Publications Archive
College Readiness Summary, 2020–2021
This report provides and overview of the district's college readiness outcomes for seniors in the 2020 and 2021 graduation cohorts.
Bilingual Education and English as a Second Language Academic Performance Summary, 2020-2021
The purpose of this report is to provide information about the academic performance of emergent bilingual students in the Austin Independent School District (AISD). This document summarizes performance on the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) tests, end-of-course (EOC) tests, the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS), advanced placement (AP) course enrollment, AP exam performance, college readiness indicators, and graduation and dropout rates.
Professional Learning: 2020-2021 Evaluation Summary
This report summarizes implementation of the goals and some of the programs managed by the Professional Learning (PL) Department in the 2020–2021 academic year. The PL Department offers a comprehensive and sustainable approach to improving staff’s effectiveness by ensuring that a variety of continuous and innovative PL opportunities, aligned to the district’s mission and strategic plan, is available to all staff in AISD. Staff typically responded positively to PL activities available through the department (e.g., program surveys), as well as available through the district (e.g., TELL Survey).
Perceptions of Student Voice at AISD High Schools
AISD high school students were less likely than high school staff to believe their ideas and opinions influenced school policies, according to findings from the 2020-2021 AISD Student Climate Survey and the 2021 AISD Multi-Program Survey. Differences between students' and staff's perceptions were greatest at schools with a higher percentage of white students. In addition, students at smaller high schools were more likely to believe their ideas and opinions mattered when compared to students at larger high schools.
Leadership Development: Summary of Evaluation Findings from 2020–2021
In 2020–2021, evaluation focused on continuing to monitor and assess the HireVue and assessment center processes in relation to AP and principal hiring practices. To help ensure that the hiring processes were operating as designed, survey feedback AP and principal candidates provided perceptions of the hiring process. Passthrough rates also indicated that participating in a preparation program (i.e., AP3 or P3) did help participants pass both the HireVue and the assessment center, and therefore increased the odds of those participants gaining a spot on the highly qualified list.
Creative Teaching in the Classroom: A Case Study Using the Hot Seating Strategy in English Language Arts
In this report, we give a comprehensive description of how an AISD 2nd-grade teacher, Mrs. Theresa Wood, integrated a drama-based Creative Teaching strategy into her guided reading lesson. This Creative Teaching strategy, called hot seating, involves students interviewing characters from the story they have read. This case study will provide a vivid understanding of why teachers choose hot seating to amplify their instructional goals in English language arts lessons, how a teacher facilitates the strategy in the classroom, and how it can be extended and modified to fit different needs.
Emergent Bilingual Student Experiences and the Bilingual Education and English as a Second Language Programs, 2020–2021
This report outlines emergent bilingual students’ experiences at AISD and in the Bilingual Education (BE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) Programs. As of the Fall 2020 snapshot, AISD had enrolled 21,107 emergent bilingual students, representing 28% of the AISD student population (N = 74,871). Emergent bilingual students’ participation in the BE and ESL, special education, Gifted and Talented, and Career and Technical Education programs are summarized. Additionally, emergent bilingual students’ perception of school climate and aspects of BE and ESL program implementation are discussed.
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) Austin: Annual Evaluation Report 2020–2021
In 2020–2021, the program’s fourth federally funded year, GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) Austin served a cohort of 9th grade students in the class of 2024 (n = 2,650) across seven high schools. Nearly all GEAR UP students received support services relevant to college preparation. Evaluation findings suggest that students, teachers, and parents had a positive perspective on the role of the program services in college preparation.
Twilight Credit Recovery Program Annual Report 2020–2021
Overall, Twilight student outcomes were positive. The middle school students who participated in Twilight had a 60% success rate and high school students who participated in Twilight had a 77% success rate. In addition, 81% of the 12th graders who participated in Twilight graduated from high school. Lastly, students, teachers, and campus administrators had very positive thoughts about Twilight and indicated this program helped students recover grades and attendance so they could be promoted and stay on track to graduate.
Diversified Education Through Leadership, Technology, and Academics (DELTA) Credit Recovery Program Annual Report 2020–2021
DELTA student outcomes were positive. A total of 1,617 students attempted to recover 2,875 credits and 64% of credits were earned. In addition, 79% of the 12th graders in DELTA graduated from high school. Lastly, students, teachers, and campus administrators had very positive thoughts about DELTA and how this program helped students earn credits and stay on track to graduate.