 14,140 downloads that occurred after January 1? Weather! Parents, students, and staff depended on the District App to keep them informed of closings and delays during late winter storms and spring downpours that went on, and on, and on.

4,300,061 NUMBER OF TELEPHONE, EMAIL, OR TEXT MESSAGES THAT WERE SENT TO PARENTS DURING THE YEAR, AN AVERAGE OF 12.5 MESSAGES PER STUDENT

year-on-year growth / june 2014 - june 2015 FORT WORTH ISD FACEBOOK PAGE LIKES

+41% +5,145

ALL FORT WORTH ISD FACEBOOK PAGES LIKES

FORT WORTH ISD MOBILE APP DOWNLOADS

@FORT WORTH_ISD TWITTER FOLLOWERS

FORT WORTH ISD WEBPAGE VIEWS

+36%

+60%

+66%

+2%

+18,236

+17,578

+5,419

+331,045

CONNECTIONS COUNT More families turned to the Fort Worth ISD Mobile App, website, Facebook page, and all our social media to get the latest information on District-related news and events. Building relationships? Let us count the ways!

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500+ PARTNERSHIPS Our district has the best partners anywhere. They are diverse: businesses, higher education, non-profit organizations, faith-based organizations, neighborhoods, and extraordinary individuals. And they are growing in number. Our Department of Community and Strategic Partnerships continued to connect new partners and campuses. A software system kept track of them all and helped us put resources where they were needed most.

BUS-LOAD OF GOODIES

A LOT TO LIKE

ENCORE

Kroger and its customers made sure our students had the right tools for the job. For one month during the summer, Kroger shoppers contributed $7 for pre-packaged school supply kits. The money paid for more than 40 pallets of school supplies that were shipped to the District warehouse for distribution to students over several weeks.

Fort Worth Nissan’s year-long series of Facebook contests ended in December. There were seven contests to see which schools received the most votes on Fort Worth Nissan’s Facebook page. A total of $10,000 was given away in each contest. Results were calculated based on enrollment percentages. These top winners received $2,000 cash prizes: • Elementary Manuel Jara, Bruce Shulkey, Sam Rosen, Westcliff • Middle McLean 6th Grade, McLean Middle, World Languages Institute • High School North Side, Paschal, Southwest

The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation showered our District once again with a symphony of gifts. New flutes, clarinets, trombones, trumpets, saxophones, violins, and more instruments went to Handley Middle School, Monnig Middle School, Rosemont Middle School, North Side High School, and South Hills High School. These latest gifts bring the value of donations to our District from the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation to more than $465,000.

Search Engines

Moritz Dealerships donated 30 brand new computers to Leonard Middle School. The $20,000 gift coincided with the official opening of the school’s new computer lab.

PAINT AND POLKA DOTS W.J. Turner Elementary students display their artistic talent in their new REAL School Garden.

GARDEN PUP

WATERING

The garden will provide seasons of

The garden will have fruit trees,

hands-on learning and healthy

vegetable beds, a weather station,

doses of fresh air.

and much more.

GARDEN PARTNERS We thank FedEx Office, Miles Foundation, Baylor L. Ageron Trust, C.B. Baird Jr. Foundation, Robert E. and Evelyn McKee Foundation, Elizabeth Toon Charities, and lots of volunteers.

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CATERING BY POLY Students in the Culinary Arts Gold Seal Program at Polytechnic High School whipped up foods for the Red Cross B*A*S*H* to benefit military families.

They worked on a Saturday morning alongside professional chefs at The Capital Grille restaurant in downtown Fort Worth, preparing hors d’oeuvres and desserts. The students later helped served their creations at the B*A*S*H* on the banks of the Trinity River. All proceeds went to the American Red Cross Armed Forces program.

RIGHT ON TARGET

A RELAXING READ

Target put the bull’s-eye on literacy.

The Target Foundation awarded a $125,000 grant to improve reading at 11 Fort Worth ISD elementary schools and get students on track for lifelong learning. The funds will provide tutors, reading materials, and professional development for teachers. Target’s partners in the project include United Way of Tarrant County, Scholastic Inc., Fort Worth Public Library, and the Morningside Children’s Partnership.

It’s easier than ever to get lost in a good book at a few of our elementary and middle schools. United Way of Tarrant County’s new Reading Oasis initiative turned areas of the schools into inviting reading nooks complete with 1,000 books, CD players, books on CDs, and comfy beanbag chairs. These Reading Oasis sponsors are tops in our book: Basic Energy, Cami and John C. Goff, the Lowe Foundation, Pier 1 Imports, and the Rainwater Charitable Foundation.

