INSIGHT—Spring/Summer 2004

TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL SPRING/SUMMER 2004

INSIGHT

Huckabee Ad new file on CD

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Social Security Issues for TRS Members: The Effects of Public Law 108-203 (HR 743)

by Mike Cochran Provides a Q&A on HR 743, the Social Security Protection Act of 2004, which contains one provision of particular interest to educators that affects the member’s spousal benefit

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Corporate Partner Showcase Showcases products and services of six TASA Corporate Sponsors: Apple, ARAMARK, Curriculum Advantage, The Princeton Review, Scholastic, and SHW Group Architects

Parents’ Right to Know—What and When

by Forest J. C. Hertlein Discusses two major NCLB communication requirements relating to highly qualified staff and reporting adequate yearly progress (AYP) status

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TAKS Readiness and Core Knowledge (TRACK)

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Snapshot of a Leader: Texas’ 2004 NSOTY Nominee Rick Berry

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Retiring Members: Think Honorary Life

by Ellen V. Bell Gives an overview of the TAKS Readiness and Core Knowledge (TRACK) program, a free online test-readiness program to help 10th and 11th graders prepare for the exit-level TAKS

Offers a snapshot of Rick Berry through his responses to specific questions on the American Association of School Administrators’ 2004 National Superintendent of the Year Award Program Application

Encourages retiring administrators to nominate themselves or others who may qualify for 2005 Honorary Life Membership to be honored at the Administrators’ Midwinter Conference on Education in January

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Laidlaw Ad “Handled w/Care” pull from Summer ’02 page 14

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Newswire Fields to Become President-Elect; AASA’s 2005 Call for Presentations—Texas Style; Texas Earns Substantial Increase in Federal Funds; Aubrey ISD Recipient of AASA Mini-Grant

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President’s Message

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Executive Director’s View

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Lessons Learned and Relearned

Our Message for Success

INSIGHT Officers

At-Large Members

Dawson R. Orr, President, Wichita Falls ISD Michael Hinojosa, President-Elect, Spring ISD Alton J. Fields, Vice-President, Pleasanton ISD Don Gibson, Past President, Wall

Michael G. Killian, Lewisville ISD Hector Montenegro, Ysleta ISD Ronald Peace, Victoria ISD Shelley Schmitz Sweatt, Burkburnett ISD

Executive Committee

Editorial Advisory Committee

Arturo Guajardo, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD, 1 Henry D. Herrera, Alice ISD, 2 Tom R. Jones, Jr., Tidehaven ISD, 3 Rick Schneider, Pasadena ISD, 4 Gail Krohn, Nederland ISD, 5 Steve R. Johnson, College Station ISD, 6 Dee W. Hartt, Tatum ISD, 7 R. Lynn Marshall, Pittsburg ISD, 8 Randel R. Beaver, Archer City ISD, 9 Kay Waggoner, Red Oak ISD, 10 Vernon N. Newsom, Mansfield ISD, 11 George Evan Kazanas, China Spring ISD, 12 Elizabeth Gardner, Pflugerville ISD, 13 Rick Howard, Comanche ISD, 14 Alan Richey, Bronte ISD, 15 Robin D. Adkins, Perryton ISD, 16 Ken McCraw, Lamesa ISD, 17 M. David Kennedy, Terrell County ISD, 18 Paul L. Vranish, Tornillo ISD, 19 Craig Stockstill, Floresville ISD, 20

Dawson R. Orr, Wichita Falls ISD, chair Michael Hinojosa, Spring ISD Rick Howard, Comanche ISD Michael G. Killian, Lewisville ISD Ken McCraw, Lamesa ISD Linda G. Mora, Northside ISD Vernon N. Newsom, Mansfield ISD Kip Sullivan, Sul Ross State University

Advertising:

TASA Headquarters Staff Johnny L. Veselka, Executive Director Karen Soehnge, Associate Executive Director, Governmental Relations Paul Whitton, Jr., Associate Executive Director, Administrative Services Amy T. Beneski, Assistant Executive Director, Governmental Relations Ann M. Halstead, Assistant Executive Director, Communications & Information Systems Pat Johnston, Director, Special Services Emmy Starr, Design/Production Karen Limb, Editorial Coordinator Neal W. Adams, TASA General Counsel, Adams, Lynch, & Loftin—Bedford

For information on advertising in INSIGHT, contact Ann Halstead, TASA, 512-477-6361.

INSIGHT is published triannually (spring/summer, fall, and winter) by the Texas Association of School Administrators, 406 East 11th Street, Austin, Texas, 78701-2617. Subscription is included in TASA membership dues. © 2004 by TASA. All rights reserved. TASA members may reprint articles in limited quantities for in-house educational use. Articles in INSIGHT are expressions of the author or interviewee and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of TASA. Advertisements do not necessarily carry the endorsement of the Texas Association of School Administrators. INSIGHT is printed by Thomas Graphics, Austin, Texas.

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NEWS WIRE

Fields to Become President-Elect Alton J. Fields, superintendent, Pleasanton ISD, and TASA’s 2003–2004 vicepresident, will become president-elect on June 1. In accordance with the TASA Constitution, since there was only one nomination for this office, ballots were not mailed to members and the nominee was automatically elected. A member of the association for the past 23 years, Fields has more than 37 years’ experience in public education, 25 of those in administration (2 as principal, 23 as superintendent). He has been superintendent at Pleasanton ISD since July 1994. Prior to that he served as superintendent at Sanford-Fritch, Rotan, and Woodson ISDs. Fields also served as teacher/coach in Idalou, Lockney, Dimmitt, Canyon, and Ralls ISDs, and principal in Roscoe ISD. Following his one-year term as president-elect, Fields will become TASA president on June 1, 2005.

AASA’s 2005 Call for Presentations—Texas Style In 2005, thousands of school leaders will be coming to San Antonio (yes, Texas!) to attend the 2005 Annual Conference & Exposition, February 17–20, and hear what’s working in schools and districts across the country, as well as learn new strategies for increasing their professional success and personal well-being. This is a great chance to showcase our state—Texas style! AASA invites you to submit a proposal to present a session to this important audience! The conference theme is Stand Up for Public Education: The Heart of Our Democracy. For additional information, including program areas, the questions reviewers will ask when reviewing proposals, and information and guidelines for writing a proposal, see www.aasa.org/cfp2005/index.htm. All proposals must be submitted online by May 15!

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Texas Earns Substantial Increase in Federal Funds Aimed at Educating Low-Income Children The U.S. Department of Education announced on March 12 that Texas will receive an additional $85 million in federal Title I funds for the 2004–2005 school year. That represents about an 8 percent increase to improve the education of low-income children. Title I funds for Texas have increased 55 percent since 2001, largely because of the state’s population and the large funding increases provided through the landmark No Child Left Behind legislation. This year, Texas received $1.018 billion in Title I funds to help low-income children meet the state’s academic requirements; next year, the state will receive $1.103 billion. Statewide, 52 percent of the children in Texas public schools come from economically disadvantaged families. Because of population changes in communities, some Texas school districts are likely to see an increase in federal funding, while others may see a decrease.

Aubrey ISD Recipient of AASA Mini-Grant Aubrey ISD is one of 11 school districts nationwide that will benefit from more than $17,000 in grants awarded recently by the American Association of School Administrators.

AASA’s Urgent-Need Mini-Grant program helps school districts provide necessities such as emergency shelter, medical supplies, and clothing to disadvantaged public schoolchildren and their families. AASA received 112 grant applications for the 2004 program. Each of the school districts receiving a mini-grant serves a large number of disadvantaged children. Many of the local communities have high unemployment rates, which can leave families without health insurance or the means to cover necessities such as dental supplies, emergency food, and doctors’ visits.

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Texas Masonry Council Ad Pick up from last issue

President’s

MESSAGE

Lessons Learned and Relearned The first column I wrote as a TASA officer was at the conclusion of a two-year term as legislative chair. At that time, I identified the “lessons learned” from that experience. Those lessons included the importance of leadership, learning the unique cultural norms of the Texas legislative process, the power of anecdotal data in shaping legislative and public perception, and understanding the process of influence and persuasion. Those lessons appear strongly valid today. As I conclude my tenure as your president, I’ll share with you some additional lessons learned and relearned during this time.

First lesson, because vacuums will be filled, superintendent leadership has never been more important than it is today. The absence of a clear consensus among state leadership on the funding and reform of public education has resulted in numerous proposals circulating in “good currency.” These ideas are in competition with each other and for the attention of the public. The public has slowly awakened to the “funding crisis” facing schools and wants quality information about the effects of various proposals on the schools of Texas. Now is the time as school leaders to redouble our efforts to help our local communities understand the relationship between funding and quality education.

We must be knowledgeable advocates who explain the needs of our schools to our public, our local community leaders, and our legislators. If we don’t, rest assured that others will.

