- Athletic BanquetWe believe our state assessment and academic accountability system has been taken too far. As a member of the Texas Visioning Network for transformative learning, we are not opposed to accountability, or valid and accurate methods of assessing student progress. However, we believe that the allocation of 45 of 177 instructional days for testing is excessive and impedes the academic progress of our students. As of this week over 300 school districts throughout the state have informed the Texas Association of School Administrators that their boards have approved the Resolution Concerning High Stakes, Standardized Testing of Public School Students. The HISD board has adopted this resolution to help prompt change in the upcoming 83rd Legislative session in hopes that we can continue to provide a more authentic and engaging learning experience for our students. The resolution can be viewed here. Please let us know if we can answer any questions regarding the resolution or the Vision for our students’ future in Public Education.
Sincerely,
John M. Craft
Superintendent of Schools
Hamilton Independent School District
Please find the link to the recently released State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (S.T.A.A.R.) End of Course standards. We will be working to communicate these standards with our students and staff as we transition to the new accountability system. Other pertinent S.T.A.R.R. information can be found at the provided link as well. http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar/
If you have any questions please feel free to contact our campus administration.
As a result of the state testing calendar modifications, the HISD Board of trustees elected to revise the previously approved 2012-2013 school calendar. The testing calendar includes the administration of the STAAR Writing EOC on April 1, 2013. The current 2012-2013 school calendar has April 1, 2013 as a bad weather day. The day will now be a regular school day and the bad weather day will become April 29, 2013. The revised 2012-2013 school calendar can be reviewed here.
On February 17, 2012, Commissioner of Education Robert Scott announced that he is modifying the House Bill 3 Transition Plan to give school districts the ability to defer implementation of the statutory provision that requires performance on an end-of-course (EOC) assessment to count as 15 percent of a student’s final course grade.
At this point, the requirement in Education Code 39.023(c) for districts to have local board policy stating that an EOC assessment score counts as 15 percent of the final course grade is still in place for the 2012–13 school year. However, given the number of legislators that have indicated a desire to change the current statutory provisions on EOC assessments, a legislative change seems likely during the 83rd Legislative Session and could affect whether districts are required to count EOC assessments as 15 percent of a student’s grade for the 2012–13 school year.
On March 5, 2012 the Hamilton Independent School Board voted to adopt a resolution to suspend local board policy stating that an EOC assessment score counts as 15 percent of the final course grade for the 2011-2012 school year. The advantages of suspending rather than altering the district’s current policies are that the district will have policy in place for the 2012–13 school year, for which a deferral is not available, and, if the law is not changed in the next legislative session, the district will not need to take further action regarding its board policy.
We apologize for any confusion, however by suspending the policies previously described we feel we are looking out for our students’ best interests and we will continue to communicate any further modifications regarding this matter as we approach the 83rd Legislative Session in 2013.
Sincerely,
John M. Craft, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Hamilton Independent School District
Hamilton Independent School District
Technology Update
Our students live and operate in a technological world. They have become proficient at skills such as “googling,” “blogging,” and “social networking.” We recognize that they are not always able to demonstrate their natural skills in technology in the classroom, which is why we are working to embrace the digital classroom rather than inhibit it. If we as educators truly believe Hamilton ISD is preparing our students to be productive in the 21st century workplace, we recognize that we must continuously provide more opportunities for our students to be exposed to technology on a daily basis in our classrooms. Furthermore, we cannot expect to relinquish their need to access technology upon entering the school building each day.
Hamilton ISD began focusing on the digital learning environment two years ago with the distribution of laptops to all teachers and the implementation of district-wide wireless network or Wi-Fi. As a district, we understand that it will be continuously important to be role models for our students and incorporate technology into the classroom each day.
Our next implementation phase began in January 2012. A 1:1 Apple IPod Touch pilot program for fourth graders has been launched. Each fourth grade student was distributed their own personal I-touch to be used in the classroom. The IPod Touches will not leave school initially. The 2011 Fall Semester was used for planning for the program implementation. The IPod Touches will be used for 21st century learning opportunities that extend beyond surfing the web, and will incorporate activities such as podcasting interactively with other schools. We recognize that mobile devices today play a significant role in our students’ lives. We also see the need to incorporate these devices into our classrooms in an effort to provide our students the opportunity to explore, collaborate, and develop skills that are necessary to succeed in the digital world of tomorrow.
By August 2012, we will explore ways to expand the pilot program and we will be looking at ways to allow students to bring and use their own devices (laptop, netbook, cell phone, tablet, etc.). We recognize that we have fewer financial resources and are forced to work within tight budgets. By allowing students and staff to bring their own devices, we feel the district leverages its technology in place in a cost-effective manner. We also value your feedback, which is why we have launched both student and parent surveys this Spring and we would greatly appreciate your input and suggestions. Please use the following links to access the surveys. Simply click on the appropriate survey.
The Hamilton ISD will also be continuing to expand the bandwidth of the existing filtered wireless network (Wi-Fi) on all campuses. Students will be expected to connect to the filtered Hamilton ISD public Wi-Fi for educational purposes and abide by Acceptable Use Policies already in place district-wide. Learning and being held accountable for the responsible use of either district-owned or personally-owned electronic devices is an important part of preparing students to be successful in their future.
Technology has become integral to student achievement. We want to embrace the digital learning environment and partner with our shareholders to provide students with the best academic resources available. The Hamilton ISD will always strive to provide the best learning environment for our students and staff. Initiatives such as the Apple IPod Touch pilot program, wireless Internet expansion and Bring Your Own Technology, remain only initial steps in our journey towards continuously providing opportunities for our students to compete and succeed in a digital world once they graduate from Hamilton High School.
For more information on the Apple IPod Touch Pilot Program or other technology initiatives, please contact your child’s school. We are excited about the opportunities that await our students and we look forward to working in a partnership with our parents and community members as we embark upon the incorporation of digital learning in an effort to prepare our students for their futures.
Sincerely,
John M. Craft, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Hamilton Independent School District