WHAT DRIVES YOUR DREAM? Students at Diamond Hill-Jarvis High School and South Hills High School answered that question in an essay and won valuable prizes. The contest, sponsored for the third consecutive year by Ford Motor Company, is part of the Ford Driving Dreams Tour, an education initiative that is designed to motivate students to graduate on time and go to college.

Nice Work

We can’t say enough good things about our Distinguished Employers of Fort Worth Teens. The Fort Worth ISD and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce honored the more than 100 employers in 378 locations who help some 2,400 student employees balance work and school in order to graduate. Companies singled out for their commitment included Albertson’s, Main Event, City of Fort Worth, Whataburger, Lowes Home Improvement, Fiesta Mart, Sears, Schlotzsky’s, Six Flags/Hurricane Harbor, Tom Thumb, Walgreen’s, and Fort Worth Museum of Science and History.

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Everyone Loves a MAKEOVER SLIDES RULE Children at South Hills Elementary School love their new playground. They should – the design is based on their own drawings. Once their designs were professionally tweaked, more than 200 volunteers from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, Fort Worth ISD, KABOOM!, and the neighborhood built the playground.

TEACHER APPRECIATION Fidelity Investments volunteers teamed up with students at Morningside Middle School to make a wish come true for campus Teacher of the Year Lakesha Senegal. They built a multi-purpose outdoor classroom that gives Ms. Senegal a creative space for reading lessons. The space includes a gazebo, picnic tables, whiteboard, and gardens.

SWEET M.I.N.T.S.!

The Fort Worth Junior League’s Junior M.I.N.T.S. signed up for a second year of partnering with our District. Ninety M.I.N.T.S. volunteers pledged 50 hours at Eastern Hills Elementary, Western Hills Elementary, Western Hills Primary, and the Young Women’s Leadership Academy.

M.I.N.T.S. stands for mentoring, inspiring, nurturing, tutoring, and supporting.

YUMMY ART One of the cheeriest spots to grab lunch is the cafeteria at South Hi Mount Elementary School, thanks to Christ Chapel Bible Church members Linda Henry and Martha Jones. The artists painted colorful farm scenes that teach kids about the food they eat each day.

The church chose South Hi Mount’s Colt Café as its project this year.

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BRIAN

SMITH SOUTH HILLS HIGH SCHOOL 1:1 EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST

RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING MY WAY I allow my students to speak. They feel more empowered, and I learn their needs. It helps me meet them where they are.

THE PAY-OFF A former student of mine lost both parents by the time he graduated from college. When he got married recently, he asked me to sit where his parents would have sat during his wedding. That made me know that all the extra effort is worth it.

“NO MATTER WHAT JOB I’VE HAD, I’VE ALWAYS TRIED TO SURROUND MYSELF WITH A POWERFUL NETWORK OF PEOPLE INTERESTED IN MY GROWTH. AND THEN I LEARN AS MUCH AS I CAN.”

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RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING MY WAY I let students know that it’s okay to struggle and that when they do struggle, I’m there for them. If you build the bridge, they will cross it.

WHAT TEACHING HAS TAUGHT ME

“AS MUCH AS I THINK I KNOW ABOUT A CONCEPT, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN STUDENTS TEACH ME ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT IT. SO I ALWAYS TRY TO BE OPEN.”

Make yourself available. If a student emails you about a homework question at 7:30 in the evening, why not answer it? This will actually save you time by not having to re-teach the problem the next morning.

BENBROOK MIDDLE-HIGH SCHOOL SIXTH-GRADE MATH TEACHER

RYAN

PETERSON

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FORMER TEAMMATES REUNITED Two men who played football together for the 2009 TCU team that went to the Fiesta Bowl are still friends and still in the game. The friendship led Buffalo Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes to donate $15,000 to the Steers’ football program at North Side High School.

Mr. Hughes’ former teammate, Joseph Turner, is the new head coach there.

The money donated in Mr. Turner’s honor will buy weight room equipment, practice equipment, and other gear.

North Side High School Principal Antonio Martinez, Buffalo Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes, North Side head coach Joseph Turner

ONCE UPON A TALE Once upon a time, NBC5’s Deborah Ferguson and Telemundo 39’s Nancy Leal were reading fairy tales for a Bass Performance Hall project called “Once Upon a Tale.” The two women decided students should provide the animal voices. So, students from Southwest High School and Daggett Montessori joined the project and brought to life – in English and Spanish – characters

Hanging with Kobe

Who gets a personal message from Kobe Bryant, and then gets to coach a Lakers practice? Polytechnic High School sophomore Banks Graham, that’s who! The experience was made possible by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants the wishes of children with serious medical conditions. Poly students cheered as Mr. Bryant appeared on-screen and told the 16-year-old he would be coming to Los Angeles to coach a practice and attend the Washington Wizards vs. Lakers game. Athans Audio Visual and GoVision donated services for the presentation.

in “Three Little Pigs,” “The Little Red Hen,” and other stories. Bass Hall distributed the stories on DVD to District first-graders to coincide with the “Once Upon a Tale” program at the Bass Performance Hall.

