Focus Points

What Is C-FB ISD's Financial Picture?

2012-02-24T05:09:00.000-08:00

At the February School Board Work-Study Session on Resource Allocation, Mr. Mark Hyatt, associate superintendent for support services, reiterated to our Board members and those in attendance that because C-FB ISD has been planning and making reductions over several years, the district is in a better position to weather this school financial storm than many other districts for the upcoming school year.

If you recall from previous Focus Points, I have mentioned that our School Board and educational team have taken very seriously our strategic objective to "continuously increase operational effectiveness." And, because we have been operationally effective and efficient, the district has maintained a strong reserve (general fund balance).

As you look at the district's Fund Balance history and projection in the chart, you will see that the district is financial stable. And even with a significant loss in 2012-2013, C-FB ISD can maintain well over the recommended 60 to 90 days of operational costs in reserves. However, there are future concerns if the district drops below the recommended days in fund balance.

We continue to streamline our operations and believe in this quote from District Leadership That Works by Robert Marzano and Timothy Waters:

"High performing districts ensure that the necessary resources, including time, money, personnel and materials are allocated to accomplish the District's goals. This can mean cutting back on or dropping initiatives that are not aligned with district goals for achievement and instruction."

As we presented the 2012-2013 proposed budget to the School Board, Mr. Hyatt explained that due to changes in state funding formulas as well as the expiration of federal stimulus funding, the district will have over $8 million less in available resources.

As we looked to the next year, the preliminary estimates are based on the following:

No major reductions in staffing. We will continue to reduce our staffing through regular attrition as our team members resign and retire.
Limited reductions in district signature programs. Programmatic changes are based on instructional needs because of our singular goal: "high achievement for all students." We are allocating our resources - time, money, personnel and materials where they can have the greatest benefit.
Utilization of funds from the district's General Fund Balance and other reserves.

Although the current proposed 2012-2013 budget does show an approximate $11.9 million deficit, the staff is using a system-based approach to analyze district programs, operations and services. The School Board, the district's governing body, developed three guiding objectives to prioritize the district's resource allocations and determine budget reductions. And, we are still seeking ways to reduce that deficit as we did in this current budget cycle. Note: The adopted 2011-2012 budget began with a $9.7 million deficit; the district is now estimating less than a $3.6 million deficit.

The Three Guiding Objectives

Minimize the impact on student academic achievement
Minimize the impact on non-academic special services and programs for all students, i.e., extra-curricular and co-curricular programming
Minimize the impact on the ability to retain and attract quality staff

In the budget reduction process, the district leadership, campus leaders and the District Improvement Council took the three guiding objectives provided by the School Board and reviewed various programs, operations and services. In the chart are examples of reductions for 2012-2013. As with any budget, we will continue to review what additional reductions are viable.

In C-FB ISD, we believe in one goal: "high achievement for all students." We also believe in re-engineering and restructuring our schools and programs so that we maximize our time, money, personnel and materials to benefit our students. But, we need the community's support. We invite you to join with us and be a vested partner in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District. We also encourage you to share with us your thoughts about the district through Share Your Story or at cfbinfo@cfbisd.edu.

Providing a Safe Learning Environment

2012-02-16T04:50:00.000-08:00

In the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District, we have one goal: high achievement for all students. To meet that goal, we have four strategic objectives that are extremely interdependent.

The learning environment is a crucial piece to the puzzle when it comes to student success. We are proud of the work we are doing to promote positive student character traits, decrease out-of-school suspensions and increase attendance among our students. This year, our team also implemented a newly formatted Student Code of Conduct, which we hope is easier to understand for our parents and students.

In the 2011 C-FB ISD parent survey, 92.6 percent of the parents responding said that their child's school provided a safe environment. We believe that for high achievement to take place, our schools must be safe and learning-focused. We are pleased that our parents have such a strong perception about our schools, but I believe we have received those high marks because we as a school community have been proactive in providing a safe, positive learning environment.

Since the early 1990’s, C-FB ISD has had a committee whose mission is to look continuously for practical ways to improve campus and district safety. The committee still today operates seeking out research, guidance from law enforcement and input parents and community members. All of us know, there is no single simple solution for school safety. However, what we do know is that we must work together to provide the best possible learning environment for our students and educational team. And, that will always be a priority for the C-FB ISD community.

In a recent presentation to the C-FB ISD PTA Council, Wade Lillie, director of the Security and Operations Services Department, highlighted how the district prepares for emergencies. The key word is "planning."

Every year, our campuses and other district facilties develop an "emergency response plan" in conjunction with the District's Crisis Management and Emergency Response Plan. We provide copies of these plans to each police and fire department, and other emergency response agencies to provide detailed and up-to-date information for a faster and more efficient response.

These plans include how the school or building will handle all types of issues. Each district facility (not just schools) are expected to conduct drills annually. These range from evacuation drills, i..e, fire drills to shelter in place, i.e., bad weather in the area.

Since January 2009, C-FB ISD has used V-Soft by Raptor Technologies to register and monitor visitors, contractors and volunteers who come to the school. When visitors, volunteers or contractors check-in, they are asked to present a valid state or government issued photo ID for entering into the system.

Thanks to the 2003 bond referendum program, the district added some additional security measures to district campuses. These basic tools include electronic door locks. We also have secured or monitored entrances. Other additional tools include closed-circuit TV systems for security and discipline monitoring, burglar alarms to prevent and report unauthorized access, and automatic fire alarms that detect heat and smoke in case of fire.

The district has also introduced a tool to our middle and high schools called AnComm's "Talk About It." "Talk About It" is an anonymous messaging communication service that gives students an opportunity to "talk" to certain faculty members. As soon as a student submits a text message, then the appropriate administrator receives the message and resolve the issue as it arises. We believe it is important to be proactive and respond to situations in a timely manner.

In C-FB ISD, we have close working relationships with local police departments, including on-campus School Resource Officers (SROs) who work closely with our district security and operations team as well as our administrative team.

We value the tools that we have at our disposal to keep our buildings safe as well as the training that has been provided, but what is most important is the "safety team." That safety team includes everyone: our students, teachers, principals, all C-FB ISD staff, and the entire C-FB ISD community. We are responsible for the safe and positive schools in our district. A positive, caring learning environment will help us with our goal of high achievement for all students.

To visit the PowerPoint Presentation shown at the PTA Council Meeting, see below:
LilliePTA Presentation 2012

Mathematicians at Work: A Look Inside C-FB ISD

2012-02-08T06:51:00.000-08:00

The student achievement presentation at the February School Board meeting delved into how the C-FB ISD mathematics program works. Math coordinators Pam Smith (pre-kindergarten-grade 8) and Tanya Garvey (grades 9-12) shared the district's vision for mathematical teaching and learning.

The positive news about the district's math program is that we have seen tremendous gains in math scores on the state-mandated TAKS over an eight-year period.

The team effort of our teachers, principals, math coaches, instructional specialists and coordinators has moved the math achievement of our students forward. They have transformed our math classrooms into ones where students are engaged learners of math.

C-FB ISD math classrooms may not be the same type of classrooms that you experienced as a student. They certainly aren't the ones I remember. In the past, when you visited a math classroom you might have seen the teacher standing in front of the class explaining a math concept. Once the teacher finished, the students quietly worked independently on problems relating to the concept.

Today's classrooms are much different. In fact, Ms. Smith and Ms. Garvey, along with our principals, math coaches and specialists and teachers, have been studying Classroom Discussions (elementary) and Promoting Discourse (secondary) to develop learning communities in our math program. Through these studies, we are learning that quiet classrooms where students are working independently, and teachers are the sole talker/questioner are not always the best learning situations.

We have found that as students explain math concepts or work together collaboratively, teachers can determine their level of understanding. We also know that by talking about "how you solved the problem," will help you remember the process. Because every student is ultimately responsible for his own learning, utilizing "talk" in math classrooms supports a student's individual learning more effectively. In today's classroom, talking in math class is positive. Not only we are finding that talking through math concepts is helping students with math, but we also learning these skills are helping with language and character development too. When time is so valuable, our teachers are using every minute they have to help our students learn at high rates.

In C-FB ISD, our bottom line is high achievement for all students. By our having students more directly involved in their learning, we are seeing significant achievement gains. We want more students taking higher level math courses. And, the development of positive attitudes toward math begins as early as pre-kindergarten as our teachers use quality math activities and communication tools in their classrooms.

We are developing mathematicians in our math classes in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District. After all, we believe in high achievement for all students in all subjects!

Fun Photos About Math:
Zero the Hero Visits McKamy for 100th Day of School
2010 District Math Competition
Davis Elementary Uses iPads

To watch the February 2, 2012 Student Achievement Presentation, click here: District Vimeo Channel Math Presentation 2-2-2012

It’s just around the corner:Greatest Gently Used Book Sale – anywhere!

2012-02-02T09:22:00.000-08:00

Gently Used Book Sale Benefits
C-FB ISD Students & Teachers

Now entering its second decade of operation, the Gently Used Book Sale, coordinated by the C-FB ISD PTA Council, is scheduled for the end of this month: February 23-26. This is a great community event that promotes the importance of literacy, but it also provides all types of books and media at great prices.

For all the thousands of annual book sale supporters, please note that the sale has moved to a new location. However, you can still find the sale by looking for the giant "Book Sale" banner.

Mills Pointe Shopping Center

2810 E. Trinity Mills Road, Suite 117

Carrollton, TX 75006

map

Although the sale is at a new location, the sale will still be organized. Our volunteers still take their work seriously, and when you come to our Gently Used Book Sale, you will find the merchandise organized by category and even author. The committee and the volunteers will have set up a sale that looks and feels like a book store.

Donations

The PTA needs your support now. The C-FB ISD campuses are drop off points, and the individual PTA units can earn funding for their participation in book drives. There are more details on the book sale site.

Items needed are:

Children’s books (fiction, non-fiction), including hardback and paperback
Adult books (fiction, non-fiction), including hardback and paperback
Cookbooks
Coffee table books
Current reference books
Original Videotapes
Original CDs & DVDs
Audio Books

You may also drop donations off at the site during these times:

Sundays: 1-5 p.m.

Tuesdays: 9 a.m.-1p.m. and 7 -9 p.m.

Thursdays: 9am-1 p.m. and 7-9 p.m.

Volunteer Opportunities

The Gently Used Book Sale is the successful project because of the outstanding volunteers. The volunteers do a marvelous job of sorting and arranging all the donations for the sale. If you are a book lover and enjoy organizing, the PTA invites you to join the volunteer group. The volunteers will be sorting and organizing on the days listed above.

You can stop by the book sale location on any of these days to sign up or you can also sign up by emailing the Volunteer Chairman at Volunteers@GentlyUsedBookSale.org.

Sale Date/Hours

We hope that you will join us at the sale. Here are the dates, times and prices.
February 23: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
$2.00 Hardback, $1.00 Paperback
February 24: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
$2.00 Hardback, $1.00 Paperback
February 25: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
$1.00 Hardback, $0.50 Paperback
February 26: Noon-6 p.m.
$1.00 Hardback, $0.50 Paperback
$12 Box of Books

To keep up with the sale, visit Gently Used Book Sale website. At the sale's website, you can also sign up for the committee's mailing list. The sale's e-newsletter will give you detailed information straight to your email box.

Remember, if you have any book sale items, please donate them to the Gently Used Book Sale. They will benefit projects for the students and teachers of the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District. And, if you love books, donate your time to help the PTA Council organize an outstanding community event. And, finally mark your calendar for February 23 - 26 because you will want come see the best organized Gently Used Book Sale and make some great purchases.

We in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District thank the C-FB ISD PTA Council and the Book Sale volunteers for supporting the students, teachers and staff. The profits from the Gently Used Book Sale will benefit your school district that has goal of high achievement of all students.

For more information about the C-FB ISD PTA Council: Council website

We Are Staying THE Course

2012-01-25T09:03:00.000-08:00

The headline of one November Focus Point was "Staying THE Course As We Work Through Financial Issues." Our team has remained focused on our goal of high achievement for all students although C-FB ISD still faces financial issues. Due to our team's focus, C-FB ISD is in the top 9% in academic performance of the 200 largest school districts as ranked by ERG (Education Resource Group) for 2010-2011.

Since we've talked about the district's financial situation, there has been some good news thanks to our team's commitment to "continuously increase operational effectiveness". At the December 2011 School Board meeting, Associate Superintendent Mark Hyatt gave an update on our financial status.

At that time, Mr. Hyatt reported that due to the staff's work, the 2010-2011 budget would not be a "deficit" budget as previously thought. Because the C-FB ISD team had continued to reduce operational costs during the last 12 months, the 2011 fiscal year ended with "excess revenues" of approximately $2.1 million. For a school district, we will move those funds to our reserves or fund balance.

We made this happened because we worked together as a team, focusing on our singular goal of "high achievement for all students;" this quote from District Leadership That Works by Robert Marzano and Timothy Waters states it best:

"High performing districts ensure that the necessary resources, including time, money, personnel and materials are allocated to accomplish the District's goals. This can mean cutting back on or dropping initiatives that are not aligned with district goals for achievement and instruction."

