Celebrating Athletic & Fine Arts Achievements

When we talk about high achievement to students, families, business leaders and community groups, we emphasize that high achievement in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District is not just in the academic area.  Arts and athletics play vital role in students getting a well-rounded education, and doing you best to achieve to your highest potential is important.  

Once again, it was a banner year for our students who participate in our athletic and fine arts programs. We are extremely proud of the trophies, medals, awards and scholarships brought home by our students, coaches and directors to their respective schools and C-FB ISD.

Usually, we recognize our state and national award winners when the athletic and fine arts departments give their annual presentations at our monthly School Board meeting; however, the number of students being recognized was so large last year we divided the student recognition into two segments: one for athletics and one for fine arts. Since the success of both programs continues to grow, we held for the first time a special Fine Arts and Athletic Recognition Celebration on May 17.  On that evening, we honored everyone in athletics and fine arts who received state and national recognition and even international recognition during the 2011-2012 school year.

Our students spend many long hours preparing for their competitions. These young people learn so much through these experiences.  The College Board, an organization that oversees the SAT and Advanced Placement exams, reports that colleges and universities look for applicants who have done more than academic work in high school. In C-FB ISD, our students meet that qualification. They excel inside and outside the classroom.

We know that when students participate in sports and fine arts groups they develop a team spirit and a sense of belonging.  They also learn about the value of fair play, honesty and trustworthiness.  In reality what happens is these groups emphasize our district's seven character values: respect, pride, integrity, service, responsibility, cooperation and citizenship.

In our Fine Arts Department, more than 40 percent of our middle and high school students participate in choir, band or orchestra each year.  Fine art students are in theatre, speech and debate, art, and dance annually as well.

Below is a list of the groups and individuals from the Fine Arts Department recognized on May 17.
May 17 Fine Arts Student Awards List


Below is a list of the students and coaches recognized on May 17 by the Department of Athletics.

C-FB ISD Athletic Accomplishments


We also salute our teachers, directors, and coaches because the lessons, skills and knowledge that they share with their students help them compete at the highest levels.  C-FB ISD continues to have educators recognized in their respective fields for their expertise and their commitment to students.  This year, Creekview's Robert Shepard was inducted into the Texas Association Forensic Hall of Fame for his continued excellence.  Missey Head also from Creekview High School was named the 2012 School Educator of the Year by the Texas Educator Theatre Association.  Congratulations to these outstanding teachers. 

We also had individuals selected as Coaches of the Year. These include: Pierre Barboza, Bunker Hill, Terry Wright, Eric Ognibene, Jon Cleveland, Wendy Bartlett, Stephani Perkins, Kevin Kelson, Barb Bennett, Christina Hicks, Andy Reinberg, Michael Kuban and Drew Maher.  All of these educators are C-FB ISD bright spots.

We have had much success this school year  -- especially in athletics and fine arts. Thank you for your effort, your dedication, your commitment to purpose and your support of our district's goal of high achievement.

You can see the photos from the Recognition Event on May 17, 2012 below.

Photos from May 17 Event

We Need YOU! Become A C-FB Community Ambassador

We are C-FB ISD Proud!

We know there are devoted citizens who believe in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District!  We invite you to be members of our first Community Ambassador Academy.

We are offering three two-hour training sessions on how to be Community Ambassadors for C-FB ISD and Texas public education.  The programs will run 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on

• June 14
• July 19
• August 9

Participants must make the commitment to attend all three sessions.  We will meet in the District's Board Room in the Administration Building, 1445 North Perry Road, Carrollton 75006.  All three meetings will include lunch.  If you are interested, please call 972-968-6186 or email cfbinfo@cfbisd.edu.  Or, if you know someone who will be an excellent Ambassador, encourage that individual to be a member of our inaugural academy.

When you call or email, we just need to know your name, address, phone number and email address.  We will then follow-up with all details regarding the academy.

Many of you read Focus Points regularly so you know that the district has one goal: "high achievement for all students."  And, to meet that goal, we have four strategic objectives. 

We believe the Community Ambassador Academy will help increase stakeholder confidence and support of our school system.  If our citizens are united around their district's purpose, they will have a greater understanding of what is happening with the students and educators in their neighborhood public schools.

At the same time, we want you to be C-FB ISD Ambassadors in your neighborhoods, your grocery stores, your place of business, your faith community -- basically everywhere you go. We need your voice of confidence and support. 