Second lesson learned and relearned–collaboration, cooperation, and communication are the key processes to TASA being an effective voice for the school districts and children of Texas. These processes have led to the adoption of a set of school finance principles that bridge all the diverse needs and agendas that have separated Texas schools. In a political environment in which proposals emerge, submerge, and spring to life with little opportunity for input, core principles are indispensable to our ability as an educational community to respond meaningfully and consistently. Core principles that are meaningful to rural and urban, property-poor and property wealthy, rapid-growth and slow-decline districts require painstaking, deliberate efforts to walk in each other’s shoes. And that has occurred.

Although the future is uncertain, I am convinced that long-term benefits are to be derived from this historic collaborative work.

Last lesson learned—TASA is a healthy, strong organization because of the rich diversity of its membership and its commitment to providing leadership for the noble cause of educating all children to high standards. It has been a great honor and responsibility to serve as your president, and I thank you for the opportunity to have served. The tireless effort of so many superintendents, other district-level leaders, and former and current TASA staff has made this an extraordinary experience for me. I look forward to exemplary leadership in the year to come from TASA’s 2004–2005 president—Michael Hinojosa— the other officers, and the ever-so-talented TASA staff. Thank you!

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Executive Director’s VIEW

Our Message for Success In the midst of a critical special session on school finance, one thing is clear: School leaders are more united and more determined than ever in advocating a school finance reform package that will substantially increase funding, allow for future growth, ensure continued achievement gains, and strengthen equity and local responsibility.

Collaboratively, 10 statewide organizations led by TASA and TASB have formed the Coalition to Invest in Texas Schools, creating a broad-based network of school administrators and school board members who are articulating the need for the state to appropriately and significantly fund public education.

The record is also clear: Texas schools are continuing to do more with less, most recently evident in the third-grade reading results on the TAKS test. New requirements for high school graduation, more rigorous assessments, and an expanded state accountability system are already on the horizon. These requirements, coupled with those associated with the No Child Left Behind Act, are overly burdensome and difficult to address with a significantly underfunded system.

The coalition’s core principles address the need for adequacy, equity, capacity, local enrichment, and facilities, as well as opposition to vouchers as an inappropriate use of public monies. Over the past several weeks, in meetings with editorial boards and in briefing sessions around the state, coalition members have focused on three major principles—equity, capacity, and local responsibility—as the key planks in our message.

The coalition’s Web site, www.investintexasschools.org, offers a wealth of information to guide local school leaders in communicating the needs of Texas schools to legislators.

Without question, school districts need a significant infusion of new revenue and increased capacity to make local decisions to meet ever-increasing needs. Neither a statewide property tax nor shifting a portion of property taxes (i.e., creating a split tax roll) are the solution. These measures simply exacerbate the state’s over-reliance on the property tax—whether state or local—as the primary means of funding Texas schools.

Shifting these tax collections to the state level sidesteps the issue that must be addressed by state leaders—creating a broad-based revenue stream from new state tax sources, addressing the inequities in the state tax system, and reducing the dependency on property taxes and recapture, while generating sufficient resources so that our public schools can continue the progress already achieved in student performance.

One more thing is clear: To accomplish our goals for Texas children and to achieve the state’s expectations for performance, representatives of high-wealth and low-wealth schools—whether they are urban, rural, or mid-sized; fast-growth or declining; large or small—must continue to articulate a single message to state leaders—When you invest in public schools, you are investing in Texas.

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Social Security Issues for TRS Members: The Effects of Public Law 108-203 (HR 743) Questions and Answers

Prepared for the Texas Association of School Administrators by Mike Cochran, partner, TCG Consulting, LP, March 2004. © 2004 Texas Association of School Administrators. Permission is granted to print and duplicate this article provided that it is duplicated in its entirety and appropriate credit is given to the Texas Association of School Administrators and Mike Cochran, partner, TCG Consulting, LP.

1. What is HR 743?

HR 743 is the Social Security Protection Act of 2004. It contains a number of provisions that affect the Social Security system and its beneficiaries.

The part of HR 743 that most affects Texas educators is Section 418. This section changes the qualification for exemption from the Government Pension Offset.

One of the biggest complaints TRS members have had about the issues covered in this Q&A is that the Social Security Administration and other government agencies have done so little to inform them about the special restrictions that apply to TRS members’ Social Security benefits. Section 419 of HR 743 requires that the Social Security Administration and other government agencies whose employees and members are affected by these restrictions assure that individuals are better informed about these restrictions in the future.

2. What is the Government Pension Offset?

The “GPO” is a law that applies to anyone receiving both Social Security spousal benefits and a retirement income from a state retirement system, such as the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS). The GPO does not affect the

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INSIGHT

Social Security that the TRS member has earned.

Rather, it affects the member’s spousal benefit.

Under the GPO rules, a TRS member’s spousal Social Security benefit is offset by two-thirds of his or her TRS benefit. For example, if the member is entitled to a spousal Social Security benefit of $1,000 per month and the TRS benefit will be $2,000 per month, then the spousal Social Security benefit will be reduced by two-thirds of $2,000 or $1,333. Since the member’s spousal Social Security benefit is less than the offset, he or she would receive no spousal benefit.

The GPO affects most individuals who are covered by a state or federal retirement plan and not covered by Social Security, including TRS. For the remainder of this Q&A all references will be to TRS. 3. What is the current and new exception to the application of the GPO? Under current law an individual is exempt from the GPO if he or she is employed in a job covered by both Social Security and TRS on the last day of employment prior to retirement from TRS. Under the new law imposed by HR 743 an individual must have been employed in a position covered by both Social Security and TRS in his or her last 60 months of employment. continued on page 14

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continued from page 12 The new law gives credit for any months in a job covered by both systems completed prior to the enactment of the new law as long as the job is under the same federal or state retirement system.

It is important to note that there are exceptions to these rules even under current law. For example, individuals who have elected retirement under the TRS Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP) are not earning additional credit in TRS. Therefore, they cannot qualify for the “last day” exception.

As discussed above, the new law gives credit for up to 59 months for any months in a job covered by both systems completed prior to the enactment of the new law as long as the job is under the same federal or state retirement system.

At least one month of covered Social Security employment must be worked after the date of the enactment.

4. How much spousal Social Security benefit will a TRS member receive?

7. What can I do before HR 743 goes into effect to secure my spouse’s Social Security benefits?

This depends on many factors, including the age at which the member retires under Social Security, the age at which the spouse retires under Social Security, whether the spouse is a TRS member, and whether or not the member has earned a retirement benefit under Social Security.

You can change employment to a job that is covered by both Social Security and TRS for at least one day prior to the date you retire from TRS, which retirement date must be before July 1, 2004.

For married couples who both retire at the age at which they will receive an unreduced Social Security benefit, each person will receive the greater of his or her own Social Security benefit or his or her spouse’s benefit. Even if one of the spouses does not qualify for Social Security, which is the case for a number of TRS members, if the individual is not subject to the GPO he or she will receive 100 percent of the spouse’s benefit in the event of the spouse’s death. If the member is subject to the GPO, then this death benefit is offset by two-thirds of the member’s TRS benefit. Please see Questions 10 and 12 for examples of calculations.

“You can change employment to a job that is covered by both Social Security and TRS for at least one day prior to the date you retire from TRS, which retirement date must be before July 1, 2004.”

5. Who will be impacted by the section of HR 743 affecting the GPO? Anyone receiving a retirement benefit from TRS who retires under TRS on or after July 1, 2004, and who has not worked 60 months under Social Security covered employers will be impacted.

6. When does the section of HR 743 affecting the GPO go into effect?

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exception” in current law if they work their last day of employment in a position covered by both Social Security and TRS prior to July 1, 2004.

The effective date of HR 743 is April 1, 2004. However, there is an exception for individuals who retire before July 1, 2004. These individuals will qualify for the “last day INSIGHT

8. Is there a transition period after the bill is enacted in which I could still qualify for spousal benefits? If so, how long is the transition period and what do I have to do to qualify for spousal benefits during that period?

See Question 6 above.

9. What about my own Social Security benefit? I have heard that there is also a restriction on how much Social Security a TRS member may receive.

Yes, there is a restriction and it is important to understand both this limitation and the GPO before making a retirement decision. The restriction on the Social Security benefit of a TRS member (or most people receiving a retirement benefit from a state or federal plan) is called the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP).

For individuals to receive a retirement benefit from Social Security they must have worked in positions covered by Social Security (paying FICA taxes on wages) for a minimum of 10 years or 40 quarters. For members of TRS to qualify for a retirement benefit from Social Security they too must have worked the required minimum of years or quarters required by Social Security (paying FICA taxes on wages). The amount of benefit calculated by Social Security is based on yearly income, age, and other factors. However, after their benefit is calculated by Social Security, it will be reduced by application of the WEP. The reduction is based on the number of years during which the TRS member paid into Social Security and the number of years the member earned at or above the “substantial earnings” level set by Social Security. The reduction in the Social Security benefit is calculated using the chart on the opposite page.

