Statement on Naming Standards for Exterior Plaques and Signs on District Schools and Facilities

SBISD Board of Trustees Issues Statement on Naming Standards for Exterior Plaques and Signs on District Schools and Facilities

The Spring Branch ISD Board of Trustees sent a strong statement at the November board meeting to support our community’s belief that the success of our students and schools should not be defined by a single state assessment.

The Board has stated publicly for many years that it does not support the use of a single test to determine student, school, or district success. Trustees, in collaboration with parents, business partners, staff and student representatives, developed the district’s new strategic initiative, The Spring Branch Plan. This five-year plan has a singular goal of doubling the number of SBISD graduates that complete some form of higher education – a technical certificate, two-year degree, or four-year college degree by 2017. This goal is known as Spring Branch T- 2-4.

In further support of our community’s strong statement against the current testing system, and to align district policy to the goal of the Spring Branch Plan, at this evening’s Board meeting, the SBISD Board of Trustees voted unanimously that no district schools or facilities will display exterior signage related to the State of Texas accountability system results or status.

As SBISD works to double the number of students who complete some form of higher education, the district is developing its own internal accountability system that will exceed the State’s accountability system and rely on multiple measures, aligned to higher education, to gauge student and school success.

Following lengthy review, study and discussion of state accountability measures, including the STAAR assessments and STAAR End-of-Course Exams, the SBISD Board of Trustees is united in stating: (More) We want to send a strong message that gauging the success of our students and our schools should be based on criteria far beyond how kids perform on one state assessment on one day per year. The State of Texas accountability system is inadequate to meet SBSID’s Five-Year Plan, Goal and Belief Statements (T-2-4) and the expectations of our community.

The Board supports our community’s belief that the success of Spring Branch students and schools is not defined by performance on a test that is not aligned to our Goal. The state’s testing and accountability system is not an accurate predictor of student college readiness.

SBISD supports an accountability system that incorporates a variety of norm-referenced assessments including the SAT and ACT. Assessments should be aligned with post-graduate opportunities and expectations.

Presently, colleges and universities do not use the State of Texas accountability results to admit or bar students. The State should not be in the business of labeling schools. SBISD’s locally-elected School Board should have the right to develop and implement an accountability system that meets the needs and goals of our community.

The State Accountability system will be a high priority in the upcoming 83rd Legislative Session which begins in January 2013. The SBISD Board of Trustees encourages parents and community members interested in this topic to get informed and engaged in the legislative process.

More information about SBISD’s legislative priorities may be found at www.springbranchisd.com.

Parents and community members may also wish to engage with other SBISD community members through the grassroots organization, Spring Branch Speaks, at www.springbranchspeaks.com.

Additionally, the community is invited to attend an information meeting at 7 p.m. on Monday, December 10, at the SBISD Administration Building, Board Room, 955 Campbell Road. The meeting will be led by members of TAMSA, Texans Advocating for Meaningful Student Assessment, a statewide, grassroots organization comprised of parents and other community members concerned with the overemphasis on the high stakes STAAR tests.