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UV4C

SHOW OF UNITY

High school students wanting to help create positive change on campus and in the community led by example. United Voices for Change (UV4C) students fed the hungry, raised money for Fort Worth Firefighter Charities, increased awareness of suicide signs and symptoms, and promoted inclusive campus climates and cultures. They also worked with students at Texas Christian University to spread INOK anti-bullying messages. North Side High School student Xavier Thompson, the president of UV4C, was a finalist for the Young Hearts Matter Award presented by the Texas Council on Family Violence.

Call it a friendly neighborhood get-together for a few hundred people. Students, parents, and supporters met at Dunbar High School in November to learn about new opportunities in the Dunbar Pyramid, including the 1:1 program to provide students with laptops, Universal Pre-K, Gold Seal Programs and Schools of Choice, and the Historic Stop Six Partnership. Glenn Lewis of Linebarger, Goggan Blair & Sampson underwrote dinner.

Other sponsors included Kroger, Foodland Markets, Central Market, Parade of Lights, and ESPN.

TEAM INOK More than 180 students from elementary, middle, and high school campuses participated on the INOK Team in the 19th Annual Victory Over Violence 5K. The INOK team was the largest youth team in the race. The event supports the Women’s Center and efforts to stop domestic violence.

3,513 VISION EXAMS ADMINISTERED

BY NEW MOBILE CLINIC

3,106 PAIRS OF GLASSES GIVEN DISTRICT-WIDE

The Eyes Have It

A new mobile vision clinic made sure our elementary students were seeing clearly. The van includes two optometrist exam lanes, equipment for finishing prescription glasses on-site, and a big selection of brandname eyeglass frames – all at no cost to families. Essilor Vision Foundation and its Kids Vision for Life program manage supplies and operation of the clinic. A $190,000 grant covered the cost of the vehicle. A big stop for the mobile clinic was Kids Vision Fest at the TCC Trinity River campus where more than 800 of our students received glasses.

0000

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10 YEARS OF WALKING Families joined us on our high school athletics tracks for our annual District Walk sponsored by Humana, FBS, Higginbotham, MetLife, Reynold Jones, Texas Life Insurance Company, and United Concordia Dental.

SO ROWDY! Students from Eastern Hills and

MANY THANKS!

Meadowbrook elementary schools

Fidelity employees spruced up

cheered along with Dallas Cowboys

Morningside Middle School and

mascot Rowdy at a pep rally to spread

donated to the school library.

the INOK (It’s Not Okay) anti-

GUITAR HERO Musician and Eastern Hills High alum Donnie Pendleton donated 13 guitars and tuners for a new classical guitar program at his alma mater. He arranged the gift through his record label, Aaron Ave Records, the Chinn Guitar Project, and Competition Music store.

bullying message.

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Major League Reception Texas Rangers pitcher and Fort Worth ISD graduate Yovani Gallardo was the man of the day at La Grave Field on April 2. Fort Worth proclaimed it Yovani Gallardo Day to honor the starting pitcher’s outstanding career.

Mr. Gallardo received presentations from our District, as well as the city, state, Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation, and Mr. Gallardo’s past baseball organizations. Mr. Gallardo graduated from Trimble Technical High School in 2004.

Extra Fidelity Investments chartered buses and paid for sixth-graders at Morningside Middle School to visit the Dallas Arboretum. Fidelity employees also painted the school’s college readiness center, decorated hallways, spruced up the campus, and donated hundreds of dollars to the school library and a fund for school supplies.

Our Board of Education approved a plan to buy new pianos for school auditoriums and classrooms. Steinway & Sons Company/Clavier Group helped deliver the first of the pianos. The instruments will accompany the District’s Keys to Success curriculum, which provides piano training to enrich education.

CREDIT Fort Worth ISD, Edward J. Briscoe Elementary School, and the Morningside Children’s Partnership put on the Parenting Is a Big Deal Workshop. Parents learned new skills and techniques to help their children be successful learners and leaders.

An Eastern Hills graduate, landscaper Brian Perry, showed his Highlander Pride by donating a new garden surrounding the campus front entry.