However, the cost containments that we have made haven't been easy. We know that our team has made adjustments everywhere: on every campus and facility. This is the first year, C-FB ISD has requested state waivers for exceeding 22 students in kindergarten through fourth grade classrooms. And, although that number can vary; we have more than 50 classrooms in those grades with more than 22 students. We've also increased class sizes throughout the rest of the district as well. The district has managed personnel costs through attrition, reassignment and retirements. Everyone on the C-FB ISD team has stepped up and is doing more than ever before.

2011-2012 Estimated Budget and 2012-2013 Projected Budget
December 1, 2011 Board Meeting Presentation

When the 2011-2012 budget was approved by the School Board in August, it had a $9.7 million deficit. As the district evaluated expenditures through December, we believe the deficit will be approximately $3.5 million. Again, the C-FB ISD School Board and the educational team members should be commended for their efforts in being financially conservative.

When we began talking about the "perfect storm" of school finance, I knew in C-FB ISD we had the ability to "weather" the situation better than many other districts because of our preparation, commitment to purpose, and strategic planning.

In December, Mr. Hyatt presented the Board a proposed 2012-2013 budget, similar to this year's budget. The proposal has an estimated $12 million shortfall compared to the original $20 million talked about early in the year. The good news for C-FB ISD is that our financial picture is not quite dire as we thought in November because the shortfall is less than originally estimated. However, there is still much work to be done to overcome the loss in revenue from the state. The School Board will meet in a work-study session on February 16 at 6:30 p.m. in the Administration Building to address Resource Allocations for the 2012-2013 school year.

We will continue to implement strategies to be cost efficient and effective, but at the same time, we in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District need to remember that high performing districts such as ours must "allocate the necessary resources to accomplish the District's goals."

Note: To see the 2012-2013 Preliminary Budget report from the December School Board meeting, go the district's Vimeo Channel: December 2011 Board Meeting

High Academic Performance Continues;ERG Ranking Top 9% Academically

2012-01-18T10:05:00.000-08:00

At January's School Board meeting, Dr. Cloyd Hastings, the district's executive director for assessment and accountability, presented the 2011 Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) report, required by the Texas Education Agency. The 2010-2011 school year was the last time for TAKS; C-FB ISD along with other Texas school districts are under a new accountability system which includes STAAR and end-of-course exams. The accountability ratings that C-FB ISD and our individual schools earned in 2010-2011 will remain in effect for two years. However, we will still monitor student achievement on the state performance system as well as other measurements.

Although the community and staff may have seen most of the data before, the report reminds us of the tremendous academic performance of C-FB ISD students. Our educational team is to be commended for the continuous high achievement of our students.

Our district is a Recognized School District under the AEIS. The state accountability system is very complex. In fact, there are three methods the system uses to determine a rating: 1) an absolute standard, 2) an improvement standard or 3) an exceptions provision. C-FB ISD earned the 2011 Recognized Rating through the absolute standard - the highest of all three options.

The AEIS data sources include the TAKS in all subjects in grades 3 through 11 which includes the following tests:

Reading/English Language Arts
Writing
Mathematics
Social Studies
Science

Gold = Exemplary Standard; Blue = Recognized Standard

We have 30 TAKS performance indicators in the AEIS. In looking at the chart, you can see that our student performance in 2011 moved toward the Exemplary rating requirements. In fact, our students met the Exemplary standard for 18 indicators and the Recognized standard for 11 indicators.

The district received two Gold Performance Acknowledgments (GPA) from the agency. These acknowledgements recognize districts and campuses for high academic performance on various indicators. For the second year, we were recognized for "college-ready graduates." What an outstanding accomplishment for our teachers, principals and instructional team since this is part of our district's vision.

The second GPA recognized the percent of students receiving the commended status for TAKS Social Studies. Over an eight-year period, we have seen the percent of students earning commended status climb every year. For 2011, 54% of our students taking the social studies test earned the commended level. Congratulations to our students and their teachers for a job well done.

Education Resource Group Update
Along with the state-required system, C-FB ISD also uses the Education Resource Group (ERG), an organization that focuses on public education performance management. A Focus Points in October highlighted how we are using the ERG data to move C-FB ISD's goal of high achievement for all students forward. What we like about ERG is how it integrates academic and financial measures into a relatively clear framework of performance management.

As a reminder, ERG has three indexes: Academic Performance Index, Financial Performance Index, and an Educational Performance Index (which is an overall value). For the 2010-2011 school year, ERG has just released its Academic Performance Index (API). C-FB ISD remained seventeenth among the 200 largest school districts in Texas. These results place C-FB ISD in the top 9% in academic performance of the 200 largest school districts, which account for more than 81% of the students in Texas. When the 2010-11 financial data has been analyzed by ERG, the district will give you an update about the Financial Performance Index and Educational Performance Index.

This Academic Performance ranking by ERG performance system is a tremendous accomplishment for C-FB ISD teachers, principals and staff. They along with our students should be commended for the outstanding work they have done in academic performance. Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District is a bright spot in public education for its academic performance.

To review the PowerPoint shown at the January School Board meeting, please click here:
AEIS Report 2011

You can also see the School Board Meeting from January 12, 2012 by visiting the district's Vimeo Channel:
C-FB ISD School Board Meeting: January 12, 2012

Texas Celebrates January As School Board Month

2012-01-10T05:09:00.000-08:00

As C-FB ISD educators and local citizens, we join with the state of Texas in observing January as School Board Recognition Month. More than 7,300 citizens serve as School Board members in Texas.

Nancy Cline, President

James Goode,
Vice President

Richard Fleming,
Secretary

Lynn Chaffin,
Assistant Secretary

Locally, the C-FB ISD Board of Trustees is the body that governs and develops polices to help our school district be a leader in public education not only in Texas but in the United States.

As the district’s elected governing body, the School Board’s key roles include:

Ensuring the creation of a vision and goals for the district
Communicating the district’s vision, goals and successes to the community
Adopting policies that guide district actions
Adopting the annual tax rate and budget

Monitoring district finances
Hiring a superintendent to serve as the district's administrator and evaluating the superintendent’s success
Overseeing the regular assessment of the district’s students, staff, and programs

We salute the seven individuals who serve as the elected representatives of the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District. Your current School Board members are Nancy Cline, James Goode, Richard Fleming, Lynn Chaffin, Frank Shor, Nancy Watten and Karin Webb.

The seven individuals who serve as the C-FB ISD Board of Trustees volunteer hundreds of hours. Not only do they attend regular meetings and work-study sessions, but they attend athletic and fine arts events as well as school celebrations, community activities and numerous other meetings.

Frank Shor

Nancy Watten

They focus all their decisions toward the district goal of high achievement for all students. They also spend time sharing the "bright spots" of C-FB ISD with our community. They also spend time listening to our citizens. They serve as the district's ambassadors to our community.

Karin Webb

The Board holds one regular meeting a month from September through June. All regular meetings are the first Thursday of each month except January. Regular meetings begin at 7 p.m. and are held in the Board Room of the Administration Building.

You can find all agendas online prior to the meetings. These meetings are the time when the Board conducts the "business of the school district." They have the opportunity to recognize our teachers, staff, students and business partners during these monthly meetings. The educational team usually gives a presentation that focuses on student achievement. We also may share other information that relates to one

of the other strategic objectives.

Citizens are encouraged to attend any and all of the regular School Board meetings. Regular meetings are replayed on CFB-TV and on our online Vimeo Channel.

The Board also holds a series of work-study sessions to delve into topics that need more in-depth discussion and review. These meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. You are invited to attend these too. We have three more scheduled for this school year. They are

February 16, Resource Allocation

April 19, Grading

June 28, Accountability and Planning for the 2012-2013 year.

Last year, our Board developed a “Standards of Professional Practice” manual. The document was created to guide the Board’s actions and assist them in their roles in as Trustees.

Under the Texas Education Code, School Board members are required to take continuing education classes annually. C-FB ISD Board members have always taken courses well before the legislative mandate. Your current School Board members believe in life-long learning, and they annually exceed the state-required eight hours of continuing education credit they each must earn. They attend numerous workshops and seminars to learn how they can help with the district's singular goal of high achievement for all students. C-FB ISD Board members also meet with
Trustees from other Texas public school districts to learn best practices to bring back to C-FB ISD.

Because of the time that our School Board members spend learning on their own, they have a better understanding of what is happening in our state and nation when it comes to finances. That is why, C-FB ISD has been able to weather the financial storm better than many other school districts. The other classes they have taken have helped them gain knowledge about what our teachers, principals and instructional team members are doing to move student achievement forward. As we share data on student achievement issues, programs and projects, our Trustees have insightful questions because they have background knowledge because of the training they attend.

As a community and educational team, we should be pleased that our C-FB ISD School Board is an effective governing body who takes its role seriously and believes in our vision and goal of high achievement for all students. We in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District thank our seven School Board members for the hours you spend in helping our students achieve at high levels.

Welcome To The Second Half Of The 2011-2012 School Year

2012-01-04T08:10:00.000-08:00

This week, we began the second semester of the 2011-2012 school year in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District. This is an excellent time to remind our staff, parents, and community that your school district is strategically working toward one goal: high achievement for all students.

We have developed four strategic objectives that guide our work on our one goal, and they are found in the strategic improvement plan, our district improvement plan and campus improvement plans. All of these can be found on the district website. These plans are designed to help us continously increase student achievement, to provide an effective learning environment and to be more operationally efficient and effective. While doing all of these, we want to build confidence among our staff, parents, and entire community. Basically, what this means is everything in C-FB ISD is tied together.

I encourage you to look through our documents because you will see that C-FB ISD has a plan to move student achievement forward. Our team also has strategies in place to advance our other three objectives as well.

During the second semester, the district will continue to face financial challenges as we prepare the 2012-13 budget. We will keep you informed about where the district is in the budgeting process in Focus Points. On February 16, the Board of Trustees will hold a work-study session on resource allocations to discuss the district's budget and other financial issues.

As we plan for the February work-study session, the staff is using a systems approach to analyze C-FB ISD programs, operations and services. The School Board, the district's governing body, developed three guiding objectives to prioritize resource allocations and determine budget reductions.

The Three Guiding Objectives

· Minimize the impact on student academic achievement

· Minimize the impact on non-academic special services and programs for all students, i.e., extra-curricular and co-curricular programming

· Minimize the impact on the ability to retain and attract quality staff

Through this process, we will prioritize the proposed cost containments based on what will have the least impact on the district's goal of high achievement. We know that this isn't an easy task, but we are committed to this systems approach.

Finally, we know it is important academically for students to attend school each day. But, what you may not remember is that district finances are tied directly to student attendance. Since 2006, Texas public schools have been funded based essentially on the number of students in attendance in school. For example, this year's budget is based on $5,239 per student.

We never want students to attend school if they are sick, but we do want students in school every day if they are well. We encourage students and their families to be supportive of good attendance. The good attendance and being on time learned as early as elementary school are expectations of today's employers.

As C-FB ISD begins the second semester of the 2011-2012 school year, we know that there will be many "bright spots." We invite the community to join in our efforts to help all of our students achieve at high levels.

It's Winter: Time To Review Our Inclement Weather Procedure

2011-12-29T16:16:00.000-08:00

Now that it's winter in North Texas, it's time to remind C-FB ISD staff, families and the community about our district's procedures if schools are closed or delayed. With the unprecedented number of days missed last year because of the unusual cold weather, the district wants to make sure you have the information early if we have icy roads or conditions.

If schools are delayed or closed due to inclement weather:

Families and staff will be notified through the district's mass notification message system called Blackboard Connect. For families and staff, it is extremely important that you keep your telephone numbers up-to-date so that you receive these calls from the district, and any other calls that are made during the year.

Please check with your campus to get your information up-to-date before an emergency occurs; it takes time for our Technology team to get data updated for 26,000 students and just over 3,000 staff members.

A Special Alert email newsletter will be sent to subscribers advising them of the decision. If you wish to subscribe, you can sign up here: http://www.cfbisd.edu/enews

An announcement will be posted on the district's website, http://www.cfbisd.edu/, as soon as the decision has been made.

The district will post messages on our Facebook page, Twitter feed and blog.

We also encourage C-FB ISD families and residents to listen to the local radio or television stations for updated weather reports. Local media outlets also post information on their websites, so families and other residents may want to check those sites for the latest weather information.

Media Notified about Inclement Weather Closings
We will inform television and radio stations about the district's decision to close schools or delay the start. Please note that it is the local media station's decision to air the information. Many media outlets are now posting the information on their websites instead of reading the information on air.

Local Television Stations Notified:
KDFW-TV Channel 4
KXAS-TV Channel 5
WFAA-TV Channel 8
KTVT-TV Channel 11
Univision 23

Local Radio Stations Notified, include:
KRLD
KVIL
WBAP
KDMX
KHKS
KZPS
KDGE
KEGL
KTRA
CBS Network
Metro Radio Network
Total Traffic Network

The district does post closing information on its TV station. CFB-TV is now digital. It can be viewed on a digital TV on channel 15.5 without a cable box in Carrollton and Farmers Branch. If you have a cable box, you can view CFB-TV on channels 95 & 98 on Time Warner in Carrollton and Farmers Branch. It is also available on Verizon Channel 38. CFB-TV is also streamed lived on district's website.