WEP Substantial Earnings Chart* Years of Substantial Earnings 30+ 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 or less

Percentage 90% 85% 80% 75% 70% 65% 60% 55% 50% 45% 40%

* Note that the percentages above only apply to the first “bend point” in calculating the Social Security benefit. For individuals who work many years at a very high salary, the application of these percentages to the entire Social Security benefit could overstate the benefit.

Workers with relatively low pensions are protected because the reduction in the Social Security benefit under the modified formula cannot be more than one-half of that part of the pension attributable to earnings after 1956 not covered by Social Security.

coverage under Social Security to qualify for a retired worker’s benefit on their own record. Because they are receiving a pension based on non-covered employment, the Social Security worker's benefit they receive on their own record is most likely subject to the WEP reduction.

At the end of this Q&A are two additional charts. The first lists the amount of income required to meet the substantial earnings criteria. The second shows the estimated amount that your Social Security may be reduced by application of the WEP. All of these charts are available on the Social Security Web site.

If a person is subject to both the WEP and the GPO, the calculations/reductions are done in the following order:

10. Is it possible for an individual’s Social Security benefit to be affected by both the GPO and the WEP? Yes. The Social Security Web site offers a good explanation of how this would work. The Q&A is on the Web site at www.ssa.gov/gpo-wep (see Question 14 below) and is listed below: Question: Can individuals who have their Social Security spouse's or surviving spouse's benefits reduced/eliminated by the GPO also have their retired worker's benefits reduced by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP)?

Answer: Yes. Many individuals whose spouse’s or surviving spouse’s benefits are affected by the GPO have earned sufficient

a The retired or disabled worker’s benefit is computed under the WEP benefit formula. b The “potential” benefit as a spouse or surviving spouse is determined based on the other spouse’s work record. c The dual-entitlement provision is applied; under this provision, the “potential” benefit as a spouse or surviving spouse is reduced by the amount of the person’s own retirement or disability benefit. d The remaining benefit as a spouse or surviving spouse (if any) is subject to the GPO provision; under this provision, the spouse/surviving spouse benefit is reduced by two-thirds of the amount of the person’s own pension from non-covered employment.

Example: Consider a widow who is insured for Social Security benefits based on her own work and is entitled to a retirement benefit of $300 on her own record and a “potential” benefit of $1,000 on her deceased husband’s record.

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Assume she receives a government pension of $600 from non-covered employment. $1,000 Potential widow’s benefit - 300 Retirement benefit $ 700 Remaining widow’s benefit before GPO reduction $ 600 pension multiplied by .6666 equals $400 (amount of offset) $ 700 Remaining widow’s benefit before GPO reduction - 400 GPO reduction $ 300 Widow’s benefit payable This person would receive a $300 retired worker’s benefit and a $300 widow’s benefit from Social Security, plus a $600 pension, for a total of $1,200.

“Losing the spousal Social Security benefit may be better

reduced retirement. If you do not meet either of these requirements you could “cash out” your TRS member contribution plus interest. However, this amount will probably only provide a fraction of the TRS benefit you will receive if you give up the spousal Social Security benefit and wait to retire with full benefits under TRS. Even if you qualify for early retirement under TRS, the reduction may be more than the spousal Social Security benefit.

For example, if you are age 48 with 30 years of service you should be eligible to retire under TRS with a reduced benefit of 96 percent of your normal TRS benefit. Assume you have a salary of $45,000 per year with a 3-year average of $44,106.

Your early retirement TRS benefit would be $29,216.

However, if you work 5 more years and have average annual salary increases of 2 percent, your TRS retirement benefit will be $38,447. If you have earned a Social Security benefit of your own of $500 per month by the time you retire under Social Security, and your spouse has a benefit of $1,000 per month, your spousal benefit of $500 per month would be less than what you would lose by retiring early under TRS.

economically than taking a reduced TRS income for the remainder of your life.”

11. Would a strategy to avoid the GPO be to take a lump sum from TRS rather than a retirement income?

If an individual withdraws only his or her own contributions plus interest from TRS, the GPO will not apply. However, such a decision may not be in your best interest financially (see Question 13 below).

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You should carefully analyze the financial impact of this decision over the remainder of your life before making a final decision. You may take advantage of assistance from both TRS and Social Security in making this decision. Both organizations have excellent Web sites that will help you in making your calculations.

13. I am considering a mid-career change to become a teacher in a public school district. Will this jeopardize my Social Security?

12. My spouse is not a member of TRS and is in private employment. I am afraid that if I wait to retire under TRS, I will lose his Social Security. I am considering retiring early from TRS (prior to July 1 of this year) in a job with one of the Texas school districts offering the “last day” programs. I will then go back to work in education and take a reduced TRS income until I get ready to permanently retire. Is this a good idea?

If you retire with a benefit from TRS it will affect your Social Security, since the GPO and WEP will apply to you as described above. However, there are several items you need to consider in looking at this issue:

Whether or not this is a good idea depends on the numbers.

You should not make this decision based on emotion.

Losing the spousal Social Security benefit may be better economically than taking a reduced TRS income for the remainder of your life.

b If you will receive a negligible income from TRS you may be able to give up the TRS income and receive a return of your own contributions to TRS plus interest. This may allow you to avoid the GPO and WEP, depending on the rules developed by Social Security as discussed under Question 11 above.

For example, under TRS rules you must have at least 30 years of service or be age 55 with 5 years of service to take an early,

c TRS is an actuarially sound pension system. It has the reputation of being one of the best public retirement systems

INSIGHT

a The annual retirement income you earn from TRS may more than offset any loss of Social Security benefits.

in the nation. There is reasonable certainty that the benefit you are promised by TRS will be paid exactly as described. We are all aware of the reported financial deficiencies of Social Security. The ability to maintain the current level will become an increasing challenge for our nation as the number of aging retirees escalates.

Thus, a retirement income that is made up of a larger proportion of TRS income and a lesser proportion of Social Security (which is what the GPO provides) may give you a more secure retirement.

14. Who should I contact if I have additional questions about HR 743, Social Security, and TRS? What should I do about these issues?

You can contact your local Social Security office. The Social Security Administration also has an excellent Web site and a special section on the rules that affect individuals covered by a state or federal government retirement plan, such as TRS. Go to www.ssa.gov, look for the “Questions” box at the top of the first screen, choose the pull-down box, and pick “Government Pension Rules.” There are also charts (some are included in this Q&A) at www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2/ wep-chart.htm that are helpful. TRS also has an excellent Web site, which may be accessed at www.trs.state.tx.us.

Persons affected by HR 743 are encouraged to consult their own financial advisors prior to making retirement decisions. Professional financial planners can be of help but you should be sure that they are very familiar with TRS rules and that they will not gain from the advice they give you (e.g., “cash in your TRS benefits and invest it with me”). You should ask for references from other educators who have used their services.

Prepared for TASA by Mike Cochran, Partner TCG Consulting, LP 4201 Bee Caves Road, Suite C-101 Austin, Texas 78746 (512) 306-9939 mike.cochran@pension-consulting.com Copyright TASA 2004. Permission is granted to print and duplicate this article provided that it is duplicated in its entirety and appropriate credit is given to TASA and Mike Cochran, TCG Consulting, LP.

Substantial Earnings Required Amount of Income Required to Meet the Substantial Earnings Criteria

Year

Substantial Earnings

1937-50

$900a

1951-54

900

1955-58

$1,050.00

1959-65

$1,200.00

1966-67

$1,650.00

1968-71

$1,950.00

1972

$2,250.00

1973

$2,700.00

1974

$3,300.00

1975

$3,525.00

1976

$3,825.00

1977

$4,125.00

1978

$4,425.00

1979

$4,725.00

1980

$5,100.00

1981

$5,550.00

1982

$6,075.00

1983

$6,675.00

1984

$7,050.00

1985

$7,425.00

1986

$7,875.00

1987

$8,175.00

1988

$8,400.00

1989

$8,925.00

1990

$9,525.00

1991

$9,900.00

1992

$10,350.00

1993

$10,725.00

1994

$11,250.00

1995

$11,325.00

1996

$11,625.00

1997

$12,150.00

1998

$12,675.00

1999

$13,425.00

2000

$14,175.00

2001

$14,925.00

2002

$15,750.00

2003

$16,125.00

a Credited earnings from 1937-50 are divided by $900 to get the years of coverage (maximum 14 years)

continued on next page

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WINDFALL ELIMINATION PROVISION (WEP) UNDER SOCIAL SECURITY Maximum Monthly Amount Your Benefit May Be Reduced Because of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP)

Years of Substantial Earnings ELY**

20 or less

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

2001

$280.50

$252.50

$224.40

$196.40

$168.30

2002

$296.00

$266.40

$236.80

$207.20

2003

$303.00

$272.70

$242.40

2004

$306.00

$275.40

$244.80

28

$140.30

$112.20

$84.20

$56.10

$28.10

$0.00

$177.60

$148.00

$118.40

$88.80 $59.20

$29.60

$0.00

$212.10

$181.80

$151.50

$121.20

$90.90 $60.60

$30.30

$0.00

$214.20

$183.60

$153.00

$122.40

$91.80

$30.60

$0.00

$61.20

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*Important: The maximum amount may be overstated because the WEP reduction is limited to one-half of your pension from non-covered employment. ** Eligibility Year—the year you reach age 62

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“TAKS Scores + Teachers + Classworks = Success” An early edition of the Texas-specific edition of Classworks (www.curriculumadvantage.com) has already saved teachers many hours of time searching for lessons and activities to help students improve their scores on the state’s standardized tests. The 2003-released version that is now correlated with the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test is proving even more helpful to teachers because they can import TAKS scores with one simple step and immediately see an individualized list of activities for each student built from Classworks’ vast library of 8,600 learning activities. After students complete the assigned activities, Classworks can then retest the students and give reports to the teacher to evaluate progress and prescribe additional work if necessary.

