Overview
-
At the heart of Coppell ISD are our core values - great teaching, redefining success, collective engagement and authentic relationships. Every decision CISD makes is filtered through these decisions. This includes accountability for our students, for our schools and for our district.
Coppell ISD believes in a Community Accountability Based System (CBAS) to measure growth and identify opportunities for improvement. CBAS matters, because it means our community, which includes our staff, our students and their families, our businesses, and our community members share in the development and analysis of the system that holds the district accountable. The CBAS system is from our community and for our community.
CBAS allows CISD to share, through a holistic view, with all of our stakeholders that CISD is producing future-ready learners. In Texas, our schools and our students are rated based on one test score and one day through the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR). We believe STAAR tests do not give a complete picture of Coppell ISD, our students, our schools or any schools in Texas for that matter.
In fact, if we “just” based our accountability on the state's “grades,” we could argue in CISD that we do not need to improve in any area, because we’ve received an “A” for the past two years. That just simply is not true. In Coppell ISD, we believe continuous improvement is critical to growth, learning and innovation. Our innovative staff are partnering with our students and families to create learning experiences that defy the ability of a standardized test to measure the growth. As we like to say, “You can’t test that.” The state’s standardized tests do not paint the full picture of learning and growth in our schools. Learning is happening inside our classrooms both in person and virtually with or without a state standardized test to measure it. CBAS empowers the community to be an active participant in the priorities and expectations for our schools.
Our educators and administrators are masterful creators of learning and CBAS allows us to shine a light on their work.
-
Student Learning and Progress
Student Learning and Progress
“CISD is committed to the academic success and growth for all learners,” says Dr. Angie Applegate, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction. “These include, but are not limited to, English Language Learners, students served by special education, learners with emotional and behavioral issues, students who are economically disadvantaged, and more.”
She says key questions being asked under this pillar are:- In what ways are we prioritizing individual and learner growth?
- In what ways are we ensuring high levels of student academic success?
-
Engaged, Well-Rounded Students
Engaged, Well-Rounded Students
CISD believes in engaging learners in a way that contributes to their overall social and emotional development and future well-being.
“A well-rounded student is one with a balance of academic knowledge and social and emotional skills, which provides learners the ability to succeed in and out of the classroom,” Dr. Applegate says. “In CISD, learning is extended beyond traditional academics to develop individuals who are positioned for lifelong success.”
CISD encourages well-rounded students who pursue their passions and interests via:- Extra-curricular activities and clubs;
- Electives;
- The Dual Language Immersion Program;
- The International Baccalaureate (IB) Program;
- Career and Technical Education coursework leading to Industry-Based Certifications;
- Service Learning opportunities;
- Passion projects;
- Spelling and Geography Bees;
- The Academic Decathlon; and
- High School Endorsements.
For accountability in this pillar, Dr. Applegate says CISD is asking the key question: “To what extent do we encourage and support learners’ pursuit of their interests and passions?”
CISD also conducts an annual Social and Emotional Learning survey of all students in grades 3-12 to evaluate this pillar. Additionally, various student participation data is collected to ensure the district is supporting learners in the pursuit of their interests and passions. -
Safety and Well-Being
Safety and Well-Being
CISD wants to ensure students are educated in an optimal environment that is safe, secure, and conducive to learning. This includes their physical safety as well as their social and emotional needs.
“By focusing on social and emotional learning, the district is working to educate the whole child,” says Dr. Hunt.
According to Dr. Applegate, key questions for this pillar include:- In what ways are we supporting the social and emotional well-being of our learners?
- In what ways are we investing in the well-being of our staff?
-
Accountable to CISD Community
Accountable to CISD Community
“CISD is committed to holding ourselves accountable to our students, parents, staff, and community for providing an educational system that honors their hopes and dreams for our children,” Dr. Hunt says.
“Through community-based accountability, we are showing our commitment to continuous improvement, while continuing to be a district that inspires and equips all students for success in their future, whatever they dream or imagine that to be.” -
CBAS Board Presentations
CBAS Board Presentations?
-
Why is Coppell ISD implementing CBAS?
So our parents, community members, and educators can partner to identify meaningful measures of success. CBAS recognizes the multiple and diverse ways students learn and demonstrate progress. It supports efforts to innovate and customize learning experiences based upon the needs and interests of our learners and community.
-
Who is considered the ‘Community’ in CBAS?
Students, parents, teachers and employees, district taxpayers, business and organizational partners, and more.
-
When can the community provide feedback as part of CBAS?
A survey powered by Panorama is given two times a school year to students, employees, and families.
-
What is the difference between State Accountability and CBAS?
The State Accountability (A-F) system relies primarily on standardized tests (STAAR) results and students’ performance on a single day of testing. CBAS relies on accountability based on seven pillars. The CISD Redefining Success Core Values states, “We value each individual’s contribution because success can be different for everyone.” We believe that success for our district, our schools and our students cannot only be defined by this one letter grade. We want to be accountable to our parents and our community. However, we do not support a system of school ratings that we feel is meaningless to our constituents, as well as to our teachers and staff who are consistently working toward continuous improvement. -
What are the CBAS pillars?
Student Learning and Progress- Student Readiness
- Engaged and Well-Rounded Students
- Community Engagement and Partnerships
- Professional Learning and Quality Staff
- Systems and Operations
- Safety and Well-Being of Students
This belief is why CISD is currently focusing on the three student-centered CBAS pillars to ensure all learners experience an engaging education, which values their academic, behavioral, and social growth. -
How did the CBAS system statewide begin?
The CBAS system has its beginning back in 2006 when 35 public school superintendents from across the state including Coppell ISD’s then superintendent Dr. Jeff Turner, were inspired to come together to create a new vision for public education in Texas. Meeting as the Public Education Visioning Institute for two years, they shared ideas on how to transform Texas public education to meet the needs of 21st century students. The Public School Visioning Institute envisioned a public school system that fosters innovation, creativity, and a thirst for learning — and one that champions new, more meaningful assessment and accountability measures. The result of the Institute’s work, Creating a New Vision for Public Education in Texas, published in 2008, would come to guide the school transformation movement in the state.
With a visioning document for school transformation in hand, the group sought a means to begin work to fulfill that vision. They conceptualized a network of school districts that could do the work and described it in the Guidelines for Establishment of the High Performance Schools Consortium.
The 82nd Texas Legislature made the Consortium official with Senate Bill 1557. The law established the Texas High Performance Schools Consortium (THPSC) and charged it with improving student learning by developing innovative high-priority learning standards and assessment and accountability systems.
In 2017, building on the work of THPSC and recognizing the continuing need to develop alternatives to the A-F state-driven accountability system, TASA launched the Texas Public Accountability Consortium (TPAC). TPAC is a group of Texas school districts working to build on the success of community-based accountability systems already in use in districts across the state by developing next-generation measures and assessments that would enable wider use of such systems.
To see the full history of the CBAS system, visit https://www.futurereadytx.org/about/mission-history/.