C-FB ISD Bad Weather Days
April 6 and April 9 are designated as bad weather/emergency make-up days for any days missed. These days are not considered holidays; they will be used as instructional days if the district closes for inclement weather or an emergency situation.

2011-2012 C-FB ISD Approved Academic Calendar

Have You Shared Your Thoughts About Next Year's Calendar?

2011-12-22T14:31:00.000-08:00

Our school district is closed for the Winter Break, and we hope that you and your family are having a joyful holiday season. Just a reminder to our staff, parents, and community that you have until January 2, 2012, to give the district your thoughts about next year's Academic Calendar.

Designing an academic calendar for a school district is a complex issue; however, in Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, we keep student achievement in the forefront when making decisions.

At the end of this week's Focus Points are two links: a link to a survey and a link to the proposed academic calendar.

The proposed academic calendar is very similar to this year’s calendar in terms of the following:

The same basic holiday schedule including Thanksgiving and Winter Break
Ending the first semester before the Winter Break (that means our middle and high school students will take their first semester exams before Winter Break)

When we develop an academic school calendar in C-FB ISD, there are criteria that the district must follow. These include:

State law requires that we cannot start school before the fourth Monday in August. (Texas Education Code 25.0811) This law went into effect with the 2007-08 school year.

Texas currently requires that the public school year contain 180 days for students; however, districts may obtain waivers for up to five fewer student attendance days for professional development purposes.

The 2012-13 school calendar proposal includes 177 days for students, and the district will ask for a waiver for three student days for professional development time for staff. These days are Oct. 8 (Fair Day), Nov. 19, 21 (days before Thanksgiving). This request is consistent with previous C-FB ISD calendars.

Under the expedited waiver system, a school district may apply for six early release days. These days are allowable through Texas Education Code 25.082. The current calendar proposal has six early release days already scheduled (two days at the end of each semester) and two for staff development (October 3 and February 3 – consistent with this year’s calendar dates).

The Texas Education Agency has not provided a testing calendar for 2012-2013 at this time. We don’t know when the agency will determine state testing dates. As soon as the state’s testing calendar is available, we will make it available to the campuses, parents and community.

That is the basic information about the 2012-2013 C-FB ISD Proposed Academic Calendar. We hope that you will take time to review the proposed academic calendar and then give us your input.

Link to the 2012-2013 C-FB ISD Proposed Academic Calendar

Link to the calendar survey

C-FB ISD Has Much To Celebrate

2011-12-13T08:55:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that the year 2011 is almost over and we are wrapping up the first semester of the 2011-2012 school year. We have much to celebrate in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District. Focusing on the single goal of "high achievement of all students," we have had many successes. While working on our goal, we also have taken time to help others and emphasize the district's character values. (See our video)

I spend every Wednesday in schools visiting classrooms seeing our outstanding teachers and students. We have many "Bright Spots" in our schools. We want to thank the principals, the teachers, and all of our staff for the work they do to help our students achieve academically. These academic "Bright Spots" would not be possible without their tremendous effort. And, of course, we know that effort produces achievement so the time our students spend on their own learning is invaluable.

Just a few academic "Bright Spots":

For the second year, C-FB ISD earned a Recognized Rating under the Texas Education Agency (TEA) Accountability Rating System; 12 campuses received Exemplary ratings; 19 campuses, Recognized ratings. The district received Gold Performance Acknowledgments on the percentage of students who earned commended status on the Social Studies TAKS and the percentage of College-Ready Graduates in the Class of 2010.

Davis, Kent, La Villita, and McCoy Elementary Schools were among the schools named to the 2011 Honor Roll by the Texas Business and Education Coalition (TBEC).The schools were recognized for consistent, high performance in all subjects compared to other schools serving similar student populations for three years.

The Education Resource Group (ERG) annually measures the academic and financial performance of all Texas school districts. By using multiple data, ERG determines the educational productivity of individual school districts in three areas: overall educational value, academic performance and finance performance. For 2010: C-FB ISD ranked 11 out of the 200 Texas largest school districts in overall educational value. For 2010, C-FB ISD ranked 17 out of the 200 largest school districts in academic performance and 49 in finance performance. What this tells our community is that C-FB ISD is achieving at academically high levels while spending tax dollars wisely.

In early 2012, we will have updated information from ERG with 2010-2011 data.

Newman Smith’s International Business Academy students J. J. Echaniz,Stephanie Nguyen, David Chi, Shannon Lu, Brian Ng, Mitchell Powell and Mariko Nakamura won the New Venture Creation Contest from the Murphy Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of North Texas. This team was the first high school group to win the New Venture Creation Contest, a prestigious entrepreneurship competition. They received the grand prize of $30,000 for the development of Forward Tutoring, an online tutoring program.

Just a Few Arts and Athletic "Bright Spots":

For the fifth time, C-FB ISD was named one of the Best 100 Communities for Music Education in 2011. C-FB ISD was also chosen in 2004, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Newman Smith Band

The Newman Smith Trojan Band, one of the top 24 4A Marching Bands in Texas, finished fourteenth overall at the UIL State Marching Band competition in November. This was the Newman Smith's marching band's second consecutive trip to the state contest.

Our music students continue to excel on the competition road to the All-State Music performance groups which perform at the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) conference in February. You can keep up with their success as well as our other Fine Arts students who are excelling in theatre, debate, art and other areas on our website's Accolades page or our district blog, Blogabilities. In the 2010-2011 school year, 12 C-FB ISD students performed in the All-State groups in February 2011.

Courtney Okolo

Newman Smith High School junior Courtney Okolo was the 2011 UIL State Track 400-meter champion for the second year in a row. She also placed third in the 800-meter dash. Courtney was named a Gatorade Track and Field Female Athlete of the Year Nominee.
The Newman Smith High School 1600 meter relay team of Kaila James, Mia James, Adriana De LaRue and Courtney Okolo won the 2011 UIL State Championship with the time of 3:39:75, a personal best for the team.
R. L. Turner High School athlete Christina Machado was named All-American Female Wrestler and Texas State Wrestling Free Style Champion in 2011.
Creevkiew High School’s Bobbi Navarrete was named Free Style All-American Female Wrestle in 2011.

Creekview High School’s Melissa Gonzalez ran one of the top two 300-meter hurdle times in the country in 2011.

Our C-FB ISD athletes continue shine this school year. Our athletes involved in fall sports have already begun receiving recognition for their efforts. Some of the links from Blogabilities are below; however, but to keep up with the successes of our athletes, check out our website's Accolades page or our district blog, Blogabilities.
All District Volleyball, All-District Team, All-District 4-A Team

Just a few Character Values "Bright Spots":

June R. Thompson staff help at
the Navidad Holiday Wrap at Fair Park.

Over the last year, Focus Points has featured our students and staff helping others. The most recent post was late November 2011. Other posts were (March 29 and November 4 ). In those writings, you learned how our students honored our veterans and the men and women serving in the armed forces. Our students also helped local service agencies by donating canned goods, clothing items, toys as well as volunteering their time. They also raised funds for Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the homeless.

Congratulations to the Blalack Middle School students, parents and community. The school was named as one of the top 10 schools in the state of Texas for raising money through Hoops for Heart for the American Heart Association. The campus raised $8,086.22.

In 2011, our students helped with Special Olympics and Kacie's Run, and they are already making plans for the 2012 events. So mark Sat., March 24, 2012 on your calendar, and make Kacie's Run one of your "favorites" so you will be knowlegeable about the event notices and scheduling.

In the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District, we have a rich legacy of parents, educators and the community-at-large working together for students. This commitment gives us a great road map to follow as we help our students achieve at high levels and learn about helping others. As we continue this holiday season, let's take time to celebrate the many "Bright Spots" that abound in C-FB ISD.

The District's Bilingual and ESL Programs

2011-12-04T16:11:00.001-08:00

For the December School Board meeting, our student achievement presentation focused on the district's Bilingual-English As A Second Language (ESL) programs. Each year, the district provides a review and presents an assessment of our programs in accordance with the state commissioner's rules.

Dr. Isabella Pina-Hinojosa, director of the district's Bilingual-ESL programs, outlined how C-FB ISD's programs are organized to meet our district's goal of high achievement for all students.

In studying the research of Dr. Wayne Thomas and Dr. Virgina Collier on dual language instruction, the district's instructional team learned that the English reading performance of English Language Learners dramatically improved in dual language classrooms. That is why we began moving to those models in our Bilingual classrooms.

In our elementary schools, we offer a one-way dual language Bilingual program for fluent Spanish speakers. In these classrooms, our students receive instruction in both English and Spanish.

We also have elementary classrooms where English-speaking students and fluent Spanish-speakers receive instruction in two languages (English and Spanish). Our two-way dual language classes are available on two campuses: Janie Stark and June R. Thompson Elementary Schools.

We have many different languages spoken in our Bilingual-ESL classrooms, and the primary objective of the teachers is to help our students learn the English they need so they can be academically successful in math, science, social studies and eventually become productive citizens.

The most recent survey indicated that other than English, our Bilingual-ESL students and their families speak 52 different languages. Of course, Spanish is the language that most of our families speak other than English; the top three languages most frequently spoken are Vietnamese, Korean, and Telegu.

We provide multiple learning options for our English Language Learners. In our elementary schools, most teachers have taken additional coursework to earn their ESL certification. By becoming ESL-certified, our teachers have learned additional strategies that helps understands the needs of English Language Learners. The ESL program provides intensive instruction that develops academic vocabulary orally, reading vocabulary as well as written comprehension skills in English.

In middle school, the district has a newcomer's course for students who have been in the country for less than 12 months. We also provide ESL I, II and III classes as well as Read 180, a intensive online reading intervention program. In high school, we also provide a newcomer's course and specialized coursework for students who have been in an American school for four years or less.

The Learning the Language summer school
program is part of the district's |
Bilingual-ESL offerings.

C-FB ISD is known for its professional development. In our annual staff survey, 93% of our staff said that the district provides the training they need to do their jobs effectively. And, the Bilingual-ESL Department has been offering such training to our staff who teach our students in these programs. The STELLAR and GLAD professional development programs are designed to assist our teachers to improve the achievement of our English Language Learners in all subject areas.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has designed the PBMAS (Performance-Based Monitoring Analysis System) to monitor the achievement of the English Language Learners. C-FB ISD met the minimum standard for each testing group and content group for 2011. In our district, we will analyze these results to see how we can improve the academic achievement of our English Language Learners.

We continue to make great strides in our Bilingual-ESL programs. We are committed to support the learning needs of our English Language Learners so they can achieve at high levels. Remember in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District, we believe in high achievement for all students.

Department of Bilingual-ESL webpage

Bilingual Report

We Believe In Helping Others

2011-11-28T14:47:00.001-08:00

Since we began Focus Points in February 2011, I have written two posts (March 29 and November 4 ) about how our students believe in helping others. Our students understand "what counts." Helping others is part of "our DNA" just as "high achievement for all students" is the "C-FB ISD way."

C-FB ISD students believe in helping others because they just know it's the "right way of life," and in our district, we follow our character values. The seven traits are respect, pride, integrity, service, responsibility, cooperation, and citizenship. You can find our students modeling these values in our classrooms, on our playing fields, in the performance halls, and out in our communities. Although our students have service projects throughout the school year, November and December seem to be the two months when they are extremely busy working to help those in need.

McLaughlin artists Georgia Harris, Alexis Robledo,
Kevin Puente and Ceasar Torres
along with art teacher Jeannie Dewar
hold pumpkins that brightened patients' trays.

We value and appreciate the service agencies and organizations that work with our students to show them how to conduct projects that will better the world not only in our community but sometimes in a country half way around the world as Sheffield Primary students have been doing. The pre-kindergartners through second graders recently raised funds for "Pennies for Africa" which builds schools in Zambia, Africa.

An ongoing project for the McLaughlin Art Club is creating hospital tray favors for the Dallas Medical Center. The students design tray favors for every holiday. The students brighten up food trays of the people who are spending their holidays as patients in the local hospital.

Freeman students make
PB&J sandwiches.

Ranchview High School and Bernice Chatman Freeman Elementary students joined forces for a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich drive for the Irving homeless. The Freeman students collected 183 jars of peanut butter, 139 jars of jelly, 84 loaves of bread, and 51 boxes of sandwich bags. The student council members of both schools made 2,790 peanut butter & jelly sandwiches.

Canned food, toys and clothing are items our students collect for local agencies this time of year. For example, the Freeman Elementary community collected 429 pounds of food for Irving Cares, and June R. Thompson Elementary collected 435 cans for Metrocrest Social Services. Other school organizations donating to Metrocrest Social Services include R. L. Turner's METSA, Ted Polk's Student Council, the Furneaux Elementary fourth graders, Creekview's Wrestling Team, DECA, Cross Country Team while the Creekview Student Council is working with Scottish Rite Hospital.

The Creekview Cheerleaders raised $7,000
for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

Often times our schools join forces with other groups. For example, since our Early College High School is located on the Brookhaven College campus, the students and staff are working with the Brookhaven Police Department and Brookhaven College Student Government to provide gifts to 50 “angels” from The Family Place.

