Theory of Action Newsletter

Welcome back to 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.

We appreciate your feedback! Please share your thoughts and ideas via this survey. If you're interested in having information added to an upcoming newsletter, please submit a request here.

The mission of the Social and Emotional Learning Department is to foster collaborative communities that promote social and emotional development through in-school and out-of-school programs. Through Dallas ISD's Theory of Action, the SEL team provides a higher level of engagement for SEL training and support to developing and focus campuses.

Pease Elementary is successfully using these supports to create a space for students to learn more about their emotional state and learning readiness. Through the use of a self-awareness and self-management application, Rhithm, students check in with their emotions, learn emotional vocabulary, and then engage in a short video to help them grow their self-management skillset. We are proud of Pease’s continued efforts to build a positive climate and culture in their learning community by highlighting the importance of emotional health.

The Post-Secondary Partnerships and Programs (P3) Department has the responsibility of developing systems and creating opportunities to support campus staff members as they assist students in the transition to higher education. The P3 department consists of P-TECH/ECHS programs, the Higher Education Accountability and Articulation Initiative, College Access Program (CAP), OnRamps, Texas College Bridge and SAT/ACT School Day Testing. Our mission is to provide service and support to campus staff and students as the district expands college, career, and dual credit opportunities.

For more information about P3 supports, including contact information, click here.

Dallas ISD Financial Services offers two autonomies benefiting Accomplished and Breakthrough campuses:

• Roll-over Funds – Accomplished and Breakthrough campuses with unspent GO funds at the end of the fiscal year (with some exceptions) will be able to roll these funds over to the next fiscal year
• Roll-over Substitute Pool Funds – Accomplished campuses with at least 1% of the annual allocated substitute budget remaining at the end of the fiscal year will receive $2,500 and those with more than 10% remaining will receive an additional $3,500 (total $6,000).

Now is a great time to ensure all existing Theory of Action roll-over funds are spent and to start planning how to use new funds for next school year. For more information about guidelines, rollover criteria, and examples of eligible spending from other campuses, click here.

Dallas ISD Communication Services offers campuses two different autonomies to customize their websites:

• Campus Web Slider Priority- With this autonomy, Communications will format the campus website for accomplished and breakthrough schools so that sliders created and posted by the campus will be the first thing you see when you visit the web page. This is a good autonomy for schools that actively maintain their campus web page and use it as an active communication and marketing tool.
• Additional Color Option from District Approved Palate- This autonomy allows accomplished schools to use a different color option from the district approved palate. It gives greater flexibility to schools on how their campus website looks. This is a good autonomy for schools that want a color other than their existing primary school color to be featured on the website.

For more information about these autonomies, contact Gene Davis at carlodavis@dallasisd.org.

In preparation for the 2022-2023 master schedule, Student Data Services will host open lab sessions for all secondary campuses. The lab sessions will be conducted on a "come and go" format that allows individuals from the campus master scheduling team to join at any time to receive guidance and log off to complete edits as needed.

No registration is required; Zoom meeting links will be emailed to campus data controllers to be shared with master scheduling teams. Upcoming open lab dates will be:

• April 7
• April 11-14
• May 2-5

For more information, including a complete list of dates, click here.

The Dallas ISD LEAD Team is excited to recruit the newest cohort of the Future Leaders Academy (FLA) in partnership with the University of North Texas at Dallas. This cohort is specifically designed for those who have a strong desire to lead in one of Dallas ISD's P-TECH campuses. Participants will earn a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership with principal certification.

The LEAD department and UNT Dallas will be hosting upcoming information sessions via Zoom on:

• Thursday April 7, 4:30-5:30 pm
• Monday April 11, 4:00-5:00 pm

Principals and district staff are encouraged to pass this information on to individuals you believe have the potential to lead as future administrators in Dallas ISD. For more information, click here.

Dallas ISD is hosting in-person events to spread the word about the exceptional offerings in our campuses. Neighborhood schools are expected to attend and Choice schools with enrollment needs are welcome, as well. All events will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. as follows:

• April 9- Northwest feeder pattern, @ W.T. White High School
• April 9- Southwest and some schools in Central feeder pattern, @ Ellis Davis
• April 23- Northwest feeder pattern, @ Jill Stone Elementary School
• April 23- Southeast and some schools in Central feeder pattern, @ Skyline High School

For more information, including groupings and contact information, click here.

In accordance with Senate Bill 89, each campus must submit supplemental documentation for each student on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) during the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 school year.

To meet these requirements, all case managers must complete a one-time "prior services" stand-alone document for each student on their caseload by Friday April 22, 2022. Campus administrators should follow up on any incomplete documentation to ensure 100% compliance by the state deadline of May 1. For more information, click here.

Our Local Accountability System exudes the Dallas ISD philosophy of educating the Whole Child. Our amended accountability breakdown (shown below) has been approved by the Texas Education Agency.

Student Surveys (10% of overall score) will be active from April 18-22. Other LAS surveys will be open according to the following timeline:

• Spring Staff Climate Survey (10% of overall score): May 2-May 13

For questions concerning survey completion or protocol, contact Dr. Cecilia Oakeley at oakeley@dallasisd.org.

Note: For state accountability, all districts and campuses will receive a label of A, B, C, or Not Rated for 2022.

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. If you're interested in seeing information from previous editions, you can access below:

• March
• February
• December/January
• November
• October

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