Hooks ISD has been successfully using Classworks since 1998 and ran a trial program last summer to help elementary students who failed the TAKS test. One hundred twenty students likely to be held back a grade were enrolled in a summer school program where Classworks was the primary curriculum. During the six-week course, students showed significant gains in reading and mathematics, and every student who completed the course was promoted to the next grade level. Many of the students showed 20 to 60 percent gains in scores on a post-assessment test modeled after the TAKS with some improving their scores by 98 percent. Hooks ISD officials were not surprised with the positive results, just the magnitude of the results. “We knew Classworks would help our students because in a similar 2002 trial we saw significant student gains on the state’s Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) test after using Classworks,” said Micah Lewis, assistant superintendent at Hooks ISD. “Our teachers are keenly focused on the TAKS test just as every teacher in the country is preparing for their high-stakes tests which start in February 2004,” said Dr. James Wilcox, superintendent of Hooks ISD. “Everything is tied to student performance on the high-stakes tests: funding, teacher evaluation, and student placement so teachers must take every step possible to prepare their students well. When we find a resource like Classworks that can tell us exactly which exercises will help students score better, right down to the specific standard, we grab that resource and put it to work!”

(Note: In 2003, the TAKS, which became the new statewide assessment program, replaced the TAAS).

To learn more or to schedule an on-site demonstration for your district, please contact Colleen Hess at chess@curriculumadvantage.com or call toll free at 866-622-1211.

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The Princeton Review Is Committed to Helping Texas Students Improve Their SAT Scores Twenty years ago, SAT preparation courses were mostly sought by students seeking admission to the most elite colleges. But as the college-bound population grew, so did the competition for college admission. High scores on the SAT became a gatekeeper to the college of a student’s dreams and of financial help in the form of scholarships and grants.

Shirley Neeley, newly appointed Texas Commissioner of Education, recently met with Joe Guerra (left) and Roel Piseno (right), from The Princeton Review. Dr. Neeley worked with The Princeton Review to build an in-school SAT prep program to help underserved students get into college.

Since its inception, SAT scores demonstrated economic, racial, and gender bias, emphasizing the need for students to practice and be familiar with the format and questions of the college entrance exam. Traditionally, girls scored nearly 40 points lower than their male counterparts on the SAT, despite having higher grades in high school and performing better in their freshman year in college.

Similarly, a gap of 200 points or more still exists between the scores of minorities and their white peers.

The Princeton Review, the nation’s leader in test preparation for the SAT and ACT, as well as the graduate entrance exams, has been one of the harshest critics of the SAT. Over the last several years, the company has created a host of programs to close the achievement gap and to level the playing field in college admissions. In many of these programs, The Princeton Review works directly with schools and districts to offer equal access to quality test preparation and higher education. In Texas, those programs have resulted in partnering with a number of school districts for test preparation, admissions counseling, and skills enhancement.

Some of these programs have been designed to start improving skills as early as middle school, so the results will be clear in both the classroom and on standardized tests. Other programs are customized for students who may be the first in their family to attend college or who come from homes where English is not the primary language.

Galena Park ISD, the largest exemplary school district in Texas, is one of the school districts that has made test preparation for its collegebound students a priority. The district has implemented a three-year contract with The Princeton Review that began in June 2003 to help district high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors raise their scores on the PSAT and SAT exams and learn more about college admissions, testing, and financial aid. Even parents participated with college admission seminars presented in English and Spanish by The Princeton Review. Nearly 600 students at Galena Park, North Shore, and North Shore Senior High Schools began intensive classroom and online courses this August. School administrators brought Princeton Review instructors into the three high schools during regular school 22

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days to teach students strategies for the math and verbal sections of the PSAT and SAT. Students at the three high schools were given access to Princeton Review's online college and career guidance system, Education and Career Opportunities System (ECOS).

At Mt. Pleasant ISD, students attending Mt. Pleasant High School and Middle School receive a comprehensive package of assessment, PSAT/SAT test preparation, a library of college admission and financial aid guidebooks, and college admissions counseling from The Princeton Review.

The Princeton Review often customizes its courses to fit the schools’ needs. At both Rio Grande City CISD and Royse City ISD, the Princeton Review trained teachers on how to use Princeton Review methods, materials, and curriculum strategies to prepare students for the SAT. Other districts that have worked with Princeton Review include Fort Worth and Dallas.

In fall 2004, The Princeton Review will begin working with Ennis, Eustace, East Central (San Antonio), and Weslaco ISDs. For these students, Princeton Review resources often mean more than just improving SAT scores. Princeton Review college guidebooks help students learn about colleges they might never have explored, college majors they never dreamed existed, and scholarships and grants for which they might not have applied. Online SAT courses have given students the flexibility of studying on their own schedules. ECOS has offered the most up-to-date and comprehensive online tools for students to plan and organize their continuing education and career future. ECOS gives students the freedom to work independently or with their school counselors to explore careers and majors, choose the right college, compose a resume, complete online college applications, apply for a job, and search through the 600,000 available scholarships.

For more information about The Princeton Review, call 1-800-REVIEW2 or go to www.educators@princetonreview.com.

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Scholastic Profiles Three Targeted Programs That Impact Texas Schools For more than 83 years, Scholastic has introduced young people to the joys of reading, while creating quality materials designed to enlarge their understanding of the world. Scholastic is committed to teaching children how to read—as well as providing a wide variety of wonderful publications for them to read.

Recognizing that literacy is the cornerstone of a child’s intellectual, personal, and cultural growth, Scholastic has created quality programs that educate, entertain, and motivate children. The three programs highlighted here are having an impact on Texas schools.

READ 180, Scholastic’s breakthrough reading intervention program, is one of the most thoroughly researched reading intervention programs available today. READ 180 is based on scientifically proven principles, offering intensive intervention for students in grades 3–12 who are reading significantly below grade level. Students receive daily, intensive and individualized reading instruction through datadriven technology, high interest reading materials, and ongoing assessment tools that are implemented in special READ 180 classrooms. Research by third-party evaluators shows that struggling readers in the program make on average two years growth in reading level in just one year.

“READ 180 exemplifies the power and potential of technology in the classroom to motivate, monitor progress, and tailor instruction to the needs of each individual student,” said Margery Mayer, president, Scholastic Education. Betty Lewing, a READ 180 teacher in Lufkin, shares her story: “This past year has caused a 180-degree change in the lives of my students— with 100 percent of them experiencing reading improvement of at least one year’s growth, and 90 percent achieving two year’s growth in just 18 weeks.”

Another groundbreaking program focuses on “highly qualified” teacher training—Scholastic RED. Scholastic RED courses combine the unique capabilities of online learning for individualized and self-paced instruction with the collaboration and support necessary to foster effective reading instruction. Participating educators have access to leading reading researchers; motivating and interactive training; opportunities to practice strategies in a safe, collaborative environment; and resources and management tools for implementing reading strategies in K–12 classrooms. The courses are aligned to No Child Left Behind, major core reading programs, and Texas state standards. Scholastic RED is a TEAapproved provider for professional development. The SBEC provider number for Scholastic RED is #500802.

Scholastic is also a leader in providing tools to inform instruction. The new Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) is a reading comprehension test that assesses students' reading levels, tracks students' reading growth over time, and helps guide instruction according to students' needs. SRI, the research-based program for grades 1–12, has been the subject of four validation studies. The SRI research ranges from a norming study with a sample of 512,224 students to an analysis of gender, race, and ethnic differences among 19,000 fourth through ninth grade students.

SRI results can be reported in Lexiles—a scientific reading measurement by Metametrics. TEA just announced a partnership with Metametrics to provide TAKS scores in Lexiles.

Scholastic, a TASA President’s Circle Partner, has a strong presence in Texas and continues to build longstanding relationships with the Texas education community as the most trusted name in learning.

For more information, visit www.scholastic.com or call the Scholastic Regional Sales Office in Irving, Texas, at 800-221-5312.

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Main lobby of basketball arena

New dining area for grades 10–12

New Sandra Meadows Memorial Arena Second floor of new two-story classroom addition

SHW Group Architects Duncanville High School Additions/Renovations After four years and multiple phases of construction, Duncanville High School will be one of the largest high schools in the United States, with 863,137 square feet all under one roof.