Our students not only run collection drives, but they also volunteer at various agencies. The Ted Polk Student Council will be helping the Salvation Army and Metrocrest Social Services this holiday season while the Creekview girls' soccer team will visit the Corinthians to sing carols and provide special goodies for the residents.

The projects listed here are just samplings of what our students, faculty and staff do for others. Our C-FB ISD students along with the educational team often times work quietly behind the scene taking care of individuals or developing special projects that make a difference in our schools and community. We appreciate those students and our team members who realize the importance of being involved and giving to others.

Photos of Freeman and Ranchview Making PB&J Sandwiches

Photos - June R. Thompson Donates Food To Metrocrest Social Services

Photos - A Sampling of Service Projects

A Time of Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T07:35:00.000-08:00

This week in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District, our students and most staff are out for a week-long break due to the Thanksgiving Holidays. Thanksgiving has been an important time throughout our country's history, with President Abraham Lincoln issuing the first Presidential Proclamation designating a Thanksgiving Day.

Forty-Year Pin Recipients Kay Edmondson, Sara Gambrell
with Board President Nancy Cline and Dr. Burns

We in C-FB ISD have much to be thankful for when it comes our public school system. We have great facilities and the latest technology. But, what really makes our school district stand out from all the rest are the people who have chosen our district as their professional home.

In early November, your Board of Trustees hosted a service awards dinner for district staff members. The individuals honored had completed 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and even 40 years of service in C-FB ISD. In fact, we had 273 staff members with those years of service. These team members have made life-long commitments to C-FB ISD and make our district what it is today.

Along with a service award pin, the School Board approved a compensation plan to honor these employees for theirs years of service. For every 5 years, an individual is a C-FB ISD staff member, he receives $500. For example, a 10-year staff member receives a $1,000 service award check. This is the fourth year that we’ve included this incentive for employees who return to C-FB ISD year after year. I've heard some staff members call it “longetivity pay.” This project is just another way that we thank our team members for their loyalty to our district, to our students and our goal of "high achievement for all students."

Thirty-five Year Pin Recipients Deborah Holmes, Cathy Webb
Mary Bass with Board President Nancy Cline and Dr. Burns

Mark Twain once wrote, “Your work is a self-portrait, autograph it with excellence.” This quotation describes the people who are C-FB ISD employees. Our staff strives for excellence in every assignment. Our team members give incredible hours. Regardless of the job or role, our staff goes the extra mile. And, they believe in this district. For the past two years, we have asked the Human Resources Department of the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) to conduct a survey of C-FB ISD employees.

We have used the information to determine how our team perceives specific issues and also learned how they feel about C-FB ISD. As community members, you should be proud that nearly all (99%) like the work they do.

Ninety-two percent indicated they would recommend C-FB ISD to a friend as a good place to work. The vast majority of the participants say that they have the support of their co-workers, and there is a sense of camaraderie within their work group. Our C-FB ISD team members are the "unsung heroes" who are shaping tomorrow's leaders.
What our educational team thinks about C-FB ISD mirrors the viewpoints from our annual parent survey. Our 2011 parent survey told us that 90 % of our parents were satisfied with their child’s campus.

We in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District are thankful that our parents are satisfied with their child's campus. However, in our district, we believe in a model of continuous improvement, which means that we are always striving to do better. After all, our goal is "high achievement for all students."

More 'Share Your Stories'; Be a Part of Our Campaign

2011-11-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

As we approach this season of thanksgiving, this is a great time for you to participate in our "Share Your Story" campaign. For the last year, we have been encouraging people to tell their special positive stories about C-FB ISD.

We want people to share their success stories that they usually tell their friends, family and neighbors about their schools, teachers and district with us. We are looking for the stories that set C-FB ISD apart from the other public school systems in Texas and the nation.

We appreciate the wonderful experiences that former and current students, parents, grandparents, teachers, and community members have written and even videotaped. Our Strategic Communication Services team has been to Homecoming games, Senior Honor Breakfasts, Employee Appreciation Events and other activities recording these messages. You can see the already taped stories on our Vimeo Channel or at Share Your Stories Videos.

Here are just a few of the written stories that have been shared:

"Excellent opportunities for the students, and the administrators and staff are fantastic to work with as parent volunteer. C-FB ISD is our home."

Story From C-FB ISD Facebook

"After I attended C-FB ISD my entire school career, I wanted my son to also attend school in C-FB. My son currently attends Farmers Branch Elementary. From the first day of kindergarten, the school has been very supportive of me and my son. ... I work very closely with the administrators and teachers. Parent involvement really does go a long way. The more you support your child the more the staff of the school can help your child improve. "

Former C-FB ISD Student and Current C-FB ISD Parent

“The teachers at McKamy truly care about the future of each child and focus on ways to challenge each student to reach their full potential. Their lesson plans hold the child's interests and make learning fun. The staff have always been caring and attentive to each student's unique needs. I'm starting our tenth year at McKamy and I cannot imagine our children anywhere else.”

Parent of former and current McKamy Elementary School students

The Share Your Story section on our website is available for anyone but especially for prospective families and future C-FB ISD team members to hear from "real C-FBers" on what makes our district special for students and of course, families. And, we believe the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District is one of the best professional homes for educators too!

Do you have a story to share?

We know that there are hundreds and hundreds of stories about the spirit of our district and how a C-FB ISD team member made a difference in the life of a student or a family. We also know that our signature instructional programs set our graduates on their chosen career paths. And, our fine arts and athletic programs even impact the lives of our students. Or, if you are a C-FB ISD educational team member, you may want to tell us why you made the decision to make our district your professional home.

Are you willing to share? We've made it really easy for you. We've created a form where you can write your story. We simply ask you to limit your story to less than 250 words. Share Your Story Form

We know that C-FB ISD is a great place to learn and to work. We have outstanding students. We have a great community that supports our students and believes in our work. We have an educational team who believes in our goal of high achievement for all students.

We encourage you to share your positive story about C-FB ISD today!

Everything Ties Together

2011-11-10T09:57:00.000-08:00

At our November School Board meeting, we shared the restructured 2011-12 District Improvement Plan along with the updated 2011-12 Strategic Improvement Plan. The updated Strategic Plan focuses on performance targets aligned with the district goal of "high achievement for all students" and our four supporting objectives.

District Improvement Council Chairman Matthew Pruitt, sixth-grade teacher from Ted Polk Middle School, presented an overview of the district plan. Mr. Pruitt did an excellent job outlining the plan and the council's role. State law mandates all Texas school districts have a District Improvement Council.

In C-FB ISD, we take the District Improvement Council's role seriously. Our council's members represent teachers, parents, community members, principals and district administrators. The council meets regularly during the school year. Members learn about and give input on the budget, the district calendar, instructional matters and special annual topics such as school start times.

The District Improvement Plan follows the district's vision, mission, statement of beliefs and graduate profile. All of these can be found on the district website. In the District Improvement Plan, there are numerous action strategies outlined for the C-FB ISD team to accomplish the four supporting objectives. At the School Board meeting, we highlighted strategies that our team will be working on to move our district forward this school year. To see the strategies we highlighted, please click through our PowerPoint presentation below.

Our Strategic Improvement Plan outlines district-wide performance targets being used to measure our four strategic objectives. The Education Resource Group (ERG) provides much of the data that the district uses. The ERG performance matrix was developed to identify school districts that obtain high academic performance in the most financially efficient manner. An October Focus Points outlined the benefits of ERG's work. Other student achievement data that we will use to evaluate our performance include STAAR (the new state accountability system), SAT and ACT (college entrance exams) results and the high school graduation rate.

As we work to improve to the learning environment for our students and staff, we will evaluate our student attendance rate and disciplinary placements. We will use the results from the annual staff survey conducted by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) to monitor our success as well.

Increasing operational effectiveness has always been a priority, but in today's world, we are working through even greater major financial shortfalls than ever before. At the same time, we are staying the course for high academic achievement. We will be using the ERG data as we measure our financial effectiveness among the 200 largest Texas school districts.

Our fourth objective revolves around increasing the stakeholder confidence of the district. We will measure our efforts through our annual parent survey and our employee survey. For example, in our 2011 parent survey, 88.6% of our parents said that they were satisfied with the district. We continue to build confidence through open communication as well face-to-face communication with parents, staff, community and business leaders.

As you look through our documents, you will see C-FB ISD has a plan to move our work forward. We in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District are committed to high achievement for all students. We know that the community will join us in our efforts to help all of our students achieve high levels in the A's: academics, the arts and athletics.

Board District Improvement Plan 2011-2012

Serving and Honoring Others

2011-11-04T12:59:00.000-07:00

Newman Smith Vocal Ensemble

In C-FB ISD, we always talk about our singular goal of high achievement for all students. We believe that it is important that our team knows what our purpose is as we move our students' learning forward. Along with our students learning reading, writing and math, we also emphasize the ideals on which this country was established.

In 1996, a group of parents, teachers, and students worked with the School Board to develop the district’s character values. They selected seven standards that they believed were concepts on which this country was founded. The seven traits are

respect
pride
integrity
service
responsibility
cooperation
citizenship

R. L. Turner ROTC

Our goal as educators is to model these principles throughout our district whether in the classrooms, on the playing fields or in district offices. We want our students, families and the entire community to know that character values are alive and well in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District.

In November, our students and staff model respect and citizenship as they celebrate Veterans Day. The students hold assemblies, special ceremonies and other projects where they welcome veterans as well as men and women who are currently serving in the armed services. These activities are planned by our students because they understand the sacrifices made by these men and women.

One of Our Heroes at R. L. Turner

Earlier this week, R. L. Turner and Newman Smith High Schools held assemblies. Our students are so honored to have these men and women on their campuses. Sometimes, we are not sure who benefits more from these events – the students or the individuals being recognized.

In C-FB ISD, we so appreciate the staff members who collaborate with the students who participate in the assembly as members of the color guard, the choir, and other performance groups. Your talents provide such inspiration to the veterans and armed service members whom your schools are honoring, but at the same time, you are showing them what is right with public education in C-FB ISD.

Mr. Tom Lytle, retired Special Forces,
presents Newman Smith Principal
Joe Pouncy a commemorative coin

We are also proud of the respect and admiration that the students in audience have for those who have given so much for our country. Our students are models of the seven character values adopted by our district.

We have two more assemblies scheduled to honor Veterans Day. If you are veteran in our community and wish to attend, please contact the principal's office of that school. We would like to thank you for your service.

Some of Our Heroes at Newman Smith

Blalack Middle School Veterans Day Celebration, Nov. 11 at 2 p.m.

Vivian Field Middle School Veterans Day Celebration, Nov. 15 at 2:45 p.m.

Or, if you are a community member, please join us for these special celebrations to honor those who serve our nation and community. You will be encouraged by the outpouring of support C-FB ISD students give to the men and women who have given service to our great country.

We encourage everyone to model the district character values of respect, pride, integrity, service, responsibility, cooperation, and citizenship and to remember that “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”

To view more photos from R. L. Turner's assembly: RLT

To view more photos from Newman Smith's assembly: NSHS

Staying THE Course As We Work Through Financial Issues

2011-11-01T08:07:00.000-07:00

Our teachers, principals, and our instructional team remain focused on high achievement for all students. However, school finance and the district's financial status are major conversational topics among staff, parents, and even some community members. The major funding shortfalls that occurred in the last Texas Legislature are having major effects on the district's financial structure and its future academic and operational structure.

Approved by the School Board in August, the 2011-2012 district budget, has a deficit of $9.7 million. However, the staff is already taking steps to reduce that deficit amount. For the first time, the district requested state waivers for kindergarten through fourth grade that exceed 22 students in a classroom because of financial circumstances. We currently have 63 classrooms in those grades with more than 22 students. By electing not to hire 63 additional elementary teachers, we saved about $3.4 million. C-FB ISD is not alone in making this decision; neighboring North Texas districts also submitted the same type of state waiver to the Texas Education Agency due to financial constraints.

From 2008 to 2011, we reduced our staffing ranks by 239 through attrition and retirements. These positions included educational aides, teachers, administrators, and auxiliary staff. Since last school year until we started classes this August, another 120 jobs went away through attrition and retirements. Our goal has been to look everywhere and anywhere to reduce costs.

As we look to the 2012-13 school budget, we estimate a shortfall of $20 million based on the state financial data. As our governing organization, the School Board has developed three guiding objectives for us to use to prioritize our programs, operations and compensation. These objectives will help us evaluate what will cause the least harm to our programs and operations.

Guiding Objectives

Minimize the impact on student academic achievement
Minimize the impact on non-academic special services and programs for all students, i.e., extra-curricular and co-curricular programming
Minimize the impact on the ability to retain and attract quality staff

We will use these guiding objectives to determine how the programs and operations stack up based on their level of importance to the objectives. This is a systems-based approach in analyzing the programs, operations, and services that C-FB ISD provides. Once we have this information, we will prioritize the proposed cost containments based on which have the least impact on the district's goal of high achievement. This is no easy to task.

