TIP plan outlined

By Melinda L. Lucas

Albany ISD’s board of trustees heard a detailed overview of the Targeted Improvement Plan (TIP) for the Nancy Smith Elementary School campus during Monday’s regular board meeting.

Student Services Coordinator Leigh Lowe presented the plan as part of TEA’s requirement to strengthen the state accountability scores. Lowe and NSES principal John Gallagher have been working on the plan with a committee for the past six weeks, according to AISD superintendent Jonathan Scott.

“The plan now is internal, but we would have to submit it to TEA if this year’s score is the same or worse,” said Scott. “We don’t intend for that to happen, of course.”

The elementary campus received a “D” on the state “report card” this year, while the secondary and overall district grade was a “B.”

The improvement plan being devised by local administrators includes adding more benchmark tests, continuing to emphasize the importance of “every test and every student,” searching for incentives in all areas, focusing on a “growth mind-set” instead of a passing mind-set, and constantly analyzing data.

Other Business

•The final audit for 2018-2019, which was pending the financial report from the Abilene Foundation, was approved.

•Scott went over highlights from Policy Update 114, which deals largely with various aspects of school security, board training, and required parental notice of terroristic-type threats. The staff and a percentage of students are now required to have “Stop the Bleed” training.

•A District of Innovation policy was approved.

•A resolution passed to split AISD’s votes for Appraisal District board members between Bruce Bailey, Clint Bumguardner, and John Tate.