Community Partnership
Pharr-San Juan-Alamo (PSJA) ISD, one of our original grantees, is renowned for its strong Pre-K program. Community Partnerships Grant (CPG) funds supported the creation of the Building Blocks Academy, which provides robust early childhood education from Pre-K 3 through kindergarten. The academy features two model classrooms and an observation room for college students and current teachers to observe high-quality teaching in action and train in best practices.
The grantee continues to develop strong partnerships with local childcare programs, providing curriculum support, digital game-based learning, furniture, resources, and materials. PSJA ISD is one of the first to have established a robust partnership offering certified bilingual teachers through various Memorandum of Understandings (MOU) agreements which consist of 2-hour, half-day, or full-day services.
The CPG initiative leadership team includes the program manager, a parent and the principals of five campuses. One current project is the implementation of an innovative technology game-based learning program called Age of Learning. The program focuses on reading and math through games and activities, with a strong parent component that includes training sessions to ensure t effective implementation at school and home. The district monitors program usage and student progress. The data shows that students using the program consistently are benefiting from the instruction.
PSJA ISD's commitment to parental involvement is evident in its efforts to accommodate the growing number of parents participating in district advisory committee meetings. Additionally, they have ordered computers for parent centers to facilitate applications, training, and educational programs, including those offered by Texas A&M AgriLife Nutrition & Wellness. They also offer sewing classes and certification programs for manicurists and nail technicians. The district’s robust Campus Advisory Committees (CAC) and District Advisory Committees (DAC) highlight their dedication, with superintendents prioritizing family engagement and ensuring a parent liaison is present on each campus.
For more information regarding the Community Partnerships grant, please visit the TEA Community Partnerships website or email communitypartnerships@tea.texas.gov
Carroll Sadler: Community Partnerships Specialist
Safe and Supportive School Program
Each public school district and open enrollment charter school is required to ensure that each campus is served by a Safe and Supportive School Program (SSSP) team. This team is responsible for developing and implementing the SSSP. This month we are spotlighting the Supporting School Safety and Security component of the SSSP.
As a best practice, the SSSP team’s school safety activities should be coordinated with the School Safety and Security Committee. These coordinated efforts might include:
- Planning and implementing the campus multi-hazard emergency operations plan.
- Supporting awareness and procedural training for school safety leaders, mental health professionals, educators, professional school counselors, and administrators.
- Addressing both physical and psychological safety in crisis situations, including suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention.
For questions regarding the Safe and Supportive School Program, please contact safeandsupportiveschoolprogram@tea.texas.gov.
Hank Weikert: Director of Student Supports Implementation
Stronger Connections
Quarter two data for the Stronger Connections Grant Fidelity of Implementation (SCG FOI) is available on the ESC’s data dashboard. We encourage awardees to use this data to drive FOI check-ins, implementation evaluation, and as a method to capture data that can drive sustainability conversations with your district leadership and school boards. The Texas Center for Student Supports (TCSS) is on the road visiting all 20 ESCs delivering Student Support Framework (SSF) Diagnostic feedback sessions with the 99 awardees. This will position awardees to engage in the SSF readiness check or diagnostic pilot beginning March 2025. Finally, the TEA and TCSS are working to develop post-climate survey supports based on the data collected November 2024, namely pathways to bullying prevention.
The ESCs have hosted incredible roadshow sessions for their regional awardees! It has been very valuable hearing from campus and district leaders their feedback on the SSF diagnostic. Your insights and expertise are incredibly valuable.
For more information about Stronger Connections workstreams, please visit the TEA webpage and the Texas Center for Student Supports webpage. Questions can be sent to sarah.mccaslin@tea.texas.gov.
Sarah McCaslin: Stronger Connections Grant Specialist
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