The training will be provided by Friends of Texas Public Schools (FOTPS), an organization that formed in 2004 simply to bring more good news to light about Texas public education. The Friends organization believes that much can be accomplished when people understand what our classroom teachers really do. 

When people who believe in public school classrooms know how to promote the immense promise and possibility that exist within the classrooms, we gain confidence and support. FOTPS proudly embraces Texas schools and educators as their students meet higher standards. The organization's mission is to draw attention to the many untold success stories and zero in on the accomplishments of outstanding students, teachers, administrators, educational team members, and schools.

As you can see, their message is very similar to what we believe in C-FB ISD. We understand that what goes in the classroom is what counts; our teachers matter.  We are fortunate that we live in a community that believes in public education.  In a poll of registered voters in March 2011, C-FB ISD learned that 70 percent of those polled believe that C-FB ISD is an excellent public school system. When looking at registered voters with C-FB ISD students that number climbed to 90 percent.

However, that may not be true in other communities.  And, when people do not have a connection with their local public school district or the local school down the street, sometimes they either don't "have an opinion" or it isn't a a positive one.  And, that is where the C-FB ISD Community Ambassadors come into play.

Carrollton-Farmers Branch is a school district where families feel connected.  Our 2011 parent survey told us that 90 percent of our parents were satisfied with their child's campus.

“Our people are our single greatest strength and most enduring
long-term competitive advantage.”

Gary Kelly, President and CEO, Southwest Airlines

Like Southwest Airlines, C-FB ISD is an outstanding choice because of the people who have chosen Carrollton-Farmers Branch for their families and as their professional home.  This is one of the many reasons that C-FB ISD ranks consistently in the top 9% in academic performance of the 200 largest school districts according to the Education Resource Group (ERG).

And, we need you to help spread the word about the positive work of C-FB ISD teachers and students.  We invite you to be part of our team as one of the first C-FB ISD Community Ambassadors.  Sign up today! cfbinfo@cfbisd.edu

What People Are Saying About C-FB

2010-2011 Online Annual Report

Instructional Rounds: Expanding the Network One School at a Time

The student achievement presentation, given by Dr. Sheila Maher, associate superintendent for Educational Services, at the May School Board meeting focused on classroom instruction and the practice of Instructional Rounds. C-FB ISD began its implementation of Instructional Rounds in the spring of 2010.

We are all aware that educators have used classroom observations to improve instruction, but through Instructional Rounds, we have gained a structured process based on the professional practice of medical rounds used by doctors in teaching hospitals.  Through the work of Dr. Richard Elmore at Harvard University, C-FB ISD has developed five networks of schools: three elementary schools, one middle school and one high school.  Currently, 23 of our 40 schools are involved in Instructional Rounds.  Our goal is to eventually involve all campuses in the Instructional Rounds Networks.

Through Instructional Rounds, the individual Networks visit the schools once during the school year.  The principal and the Instructional Rounds campus team develop a Problem of Practice that their Network will observe during their Network day.  All Network participants follow the four components of Instructional Rounds. When selecting the Problem of Practice, our teachers and principals select an instructional practice that they believe will move their students forward in their learning. (see slide on left)

Principals, classroom teachers and Educational Service staff members visit classrooms in small groups, using expert and precise observation techniques. Once the Network members have observed in multiple classrooms, the Network reconvenes as a whole to share, analyze and come to agreement on what they observed.  The difference between these observations and other classroom observation practices is that the group focuses on factual descriptions of what was seen. There are no personal judgments or viewpoints allowed -- only observed teaching strategies as well as student and teacher behaviors. And, before the day concludes, the Network members provide suggestions for next steps or "next level of work" for that campus.

That is why, we believe the practice of Instructional Rounds is and will have profound impact on student achievement in C-FB ISD.  As Dr. Elmore points out, there are only three ways to improve student performance in school:

·         Increase the knowledge and skill of teachers

·         Change the content (make it more rigorous and meaningful)

·         Alter the relationship of the student to the teacher and the content

In C-FB ISD, we understand that what goes in the classroom is what counts; our teachers matter.  Everything we do should be about helping our teachers be the best they can be.  To know if they believe the Instructional Rounds program is beneficial, the Educational Services Division conducted a survey of our Instructional Rounds' participants.  Here are comments from three teachers.