When the School Board meets on February 16, 2012 in a work-study session on Resource Allocation, we will discuss if there are any cost containments that can be made to help with the pending shortfall. Not only do we to have to think about the impact of these decisions on the district today, but also what impact will these decisions have on the district in the future.

Revenue Options
There are only two ways under current state law for a public school district to get additional revenue: 1) a tax ratification election and 2) more students.

First, under current state law, a school district can hold an election to ask its voters to approve taxes for the maintenance and operation of the school district.

Second, increased enrollment also means more dollars. When a school district is growing, then that means more money. Another way to get more students is to open your district to students who live out of your district through open enrollment. At the November 17 work-study session, the School Board will hear a report on a limited open enrollment policy. Several North Texas school districts currently have limited open enrollment policies, including Coppell ISD.

Understanding the revenue structure of school finance structure is complex. This short video, "Texas School Finance Explained," which was produced during the last state legislature gives an excellent overview of how Texas school finance works. Video

We know that any changes that we make due to financial constraints can impact our students and staff. But, these reductions and others will be necessary to adjust to a reduced state funding level. We believe that everyone who is associated with the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District needs to be aware of the financial implications affecting our schools. As we work through these serious financial issues, we will continue our commitment to high achievement for all students.

Health Services Team Impacts Learning Environment

2011-10-20T14:11:00.000-07:00

An environment that is safe, secure and conducive to learning is necessary to our goal of "high achievement for all students." That is why, one of our strategic objectives relates to the learning environment for our students and educational team.

A department that plays a vital role in "continuously improving the learning environment for students and staff" is Health Services. We believe that there is a strong connection between academic achievement and the overall health and well being of students.

In C-FB ISD, we are fortunate to have registered nurses (RNs) on our educational team. These individuals play integral roles in helping C-FB ISD meet the core value: "learning occurs best in a safe, orderly and nurturing environment."

Not only is it important academically for students to attend school each day, but district finances are tied directly to their attendance. Of course, we never want students to attend school if they are sick, but we do want students in school every day if they are well. District nurses help all students feel safe and supported especially those students who have acute, chronic, episodic and emergency medical needs.

The registered nurses' expertise in clinical assessment and critical thinking skills enable them to:

Provide care and support to students to maximize time in the classroom.
Reduce the number of students sent home unnecessarily.
Provide appropriate nursing interventions and community referrals to maximize instructional time.
Provide follow-up care within the school setting to reduce absences.
Reduce spread of contagious illnesses, resulting in fewer sick days for students and staff.

Our health services team is the front line for our local medical community for communicable diseases such as the chickenpox, pertussis (whooping cough), meningitis, influenza, and staph infections. Your school health team is well respected by local medical community. For example, they notify the local county health departments on signs of illness and absences.

Your school nurses play an integral role in monitoring influenza. In fact, their data has been presented at national epidemiology conferences. Dallas County is currently the only county in the nation to have such detailed school flu and absence data. C-FB ISD schools are the only ones reporting on a daily basis communicable disease information in Denton County to its health department.

Immunizations/Health Screenings
Our school nurses work with families to ensure their students have all state-required immunizations. Every year, the nurses notify families of the needed immunizations. In 2010, the district had a 99.9% compliance rate for all immunizations required by Texas. We hope that this good news will mean less instructional time lost to illness.

Hearing, vision, spinal and diabetes screenings are required by the Texas Department of Health Services. Our Health Services team screens all students in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, first, third, fifth and seventh grades as well as any new students for vision, hearing and diabetes risk. Scoliosis screenings occur in grades 5 and 8. Our nurses then refer students to physicians if needed.

Health Education/Partnerships
Our nurses provide classroom instruction on various topics. The nurses may speak in our elementary schools on dental health and hand washing and in other schools about nutrition. They may address other topics as requested by the teachers and principals.

Our Health Services Department has formed numerous community partnerships. For example, they work with the Carrollton Evening Lions Club in their vision clinics held twice a year at Vivian Field Middle School. The nurses also volunteer with the Care Van Immunization clinic at McDonald's every other month to provide free vaccines to students.

Our Health Services Department assists the district in improving the learning environment for our students and staff. To learn more about the district's Health Services, visit the department's website: Health Services.

In C-FB ISD, we have one goal, “high student achievement for all students.” Students need to be in school every day ready to learn because we know that effort produces achievement. With the knowledge and collaboration of our Health Services Department team, C-FB ISD is joining forces with community resources to support families and keep students in the classrooms. We are working to provide a positive learning environment for students and staff.

Supporting Gifted Learners

2011-10-13T08:43:00.000-07:00

The student achievement presentation at the October School Board meeting focused on the Advanced Academics Services Department. Executive Director Gerry Charlebois highlighted how the department works collaboratively with our principals and teachers. Together, they design a quality education for all students while supporting the needs of the gifted learners. In C-FB ISD, we are very fortunate to have the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Association for Gifted and Talented who works along side the educational team

in supporting our gifted education program, students and families.

As the Advanced Academic Services team members implement the district's advanced-level instructional programs, they follow three critical goals: identification, quality services and high academic performance.

Identification

Early assessment is important, and we begin identification as early as kindergarten. Our identification process is comprehensive throughout our elementary and secondary schools. Along with assessments, a key instrument that we are using to identify students are portfolios. Our Advanced Academic Specialists are working with our teachers and counselors in helping them identify what to look for in student portfolios. Almost 9% of our students are identified for the ACE (Academic Creative Education) program.

Quality Services

C-FB ISD is well known for its gifted services. The LEAP program for the highly gifted attracts families to the district. Although the elementary and middle school programs are housed at McCoy Elementary and DeWitt Perry Middle Schools, respectively, eligible students transfer into the two schools from across the district.

Our International Baccalaureate (IB) offerings at Good Elementary, Las Colinas Elementary, Barbara Bush Middle and Ranchview High Schools also bring families to our community. C-FB ISD is one of 146 elite districts and schools in the world that offer an IB continuum from kindergarten through grade 12 through Las Colinas, Barbara Bush and Ranchview. Only 17 schools in North America claim this distinction. C-FB ISD was the second public school district in North Texas to offer the IB continuum.

Good Elementary was the district’s first IB school, and the first elementary school in North Texas to receive IB primary years programme authorization in March 2008. The school received its reauthorization in June. We have had 33 IB candidates graduate from Ranchview High School in the last two graduating classes (2010 and 2011).

Parents are highly involved in the C-FB ISD Association for the Gifted and Talented (AGT). Organized in 1979, AGT offers much support and learning opportunities for parents and students. On October 19, the group will host Dr. Sylvia Rimm, a leading expert on gifted education. Special Seminar

The Advanced Academic Services team also works with our campuses to offer other services such as the annual UIL Middle School Academic Competition. This competition builds awareness and expertise for high school academic contests. Last year, more than 600 middle school students participated thanks to the efforts of our middle school faculty and staff and Advanced Academic Services department. We also encourage students to participate in the Duke University Talent Identification Program (TIP). Qualifying seventh graders take the SAT or ACT, and last year, 686 C-FB ISD students were eligible.

High Performance
In keeping with the district's goal of "high achievement for all students," the Advanced Academic Services Department also monitors the success of students enrolled in advanced course work. The district has initiatives and partnerships in place to increase their academic performance.

The district offers prep sessions on the PSAT and SAT; these classes provide firsthand practice for the SAT and a chance for students to enter the National Merit Scholarship program. The district has just entered into a partnership with Advanced Placement Strategies and R. L. Turner High School. The $502,250 grant from LBJ Infrastructure Express will focus on increasing the number of students taking and receiving qualifying scores on Advanced Placement math, science, and English exams.

We have seen an increase in the number of students taking the SAT, and the district scores remain above the state scores. This is good news because, hopefully, the more students who take college-entrance exams will mean more C-FB ISD graduates will enter college.

Finally, the Advanced Academic Services team monitors Advanced Placement enrollment and performance. We are pleased to see growth over a five-year period. Although we did see a slight dip in the number of test takers from 2008-09 and 2009-2010, overall, the number of students enrolled in Advanced Placement courses is exceptional. However, we would like more students to earn 3, 4, or 5's on the exams, but we are pleased with the results. The C-FB ISD team will continue to work on improving our performance in this area.

The Department of Advanced Academic Services works closely with our campuses to increase achievement for all students while supporting the needs of the gifted learners. If you wish to learn more about the programs supported by Advanced Academic Services, visit the website: Advanced Academic Services. Remember in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District, we are all working toward one goal: "high achievement for all students."

Performing In The Top 5% Of Texas School Districts

2011-10-05T09:06:00.000-07:00

Public education is complex whether you are talking about schools in Oklahoma, California, New York, or here in Texas. Consequently, it is critical for public school leaders to find a performance management system that will help move their school district forward academically as well as identify models of high performance and efficiency.

For the last year, the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District has been working with an organization that focuses on public education performance management. The Education Resource Group (ERG) performance matrix was developed to identify school districts that provide high academic performance in the most financially efficient manner.

In C-FB ISD, we use multiple measures to evaluate how the district is doing in terms of student performance. For example, the staff reviews the state's Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS), the federal Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) reports, SAT and ACT data, and other student assessment measures. We always want to provide an instructional program that will keep all students achieving at high levels.

We believe that the ERG performance management system provides key data for C-FB ISD. By analyzing the student performance and financial data from the 200 largest school districts in Texas, ERG can determine the annual educational productivity of individual school districts in three areas: overall educational value, academic performance and financial performance.

You may wonder why it is important to look at the 200 largest Texas school districts when there are more than 1,000 school districts in our state. Since about 81% of students in Texas attend these 200 school districts, we believe analyzing their academic and financial performance will tell us where the "bright spots" in education are.

The other "good news" about the ERG performance system is that unlike the state's accountability rating system it ranks performance. For example, the ERG performance matrix integrates academic and financial measures into a relatively clear framework of performance management. This performance matrix can identify school districts that provide strong academic performance while spending the lowest amount per student.

In the chart above, the districts in the "green" box (1-1) are achieving at high academic levels while spending tax dollars wisely compared to the districts in the "red" box. The good news for the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD community is your district is one of eight in the "1-1" box. The districts in the "1-1" box are among the top 5% of the Texas school districts providing a high return on investment to their stakeholders.

For 2010: C-FB ISD ranked 11 out of the 200 Texas largest school districts in overall educational value. For 2010, the district ranked 17 out of 200 in academic performance and 49 out of 200 in financial performance.

The ERG performance management system is instrumental to our work. In the district's Strategic Improvement Plan, we have outlined strategies under each of our four objectives to move our rankings forward until C-FB ISD is at the top. In Carrollton-Farmers Branch, we have one goal: "high achievement for all students." By working toward this one goal, we will continue to improve our performance.

Involvement Is Key

2011-09-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

Carrollton-Farmers Branch Schools do a remarkable job of educating your students, but the educational team does not work alone. We have many supportive organizations, businesses and individuals who work ‘shoulder-to-shoulder’ with us to help our students and families. One such supporting organization is the Parent Teacher Association (PTA).

The local school PTA units along with the C-FB ISD Council PTA compose the largest child advocacy organization that the district has. The C-FB ISD Council PTA currently works with 37 PTAs, including 3 early childhood PTAs, 24 elementary PTAs, 6 middle school PTAs, and 4 high school PTSAs. The council provides training, information and services to local PTAs.

Volunteers

We want parents and other adults to be actively involved in the schools. Volunteers provide much expertise and assistance for the faculty and staff. Individuals may assist in classrooms, libraries, offices -- it just depends on the needs of a campus and the skill of the volunteer.

If you know of businesses and other organizations that may be willing to support your school through volunteers, share that information with your school’s PTA president and/or your school principal. We know that a personal contact can open the doors to volunteers and partnerships. If you are donating your time as a volunteer, thank you for helping the district focus on its goal of "high achievement for all students."

The local school PTAs are key connectors as they work with families, students, faculty and staff. These involved parents and family members are always looking for ways to help families support their children’s education. Most C-FB ISD schools are finishing up their PTA membership drives, but it's never to late to join. Click on PTA Sites to find more information about local PTAs or your individual school.

Two Council Projects
Two Council PTA projects that benefit C-FB ISD in huge ways are:

The Clothes Closet -- A long-time project of the council, the Clothes Closet, assists district students and their families with "gently-used" clothing items. The Closet is not-for-profit and is maintained solely by local volunteers. The PTA is always in need of monetary donations and volunteers to maintain the closet. For more information, you may email the Council PTA or visit the Clothes Closet website page.

Gently Used Book Sale -- Now in its eleventh year, the sale is the Council's main fundraiser. The book sale also increases the organization's community awareness and promotes literacy as well as provides funds for grants and scholarships. If you have items for donation, you may drop them off at any campus. Visit the Book Sale website for information.

Other Parent Involvement
Take time to visit with your child’s teacher(s) so that you know what your child needs academically to be successful this school year. If you have not already signed up, check out the district’s Parent Self Serve. It is an online information system for parents/guardians.

Through the system, parents can check student attendance and academic progress. For more information about Parent Self Serve, click on its website: Parent Self Serve. If parents have any concerns with the district's Parent Serve, they should contact the district's Technology Help Desk (972-968-4357).