The State Board of Education recognized a 10-year volunteer at Fort Worth ISD – Michael W. Johnston. Mr. Johnston received the Heroes for Children Award in Austin. He is a founding partner of

Johnston Legal Group PC and volunteers at I.M. Terrell Elementary and Paschal High School.

The Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute for Texas awarded our District a $142,218 grant to expand access to services at Fort Worth ISD Family Resource Centers, which provide behavioral and mental health care to District students and their families.

We celebrated the grand opening of our seventh school-based health center, a partnership with JPS HealthNetwork to keep our kids healthy. Our JPS clinics have received 149,253 visits during the past decade.

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JULIE

FOWLER DIAMOND HILL-JARVIS HIGH SCHOOL • LIBRARIAN

“I GET TO KNOW MY KIDS. I GET TO KNOW MY FACULTY. I GET TO KNOW PARENTS. I FIGURE IF I WANT TO MAKE AN IMPACT, I NEED TO KNOW WHAT MAKES THEM TICK.” RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING MY WAY I walk down the hall and try to know every student’s name. I say “good morning” and “how are you?” And, they respond. You don’t get away without talking to me.

WHAT TEACHING HAS TAUGHT ME I want to change lives, and my students give me that opportunity every day. I see them grow. I see them fall. And, I see them get up and keep going. That’s why I do what I do.

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RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING MY WAY I communicate early and often and with all means necessary to connect with parents and students. That means e-mails, phone calls, and even home visits when needed.

MY TIP FOR NEW TEACHERS Make getting to know your students a top priority. Find out what interests them and motivates them. The rapport you build will pay off in unexpected ways.

“TEACHING IS THE TOUGHEST JOB I HAVE EVER HAD, AND

BY FAR THE MOST REWARDING.” EDWARD J. BRISCOE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOURTH-GRADE TEACHER

BECHETTA

JACKSON

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FAMOUS FACES Our Wall of Fame is filling up fast with success story after success story – 152 of them to be exact. We added seven more famous faces this year: MICHAEL AINSWORTH / Eastern Hills, 1983 / Photojournalist for The Dallas Morning News who won the Pulitzer Prize in 2006 for his coverage of Hurricane Katrina MICHAEL ANDREWS / Arlington Heights, 1962 / U.S. Congressman from 1983 to 1994

MARTHA HYER / Arlington Heights, 1941 / Actress who co-starred in Sabrina and earned an Academy Award nomination for her performance in Some Came Running HOPE GARCIA LANCARTE / North Side / Matriarch of the Joe T. Garcia and Esperanza’s restaurant family who ran the businesses for decades

HORATIO PORTER / Polytechnic, 1988 / Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the North Texas Transit Authority and previously the CFO for the City of Fort Worth JEROME “JERRY” THOMAS SR. / I.M. Terrell, 1948 / News anchor and reporter for KTVT-TV, member of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame, and co-founder of La Vida News and Sojourner Truth Theatre Center RALPH SWEARINGIN JR. / Eastern Hills, 1972 / Justice of the Peace for Tarrant County, attorney, former Master Police Officer, graduate of the FBI National Academy, and recipient of the Fort Worth Police Department’s Medal of Valor

Lesson In Courage

Rosemont 6th Grade students have studied the Lost Boys of Sudan for years. But the lesson came alive this year when the school was visited by two men who were among the 20,000 children who fled the Sudanese civil war. Angelo and Santino, who now live in North Texas, told how more than half of the children died on the 1,000 mile journey to Ethiopia and Kenya.

But they also told of perseverance, teamwork, and survival.

GIFT OF COMMUNICATION A generous gift will help dozens of Special Education students better communicate with the world around them. The Stein Family Charitable Trust, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee awarded a $10,000 grant to the District’s Boulevard Heights School and Transition Center. The money will go toward iPads and software for LAMP Words for Life (WFL), which teach and develop language skills for non-verbal students.

MUSICAL AWAKENINGS Know the difference between largo and allegro? Many of our kids can tell you without missing a beat. They’re learning the basics of classical music, including the musical terms for slow and fast tempos, through the Cliburn’s Musical Awakenings program. The program brings a grand piano into 81 elementary schools along with a presentation that includes a guest pianist, interactive games, and gorgeous music.

WELCOMING NEWCOMERS Texas Christian University’s College of Education went out of its way to help students in the District’s International Newcomer Academy (INA) acclimate to life in the United States. In addition to working with students to strengthen their language skills, TCU faculty and students invited INA families to meals and programs to build relationships and bridge cultural gaps.

SPANISH IMMERSION CAMP Fort Worth ISD elementary students had the opportunity to study Spanish from native speakers. Fort Worth Sister Cities partnered with the District to bring two educators and ten university students from Tec de Monterrey University in Toluca, Mexico, to lead lessons at the District’s summer Spanish Immersion camp.

