 This Month in Lone Star Governance
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Welcome to This Month in Lone Star Governance. These emails highlight current events in the LSG initiative, answer frequently asked questions, and celebrate LSG successes from around the state. If there is a topic you would like to see addressed in an edition of This Month in Lone Star Governance, please let us know by emailing lsg@tea.texas.gov.
If you missed a previous issue of This Month in Lone Star Governance, you can get it on the TEA website here.
In late January, TEA announced the opportunity for districts to submit a Letter of Interest to be a part of the newest Exemplar Cohort. Participation in a cohort includes—among many advantages—reimbursement of up to $10,000 for LSG-related expenses. The deadline to submit a Letter of Interest is 6:00 p.m. CDT on Friday, March 19, 2021. Please see the To The Administrator Addressed letter updated on February 25, 2021, to learn more.
In January, we began inviting other TEA initiatives to join our LSG coaches and coach pipeline meetings to introduce themselves and the part they can play in improving student outcomes. Our first guest was Systems of Great Schools (SGS).
The SGS Network gives districts the tools and support to provide the schools that families want and need. The SGS strategy is a district-level, problem-solving approach that seeks to understand school performance and community demands and use that information to ensure that all students have access to a high-quality, best-fit school. SGS Network districts participate in a 4-year program that provides district leaders with technical assistance, professional learning opportunities, and tools and resources to apply for grants or other support. For more information, please visit https://tea.texas.gov/texas-schools/district-initiatives/system-of-great-schools
Next month, we’ll learn about the Local Accountability System.
For LEAs seeking deeper support on COVID recovery and unfinished learning: The Resilient Schools Support Program is opening applications for SY21–22 for up to (and potentially more than) 75 LEAs across Texas. As an LEA in the RSSP, you will receive customized technical assistance and biweekly coaching over the course of April 2021–June 2022 to:
- Understand the impacts of COVID on unfinished learning by analyzing data and community needs
- Build COVID recovery and acceleration plans around priority support areas (e.g., key schools, grades, subject areas)
- Co-develop training and coaching supports for campus staff
- Run continuous improvement cycles to learn and iterate over the course of SY21–22
RSSP coaching is tailored to your needs as an LEA, and could include strategic interventions in tier one instruction, curriculum supports, teacher development, strategic scheduling and staffing, special populations support, and other related topics. Join an informational webinar to learn more:
- Current SY20–21 RSSP LEAs: Session options 2/24–3/5 (extended dates) | Register HERE
- Newly applying LEAs: Session options 2/24–3/12 (extended dates) | Register HERE
Applications are due March 19th (deadline extended) and can be accessed on our Strong Start Page HERE
We have scheduled new EISO, Knowledge and Skills, and Mindset training for the remainder of 2021. All scheduled training opportunities are posted on the LSG home page along with links to register. All training scheduled through May will be held virtually. Specific locations for the training sessions after May will be announced later this spring.
The LSG Leaderboard recognizes governance teams with the highest level of success changing their behaviors to improve student outcomes. Usually updated quarterly, the leaderboard was last updated in February 2020 with results from the third quarter of 2019. To align with the schedule above for LSG activities, we are planning to update the leaderboard again in May 2021 with results from the first quarter of 2021.
I have heard that the COVID-related board training waiver expired at the end of January 2021, can I still receive Evaluating and Improving Student Outcomes (EISO) training online?
Yes, until May 31, 2021, EISO training may be fulfilled through online instruction, provided the training is designed and offered by an authorized provider, incorporates interactive activities to assess learning and provide feedback to the learner, and offers an opportunity for interaction with the instructor (synchronous). The new waiver to allow online synchronous delivery of EISO training will be automatically granted pursuant to the commissioner’s general waiver authority under TEC, §7.056. School districts do not need to apply for these automatic waivers.
Learn more at http://tea.texas.gov/lsg.
See more frequently asked questions at the link below.
Join us for the next episode of This Month in Lone Star Governance in which we'll further discuss our plans for growth in 2021.
Thank you for subscribing to the LSG news bulletin
and for your commitment to serving Texas students.
lsg@tea.texas.gov
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