Located just south of Dallas, the original Duncanville High School was 40 years old. Over the years, the campus had acquired a total of 11 different buildings to serve its gradual growth in grades 10 through 12. A separate 9th grade center was built two miles from the high school, which required students to move back and forth between the two campuses to attend classes as well as participate in arts and athletic programs.

“We needed a 21st century school to support a 21st century curriculum,” says Jerry Cook, superintendent of Duncanville ISD. Though the district struggled with choosing between one large high school and two smaller ones, the decision was actually made by the community. Cook explains, “The community would not support splitting the high school, and the school district must serve its community.”

To address the growing enrollment and aging facilities, the decision was made to convert the separate 9th grade campus to a middle school. The 9th grade students would then be relocated to the west end of the existing high school. Next, the plan called for the demolition of most of the high school’s east campus to make room for new instructional space designed to accommodate grades 10 through 12. And finally, the remaining existing facilities would be refurbished to serve athletics, music, and career and technology programs for all students.

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Phase One involved the addition of a new ball field; Phase Two involved street construction; and Phase Three covered the upgrade of underground utilities. Phase Four includes a 200,000 square foot, two-story classroom addition and renovation of 340,000 existing square footage. Phase Five includes the addition of 150,000 square feet of athletic areas and renovations of an existing 160,000 square feet.

“One of the most critical schedules for the project was completing the new Sandra Meadows Memorial Arena,” says Mike Elmore, project manager for SHW Group Architects.

“Duncanville is home to the largest girls’ basketball tournament in Texas, and we had about 10 months to finish construction on the 2,000-seat arena in time for the December 2003 event.”

The new arena was recently recognized as number five in USA TODAY’s list of 10 great places to watch high school basketball.

When the $90.3 million project is completed in January 2006, Duncanville High School will open with 3,700 students and an ultimate capacity of 4,000. “We are literally building all the way around the existing school—not one original building surface will be exposed when we finish construction,” observes L. G. White, senior project manager for Hunt Construction Group. The phased design has allowed Duncanville High School to remain operational throughout all construction phases with minimal disruption to the learning environment.

Parents’ Right to Know—What and When

by Forest J. C. Hertlein

A

major requirement of the No Child Left Behind Act is to keep parents informed

and involved regarding their child’s education.

Parent awareness and involvement is referred to by the U.S. Department of Education as one of the “four pillars” of the NCLB Act. However, recent comments from a variety of sources indicate there is a feeling that schools are not forthcoming with all information and options that must be made available to parents. Due to the multiple “touch points” in which parent communication is required, districts should evaluate their NCLB parent communication strategy to assure that no notice is overlooked or left unsent. The following is a discussion of two major NCLB communication requirements relating to highly qualified staff and reporting adequate yearly progress (AYP) status.

Highly Qualified Teachers Initial reports indicate there is wide variation among states regarding the number of staff that currently meet the new federal definition for being highly qualified. Alaska reports that 16 percent meet the definition, and Texas identified 75.8 percent as highly qualified. Wisconsin reported the highest percentage at 98.6.

Regardless of a state’s status for collecting and reporting such data, districts that receive Title I funds must inform all parents of children attending schools that receive Title I allocations of their right to inquire about the qualifications of their child’s teachers. The notice must go to all parents of children at these schools regardless of the program their child is

participating in, such as general education, special education, or English-language development. The requirement for this notice applies to schools operating schoolwide and targeted assistance programs whether or not adequate yearly progress has been made and regardless of the ability of the school to calculate or report AYP due to enrollment size. The requirement also applies to schools that receive Title I funds to operate ANY program such as before- and after-school programs or summer school, to pay any portion of a staff member’s salary, or to purchase any instructional supplies or technology.

Parents must be informed of their right to request their child’s teachers’ qualifications annually at the beginning of each school

year even if 100 percent of the school’s staff is highly qualified.

Reporting teacher qualifications to parents upon their request applies to all teachers that teach core academic subjects in the school, and may include those who are otherwise exempt from satisfying the definition of highly qualified IF those staff are providing core academic instruction for any portion of the day. For example, a health or physical education teacher providing reading instruction through a program such as Success for All must satisfy the federal “highly qualified” requirement if he or she is providing the only reading instruction a student receives.

Parents have the right to request and SPRING/SUMMER 2004 25

“If a parent wishes to pursue a school transfer or supplemental services, the responsibility for follow-up is vital to confirm, plan, and document district and parent decisions.”

receive the qualifications of such teachers, and the school must initiate notice to the families of all students who are taught four or more consecutive weeks by any teacher who is not highly qualified. This includes any teacher or substitute who teaches four or more weeks who is part-time, long-term, new, or a veteran employee. NCLB requires that such notice must be provided in a timely manner. A definition of timely is not provided so districts should consider adopting written procedures to assure such notice is distributed uniformly throughout the district.

Although parent notification regarding highly qualified staff applies to schools receiving Title I funds, all teachers must be highly qualified by 2005–2006.

Districts must report progress toward meeting this goal, and this information must be included on the annual NCLB report card.

“It is important for all districts to develop a system to keep track of all the new parental notifications and follow-up that is required.”

Accountability Reporting There are three levels of accountability reporting required by NCLB to inform parents about state, district, and school performance. Many state departments of education produce an online annual report card from which parents may view performance of schools and districts from across their state. NCLB also requires each district to annually prepare and widely distribute a local report card to the community and “to all schools and parents of children attending those schools.”

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In addition to the district report card, schools receiving Title I funds that have not made adequate yearly progress for two or more consecutive years must assure that each parent of a child enrolled in the school receives additional information in a timely manner.

The parent notification must include: • What it means to be identified as in need of improvement • What are the reasons for this identification • What is being done by the school, district, and state to change the status • How parents can become involved in the improvement process • A statement of the parents’ right to request transfer of their child to another school or, if eligible, supplemental educational services Clarifying information. The district should determine the first point of contact for parents who want clarifying information regarding a school’s performance prior to making decisions about transferring their child or requesting supplemental services.

Most districts identify the school as the most logical place for a parent to make initial inquiries regarding reasons why the school was identified for improvement.

Scores and percentages can be clarified and parent fears and misunderstandings can be addressed. If a parent wishes to pursue a school transfer or supplemental services, the responsibility for follow-up is vital to confirm, plan, and document district and parent decisions. The communication loop must be managed in a timely and sensitive manner.

Setting standardized system. It is important for all districts to develop a system to keep track of all the new parental notifications and follow-up that is required. By

setting a standardized system early in the process, it will make the notification process easier. The most popular time of year for parental notification is often the beginning of the school year with the first-day packet containing a number and variety of forms.

Implementing communication strategy.

In order for the NCLB notifications to be more effective, it would be best to implement a communication strategy that does not combine the notices with all of the other forms that must be read and signed. The best preparation is to become familiar with NCLB notification requirements and timelines (http://www.mynclb.com/pdfs/NCLB_ Parent_Notifications.pdf ) and to assign responsibility for informing parents to the appropriate level or department.

It is recommended that a common set of notices be made available throughout the district to meet the NCLB requirement that “information must be in an understandable and uniform format.” One valuable resource for meeting this requirement is the collection of parent notices available online at www.mynclb.com.

The collection is also available in a growing number of languages to assist districts in communicating with parents in a language they understand.

If you have any questions or comments, email forest@transact.com or contact TASA at 512-477-6361 or 800-725-8272 (toll free).

Forest J. C. Hertlein is the federal programs manager for TransACT Communications, Inc. (www.mynclb.com).

TAKS Readiness and Core Knowledge (TRACK)—TAKS Test Readiness Programs Designed and Delivered

by The University of Texas System via the UT TeleCampus (UTTC)

by Ellen V. Bell

T

he University of Texas System’s Division of Academic Affairs and UT TeleCampus have developed a free online test readiness program to help 10th and 11th graders prepare for the exit-level TAKS test. The test readiness program was launched in February under the

name TAKS Readiness and Core Knowledge (TRACK). TRACK also serves as a resource for schools to address the personal graduation plan required under Senate Bill 1108. Related projects—TRACKPlus and TeachTRACK—extend and support the TRACK project.

Introduction Are you concerned your students will not pass all sections of the TAKS test? Are you looking for additional, affordable resources to help? UT System may be part of the answer.

With the generous support of Houston Endowment, Inc. and The Meadows Foundation, UT System, via the UT TeleCampus (the UT systemwide support center for online courses and degrees), has expanded its K–16 programs by developing and launching TRACK. TRACK is free due to foundation funding.

In addition to TRACK, a tutoring and tracking service titled TRACKPlus and six online teacher professional development modules in the subject areas tested by TRACK (TeachTRACK) will be available in coming months.

Development of the modules is supported by a Texas Education Agency grant.

All projects are facets of UT System’s Every Child, Every Advantage K–16 initiative.