WHEE! LeaderKids Fort Worth planned and constructed a new playground for Dolores Huerta Elementary School.

BRIGHT FUTURE

CURB APPEAL Volunteers from Lockheed Martin

A financial gift from Trinity

engineer a welcoming garden at

Industries sparked the appreciation of students in the Gold Seal Program

S.S. Dillow Elementary.

of Choice in Welding Fabrication and Metal Art at Trimble Tech.

A CAPITAL IDEA With a generous donation from Capital One, Charles Nash Elementary purchased iPads for fourth and fifth grade students.

SERVICE

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HONORED TO TEACH

After a selection process that included interviews and teaching demonstrations, 14 Fort Worth ISD teachers were chosen as the 2014-2015 Academic Chairs for Teaching Excellence. This prestigious program recognizes and rewards exceptional teaching that engages and inspires students. The honorees were feted at a luncheon at the City Club of Fort Worth where they each received a $5,000 honorarium.

This year’s honorees and their sponsors are: • VANESSA ADIA, Benbrook Middle-High School, Devon Energy Chair for Teaching Excellence in Secondary Science • ROGELIO ALFARO, Trimble Technical High School, Crescent Real Estate Chair for Teaching Excellence in Career and Technology Education • JENNIFER ANDREWS-COX, Paschal High School, Sewell Lexus and Infiniti of Fort Worth Chair for Teaching Excellence in Humanities • SARA BARNES, Applied Learning Academy, Freese and Nichols, Inc. Chair for Teaching Excellence in Secondary Mathematics • ALLYSON EATON, Paschal High School, Chase Chair for Teaching Excellence in Secondary English • KIERRA EDGAR, Boulevard Heights, Kroger Chair for Teaching Excellence in Special Education • TODD HEPWORTH, Alice Carlson Applied Learning Center, XTO Energy Chair for Teaching Excellence in Early Childhood Education • RAMON NIÑO, North Side High School, Bayard H. Friedman Chair for Teaching Excellence in Performing Arts • DAVID ORONA, Manuel Jara Elementary School, Angela D. Paulos Chair for Teaching Excellence in Visual Arts • KATHY PETRY, Morningside Elementary School, Outreach Communications Chair for Teaching Excellence in Elementary Reading • STEPHANIE MARIE POE, Cesar Chavez Elementary School, Lockheed Martin Chair for Teaching Excellence in Elementary Math • LESTER SIPMA, George C. Clarke Elementary School, Lockheed Martin Chair for Teaching Excellence in Elementary Science • LAURA WOERNER, South Hills High School, Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP Chair for Teaching Excellence in Health & Physical Education • BRIAN WOODDELL, Trimble Technical High School, RadioShack Chair for Teaching Excellence in Acquisition of Language

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QUEST FOR THE VERY BEST We believe our students deserve a world-class workforce guiding and inspiring them. This year our Human Capital Management Department adopted these new processes to hire and train more top teaching talent: We began staffing schools in spring rather than summer to guarantee a deep pool of qualified applicants for filling vacancies. In March, principals had a pool of 860 qualified candidates, compared to 34 the same time one year earlier. We streamlined the application process and added additional screening exercises.

We launched a series of trainings to help keep great teachers in our classrooms.

We introduced the New Teacher Induction Specialist Pilot Program to give brand new teachers additional help to get their careers off to a confident start.

860 NUMBER OF QUALIFIED APPLICANTS IN MARCH 2015, COMPARED TO 34 AT THE SAME TIME THE PREVIOUS YEAR

Dynamic Duo

Campus surprise parties honored Heather Walker and Lee Ann O’Loughlin shortly after they were named the Fort Worth ISD elementary and secondary Teachers of the Year. District partner Central Market brought balloons, flowers, a big cake, and a really big check – in the amount of $5,000 – to Tanglewood Elementary, where Ms. Walker teaches first grade.

Central Market made a second stop at Stripling Middle School and the seventhgrade English class of Ms. O’Loughlin.

Ms. O’Loughlin went on to be named a 2015 Region 11 Teacher of the Year.

Central Market throws a classroom surprise party for Teachers of the Year Lee Ann O’Loughlin and Heather Walker, much to their students’ delight.

BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW...

Our teachers are a really interesting group outside the classroom, too.