• "I feel like I learn something every time I go on a Rounds visit. The dialogue that goes on really makes me think about my own instructional practices and ways I need to improve."
• "I have also seen things on other campuses, in other classrooms that I would like to try in my classroom. Every Rounds visit gave me more clarity and knowledge about the core to bring back to my classroom and campus."
• "Not only have I enjoyed the Rounds work, but I have learned so much from my experience. The opportunity to dialogue about the practice of instructional work as well as observe and learn from so many different teachers in a variety of content areas and schools has been invaluable."

You can also hear from McKamy Elementary teacher LuAnne Smith by clicking on this video:

You can also hear from DeWitt Perry Middle School principal Brooke Puricelli by clicking on this video:

I want to thank Dr. Sheila Maher, associate superintendent for Educational Services, for leading the charge in Instructional Rounds. She is one of our bright spots in C-FB ISD.  Thank you to all of our teachers, principals, and Educational Service team members who are a part of our Instructional Rounds practice.  You are influencing our instructional practices, and impacting the learning of our students.

In Focus Points, you have read that we have a culture of continuous improvement in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District. That is why, our teachers, principals and Educational Services staff recognize the benefits of Instructional Rounds.  Our teachers want to improve their craft because everyone in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District understands that we are about one goal:  "high achievement for all students.


The Instructional Rounds PowerPoint Presentation from the May 2012 School Board Meeting is below:

Instructional Rounds Presentation May 2012

It's All About the People

Dedicated people who truly care about the education and welfare of all children allow the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District to meet its singular goal of "high achievement for all students."  And, we have several opportunities to celebrate and recognize those individuals who call C-FB ISD their professional home.

On Fri., May 4, the Board of Trustees and the Administration will celebrate the hard work, effort, determination and spirit of the C-FB ISD team and volunteers at "The Event" from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Downtown Square in Carrollton.  The Event is free and paid for by sponsors who believe in our educational team and volunteers.  The afternoon is a tribute to everyone who has worked with our students to help us meet our goal and four strategic objectives.  Check out the fun activities by visiting our special website: The Event

In 1984, the National PTA established the first full week of May as Teacher Appreciation Week, and this year’s week is May 7-11.  To all individuals throughout our nation who have chosen public education as their profession thank you for choosing do the most important job in the world.

Journalist/historian Henry B. Adams was correct when he wrote: “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell, where his influence stops.” At the center of any effective public school system are classroom teachers.  A great teacher is someone who encourages individual students by challenging them to be more than they thought they could be. As I visited our C-FB ISD schools this year,  I have witnessed first-hand our classroom teachers motivate and inspire their students to higher levels of learning.  These educators are bright spots for our C-FB ISD students. 

Regardless of their roles or assignments, all our staff members join with our teachers to support the learning in our classrooms. Our team members believe in our one goal and help us meet one or more of our four objectives.  I want to thank our team for their commitment to C-FB ISD. 

In our 2011 employee survey, 92% of the C-FB ISD staff members said they would recommend this district to a friend as a good place to work.  That is incredible feedback and support. 

This is one of the reasons that C-FB ISD ranks consistently in the top 9% in academic performance of the 200 largest school districts according the Education Resource Group.

Next week, May 7-11, is also National School Nutrition Employee Week.  We have about 240 team members who make up Student Nutrition Services.  They oversee the cafeterias in our schools where they serve about 1 million breakfasts and more than 3 million lunches during the school year.  In addition, they work with the educational team on a daily basis to provide information about food safety, food systems management and nutrition.

Our Student Nutrition Services Department website http://cfbisdnutrition.com/ provides families with online menus, nutritional information and numerous forms.  Families can also visit the "virtual cafe" which allows families and students to plan school meals together.

We know that when students eat well they have a better overall academic performance. We appreciate the work of Student Nutrition Service team.  This department is part of the C-FB ISD team who works together to accomplish the district's goal of high achievement.

Since May 7-11 is an appreciation week for school district team members, now is an excellent time for you to "share your story" about a C-FB ISD team member who has made a difference in your life.  Share Your Story Form

The C-FB ISD staff reminds me of this Albert Einstein quote, “Your job is a self-portrait. Autograph it with excellence.” The C-FB ISD team members sign each and every assignment with excellence and quality.  Thanks to the C-FB ISD educational team members, you have a public school system that is meeting the goal of "high achievement for all students."