The work of the PTA and volunteers assist C-FB ISD in providing a safe and caring environment as well as support systems for families. These partnerships enable the district to meet its strategic objective: "continuously improve the learning environment for students and staff." By combining our resources and efforts, we make sure that our schools are places where students feel accepted and challenged to learn.

Summer School Extends Learning; 2012 Dates Set

2011-09-15T12:42:00.000-07:00

At every regular School Board meeting, our Educational Services Division presents a report focused on our district's goal of high achievement for all students. At the September meeting, Tracy Smith, executive director for School Improvement, gave an overview of the district's summer school program.

In C-FB ISD, we are fortunate to provide an extensive summer school that accommodated 4,574 students in 11 different programs. In our summer school, we have similar services found in C-FB ISD during the regular school year.

As educators analyze the research of what happens to the achievement of most students after summer break, we find that their test scores are usually one month lower in the fall when they return to school. The analysis also suggests that the summer regression is more pronounced in math than in reading.

Through summer school, students improve their academic skills or even explore new learning. This past summer, we modified our program in some instructional areas to strengthen academic achievement. One such change was to institute a fifth and eighth grade retest center for the students who were attending summer school because they did not pass TAKS during the school year. The teachers did excellent work focusing on the specific instructional needs of these students. Although we saw mixed achievement results, the students were better prepared for this school year.

We are also pleased with BRIDGES, a new program created to assist students who are struggling with their learning. This three-week program held just prior to the start of school gave students an academic boost and helped them with goal setting for the 2011-12 year as well as with leadership skill development.

Along with these modifications, we had "traditional" offerings such as our high school program where students earned credits either to accelerate or to recover credits. Our high school students earned 1,246 half credits this summer.

Along with course credits and helping students improve their academics, we also had enrichment options. Students participated in all types of fun classes through Exploration Academy, SAGE, and Amateur Naturalist. The whole key of these programs is to learn reading, writing, math and science in innovative ways.

A long-time summer program, Learning the Language, continues to give our pre-kindergartners and kindergartners more time to hone their English. The program focuses on student-centered activities and ends the summer with a special open house with students sharing the English they learned through songs and activities.

The district believes that our summer school is an important piece of the instructional program. To reach the district's goal of high achievement for all, we know some students need more instructional time than what is available in the regular school year. And, summer school is the answer. For other students, summer school is time for them to take their learning above and beyond. The teachers, principals and the instructional team who work in our summer school do an incredible job in creating a positive learning atmosphere. Their efforts combined with the rest of the operational team allow our district to offer quality, diverse programs that meet individual learning needs.

The C-FB ISD instructional team is so committed to continuous improvement that plans are already underway for next year. The staff has begun curriculum planning as well as detetermined the dates for 2012 summer school. By having the schedule set early, we believe that families and staff can plan ahead.

September Brings Lots of Activities

2011-09-07T08:56:00.000-07:00

Now that school is underway, all kinds of activities abound in the district. From athletic to fine art events to PTA and booster club meetings, C-FB ISD has a wealth of involvement options. We encourage families and community members to join us to support students in their activities.

During football season, our four high comprehensive schools will have Homecoming Football Games. We invite alumni back to celebrate their high school days.The Homecoming Games are at Standridge Stadium, 1330 W. Valwood Parkway, Carrollton on these dates:

September 30, 7 p.m., R. L. Turner
October 14, 7:30 p.m., Ranchview
October 28, 7 p.m., Newman Smith
November 4, 7 p.m., Creekview

This year is extremely unique for R. L. Turner High School as it celebrates the 100th Graduating Class of Carrollton High School/R. L. Turner High School. The school will host an evening Homecoming Parade at 7 p.m. on Wed., Sept. 28. RLT Class of 1983 alumnus George Dunham from the KTCK 1310 The Ticket will be the parade's Grand Marshall. We are encouraging alumni to join the current students in the parade. If you are interested, meet in the R. L. Turner parking lot at 6 p.m. or along Valwood Parkway for the parade. Alumni with questions can contact R. L. Turner Principal Georgeanne Warnock warnockg@cfbisd.edu for more information.

If you are interested in attending any high school football games this season, the district's Athletic Department has the football schedules posted online: Athletic Schedules. That link can also provide other high school sport schedules. We invite you to come out and support any and all teams. Right now, along with football, girls' volleyball, fall tennis and golf, and cross country seasons are underway.

Our fine arts groups are performing throughout the schools and community at such events as PTA and service club meetings. They are also engaged in performance-based contests during the school year. Their successes are frequently posted on the district's website under Accolades. You can also find information about performances on the district's event dates site, on the Fine Arts Department home page, or individual campus pages.

The district created the Advantage Card to encourage residents 60 years or old to attend school events. This free card provides free general admission seating to local C-FB ISD athletic events. The card holder may swim for free during the "public swim" time at the Natatorium. Card holders may also walk free on the Standridge Stadium track.

If you are a district resident and are 60 years or older, you can request your Advantage Card in person at the C-FB ISD Administration Building, 1445 North Perry Road, Carrollton and provide a photo identification to show proof of age eligibility. Once you have your Advantage Card, you may use the card for as long as you live in the school district.

Activities play an important role in the public education setting. Your support helps us reach our goal of "high achievement for all students." When students see that parents, families and community are backing them by attending their events and volunteering at their schools, they understand that what they are learning and doing is important to their future. We invite you to come be a part of C-FB ISD activities and support our students.

C-FB ISD School Board Understands Challenges

2011-08-30T11:04:00.000-07:00

As educators in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District, we are fortunate to have the strong backing of our community. In the 2011 parent survey, 90.6% of the C-FB ISD parents expressed satisfaction in their child's school. That belief in our system is because our teachers, principals and entire team have the tools they need because we have a School Board who truly understands the needs of a 26,000-plus student school district.

The commitment of service to our community, parents, students and staff begins with our seven School Trustees. They understand the challenges we face as we work to increase student achievement with declining financial resources. On Thurs., August 25, 2011, the Board adopted the 2011-2012 district budget.

Although the district has 12 months before the 2012-2013 budget must be approved, the School Board held a special work-study session immediately following this year's budget approval to give us - the educational team - the direction for financial planning and decision-making. Thanks to the fiscal direction of the School Board, C-FB ISD has weathered the financial storm better than most Texas school districts. However, with the changes made in the last Texas Legislative Session to public school finance, the district will be facing more and more difficult decisions.

Monitoring district finances, giving the educational team financial direction and ensuring fiscal stability are among the top responsibilities of an elected school board. And, the C-FB ISD School Board takes its fiduciary role extremely seriously. Thanks to their strong governance, C-FB ISD has earned a Superior Rating, the state's highest rating, under the State's State Financial Accountability Rating System since the system's inception.

Along with their work on budgetary and fiscal matters, the School Board also has other key roles including:

Ensuring the creation of a vision and goals for the district
Adopting policies that guide district actions
Hiring a superintendent to serve as the district's administrator and evaluating the superintendent’s success
Overseeing the regular assessment of the district’s students, staff, and programs
Communicating the district’s vision and successes to the community.

During the 2011-2012 school year, the Board will hold one regular meeting a month from September through June. All regular meetings will be the first Thursday of each month except January which will be January 13. Regular meetings begin at 7 p.m. and are held in the Board Room of the Administration Building. You find all agendas online prior to the meetings. During the meetings, your School Board will handle these key roles, and you are invited to attend any and all of them. Regular meetings are replayed on CFB-TV and on our online Vimeo Channel.

The Board will also hold a series of work-study sessions to delve into topics that need more in depth discussion and review. These meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. You are invited to attend these too.

Upcoming dates and topics:

September 22, 2011 - Strategic Plan Review and Update; ERG (Education Resource Group) Data
October 20, 2011 – Team of Eight Training (This meeting complies with the statutory requirement of a team-building training for the School Board Members and Superintendent.)
November 17, 2011 - Limited Open Enrollment and Grade Configuration
February 16, 2012 - Resource Allocation
April 19, 2012 - Grading
June 28, 2012 - Accountability and Planning for 2012-13

Our C-FB ISD Board of Trustees is an effective governing body who believes in this district's vision and goal of high achievement for all students. When elected officials, educators, and the community work together, their efforts produce results for student achievement.

A New Year - Full of Bright Spots

2011-08-24T13:16:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the 2011-2012 school year in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District. We are having an excellent start to this year. Our campuses had an outstanding first day thanks to the outstanding preparation of our teachers, principals and entire educational team.

I want to thank our students and families as well as the C-FB ISD team for adjusting so well to the new school start times. I enjoyed visiting the schools on the first day. I found teachers and students already engaged in learning and working on the district's goal of "high achievement for all students." I am looking forward to visiting all of our schools during the year and seeing our teachers and students in action. I know that our schools will be filled with many "Bright Spots."

In C-FB ISD, we are committed to this goal as well as continuous improvement. Over the last school year, we made great strides in meeting our goal and the four strategic objectives that support our strategic plan.

In the book Switch by Dan and Chip Heath, the brothers write about the importance of finding the "Bright Spots"; that means when we see what's working we need to celebrate the success, investigate why it is working and study how we can use those successes in other areas. This year, in C-FB ISD, we are going to celebrate "Bright Spots."

Here are few "Bright Spots" from the 2010-2011 school year.

For the second year, C-FB ISD earned a Recognized Rating under the Texas Education Agency (TEA) Accountability Rating System; 12 campuses received Exemplary ratings; 19 campuses, Recognized ratings.
The Education Resource Group (ERG) annually measures the academic and financial performance of all Texas school districts. By using multiple data, ERG determines the educational productivity of individual school districts in three areas: overall educational value, academic performance and finance performance. For 2010: C-FB ISD ranked 11 out of the 200 Texas largest school districts in overall educational value. For 2010, C-FB ISD ranked 17 out of the 200 largest school districts in academic performance and 49 in finance performance. What this tells our community is that C-FB ISD is achieving at academically high levels while spending tax dollars wisely.
In the 2011 parent survey, parents were extremely satisfied; 90% were positive about their child's campus; 88.6%, about the district.
In the 2011 staff survey, 93% said they were confident in C-FB ISD.

We have many "Bright Spots" in our district. If you have a "Bright Spot" you wish to share, please email the details to cfbinfo@cfbisd.edu. Our students and staff really are the best. We are seeing amazing achievements. Since Carrollton-Farmers Branch has a culture of continuous improvement, your educational team will deliver results.

High Achievement Includes Athletics and Fine Arts Too

2011-06-27T06:36:00.000-07:00

Since I started Focus Points, each post ties to our singular goal: "high achievement for all students." As we talk about high achievement to students, families, business leaders and community groups, we emphasize that high achievement in C-FB ISD is found in the three A's: Academics, Arts and Athletics.

At each School Board meeting or work-study session, the team makes presentations focusing on student achievement data or student programs. At our June meeting, the athletic and fine arts departments gave their annual presentations. So you can see all the exciting news that Coach Renee Putter, Athletics Director, and Mr. Jim McDaniel, Fine Arts Executive Director, outlined, I have included their PowerPoint presentations below.

2010-2011 a Banner Year

Fine Arts School Board Presentation 2011

We also recognized athletes and fine art students who excelled on the state and national levels. You can see the photos from the School Board recognition below.

What an exceptional year for our athletic and fine arts departments! We are extremely proud of the trophies, medals, and awards that our students, coaches and directors brought home to their respective schools and C-FB ISD.

However, what our students learned from their experiences is more important. The College Board tells us that universities are interested in not only how students do inside the academic classroom but also outside as well. That's why, we believe that comprehensive athletic and fine arts offerings are valuable to C-FB ISD's overall instructional program.

Other research tells us that participation in such groups creates a sense of team spirit and belonging, personal pride, an understanding of the value of fair play, an increased sense of honesty and trustworthiness. All of these traits dovetail into our district's seven character values: respect, pride, integrity, service, responsibility, cooperation and citizenship.

We also know that such involvement increases creativity, problem-solving, and the motivation to learn. Every characteristic or trait mentioned is vital to being a successful, productive citizen of our community, state and nation.

While we value the success of our students in all athletic and fine arts endeavors, we salute the 22 Academic All-State Athletes and the 174 senior athletes who were offered the $6,188,499 in scholarships. We also recognize the Fine Art seniors who received $10,168,415 in scholarship offers. We wish them the best as they continue their education with these scholarships.

We have had much success this school year in many areas -- 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.

Well done, Class of 2011

2011-06-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

As C-FB ISD superintendent, I have the opportunity to participate in many activities during the school year. Some of the most enjoyable events are those involving the senior classes of our high schools.

Newman Smith Valedictorian
Kathy Chan,
Dr. Burns

Newman Smith Salutatorian
Fabiola Davila

Each high school hosts a Senior Honors Breakfast to announce the Valedictorian and Salutatorian. Later in the spring, we have Senior Walks where scholarships, special awards and other tributes are announced. And finally, the big day arrives: Graduation.

I along with the Board of Trustees watch with parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, and educators as our high school seniors walk across the stage and receive their high school diplomas. What an exciting day! There are many stories of dedication and effort in the Class of 2011.