Here are a few examples of rich life experiences teachers brought with them to the classroom this year: • NASA engineer at the time of the Apollo 13 mission – Harry Stotts, Algebra 2, Trimble Technical High School • Wilderness backpacker who completed the Appalachian Trail –

Terry Roach, Spanish, Paschal High School • Inventor and entrepreneur who makes, bottles, and sells fountain pen inks – Lucas Tucker, Chemistry, Texas Academy of Biomedical Sciences • Cancer survivor who makes sure her students are equipped to meet any crisis – Dalynn Cross, Reading, Diamond Hill-Jarvis High School

• Builder of model rockets capable of reaching Mach 1 – Scot Hooper, Engineering, Young Men’s Leaderships Academy • Former state crime scene investigator – Ravi Teague, 4th and 5th grade, Daggett Montessori • Rock climber (bouldering/sport climbing) who camped and climbed for 45 days straight – Desiree Weiche, Biology, Arlington Heights High School

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A LEGEND IN THE HOUSE The crowd was on its feet at the UIL state tournament in San Antonio for legendary Fort Worth ISD basketball coach Robert Hughes. Mr. Hughes was honored at the tournament along with members of his 1965 I.M. Terrell 4A State Championship Team. Mr. Hughes, who went on to coach at Dunbar High School, retired as the all-time most winning high school basketball coach with 1,333 wins.

CAPITOL CELEBRATION Yes, that’s President Obama greeting Fort Worth ISD Interim Superintendent Patricia Linares during a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration at the Washington, D.C., residence of Vice President Joe Biden.

Extra Ronnita Carridine, principal of Morningside Elementary School, was named president of the Texas Elementary Principals Supervisors Association Region 11.

Panther City Masonic Lodge 1188 and the Grand Lodge of Texas presented Ronald Schultze, principal at M.H. Moore Elementary School, with the Community Builder Award. This is the highest honor a Masonic lodge

CREDIT can bestow on someone outside its membership.

Choir director Hans Grim was awarded the Bayard H. Friedman Hero Award for his outstanding choral music work at North Side High School.

Sharon Masoud, school nurse at Benbrook Middle School, was recognized for going the extra mile to keep students healthy. Texas Christian

University and Score A Goal in the Classroom awarded Ms. Masoud the Bayard H. Friedman HERO Award as the most outstanding school nurse in North Texas. The award included a $1,000 honorarium.

Trimble Technical High School photography teacher Shannon Oden was one of five educators in the country asked to serve on the National Education Team for SkillsUSA Photography.

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TOOTING OUR OWN HORN For the second consecutive year, our District earned a Best Communities for Music Education designation. The prestigious distinction is awarded by the NAMM Foundation to schools that demonstrate exceptional efforts to keep music education part of the core curriculum. Our District was one of 388 districts across the country to receive the distinction in 2015.

MAJOR MUSIC GRANT A $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education hits all the right notes. The four-year Etude grant will pay for teachers to take certification training from the Gordon Institute of Music Learning, the Kodaly Approach, Orff-Schulwerk, and El Sistema. The grant will also bring new technology into the classroom to boost students’ musical development and skills. Research shows music literacy improves academic performance.

MY BROTHER’S KEEPER More than 100 community leaders gathered at the My Brother’s Keeper Community Summit hosted by Fort Worth ISD. Participants discussed ways to better support racial equity District-wide. In May 2014, our Board of Education joined other big-city school districts in pledging to improve the academic and social outcomes of boys and young men of color. Twenty-seven District students joined My Brother’s Keeper, which is part of President Obama’s call to improve life outcomes for all young people.

Carter-Riverside High School student Andy Guerrero is part of the Fort Worth ISD’s My Brother’s Keeper student leadership team.

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Mario Pureco Razo & Maria Ceron

A VERY SMART

MATCH HUSBAND AND WIFE AND CAMPUS TEACHERS OF THE YEAR

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MARIO PURECO RAZO PRE-KINDERGARTEN TEACHER, DUAL LANGUAGE ENRICHMENT MITCHELL BOULEVARD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

WHY I LOVE TEACHING It’s great to see how students change during the year. They start off relying on their parents for everything. At the end of the year they can say their ABC’s, navigate the cafeteria – they’re ready for kindergarten.

MY WIFE GETS AN A+ For the warmth she brings to the classroom. She has a smile that immediately puts her students at ease. It makes me wish I had a friendlier face!

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“I DON’T THINK THERE ARE SHORTCUTS TO GOOD TEACHERSTUDENT RELATIONSHIPS. YOU HAVE TO BE CONSISTENT WITH YOUR KIDS, YOU HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOR THE LESSONS, AND YOU HAVE TO LISTEN.” MARIA CERON

THIRD-GRADE TEACHER DUAL LANGUAGE ENRICHMENT GLEN PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING MY WAY

“A TWO-TEACHER HOUSEHOLD IS NICE. WE TRY NOT TO TALK ABOUT SCHOOL TOO MUCH, BUT IT’S HELPFUL TO DISCUSS A WORK SITUATION WITH SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS. WE LEARN FROM EACH OTHER.”