Read What People Are Saying About C-FB ISD People

Find Out How To Become A C-FB ISD Partner

Update On STAAR: State Testing Program

C-FB ISD along with all Texas public school districts are involved in a new state assessment program this year:  STAAR (State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness). STAAR is more rigorous than our previous state test, TAKS.

Students in our district have already experienced STAAR as the tests were given in March and this week.  Our high school students will be taking end-of-course (EOC) exams in May. 


We know that STAAR is a more difficult assessment than TAKS because the program emphasizes the College and Career Readiness Standards within the state curriculum standards, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

The chart on the right outlines the students

and the subject areas that are being tested this school year.  At the high school level, this is the first year for EOC exams.  These exams are being given primarily to our ninth graders.  The tests have greater emphasis on critical thinking and focus on fewer skills than the TAKS tests.

When we talk about the curriculum standards or TEKS, we place them in two categories: Readiness Standards and Supporting Standards.

Readiness Standards are defined as standards that:

(1) are essential for success in the current grade or course
(2) are important for preparedness for the next grade or course
(3) support college and career readiness
(4) necessitate in-depth instruction
(5) address broad and deep ideas

Supporting Standards are defined as standards that:
(1) are emphasized in a previous year and in a subsequent year
(2) play a role in preparing students for the next grade or course
(3) are aligned to and support the readiness standards.

What we know is that the Readiness Standards, which are in red, will make up at least 65% of the STAAR assessment while the Supporting Standards, which are in blue, will make up about 35% of the test.

Accountability Ratings
With the new testing program comes a new accountability system; however, districts and campuses will have no state accountability ratings for this school year, 2011-2012.  The state will release summary data for districts and campuses about the STAAR testing program in January 2013.

Although the state will not issue an accountability rating, C-FB will receive data from the Education Resource Group (ERG).  ERG will give us vital information on how C-FB ISD compares to the 200 largest school districts when it comes to the new state testing system.  In addition, our students, teachers and their families will also have the individual reports detailing how our students performed on the STAAR tests.  These reports will help our instructional teams and families work together to plan how to improve student learning for the 2012-2013 school year.  After all, C-FB ISD is known for continuous improvement and high achievement. 

Thank you for being a part of a public school district that believes in "high achievement for all students."

Texas Education Agency STAAR website

To view a copy of the PowerPoint Presentation of the STAAR Report from the April School Board Meeting, click below:
STAAR Report

Open Enrollment: Endless Opportunities

In C-FB ISD, we have great opportunities for students. And, we know that families have options when making decisions about education choices for their children.

That is why, for the 2012-2013 school year, the Board of Trustees approved a policy to allow limited open enrollment options for families living outside C-FB ISD boundaries. By offering limited open enrollment, we will generate new revenue for the school district for each additional open enrollment student accepted.

Ranchview High School Robotics

For years, we have heard from families living near the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District expressing interest in attending our schools because of our outstanding teachers and staff, quality programs, and well-designed facilities. Families who live in two areas outside our district now have the opportunity to choose C-FB ISD for their children through the limited open enrollment option.

Our limited open enrollment program will be open to two areas as outlined below.  Families in these two areas should visit our district's website (www.cfbisd.edu/open) for an online application and more details. Families have until June 15 to complete the application process.

 

Area 1:

Vivian Field Orchestra performs at annual
Veteran's Day Celebration

The cities of Coppell and Valley Ranch west of the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD boundaries, south of Sandy Lake Road, east of Denton Tap/Beltline Road North, and north of Interstate 635.

Students living in Area 1 who are entering grades kindergarten through grade 9 in fall 2012 may make an application for open enrollment to the following schools:

• Riverchase Elementary School: kindergarten through grade 5
• Barbara Bush Middle School: grades 6 through grade 8
• Ranchview High School: grade 9

Janie Stark students, parents
and staff participate in Kite Day.

Area 2:

The city of Farmers Branch outside the C-FB ISD boundaries.

Students living in Area 2 who are entering grades kindergarten through grade 9 in fall 2012 may make an application for open enrollment to the following schools:

• Janie Stark Elementary School: kindergarten through grade 5
• Vivian Field Middle School: grades 6 through grade 8
• R. L. Turner High School: grade 9

Click Here: Map of Area 1 and Area 2

For families who are interested in visiting any of the six schools involved in the limited open enrollment program, we will have the six buildings open on the same evening.  Families are encouraged to stop by and see our facilities and meet the outstanding teams who work daily with our students. 