UT TeleCampus (UTTC) Established in 1998, the UT TeleCampus is a service-driven, centralized support for online education. UTTC provides online undergraduate and graduate college credit courses,

professional development, and K–12 TAKS readiness programs. Through UTTC, college students who are admitted to one of the UT campuses may select from more than a dozen online degree and certification programs, and more than 200 online courses. Approximately 100 courses are offered each semester, and approximately 50 courses in the summer.

Additional courses, certifications, and degrees are added to the UTTC catalog over time. An online Texas superintendent certification (titled U TOPS) will be offered for the first time in fall 2004 through UT–Permian Basin. The program can be completed entirely online, except for field experience, which can be completed at a district convenient to the student. For information, contact Carl Hoffmeyer at 432-552-2137 (Hoffmeyer_c@utpb.edu) or Steve Jenkins at 532-552-2131 (Jenkins_s@utpb.edu).

TRACK TRACK provides high school students (and their teachers) an online tool to help prepare for the TAKS tests. TRACK covers the subject areas tested by TAKS at the exit level: • Algebra and Geometry • Biology and Integrated Physics/Chemistry (IPC) • English • Social Studies SPRING/SUMMER 2004 27

TRACK currently includes one online diagnostic test in each subject area to help students identify their area of strengths, as well as areas needing improvement. Based on test results, students can select from hundreds of supplemental learning materials.

Students can return to TRACK as many times as desired, opting to take all or part of the test each time. TRACK is in its first year of development and will continue to grow over the three years of the Houston Endowment grant.

More than 33,000 TRACK accounts have been established as of April 15, and more than 27,000 student tests have been completed or are in progress.

TRACK Development Process A team of 24 subject-matter experts from Texas high schools and universities was employed in the summer of 2003 to locate and validate TRACK diagnostic test items and learning materials. In the months prior to the TRACK launch, additional item writers worked to make the TRACK tests very similar to TAKS tests.

Subject-matter experts located and scored additional learning materials to address all TAKS objectives and as many TEKS student expectations as possible. Finally, a panel of national experts and subject-matter specialists, as well as the TRACK team leaders, reviewed the TRACK learning materials prior to launch to make additional suggestions.

The TRACK diagnostic test items were piloted with approximately 4,500 11th graders from 46 high schools across Texas.

Pilot schools were chosen to provide broad geographic and demographic representation. After the pilot, test items were replaced to ensure accurate tests.

All TRACK test items and learning materials are coded to TAKS objectives and TEKS student expectations so students can spend their time studying learning materials as indicated from their test results.

Getting Started with TRACK Anyone using TRACK must establish an account by following the steps at www.track.uttelecampus.org. Students and teachers should allow for 30–45 minutes to go through the initial, onetime setup, including a browser checker. In order to use TRACK, certain downloadable software plug-ins are required.

The plug-ins are standard for most multimedia applications, and are easy to install. The browser checker ensures that the computer is ready to view all the TRACK elements. After users have passed the browser checker, they can use their login and password to get into TRACK quickly. Windows 2000 is the best version to use for TRACK. Users may be able to access TRACK with Windows 98, but they may experience some difficulties.

The district network administrator should be contacted for any technical difficulties in accessing TRACK. 28

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The TRACK Student Experience Diagnostic tests. Students arriving at the TRACK Web site receive some initial introductory information and are given the option of beginning any of four diagnostic tests in Math, Social Studies, Science, or English Language Arts.

(All TRACK users remain anonymous but are asked to complete a few brief demographic questions on the initial visit.) Each test contains approximately the same number of test questions as on a TAKS test, and takes approximately the same amount of time as a TAKS test. Students see one test item at a time. After taking each test, students receive a screen showing results and can review the test items to see the correct answers. They can print the results screen if they wish to record or track their results.

Learning materials. Once they have their test results, students can go to the TRACK learning materials to review material or learn concepts. If students wish, they may bypass the tests and go directly to the learning materials section of the site. The learning materials are organized by TAKS objective and TEKS student expectations, so teachers can direct students to certain materials to match their test results. The learning materials are called “tutorials” and the goal of TRACK is to have at least one tutorial for every TEKS student expectation. The tutorials were purchased, in most cases, from commercial providers, or are links to free Web sites such as the Library of Congress. Some materials were developed specifically under contract with UT System to fill in gaps where no appropriate materials could be found. The materials are engaging and interactive and follow the format of introducing a topic tested on the TAKS, providing a tutorial (often through video instruction in math and science), summarizing the key concepts, and providing a few practice questions to check for student understanding.

Upon exiting the site, students may complete a brief online anonymous survey to provide feedback to TRACK’s leadership team for continuous updating and improvement of the site. TRACK site visitors who are not students have a link to the TRACK mailbox (TRACK@utsystem.edu) to e-mail their comments and suggestions.

District Use of TRACK Superintendents and central office personnel in instructionally related areas will find TRACK a valuable resource for working with teachers to prepare students for the exit-level TAKS. All of the tests and learning materials are free and coded to state standards. Districts already are using TRACK for teacher professional development. Generally the professional development session begins with an introduction to TRACK through the TRACK PowerPoint presentation

available on the TRACK Web site. Then teachers explore what is available for students and their own use in classrooms. Since the TRACK team members spent months searching for learning materials and scoring them on Blackboard, the resources are of a high quality.

Teachers are using TRACK to provide students with extra help in credit-recovery classes, tutoring sessions, double sessions, and regular classes. Students use the learning material to prepare for the TAKS by brushing up on concepts studied in middle school, such as Algebra I; learn what was missed in class; or simply become stronger in the subject matter content. Even some middle schoolers are using TRACK to learn what to expect on the exit-level tests.

TRACK can be used as one resource to meet the requirements of SB 1108 and the personal graduation plan.

Students in danger of taking five years to graduate as determined in the ninth grade, or who fail one of the eighth grade TAKS tests, must have a personal graduation plan.

Use of innovative online assessment and instructional strategies is included in the law.

Superintendents may want to show board members the TRACK application and encourage their exploration of the resources to learn more about the state curriculum.

Certainly community members will be interested in TRACK.

TRACKPlus A second aspect of the TRACK project is TRACKPlus, which will provide students with a progress tracking mechanism and online tutoring for a fee. The tracking mechanism will allow districts to focus their efforts by seeing which tests students are taking and how they are performing, as well as where they are spending their time in the learning materials. Online tutoring will be offered so students, once identified by the district or campus, can get individualized help where they need it the most. Updates regarding TRACKPlus will be available at the TRACK Web site, or interested persons can e-mail track@utsystem.edu and ask to be included on future announcements and updates.

TeachTRACK Over the three years of the Houston Endowment grant, six online teacher professional development modules, titled TeachTRACK, will be offered by the UT System.

The initial modules are scheduled for availability in August 2004. They are designed to help high school teachers, especially those teaching in an area different from their certification or degree, be better prepared to SPRING/SUMMER 2004 29

help students with 10th and 11th grade coursework as it relates to TAKS objectives. Additional information about the modules also will be available at the TRACK Web site.

Summary and Next Steps The UT System Office of Academic Affairs and UT TeleCampus are supporting Texas high schools as they prepare students for the state exit examination. TRACK, TRACKPlus, and TeachTRACK are initial efforts to provide quality test readiness materials to students and their teachers. The projects will be responsive to changes in state requirements. Improvements will be based on feedback from students, educators, and parents.

Ellen V. Bell is project coordinator for TRACK and former associate executive director of Professional Development at TASA.

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Contact Information TRACK Web site (for more information about TRACK and related projects): http://www.track.uttelecampus.org TRACK e-mail (to receive periodic TRACK updates): TRACK@utsystem.edu TRACK telephone (for general information): 1-800-839-7637 UTTC Web site (for further information regarding the UT TeleCampus and its involvement in Every Child, Every Advantage): www.telecampus.utsystem.edu

Snapshot of a Leader Texas’ 2004 NSOTY Nominee—Richard E. Berry Richard E. Berry, superintendent, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, was selected as Texas’ nominee for the 2004 National Superintendent of the Year Program sponsored by the American Association of School Administrators.

The following offers a snapshot of his responses to specific questions on AASA’s 2004 NSOTY Award Program Application.

Q: Since beginning your career as a public school superintendent, what are the most dramatic changes, positive and negative, you have observed in your role?

A. Throughout my years as superintendent both in Arlington ISD and Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, I have remained focused on student achievement while adapting with each new challenge. Although mandates from the state and federal government impact our budget, school calendar, class sizes, and technology, as well as the needs of students in special populations such as special and bilingual education, I encourage my staff to seek creative solutions and remain flexible. However, the one nonnegotiable factor for all of us is student success. Using that goal as our compass, we are able to navigate any obstacle course presented by state and federal mandates.

There have been some barriers, nonetheless.

The unprecedented growth experienced by the district creates difficulty in adhering to class-size mandates.