Dr. Burns,

Turner Valedictorian Arafel Bruce,

Principal Georgeanne Warnock

Turner Salutatorian Ann Lee

Although our 1,732 seniors have just finished their public education, their learning is just beginning. It doesn't matter whether they are off to college, to work or to serve their country, they will always be learning. Research tells us that this generation will not just change jobs but will change careers as many as five to six times during their lifetimes.

As our district goal indicates "high achievement for all students," we need to celebrate the work of this year's class. This class has earned just over $27.1 million in scholarships. We also want to thank the local community for giving more than $800,000 in scholarships. We value the support of our local stakeholders in our school district.

Ranchview Salutatorian Jenny Lee

Ranchview principal David Hicks,

Valedictorian Jessica Chun,

Dr. Burns

We also want to recognize the 39 graduates who are entering the armed services, and the nine who have received appointments to one of the military academies. We appreciate the thousands and thousands of men and women who are inspired to serve our country. We wish these C-FB ISD graduates well as they join the others who protect and serve our country.


Dr. Burns, Creekview Valedictorian Elizabeth Campbell, Principal Joe LaPuma

Creekview Salutatorian Jerry So

While we salute all of our 2011 graduates, we recognize the valedictorians and salutatorians of our five high schools. They have "risen to the top." What is so amazing about these 10 scholars is they just don't hit the books 24/7. They are involved in their schools and their communities. They live the quote of Mahatma Gandhi, "The future depends upon what we do in the present."

ECHS Salutatorian Eric Stecker

Dr. Burns,
ECHS Valedictorian Janice Altamirano,
Principal Rosie Oliveira

You may not realize this, but we have a fifth high school, Early College High School (ECHS). ECHS is part of the Brookhaven College campus. ECHS opened in 2006 and is an educational choice open to C-FB ISD students who are entering the ninth grade. Part of the Texas High School Project, ECHS helps students earn two years of college credit tuition-free while earning a high school diploma. This year, 29 ECHS students graduated from Brookhaven College the same year they received their high school diploma from C-FB ISD. We also had ECHS students earn college credits but not completing an associate degree.

Tony Wagner, the Harvard-based education expert, often says that we are living in knowledge economy. We in C-FB ISD have only goal: “high achievement for all students.” And, we hope that we have instilled in our graduates a passion for learning, and the importance of continuous improvement. If we have done that, the graduates of 2011 will never cease to grow and learn.

Thank You, C-FB ISD Educational Team & Volunteers

2011-06-06T05:59:00.000-07:00

We have had an extremely successful school year filled with many achievements and accomplishments. The Board of Trustees and I thank you for your hard work and determination; that is why we hosted the first Innovation Celebration at the Historic Downtown Carrollton Square in mid-May.

We wanted C-FB ISD team members to know how we much appreciate your commitment to the district’s goal of high achievement for all students. And, we wanted our volunteers to know how much we value the time that they give to our school district. You are making this community a great place to work and live.

We had fun visiting with the C-FB ISD educational family and the business owners of downtown Carrollton. We also had a great afternoon of entertainment, and we enjoyed the ice cream provided by our partner Blue Bell Ice Cream. Our younger guests showed their artistic talents with sidewalk chalk.

Thank you to the following student performers and their directors:

Ranchview Band
Creekview Chevals
Tom Landry Step Team
R. L. Turner Show Choir
Blalack Step Team
Newman Smith Jazz Band

Students from R. L. Turner High School's METSA (Math, Engineering, Technology and Science Academy) came out to demonstrate their projects.

We thank our partners who helped with the event:

Thanks to the Downtown Carrollton businesses for supporting our event.

Thank you, DART for providing transportation on the Green Line and the exciting information about transportation.

Thank you, Blue Bell Ice Cream for the delicious treats.

Journalist/historian Henry B. Adams was correct when he wrote: “A teacher affects eternity he can never tell, where his influence stops.” At the heart of any effective public school system are classroom teachers. Teaching is the most valuable profession that an individual can chose.

Regardless of their roles or assignments, every staff member helps with student achievement. Without them, we could not meet the four strategic objectives that help us meet our goal of high student achievement of all students.

In C-FB ISD, volunteers assist us in many ways. They support our schools by working in the libraries, in the classrooms, or on special projects. In our secondary schools, our parents and family members run special booster organizations for our fine arts and athletic programs.

Parents, family members and friends take an active role in PTA and PTSA along side our staff. The business partners who come in to support our schools as well as service clubs give our students such a boost academically and socially.

The Board of Trustees and I thank the C-FB ISD educational team and volunteers for a great 2010-2011 school year. Thank you for joining us at our first Celebration in Downtown Carrollton. We are in the process of planning next year's event. We will have the details for you when you get back to school in August.

To see more of our first Celebration, click here: Innovation Celebration Photos on Flickr
To see video testimonials from the Celebration, click here: Innovation Day Celebration Testimonials

We wish everyone in C-FB ISD a great summer!

New State Assessment System: STAAR

2011-05-31T01:00:00.000-07:00

All Texas public school districts will see significant changes in the state assessment program next year, including a new name: STAAR (State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness). STAAR will be more rigorous than the current TAKS tests, which have been in place since 2003.

STAAR will be 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 TEKS are 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.

Students in grades 3-8 will take STAAR instead of TAKS. STAAR tests will be given in the same grade and subject levels as TAKS tests beginning in 2011-2012.

High school students will transition to STAAR EOC (End-of-Course) beginning with ninth graders during the 2011-2012 school year. A total of 12 EOC exams will assess the four core areas of English/Language Arts, math, science, and social studies in the courses indicated on the chart. These tests will assess only TEKS taught in a given course. Due to the emphasis on Readiness Standards, the STAAR EOC exams will be a more difficult assessment than TAKS.

Middle school students who take the high school courses listed in the chart will take the EOC exams in middle school.

New Accountability System

With the new testing program comes a new accountability system. Currently, the agency is in the process of finalizing the system. Student performance will be measured on passing standards, college-readiness standards and career readiness standards.

However, to be labeled as "recognized" or "exemplary," districts and campuses will be required to go beyond the passing standards. The system's long-term goal is to have our state rank nationally in the top ten states on the following measures:

Percent of college-ready
Percent of students graduating under the recommended or advanced high school program.

We will continue to monitor the state's plans for the new accountability system since the Texas Education Agency (TEA) is still working on the implementation of the assessment program and accountability system. At this point, what we do know is the implementation schedule:

Fall 2011: Last accountability ratings based on TAKS
2011-2012: First year for STAAR
Fall 2012: No new accountability ratings; schools and districts maintain 2011 ratings
2012-2013: Second year for STAAR
Fall 2013: First ratings under new accountability system with STAAR

Whatever changes are made to the Texas assessment program and accountability system, we in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District will continue to focus on high achievement for all students.

Where C-FB ISD Is In 2011-2012 Budget Process

2011-05-19T11:29:00.000-07:00

The district has been working on its 2011-2012 budget ever since the 2010-2011 budget was adopted last August. Now that may sound strange, but it's true. Once, the School Board approves the current school year's budget, we start working on the next one.

The district staff takes to heart the strategic objective "continuously improve operational effectiveness." We are always looking for ways to hold the line on costs while improving student achievement.

Over the last three budget years, the district has worked hard to contain costs while at the same time improve student achievement. For example, this year, the district closed Montgomery Elementary School and a pre-kindergarten center. We moved Montgomery students into Dave Blair Elementary, and we returned the pre-kindergarten program back to the elementary schools.

We increased class sizes at grade 5 as well as at the middle and high schools plus we eliminated administrative and non-classroom positions.

We have reduced our staff by 239 positions which is a 7.08% decrease over the last three years. These reductions have occurred through attrition and retirements.

Although we know that early childhood education program impacts learning, the district returned its pre-kindergarten program from a full-day to a half-day program in 2009-2010 because the state only funds a half-day program.

C-FB ISD has implemented operational strategies to save money. We renegotiated utility contracts to save money and turned to energy-conservation methods. We have moved other operations to online processes to save money and time. For example, our teacher and administrative contracts are now paperless. This change saves printing costs and much more.

A huge obstacle in finalizing the 2011-2012 budget is not knowing how the Texas Legislature will handle the major shortfalls in projected funding over the next two years or how the bills under consideration will impact C-FB ISD's funding. Although the legislative landscape changes frequently, third party estimates range from $15 million to $44 million in revenue losses for C-FB ISD in the bills currently under discussion.

As I wrote in February, we have been preparing for the worst-case scenarios of limited school funding, and reports out of Austin are extremely gloomy. Based on our long-term sound fiscal management, we believe we can defer immediate major changes in current staffing patterns or signature instructional programs for 2011-2012 and rely on accumulated reserves. However, we must continue to work at minimizing next year’s deficit so we are looking everywhere and anywhere to reduce costs.

The current budget proposal for the upcoming year does not include an increase in compensation for C-FB ISD employees. And, as a position becomes open due to a resignation or retirement, we are evaluating whether to fill the position or leave it vacant. All departments are looking for ways to reduce costs.

We know that the changes being made will impact our students. But, these reductions and others are necessary to adjust to a reduced funding level. Hopefully, the Texas Legislature will come to some final decisions soon. Until then, C-FB ISD will continue working to provide the best programs with the resources available to us. We will remain committed our one goal: high achievement for all students.

Life in C-FB ISD

2011-05-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

Our main focus in C-FB ISD is high achievement for all students, and most of my week is spent interacting with teachers and principals. On most Wednesdays, my calendar is blocked out as Campus Day. That means, I am out in our schools, walking the halls, going in classrooms to see what our students are learning.

I believe that as the leader of C-FB ISD, it is important that I spend my time with our teachers and principals and with our main customers -- students. We have great teachers and principals -- they truly understand today's learner. When possible, our school principals join me at community speaking engagements so they can share stories about their campuses.

At recent Irving presentations, Ranchview principal David Hicks, Barbara Bush principal Matt Warnock and Las Colinas principal Abby McCone joined me to talk about the academic, fine arts and athletic achievements at their campuses. Many in our community may not realize that C-FB ISD serves six communities - Carrollton, Farmers Branch, Irving, Coppell, Addison and Dallas. As you can see from this image, 14% of our students reside in the City of Irving. In fact, we have six schools within the city limits of Irving. They are:

Ranchview High School
Barbara Bush Middle School
Las Colinas Elementary School
Tom Landry Elementary School
Bernice Chatman Freeman Elementary School
La Villita Elementary School

Las Colinas, Barbara Bush and Ranchview offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) program from kindergarten through grade 12. Our district is one of 146 elite districts and schools in the world that offer an IB continuum from kindergarten through grade 12. And, C-FB ISD is the second public school district in North Texas to offer IB in elementary, middle and high school.

R. E. Good Elementary in Carrollton was the district’s first IB school. Good was the first elementary school in North Texas to receive IB primary years programme authorization in March 2008.

I also share with community groups that C-FB ISD is an innovative leader in learning. Being innovative is what sets our district apart from other public school districts. Offering innovative programs such as IB and specialized academies in our high schools helps us meet our vision.

Thoughts About Previous Posts

Share Your Stories

Last week, I wrote about the importance of sharing your stories with us. Since that posting, we have added stories to http://www.cfbisd.edu/ on our Testimonial Pages, on our Vimeo channel and YouTube. I hope you check them out. Thanks to those who have shared their stories with us.

We are always looking for stories. So, if you meant to submit your story, here's a reminder; we simply ask you to limit your story to less than 250 words.Share Your Story Form

First Online Annual Report
Thank you to everyone who has viewed the district's online annual report. We have received positive comments about the first online comprehensive annual report. However, we know that the world is a busy place, and we want to remind you that the annual report has been developed so that you can get a glimpse of how your school district is doing.

And, finally last week was especially busy for the students, teachers, principals in C-FB ISD. Thank you for your efforts on the state-mandated TAKS. We in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District have one goal: high achievement for all students.

You Can Share Your Story Too!

2011-04-21T02:54:00.000-07:00

We have asked individuals who have relationships with C-FB ISD to share their stories with us. You often see those requests from universities to their alumni or companies to their clients. We appreciate those parents, community members, teachers and staff members who have already done so.

Here are just a few stories:

"We had our son enrolled in a private school when we heard about the wonderful things that are happening at R. L. Turner High School. We moved him to Blalack Middle School in his eighth grade year just so he could apply to be in the AMAT (Academy for Media Arts and Technology) program at Turner. He received a great education at Blalack, but he has had the most amazing experience ever at Turner. He has enjoyed the staff, students and atmosphere that Turner provides."

C-FB ISD Parent

"My husband works in Addison so we were looking to move to an area that would make his commute less than 20 minutes one way.The schools and school district were the deciding factor in where we ended up. I did my homework and looked at accountability ratings and other school and rating information for many C-FB ISD schools and the district overall. The stats were quite impressive. My kids ended up going to Kent, Blalack and now Creekview. I feel these schools have provided my children with a private school education from a public school. Their experiences in these schools are preparing them for success in life and I am very thankful to every teacher, administrator and volunteer who has contributed."

C-FB ISD Parent

"I taught in the district, and then we moved to another state for my husband's career. We came back over a year ago because I wanted to be an educator again in C-FB ISD, and my husband and I wanted our children to be in C-FB schools. C-FB puts students first, no matter what, and gives the most amazing opportunities for teachers to continue growing professionally. Students achieve at great levels in this district because they have educators who believe they can achieve at high levels."