C-FB ISD is a bright spot in public education.  From our dual language program at Janie Stark, orchestra at Barbara Bush and Vivian Field Middle Schools, to our International Baccalaureate  program at Barbara Bush and Ranchview - these C-FB schools offer endless opportunities to students outside our district boundaries. In C-FB ISD, we are committed to high achievement for all students in academics, athletics and fine arts.

Our clarity of purpose as well as enthusiasm and commitment to our students makes us the right choice for many families. I believe that is why now is an excellent time for us to offer limited enrollment to certain neighborhoods near our district boundaries.

It is the right time because this process is a win-win providing C-FB ISD additional revenue as well as drawing new families and students who believe as we do about learning.  People know Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD is a public school system where high achievement is for all students.  

www.cfbisd.edu/open

Schools: Safe & Learning-Focused

We believe that for high achievement to take place, our schools must be safe and focused on learning.

In our 2011 spring parent survey, two questions indicated that our parents believed Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District was meeting the strategic objective focusing on providing a strong learning environment for students.

• 92 percent said that they believed there is "a healthy and productive level of classroom discipline" found on their child's campus.
• 92.6 percent of parents responding said that "their child's school provides a safe environment".

Our teachers, principals, counselors, librarians and other educational team members use so many great strategies to ensure that our schools are positive learning environments. We set consistent behavioral expectations by following a strong student code of conduct.  By promoting our district's character values of integrity, pride, respect, responsibility, service and citizenship in our classrooms and organizations, our students learn extensively about the ideals on which our country and community were founded.


A relatively new program that we are using in our elementary schools is R time.  We are finding this program very beneficial because it emphasizes C-FB ISD's long-established character values as well as promoting courtesy and good manners.

Our elementary teachers find R time helps our students build stronger relationships with one another and adults.  We know when people feel good about themselves and their environment, they are more productive.  In essence, by having a positive "work" environment, we can accelerate learning.

R time occurs one time a week for 15 to 20 minutes.  Teachers use activities developed specifically for their grade levels. Randomly paired, students are taught how to introduce themselves to their partner, during a special introduction time. After the introduction, the students are involved in a special activity that includes thinking, preparation and action times.

After the activity, there are processing and feedback times. And, finally, the students conclude by thanking their partners for their participation in the session.  The weekly reinforcement of courtesy, respect, good manners and listening skills helps our elementary students not only with their academic achievement but also with their emotional and behavioral well being.

An extension of R time, Negotiate is a program C-FB ISD is using at our six middle schools. As in the elementary schools with R time, Negotiate has 15 to 20-minute weekly sessions.

The sessions follow a similar process and require cooperation with a randomly chosen partner. Fundamental to Negotiate is the expectation and use of good manners, appropriate body language and courtesy, while students are engaged in mutually respectful and productive dialogue.

Negotiate provides a forum in which the students explore and share their views on a whole range topics, including how to make and maintain friends, how to resolve conflicts and problems, how to plan and work cooperatively. 

Through the sessions, we want to students learn that they may not always agree with their partner's viewpoint, but they can exchange ideas and learn to respect and value any differences.  As with R time, at the end of each Negotiate time, students thank their partners.

We also emphasize to our students the importance of keeping safe in a globally digitized world.  Our school librarians led a "Be Safe in Cyberspace" message during February 2012 for Internet Safety Month.   

During this time, our campuses took an extra effort to talk about such issues as cyber safety, social networking, and phone texting.   We know that being safe online is a major concern for families and students.  That is why, our librarians oversaw the district's efforts in teaching our students about Internet safety and Twenty-first technology skills.  Our teachers, librarians, and instructional technology specialists were all instrumental in providing Internet safety training. 

We know that Internet safety is an ongoing topic, and we encourage families and students to continue studying. For our families, here are several Internet resources suggested by our librarians:

• http://www.netsmartzkids.org/
• http://www.cybersmart.org/
• http://www.brainpop.com/
• http://www.kidscomjr.com/
• http://www.safekids.com/

We believe to meet our goal of high achievement for all students, the schools and classrooms must be safe and promote learning.  By having a variety of strategies in place to promote safety, cooperation, respect and conflict resolution, we are teaching our students valuable tools for life after public school.

In the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District, we are fortunate to have a strong partnership with the educational team, families, and the community.  When we work together, our students are the ones who are the winners.

Become a C-FB ISD Partner