Classroom Screen Time Guidelines supports students’ digital well-being. Courtesy of Dallas ISD News Hub.
Students and staff have been back since Aug. 11, and we’ve already had plenty of good news in Dallas ISD, plus a real decision point for one of Oak Cliff’s most beloved buildings. Below is this month’s summary of what’s happened in the district.
New screen time guidance for families and educators
As Dallas ISD continues expanding the responsible use of technology in our classrooms, the district is also promoting healthy technology habits. The document linked above provides information on the expectations in our schools and offers practical recommendations for balanced technology use at school and at home.
Dallas ISD earns a state B rating, up nine points in four years
The Texas Education Agency gave Dallas ISD a B with a score of 85, up from a 76 in 2023. In addition, 71% of our schools earned an A or a B, and our students met or beat state growth benchmarks in 92% of assessed categories. Here in District 7, W.H. Adamson High School and Hector P. Garcia Middle School held their A rating for a second year. A big thank you to everyone who helped make it happen.
Emergent bilingual students outperform state peers
Our emergent bilingual students, those still learning English, beat their peers’ state average on STAAR in every subject and at every level, including 40% reaching Meets, compared to 31% statewide. That is over 20 years of dual language programming paying off.
Universal pre-K sets students up for long-term success
Dallas ISD offers free prekindergarten for 3- and 4-year-olds to all families, regardless of income. Students who start earlier do better in kindergarten and beyond. If you know a family with a 3- or 4-year-old who isn’t enrolled, send them our way.
Are you interested in giving back? Journey Forward Mentoring provides opportunities for mentorship in partnership with our Dallas ISD high schools here in Oak Cliff—W.H. Adamson, Sunset, and Moises E. Molina high schools. You can apply HERE to be a mentor and help make an impact on the lives of students right here in our neighborhood.
The future of Old Adamson High School:
Dallas ISD is seeking a partner to redevelop the former W.H. Adamson High School building, located at 201 E. 9th St., and responses are due by Oct. 15. Old Adamson has stood in North Oak Cliff since 1915, and after years of studies and a paused demolition request, this is its best chance at a future. Robert Wilonsky laid out the stakes in a recent Dallas Morning News column. If you know a developer, nonprofit, or neighborhood group that should be looking at this building, send them to the district’s solicitation page.
Board meeting debrief
In August, Dallas ISD also held its regular board briefing and meeting. I’ve highlighted a few key items below:
Student outcome goal updates
We got our annual update on the board’s four student outcome goals, which track third- and eighth-grade reading and math. The figure averages the three STAAR levels: Approaches, Meets, and Masters. We made progress on all four and met the target on three:
- Goal 1 — Third-grade reading/writing: MET. Up from 45 to 47, beating the 46 target.
- Goal 2 — Third-grade math: PROGRESSING. Up from 41 to 42, just short of the 42.5 target.
- Goal 3 — Eighth-grade reading/writing: MET. Up from 51 to 55, past our target of 52.
- Goal 4 — Eighth-grade math: MET. Up from 49 to 55, past the target of 50.
African-American third graders slipped a point in reading, and third-grade math was flat for nearly every student group. Third grade is where reading and math either stick or they don’t, so I’ll keep pushing on the following fixes: fewer novice teachers in third grade, mentors for those we do place, and stronger writing instruction.
Adopted tax rate
This month, the Board adopted a total tax rate of $0.985735 per $100 of property value — $0.733700 for Maintenance & Operations, which pays for teachers, classrooms, and day-to-day operations, and $0.252035 for Interest & Sinking, which pays off the construction bonds voters have already approved. That is a decrease from last year’s adopted rate of $0.993835, a lower rate than we projected during the bond election and the lowest tax rate among the top 10 largest school districts in the DFW area.
Superintendent’s report
Superintendent Stephanie S. Elizalde walked us through summer learning that saw 29,928 students taking part across 28 camps. Summer Cool alone served 12,752 students and logged 321,292 tutoring hours, and Credit Boost helped 752 high schoolers earn 994 course credits.
HIPPY program renewed
I was proud to support renewing our agreement with Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters for 2026-2027 at a cost not to exceed $26,000. HIPPY sends home instructors to work directly with parents of preschool-age children, giving them the curriculum and confidence to teach their own kids before they ever reach a classroom. We’ve partnered with HIPPY for 38 years, and I’ll keep supporting it for a simple reason: Achievement starts at home, and a parent is a child’s first teacher.
Ben Mackey
As always, please reach out to me if you have thoughts, ideas, questions, concerns, or simply want to say hello. Just reach out to me at BenMackey@dallasisd.org
Best,
Ben Mackey