I am honest with my students from the first day of school. They know they can talk to me about any problem.

Because of that trust, I have very few discipline problems.

MY HUSBAND GETS AN A+ For his ability to organize.

Mario is very good at preparing and prioritizing at the beginning of the school year. That sets him up for success the rest of the year.

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NEW PERSPECTIVES

COUNSELING FOR SUCCESS

Social Studies teachers explored contemporary issues right out of the headlines at forums sponsored by the Dallas-Fort Worth’s World Affairs Council. Speakers included experts on the right to privacy and freedom of the press, Russian politics, and world religions.

Polytechnic High School and Southwest High School each picked up the CREST Award for Counseling Excellence for 2014.

CREST stands for Counselors Reinforcing Excellence for Students in Texas. A total of 56 Texas schools won this year’s award. The award recognizes outstanding comprehensive, data-driven counseling programs that address students’ academic, personal/social, and career development.

It’s Time to Talk

We are committed to addressing the issue of suicide and helping everyone understand their role in trying to prevent it. Following the comprehensive Lifelines: A Suicide Prevention Program, our Student Support Services Department continued training in the school community. So far, 28,409 people have been trained in the Lifelines curriculum, including: 21,087 students 5,721 faculty and staff 3,988 parents/family members

HEALTHY MINDS Our District understands how students’ mental health impacts school climate, attendance, and academic achievement.

More than 200 teachers, administrators, and campus monitors took the eighthour Youth Mental Health First Aid class this year.

28,409 NUMBER OF PEOPLE WE’VE TRAINED IN LIFELINES: A SUICIDE PREVENTION PROGRAM

EARLY AWARENESS A three-year grant to the District from the U.S. Department of Education will expand counseling programs at 12 elementary schools to include a focus on trauma preventative mental health services.

ONE-STOP SHOPPING

ONE TOUGH CUSTOMER

Recent District graduates flocked to the Fort Worth ISD Hiring Fair. More than 130 employers representing more than 600 businesses were lined up to meet them. The event is one of the largest employer-attended job fairs in Fort Worth and Tarrant County. Partners in the event include the Fort Worth Chamber, Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber, Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber, Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains, Goodwill Industries of Fort Worth, VolunteerNow, and Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County.

Think Secret Shopper, Fort Worth ISD style. Our Program Efficiency, Effectiveness and Sustainability Department (PE2S) sent “undercover” observers to departments and schools to see how well we were doing on our promise to deliver exceptional service to all customers, internal and external.

Our Customer Service Cross Functional Team made 321 quality checks. The team identified 230 customer service champions among employees.

MAY WE HELP YOU? Actors in the community starred in a District-produced video that drives home our new customer service standards. Our PE2S Department made sure all employees watched the training video, designed to take customer service from average to outstanding.

DEGREES OF SUCCESS

GEARED UP Students received immunizations and school supplies while their parents registered for Parent Portal and Ready Rosie at The Dunbar High School pyramid back-to-school rally.

UT Arlington’s Academic Partnership Program announced it would provide access to online degree programs for Fort Worth ISD employees wanting to further their education.

WE SHOULD MEET The North Hi Mount Elementary PTA hosted its first-ever Community Night, bringing business and community leaders to the school to meet parents and campus administrators.

LOOKING AHEAD

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He’s Hired!

The Fort Worth ISD Board of Education made it official the night of September 8, 2015, voting 9-0 to hire lone finalist Dr. Kent Paredes Scribner as the new permanent superintendent. Dr. Scribner will officially assume his permanent duties on October 15, 2015.

CONSTRUCTION ZONE Look for two large Capital Improvement Program (CIP) projects to get underway. Building begins on Dunbar High School’s Aviation Maintenance and Education Center.

And, the big remodel starts up at I.M. Terrell in January 2016, to make it the home of the new Visual/Performing Arts Academy and STEM Academy.

MILITARY KIDS COUNT! That’s the name of a campaign to identify young students who are connected to our U.S. military personnel. It’s part of the Elementary School Counseling Grant, which provides counseling for students. The program will have excellent support from Cook Children’s Medical Center, the Department of Veteran Affairs in Tarrant County, the Mental Health Association of Tarrant County, the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, and the Recovery Resource Council.

SOMETHING’S AFOOT Athletes and marching bands will be stepping onto new turf at 11 of the District’s high schools. The fields were not part of the final 2013 CIP, but the District found the funds to pay for them. The artificial turf will provide a safer and more durable surface for student activities.