C-FB ISD Teacher

We are videotaping stories from parents, teachers and students. Last year, one of our parents shared this story with us. You can find it on our "C-FB Innovative Leader in Learning YouTube' Channel. A Video Story

You can find these and other stories in a special section section on our website, Share Your Stories. This section is available for anyone but especially for prospective families and future C-FB ISD team members to hear from "real C-FBers" on what makes our district special for students and of course, families. And, we believe C-FB ISD is one of the best professional homes for educators too!

Do you have a story to share? We want to know how the spirit of our district, the C-FB ISD team, or educational opportunities has impacted your life. If you do, we've made it really easy for you. We've created a form where you can write your story. We simply ask you to limit your story to less than 250 words.Share Your Story Form

We know that C-FB ISD is a great place to learn and to work. We have outstanding students. We have a great community. We have a wonderful team who believes in high achievement for all students. We encourage you to share your positive story about C-FB ISD today!

What's Going On About Grading

2011-04-15T08:14:00.000-07:00

Grading and grades ... Students, parents, teachers and principals spend much time talking about grades and what they mean. What is the real purpose of a grade? What evidence supports a grade? What motivates an individual to make good grades?

Those questions and more were why C-FB ISD formed a Superintendent's Task Force on Grading Procedures last school year. The task force included teachers and administrators from elementary, middle and high schools plus central office instructional team members. They spent more than one year studying experts in the field of grading and assessment. During that time, the task force also obtained feedback from other staff, parents and students as they developed new grading procedures.

One reason the district is changing current assessment practices relates to Senate Bill 2033. This state law allows a student a reasonable opportunity to make up or redo a class assignment or examination for which the student received a failing grade. The law applies to an individual student and not a percentage of the students as our current procedures require. Because of this, we don't believe our procedures meet the spirit of the law, and the district needs to change. And, in our new procedures those changes have been made. We also believe that these changes will benefit all students and their learning.

A grade is all about learning. We want to determine if the student understands the state-required standards and the district curriculum required for that grade level or course. Basically, we are measuring student achievement.

The Task Force has developed a draft of district procedures that will be used by the five pilot campuses for the 2011-2012 school year. The campuses will use the procedures to determine if the changes move their student achievement forward. Their work will help us make improvements in the procedures, and then district-wide implementation is planned for 2012-13.

The five piloting campuses are:

R. L. Turner High School
Davis Elementary School
Vivian Field Middle School
Rosemeade Elementary School
Early College High School

The principals and our Educational Services Division have held parent meetings on the five piloting campuses. We believe that the grading procedures are in tune with our district goal: high achievement for all students.

In an article in the November 2009 issue of Educational Leadership, social studies teacher Tony Winger wrote the article, "Grading What Matters." Two sentences from his article stand out. They are: "No matter how lofty our espoused education goals, our grading practices reveal what we truly value. ... If higher-order thinking matters most, then that is what our grades must assess, record, report, and reward."

We in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District are always looking for ways to improve the educational quality found in our classrooms. We believe that students must understand what they are learning in school because they need to re-connect and apply it to real-life situations. C-FB ISD's grading procedures must assess a student's learning and his real understanding of the content.

To read the draft grading procedures, click here: C-FB ISD Grading Procedures

First Online Annual Report - Check It Out

2011-04-06T13:54:00.000-07:00

Stakeholder confidence and accountability go hand-in-hand. We in C-FB ISD have always believed in the importance of both. We have just created our first comprehensive district online annual report, and we believe that this communications tool will help our community learn how well C-FB ISD is doing.

The report gives you the opportunity to become more knowledgeable about C-FB ISD. We provide statistical details about the 2009-2010 school year plus figures about the current year.

Designed primarily around our four strategic objectives, the report has six tabs: leadership, achievement, learning environment, operational effectiveness, stakeholder support and current figures.

Throughout the report, we have links back to http://www.cfbisd.edu/ so you can see live, current information. As we focus on our singular goal of "high achievement for all students," we continually work on our four strategic objectives. I believe that our four objectives are intertwined. As our team improves operational effectiveness, we are strengthening shareholder confidence. And, as our students increase their achievement in academics, the arts or athletics, we are building shareholder confidence.

Our annual report has been developed so that you can get a quick glimpse of how your school district is doing. Or you can take your time and delve into the report. Writers use the term "3-30-3 rule". That means, a reader can check out the site in 3 seconds, 30 minutes or 3 minutes; whatever time you spend, you will glean valuable information about C-FB ISD.

As you look at our annual report, I believe that you will see that our students are achieving and that our staff is committed to our goal and objectives. And, finally, you will see that C-FB ISD has a plan to move our work forward. We in C-FB ISD thank our community for believing in public education.

Students Helping Students

2011-03-29T13:11:00.001-07:00

In C-FB ISD, we have one goal, “high achievement for all students.” This goal guides our work with students whether we are focusing on academics, athletics or the arts. As an innovative leader in learning, we go one step further. Not only do we want our students to graduate college-ready or work-force ready, but we also want them to understand “what counts”. We believe our students are learning what counts through the Board-adopted seven character values.
The seven traits are respect, pride, integrity, service, responsibility, cooperation, and citizenship. Our students model these values through special projects, in their classrooms, on the playing fields, on theatrical stages, in performance halls and in our communities.
Two recent projects where our students model these character values were the C-FB ISD Special Olympics Track and Field Meet and Kacie’s Run. The track and field meet provides events for more than 160 C-FB ISD special athletes and Special Olympic athletes from neighboring districts.
Our students collaborate with our staff to create an event that builds confidence in our special athletes. The Special Education staff tells me that the number of high school volunteers grows every year. This year’s high successful event allowed our special athletes to compete in the shot-put, javelin, long jump and more.
Take a look at the day by clicking on our track and field photo link: Track and Field Slide Show
Kacie’s Run
Our annual track and field meet would not be possible without Kacie’s Run. This event definitely teaches our students the importance of giving. The run raises funds for the C-FB ISD Special Olympics Track and Field Meet and bowling competitions for the All Stars.
We had a great Kacie’s Run on Saturday. Thank you to everyone who came out to walk, run or to support this wonderful cause. What a great group of volunteers! Imagine C-FB ISD students at Standridge Stadium as early as 5:30 a.m. setting up for the run!
Their work didn’t just start on Saturday. They have worked for months encouraging their fellow students and the community to come out for this great cause. Thanks to the C-FB ISD team who continues with the student volunteers every year. The team teaches the students how to run a special event. The students learn many skills. They learn about marketing, fund-raising, problem-solving, budgeting, and much more.
Kacie’s Run also involves a wonderful C-FB ISD family – Mel and Candi Brekhus. The Brekhus Family has been truly touched that the run has been named in honor of their daughter Kacie, a 2003 R. L. Turner High School graduate. The family serves an inspiration to the students and all of us. Thank you for your continued support of C-FB ISD and our All Stars.
Take a look at Kacie’s Run by clicking on the photo link: Kacie’s Run
Character Values
Students helping students … students helping others … practicing the seven character values … Kacie’s Run and the Special Olympics Track and Field Meet are just samples of what our C-FB ISD students do for others. Our students understand “what counts.” Student can be seen demonstrating our district values -- respect, pride, integrity, service, responsibility, cooperation, and citizenship – in our classrooms and throughout the district. We want our families and the entire community to know that character values are alive and well in C-FB ISD.

Stakeholders valuable to our success

2011-03-24T08:23:00.000-07:00

In C-FB ISD, we have one goal, “high achievement for all students.” To meet our goal, we have four strategic objectives. One objective focuses on our stakeholders. Every public school district has many groups of stakeholders, and C-FB ISD is no exception.

Recently, I had the privilege to spend the day with two very valuable groups – Realtors and PTA members.

In C-FB ISD, we recognize the value of working with the real estate community. As I told the group meeting in Irving, you understand the importance of “location, location, location.” In C-FB ISD, we understand the importance of “achievement, achievement, achievement.”

Although we focus on achievement in academics, we have two other “A’s” that are important to our students. Those “A’s” are: Arts and Athletics. Fine arts begin in our elementary schools, and that’s not always true in other public schools. We are fortunate to have certified art and music teachers instilling an appreciation of the arts to our students starting in kindergarten. Our fine arts students achieve on the state and national level in instrumental and vocal music. Their art hangs in Congressional offices and the Dallas Museum of Art.

Certified physical education teachers are in our elementary schools, and sports programs begin in middle school. We are proud that we have teams in all areas making the play-offs this year. And, the spring sport season is just beginning. Recently, we celebrated graduating seniors signing athletic scholarships in football, softball, soccer, tennis and golf.

Overall, the group was impressed with what we offer our students and the achievement of our students. C-FB ISD has one purpose: learning.

We have two real estate tours scheduled at R. L. Turner High School. They are March 29 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. and April 7 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Realtors, if you are interested in attending, please contact, cfbinfo@cfbisd.edu for a reservation and more information.

We in C-FB ISD know that school districts are an important factor when selecting a home. We invite the real estate community to come see why we believe families should choose our schools. Please contact us if you have question about our district, or check out Why C-FB on our website.

Council of PTA Luncheon

Every year, the Council of PTA sponsors a luncheon for our principals and the school PTA presidents. It’s a great opportunity for us to get together to visit and share what has been happening on the individual campuses during the year.

We had a great lunch prepared and served by students from Café Smith. Café Smith is student-run restaurant at Newman Smith High School, and periodically the students accept catering jobs. The Barbara Bush Middle School Step Team performed, and we were greeted by cheerleaders from Creekview, Ted Polk and Ranchview. What a great lunch and celebration of student work! The Council of PTA is a great organization that supports the district and our local school PTAs. Thank you to all the volunteers who put the event together.

If you need more information about the Council of PTA, please visit the council’s website, http://www.cfbpta.org/.

We believe that for students to learn and grow, stakeholder involvement is a must. In C-FB ISD, we invite stakeholders to be on our educational team and part of the solution. If you are a C-FB ISD stakeholder and want to be involved, please email us at cfbinfo@cfbisd.edu. We will put you in contact with the principal of your neighborhood school or the leader of a program. Come partner with us.

Fund Our Future: Make Education A Priority

2011-02-28T18:18:00.000-08:00

We in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD have always made public education a priority. What we know today is that the Texas Legislature is dealing with major shortfalls in projected funding over the next two years. Those financial issues have implications for the state's public education system and your school district - Carrollton-Farmers Branch.

What has C-FB ISD been doing?
We think we can weather the storm because we began preparing our “emergency kit” three years ago for a so-called “perfect storm” in school finance. Over the last three budget years, the district has made serious reductions in its maintenance and operating budget.

I believe right now the school finance issue is like getting ready for a hurricane. Our team has been preparing for the worst-case scenarios of limited school funding arriving on our shore. Based on our long-term sound fiscal management, we are not anticipating major changes in current staffing patterns or signature instructional programs unless the state’s funding reductions are substantial.

In the last three budget cycles, we've closed Montgomery Elementary and moved those students to Dave Blair Elementary. We reduced our pre-kindergarten program from full-day to half-day. By doing so, we closed a pre-kindergarten center and moved pre-kindergartners back to our elementary schools and one pre-kindergarten center. We re-negotiated utility contracts to save money and implemented more energy conservation strategies.

We also increased the number of students in a class at grade five as well as in our middle and high schools. The district has also reduced administrative and other staff positions through attrition and retirements. One of our four strategic objectives focuses on operational effectiveness and that helps meet our goal of "high achievement for all students." We will continue to manage personnel costs through attrition, reassignment and retirements and limit other district costs. As we do all of this, we will maintain high achievement.

Being financially conservative has been C-FB ISD's hallmark. The district was one of the initial Chapter 41 (Robin Hood) districts in 1989. Since that time, the district has focused on finding operational efficiencies to minimize cost and devoting resources to student achievement and services. As a result, C-FB ISD has a fund balance, which an individual would refer to as a savings/investment account. This account will allow the district to weather financial storms much easier.

Although C-FB ISD started preparing for these shortfalls three years ago, we need to join forces with our neighboring public school district supporters. As a united front, we can let our Legislative leaders know public education must be adequately and properly funded on the state level. Decisions made at the state level have impacted the local school district funding.

What can you do?
Write a short letter to your State Representative and your State Senator. Share why you believe in public education. Tell your story from the heart. Let our elected officials know how the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD has made a difference, and why funding public education should be a priority during this legislative session. Most of all, be respectful. After you have written your letter, ask your neighbors, friends, and co-workers to share their positive stories about public education with their elected officials and why public education must be a priority in Texas.

To find your Representative or Senator, please visit http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/.

We also encourage you to send a copy to cfbinfo@cfbisd.edu. We would like to hear your story about C-FB ISD.

Also, visit our Make Education a Priority webpage and resources at www.cfbisd.edu/priority.

We in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District believe in high achievement for all students. We are innovative leaders in learning. We believe that education is critical to the economic future of our community, our state and our nation.

"Democracy cannot succeed...unless those who express their choice are prepared.
The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education. "
Franklin D. Roosevelt