During the last 12 years, student enrollment increased from 46,518 to 74,737, and the district opened 20 schools to keep pace with the rapid growth. Despite the addition of new campuses, student growth was not adequately accommodated. Believing that alternative solutions were available, I turned to my team to collaborate and develop options. Together, we designed a plan to more adequately utilize existing facilities, and the board supported my recommendations. The plan included altering attendance boundaries; adaptable use of space; use of portable buildings; and standardization of building capacities at elementary, middle school, and high school.

One of the greatest challenges as superintendent of schools is developing an educational system that allows students to achieve no matter what requirements are

generated by the federal and state government. As the district implements these mandated programs, most of which come without any funding or assistance, we review the impact that they have had on students and become more creative in addressing student needs.

Keeping district staff focused on student success is essential when mandates lack flexibility in responding to the best interests of our students.

I believe that increasingly high accountability standards that are more inclusive of different subpopulations have been beneficial to students. While changes of any kind may be difficult for everyone involved, these standards force us all to be more responsive and address the academic needs of all children. As the state’s accountability standards changed, it was crucial for me to create a different paradigm of success that included “each student” and was not limited to “most students.”

Throughout the changes in the accountability system, it was my responsibility to help staff members understand that each child was important. And, if one child failed, then we all failed. My communication had a dual purpose. I met with each school’s administrative team and reviewed their plan for student achievement. I emphasized reviewing data in order to design education plans for each child. To help staff members place the importance of each individual child in perspective, I began to refer to students as “my kids.”

The achievement gap between white students and all subgroups continues to close. Even in the context of testing more students in a rapidly growing district with changing demographics, we have accomplished this goal. Nearly every subgroup experienced double-digit gains in each subject tested in the eight years of the most recent state-mandated SPRING/SUMMER 2004 31

accountability system. For example, passing rates for African-American students on the math exam improved from 51.6 in 1994–1995 to 93.7 in 2001–2002. The rate for Hispanic students improved from 59.8 to 93.9, and the Economically Disadvantaged passing rates improved from 64.8 to 92.6 over the same time period.

“I immediately recognized the severity of the situation and began working with the district’s business and finance department to formulate a plan that would provide the district with stronger financial stability during periods much like the one we face today.”

Some mandates have provided opportunities for patrons to become more involved with the district. The 77th Texas Legislature passed a law that required all public schools to begin the first day of instruction no earlier than Monday of the calendar week in which August 21 falls. Yet, lawmakers established a waiver process that enables districts to request a start date earlier than that set by law if deemed necessary by the districts and favored by the community.

Due to my experience in building a relationship with the community, I was confident that the district was aligned with the community’s goals for the school calendar. Based on an annual calendar development process that includes feedback from a wide representation of the community, it has historically been important to students, parents, patrons, and staff to include a week off for Thanksgiving and, more importantly, to have high school final exams completed before the winter holiday break. These objectives could not be reached by starting the school year as mandated by the state, and the community expressed the desire to have decisions about the school calendar remain under local control of the school board. Following the state’s guidelines for the early-start waiver application, the district was granted permission to begin the past two school years prior to the date established by the 77th Legislature.

Last year, school districts in Texas faced dramatic changes to the state’s academic assessments that predictably were more rigorous than previous tests. Mandates in the state’s school finance system are limiting many districts’ ability to finance educational programs necessary to achieve academic success.

Challenges like these force us to be even more creative, more flexible, and to accomplish our goals through teamwork. In Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, no child will be left behind as long as student success continues to be our guide.

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Q: State financial support has declined in most states during the past year. If this is true in your state, how have you exerted instructional/program leadership in light of these limited resources? Cite examples from your own district.

A. Due to a public school finance system that has nearly exhausted available sources of future revenue, CypressFairbanks ISD has responded by scrutinizing and streamlining operations to maintain high standards of academic excellence.

Although the district has always functioned conservatively and responsibly, every aspect of district operations was reviewed in an effort to reduce expenditures while maintaining the integrity of academic programs and facilities. Because payroll and employee benefits account for nearly 90 percent of all expenditures, the operating budgets for the last two school years represent the most stringent financial plans in the district’s history. Making cuts to a budget largely comprised of personnel-related costs challenged us to closely evaluate spending at all levels.

Through wise financial planning, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD has maintained the lowest ratio of administrative costs per pupil in the entire Texas Gulf Coast region for the past seven years. The district continues to investigate every available resource in its effort to offer students the best possible education despite the challenges of tougher accountability standards and diminishing financial support from the state. These practices become even more important as Cypress-Fairbanks ISD joined a growing number of districts in Texas last year to reach the state’s $1.50 Maintenance and Operations (M&O) tax rate cap.

When I came to the district in 1992, the general fund balance was $13 million and the district was forced to borrow money in order to fund payroll expenses. I immediately recognized the severity of the situation and began working with the district’s business and finance department to formulate a plan that would provide the district with stronger financial stability during periods much like the one we face today.

With more than a decade of wise investments and conservative fiscal planning, the district has built an undesignated fund balance of approximately $82 million, which will help us now and in the immediate future. However, this reserve can only be a temporary measure, and the Texas Legislature must provide long-term solutions.

While the district works concurrently with the board of trustees to address challenges like financing our education system, we have developed the Portrait of a Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Graduate—a well-documented set of attributes familiar to the entire community—to ensure that our students receive a well-rounded education and the skills to be successful. We

remain firm in our commitment to these objectives regardless of decreasing budgets and the demands of increased accountability.

The district is dedicated to providing a nurturing environment and learning opportunities for all students so that, as graduates, they will possess the characteristics that will enable them to live meaningfully and successfully in society and in the workplace. As high school graduates, we have prepared students to be: —Effective communicators, who successfully use the levels of communication skills demanded by the complex and ever-changing world—skills in listening, speaking, writing, reading, mathematics, and technological presentations.

—Competent problem-solvers, who can identify problems and the information needed to organize, analyze, interpret, evaluate, predict, and make appropriate decisions to resolve or to avoid the problems that so frequently accompany a rapidly changing world.

—Self-directed learners, who continually seek knowledge, create options for learning that lead toward enhanced productivity, take responsibility for setting appropriate priorities and achievable goals, and monitor and evaluate their own progress in goal attainment.

others when called upon, take pride in their own work, and are able to monitor and correct their own performance.

As made evident to the rest of the nation during the presidential campaign of George W. Bush, then governor of Texas, a stringent accountability system is customary of the state’s public education system.

Accountability is a necessary component of any educational organization. Over the years, students in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD responded to the challenges and demonstrated tremendous improvement in the state’s previous assessment instrument, the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS), even as standards became increasingly more demanding each year. Based on the 2001–2002 TAAS results, the district’s “all students” passing rates continued to reach “Exemplary” levels. Additionally, the TAAS scores for “all students” and all subgroups on the math section were “Exemplary” throughout the entire district. The district missed reaching “Exemplary” status in the accountability system by only a few students in just a few subgroups. Because I felt that “Recognized” did not adequately represent the progress we made as a district, I often told my staff that we deserved my own unofficial rating of “Almost Exemplary,” as the district has been within close reach of the state’s highest rating for the last five years.

With every indication from state officials suggesting that Texas’ newest the progress we made as a district, I often told my staff that assessment would be we deserved my own unofficial rating of ‘Almost Exemplary,’“… more difficult than its predecessors and that the first-year passing rates might decrease signif—Responsible citizens, who are icantly as a result, students in Cypresshonest, self-disciplined, respectful to Fairbanks ISD performed more than others, and not only accept, underadmirably last spring with passing rates for stand, and deal with diversity, but also the “all students” category significantly highare appreciative of differences; and, in a er than preliminary state averages in every cooperative manner, contribute to the subject at each grade level that was tested. community’s welfare and participate in As we move into a new system of accountthe political process. ability and face the challenges that each new —Quality producers, who are school year brings, we remain focused on resourceful and creative, have high doing what is best for children. It is my role expectations for their work as an indias superintendent to ensure that trustees, vidual or as part of a team, can lead administrators, principals, and teachers work “Because I felt that ‘Recognized’ did not adequately represent

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together with students, parents, and community members to achieve this goal. By teaching students the skills necessary to fulfill their potential in life and by providing them with continuous reminders that we want them to be successful, they will be prepared to successfully accept their unique roles in society.

Q: In this era of increasing accountability for schools and superintendents, what procedures have you initiated or found useful for providing information to your community members?

A. During these times of increased accountability for schools and the superintendent, the challenge of academic standards, safety, economic uncertainty, and greater appreciation for cultural diversity can be successfully addressed through the development of strong relationships and timely, efficient communication among district staff, parents, business partners, and patrons.

Dissemination of information has proven to be a powerful tool in building trust and bolstering community support to meet many challenges that I have faced during my tenure as superintendent of schools in CypressFairbanks ISD. As new challenges arise, I continually look to district staff, community members, and students to work in partnership to seek solutions.