IN WITH THE NEW Make way for the delivery vans! The District will receive new student desks, tables, file cabinets, bookcases, teacher desks, science lab tables, library tables, and chairs — lots of chairs! The purchases are made possible by the 2013 Bond program, which included non-construction items that periodically need refreshing.

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CAREER HIGH NOTE Cindy Burlin, music teacher at Tanglewood Elementary School, was selected as the 2015-16 Bayard H. Friedman Chair for Teaching Excellence in Performing Arts. Performing Arts Fort Worth established the Chair in 1999. The Chair carries the title for one year and receives a $5,000 honorarium. The remaining 12 Chairs will be announced in the fall.

MORE CHOICES

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SELECCIONES

CATALOG

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Wait ‘til you see what’s in the works for Gold Seal Programs and Schools of Choice. We are adding a STEM Preparatory Academy, a Visual and Performing Arts Preparatory Academy, a Junior Cadet Corps (JCC) Leadership Academy, and more. The Choices Expo November 6-7, 2015, will showcase all the Gold Seal offerings and help parents and students apply for the program or school of their choice.

EDUCATOR HONORED The Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School becomes the J. Martin Jacquet Middle School. The new name honors one of the longest-serving principals of Dunbar High School. Mr. Jacquet served 37 years as an educator in our District. He became principal of Dunbar High School in 1957 and continued in that role for 17 years until his retirement.

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SCHOOLS E L E M E N TA RY S C H O O L S

Meadowbrook

Westcliff

Wedgwood

Beal, Harlean

Mendoza, Rufino

Westcreek

Wedgwood 6th

Benbrook

Merrett, Luella

Western Hills

World Languages Institute

Bonnie Brae

Mitchell Boulevard

Western Hills Primary

Young Men's Leadership Academy

Briscoe, Edward J.

Moore, M.H.

Westpark

Young Women's Leadership Academy

Burton Hill

Morningside

White, John. T.

Carlson, Alice ALC

Moss, Christene C.

Williams, Versia L.

HIGH SCHOOLS

Carter Park

Nash, Charles E.

Wilson, Richard

Arlington Heights

Chavez, Cesar

North Hi Mount

Woodway

Benbrook Middle-High

Clarke, George C.

Oakhurst

Worth Heights

Carter-Riverside, Amon

Clayton, Lily B.

Oaklawn

Como

Pate, A.M.

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

Dunbar, P.L.

Como Montessori

Peace, Hazel Harvey

Applied Learning Academy

Eastern Hills

Contreras, Alice D.

Peak, Carroll

Benbrook Middle-High

Marine Creek Collegiate

Daggett, E.M.

Phillips, M.L.

Como Montessori

North Side

Daggett Montessori

Ridglea Hills

Daggett

Paschal, R.L.

Davis, Clifford

Riverside ALC

Daggett Montessori

Polytechnic

De Zavala

Rosemont

Dunbar 6th

South Hills

Diamond Hill

Rosen, Sam

Jacquet, J. Martin

Southwest

Dillow, S.S.

Sagamore Hill

Elder, J.P.

TCC South / Fort Worth ISD Collegiate

East Handley

Sellars, David K.

Forest Oak

Texas Academy of Biomedical Sciences

Eastern Hills

Seminary Hills Park

Glencrest 6th

Trimble Technical

Elliott, Bill J.

Shulkey, Bruce

Handley

Western Hills

Ellis, M.G.

Sims, T.A.

James, William

Wyatt, O.D.

Glen Park

South Hi Mount

Kirkpatrick, Milton L.

Young Men's Leadership Academy

Green, W.M.

South Hills

Leonard

Young Women's Leadership Academy

Greenbriar

Springdale

McClung, Jean

Helbing, H.V.

Stevens, J.T.

McLean, W.P.

OTHER SCHOOLS

Howell, Natha

Sunrise-McMillan

McLean 6th

Boulevard Heights

Hubbard Heights

Tanglewood

Meacham, W.A.

International Newcomer Academy

Huerta, Dolores

Terrell, I.M.

Meadowbrook

Jo Kelly School

Jara, Manuel

Turner, W.J.

Monnig, William

Metro Opportunity School

Kirkpatrick, Milton L.

Van Zandt-Guinn

Morningside

Middle Level Learning Center

Logan, Maude I.

Walton, Maudrie M.

Riverside

Success High School

Lowery Road

Washington Heights

Rosemont

McDonald, Atwood

Waverly Park

Rosemont 6th

McRae, D.

West Handley

Stripling, W.C.

Diamond Hill-Jarvis

This report was produced by the Fort Worth ISD Communications Department.

View the annual report online and watch the companion video “Building Relationships� at www.fwisd.org.