And Then There Were Twelve
And then there were twelve.
As I write this particular blog, 12 school districts have let me know that their school board has formally adopted a local innovation plan. Notification to the Commissioner of Education marks completion of a new District of Innovation designation process.
Passed by the 84th Texas Legislature in 2015 and signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott, House Bill 1842 created the District of Innovation designation. This designation provides a district exemption from certain sections of the Texas Education Code. The District of Innovation designation provides our districts with added flexibility that’s specific to each community.
Canton ISD, Dripping Springs ISD, El Paso ISD, Los Fresnos ISD, Mabank ISD, Mansfield ISD, Palmer ISD, Point Isabel ISD, Roscoe ISD, San Antonio ISD, Spring Branch ISD and Victoria ISD are the first to complete the process – but there are more on the way. It’s important to note that a district that completes the process will possess the District of Innovation designation for five years.
School districts are eligible for District of Innovation designation if the district has an academic accountability rating of “Met Standard.” Certain procedures for adoption must be followed, including creation of an innovation plan, gathering of community input (including public hearings), and a final two-thirds majority approval vote by the local board of trustees.
For those that complete the District of Innovation process, some examples of the allowable exemptions include – but are not limited to – length of the school day; class size; educator certification; teacher contracts; and designation of a campus behavior coordinator.
Although the District of Innovation designation provides certain exemptions and flexibilities, a district cannot exempt itself from specific sections of the Texas education Code, including requirements related to (but not limited to): district governance; curriculum; the state assessment system; the state accountability system; school finance and federal requirements in state law outside of the Education Code.
To help you keep track of new districts of innovation as they come online, we’ve established a page on the Texas Education Agency website to provide a list of those districts that have completed the process. The page will be continually updated as additional districts formally notify me that they have elected to make use of this designation. You’ll also get a direct link to each district’s locally adopted innovation plan.
Today, there are 12 – but rest assured there will be more to follow. To learn more about District of Innovation process (and see the current list of school districts that have completed that process), visit the TEA website at http://tea.texas.gov/Texas_Schools/General_Information/Innovation/Districts_of_Innovation/.
Commissioner of Education Mike Morath
July 21, 2016