Theory of Action Newsletter

Happy November and thank you for reading the latest edition of the Theory of Action newsletter. We are excited to continue sharing with you the latest updates on supports and autonomies, as well as all other aspects of the Theory of Action.

This newsletter is for you and we appreciate your feedback. Please share your thoughts and ideas via this feedback form. If you're interested in having information added to an upcoming newsletter, please submit a request here.

The Office of Transformation and Innovation is committed to provide every student with a “best-fit” school that matches their specific interests, aspirations, and preferred learning styles. In this pursuit, we have supported nearly 60 schools to design or redesign a Transformation School or Innovation School through OTI’s Public School Choice process.

Varying levels of autonomies have previously been granted through the Public School Choice initiative and Dallas ISD’s Theory of Action. With the addition of supports for HPCs, we are eager to provide personalized guidance for schools’ recruitment and retention plans and exploration of grant awards to continue efforts of providing the best-fit school for your community.

For more information, follow the link here.

This Fall, the Racial Equity Office in partnership with the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) department added 20 Dallas ISD elementary MTSS Reading Interventionists to provide additional support to students experiencing foundational reading gaps in grades 3-5.The goal of the program is to accelerate student growth and maximize student achievement through targeted intervention while promoting student’s self-efficacy.

For more information, follow the link here.

Attention, campuses with a 2019 LAS rating of Accomplished or Breakthrough:

• Rollover from 2020-2021 general operating funds (Accomplished or Breakthrough)

• Rollover from 2020-2021 Substitute Pool funds (Accomplished only)

will be transferred into campus budgets in the month of November. Be on the lookout for an email confirmation with specific details and guidelines.

Questions or concerns? Contact: Rstraggas@dallasisd.org or jluellen@dallasisd.org

How will you use your funds this year? This is how Principal St. Ama at Lassiter ECHS used his:

"Lassiter Early College High School shows off the new embroidered blazers for the Student Ambassadors purchased with TOA Rollover Funds. This is an elite group of students who are the face of our school at important events throughout the year. Looking sharp LECHS Eagles, and thank you TOA!"

For Accomplished and Breakthrough campuses, principals have the opportunity to choose a special themed lunch for their students to celebrate their success.

This fall, they can choose between Sports Day, Field Day, Beach Day, College Day, and Fair Day. The favorite themes so far have been Fair Day and Sports Day. Starting in January, additional options will include Mardi Gras, Dr. Seuss, and STEM.

For more information, click here.

Per state law, all Texas school districts are required to use the Texas Records Exchange (TREx) system to exchange student records electronically.

All Dallas ISD schools must request/receive records through TREx for students transferring between districts and request cumulative records from the last Dallas ISD school attended for in-district transfers.

Student Data Services provides support for all campuses with student records management of current and former students. For more information, click here.

Customer service skills are integral when interacting with students, families, and employees. With the addition of new users and staff changes, Let's Talk is providing additional training sessions for district users on the following dates:

• Tuesday November 9th, from 12-1:30 p.m.
• Wednesday November 10th, from 9-10:30 a.m.

For more information, click here.

The Dallas ISD COVID Safety Committee continues to work with Dallas County Health Department Department and monitor data to make recommendations for the health and safety of our students and staff.

Volunteers and partners are an invaluable resource to schools and are allowed to visit campuses at this time. Campuses are limited to five volunteers per day and larger campuses can add two volunteers for every 500 students enrolled above 750. Volunteers must:

• Self-report full vaccination against COVID-19
• Not exhibit any COVID symptoms by performing a COVID-19 health check daily before coming on to district property
• Not have exposure to someone with COVID in the past week
• Follow all Dallas ISD safety guidelines, including masking always
• Be cleared for service according to the Dallas ISD Voly system

For more information, click here.

Our Local Accountability System exudes the Dallas ISD philosophy of educating the Whole Child. With the impact of COVID-19, we have submitted our amended accountability metrics to the Texas Education Agency for review. The recommended distribution outlined below was submitted to TEA and will not take effect unless approved. The Department of Evaluation and Assessment will communicate all updates as soon as they become available. For more information regarding the LAS, visit dallasisd.org/LAS.

You can find more information about the Theory of Action at the information below. This newsletter is for you and we appreciate your feedback. Please share your thoughts and ideas via this feedback form.

Email: theoryofaction@dallasisd.org
Website: dallasisd.org/TheoryofAction
Phone: 9729253700