Building trusting relationships and opening lines of communication with the community is essential to creating a common focus and resourceful teamwork necessary to help this district remain strong through times of uncertainty. My staff understands that we must foster the achievements we have made with these two practices if Cypress-Fairbanks ISD is to continue experiencing the level of success that has been a long-standing tradition in this district. During monthly meetings with principals and administrators, I consistently remind them that they are ambassadors for the district and play an important role in building relationships and communicating with the community. Together, we review information that is important for the community to 34

INSIGHT

understand, such as the district’s financial forecast under the state’s current school finance system. Person-to-person communication is valuable, especially in a district with almost 75,000 students, and I promote this idea among my staff.

The district is fortunate to have developed communication resources that patrons turn to first in situations like the terrorist attacks on America. The district’s Web site, which

received more than 4,000 external hits on September 11, 2001, provides two-way communication and is updated several times daily. In the last year, we recorded nearly 10 million hits to the CFISD home page. Additionally, CF-TV, the result of a cooperative effort with the district, community, and local cable company, provides a window to the district for our patrons through live broadcasts of board meetings and an up-to-date informational bulletin board, as well as 24-hour educational programming. The district’s internal and external publications provide yet another communication format and are published on a regular basis. Subsequent to the events of September 11, I recognized the benefits of having the district’s Web site, television, and print mediums working in tandem and restructured each division under a unified Communication Department as part of my plan to keep the community informed.

I believe that it is imperative in building relationships that the community is involved in the decision-making process in matters that affect the district. By involving the community

in our schools, three bond referendums, totaling over $810 million, were passed with overwhelming support. The most recent election for $470.5 million was the fourth largest referendum in Texas and the largest in the district’s history.

Community members, parents, and staff participate on committees that are charged with making recommendations about critical issues such as the Student Handbook and Code of Conduct, bond elections, attendance boundaries, diversity education, substance abuse, and safety. In addition to these advisory committees, my communication plan includes the Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Committee, PTO President’s Council, Key Communicators, and an e-mail listserv to name only a few groups that I interact with regularly.

Long before September 11, the nation’s schools were confronted with school shootings in West Paducah, Jonesboro, and Columbine. These tragedies forced us to come face to face with the reality that safety was not a guarantee. In 1999, I formed the Safety Task Force, which included parents, community members, and staff, to examine our current practices and to make recommendations to enhance student and staff safety in our district. We have implemented many of the recommendations that address personnel, programs, and equipment. However, I am convinced that our schools cannot be physically and emotionally safe without building better relationships among students and staff. Our real challenge is not limited to changing minds, but changing hearts. Beyond the Safety Task Force, I have also created task forces to address diversity education and substance abuse.

Collaboration is not limited to adults; our students have to take ownership of these challenges, too. The Superintendent’s Student Leadership Conferences (SSLC), which allow me to receive input from middle school and high school students, have promoted students taking ownership of issues that impact them. For the past five years, students representing each high school and middle school have attended the SSLC to exchange ideas, set goals, and write safety action plans for their respective schools. These students meet together throughout the year and provide leadership at their respective campuses.

Through the implementation of a comprehensive communication plan, we have created a system where community involvement in the decision-making process contributes to student achievement. Even with the district’s enrollment increasing by record numbers annually, student achievement is at an all-time high.

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SPRING/SUMMER 2004 35

Retiring Members: Think Honorary Life Nominate Yourself or Another TASA Member for 2005 Honorary Life Membership!

If you will be retiring from education this year, don’t forget to submit your nomination for TASA Honorary Life Membership by December 3, 2004. The association’s Honorary Life Members are school administrators who have demonstrated extraordinary devotion to education and to the association. Eligible retired school administrators will be presented Honorary Life Membership at the Administrators’ Midwinter Conference on Education on Monday, January 31, 2005, at the Austin Convention Center.

The Constitution provides for awarding Honorary Life Memberships to retiring administrators who meet the following criteria: • • • •

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Retirement from one of the administrative positions listed in Article III, Section 2, of the TASA Constitution At least 25 years of experience in education Ten years of membership in TASA A member of TASA upon retirement

INSIGHT

• •

A record of outstanding service to the education profession Approval by the TASA Executive Committee

Honorary Life Members receive regular news and information from the association, including TASA publications such as the monthly Interchange and our professional journal, INSIGHT. Honorary Life Members also are listed in the TASA Directory. If you are eligible for Honorary Life Membership or want to nominate another individual, please complete and submit the 2005 nomination form located on TASAnet (www.TASAnet.org > Awards/Recognition > Honorary Life).

If you have any questions or would like to find out if you are eligible for Honorary Life Membership, please contact Barbara T. Schlosser (BSchlosser@TASAnet.org), coordinator, Membership and Data Services, at the TASA office, 512-477-6361 or 800-725-8272.

2004 Honorees Listed by name, position and district at the time of retirement, date of retirement, and years in education.

Curtis B. Barnett Superintendent Detroit ISD 9/30/2003 39 Scott Barton Superintendent Fort Davis ISD 11/1/2003 26 George C. Blanch Superintendent Schleicher CISD 6/6/2003 40 Bob Brezina County Superintendent Harris Co. Department of Education 9/30/2002 40 Bobby D. Brown Assistant Superintendent Henderson ISD 6/30/2003 38

Carlos Cruz Associate Professor Texas A&M University–Kingsville 1/31/2002 31 James T. Davis Superintendent Centerville ISD (G) 6/30/2003 37 Wilburn O. Echols, Jr. Superintendent Coppell ISD 6/30/2002 31 Scot H. Edington Director of School Operations ESC Region XIV 8/31/2003 42 Bill Fort Superintendent Royse City ISD 5/31/2003 37

Jack D. Clemmons Superintendent Lubbock ISD 6/30/2003 30 Larry G. Coffman Superintendent Borger ISD 5/30/2003 34

Terry A. Harlow Executive Director ESC Region XIV 8/31/2003 36

Larry H. Jones Superintendent Petrolia ISD 5/31/2003 41

Gary Harrell Superintendent Jayton-Girard ISD 6/30/2003 32

Tony R. Jones Superintendent Lockhart ISD 12/31/2003 36

Larry K. Hawkins Superintendent Mabank ISD 7/1/2003 36

Ernie W. Laurence Superintendent Hutto ISD 6/17/2003 34

Robert H. Henderson Superintendent Henrietta ISD 5/31/2003 37

Sandra Lowery Professor Stephen F. Austin State University 12/30/2003 37

Mona S. Hopkins Superintendent Eagle Pass ISD 7/31/2003 37

Johnny C. Giebler Superintendent Troy ISD 6/15/2003 33

Elmer J. Ireton Professor and Chair of Education Department Sul Ross State University– Rio Grande College 5/31/2003 42

James R. Grunert Superintendent Comal ISD 12/31/2003 31

Dorman Jackson Superintendent Crockett ISD 7/31/2003 34

Steve Maikell Superintendent Sweetwater ISD 11/30/2003 33 Ernesto Martinez, Jr. Superintendent Presidio ISD 6/30/2003 29 James H. Masters Superintendent Buena Vista ISD 6/1/2003 33

SPRING/SUMMER 2004 37

2004 Honorees continued Bobby D. McCall Superintendent Iraan-Sheffield ISD 6/30/2003 30 Carol Ann Moffett Superintendent Flour Bluff ISD 3/31/2003 30 Janet Lemke Morris Superintendent Livingston ISD 1/31/2003 32 Allen Norman Associate Superintendent for Administrative Services Birdville ISD 11/30/2002 34 Sidney H. Poynter Superintendent Crowley ISD 6/30/2003 44 Billy Jack Rankin Superintendent Bangs ISD 5/1/2003 33 Donna Hibbitts Rawlings Deputy Superintendent for Instruction Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD 6/30/2003 35

Gary W. Rotan Superintendent Stafford Municipal School District 6/15/2003 34 Michael W. Say Superintendent Humble ISD 6/12/2001 38 James A. Smith Superintendent Robinson ISD 6/6/2003 34 Roel R. Smith Superintendent Rio Grande City CISD 6/30/2003 37 Michael K. Turner Assistant Superintendent for Administration and Instruction Waxahachie ISD 5/30/2003 35 C. Edwin Walker Superintendent North Forest ISD 7/1/2003 33 Maxie Watts Superintendent Wink-Loving ISD 8/28/2003 32 Jim Weeks Superintendent Sweeny ISD 6/30/2003

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Joseph F. Wenke Superintendent La Feria ISD 3/1/2003 32

John E. Wilson Superintendent Clear Creek ISD 11/30/2003 34

Joe E. Williamson Superintendent Vidor ISD 6/12/2003 35

Travis Winn Superintendent Lindsay ISD 6/30/2003

Ben Wilson Professor Sul Ross State University– Rio Grande College 8/31/2003 46

Roberto Zamora Superintendent La Joya ISD 2/28/2003 35

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Corporate Partners as of 4/21/2004

For more information, contact: Johnny L. Veselka, Executive Director; or Pat Johnston, Director, Special Services; 800-725-8272

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TX REAP lets you create an electronic, password-protected applicant management system that makes identifying and ranking potential candidates as easy as surfing the Web. For more information visit us online at TASAnet.org or call the TASA office today, 512-477-6361 or 800-725-8272.

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