February 2007
Copyright © 2007 • Queue, Inc.

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Education News

For back issues of this newsletter, as well as current and back issues of our other newsletters, U.S. Education News and Education Research Report, please go to: http://www.queuenews.com/

For the latest education research news on a daily basis, please visit our NEW Education Research Report Weblog: http://educationresearchreport.blogspot.com/

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End-of-Course Exams Can Improve Texans' High School Education

Texas should replace the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test with a series of end-of-course exams in math, science, social studies and language arts in each grade of high school, says Brooke Dollens Terry, an education policy analyst at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. 

End-of-course exams are statewide finals given at the end of each course to provide an in-depth measure of comprehension and skill attainment.  As a result, educators can evaluate subject mastery, determine if the student is ready for the next level of the course, and more accurately measure student progress.  Most importantly, end-of-course exams can diagnose weaknesses in academic curriculum and teaching before it is too late.

Research shows that end-of-course exams increase academic standards and student achievement, says Terry:

• Researcher John Bishop found that students in both New York and North Carolina, states with end-of-course exams, are about half a grade level ahead in math and science and almost two-thirds of a grade level ahead in reading among comparable students without such exams.
• New York's examinations are so well regarded for their rigor that the City University of New York uses their English end-of-course exam in place of their own placement test.
• There are as many as 15 states across the country and several countries in Europe and East Asia using end-of-course exams to evaluate student learning.

Ultimately, the rigor of Texas' academic curriculum is only as tough as the tests used to measure performance.  If Texas lawmakers want to improve the quality of a high school education and ensure that all Texas students are taught a rigorous curriculum and have an incentive to learn, Texas should adopt end-of-course exams to better assess student learning and achievement, says Terry.

Source: Brooke Dollens Terry, "Improving the Quality of a High School Education Using End-of-Course Exams to Measure Student Performance," Texas Public Policy Foundation, December 19, 2006.

For text: http://www.texaspolicy.com/commentaries_single.php?report_id=1241

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Governor’s Business Council Report

EXCELLENCE IN THE CLASSROOM - Bolstering Teacher Effectiveness

Introduction
Texas has made good progress in education since the school reform movement began in earnest 15 years ago. While we have seen better gains in the early grades, state test scores are up for all groups of students in all grades in all subjects. On the National Assessment of Educational Progress, Texas is close to the top in student performance in math, and, because of recent reading reforms advocated by the Governor’s Business Council, has begun finally to make real progress in reading scores.

Our graduation rate, though still unacceptably low, has improved, and our college-going numbers are beginning to increase.
Further, the Legislature recently adopted several important recommendations of the Governor’s Business Council. Both academic and financial accountability will be enhanced. High schools will be improved to create increased college and workforce readiness among our graduates. Pay for performance and differentiated pay for teachers will now be utilized more in Texas than in any other state.

We have much more to do and to accomplish in Texas before we can achieve excellence. Even with the gains, our dropouts are too numerous, our performance is too low, and the number of young Texans graduating high school ready for college and the workforce are too few. Happily, the reforms in HB1 will go a long way – structurally – towards accelerating progress and addressing these challenges in our state.

Just as in business, improvement in education requires ongoing attention and effort. The job of getting better, even becoming excellent, is one that is never complete. In that spirit, we must ask: What is next on the agenda to improve education? We have established much of the framework for accountability, and the school finance issues are resolved. These reforms have improved results in the classroom, but there are vital issues that have yet to be clearly addressed. The need now is to focus on and set policy and practices that will more directly foster excellence in the classroom. What steps can we take that will most significantly increase teacher effectiveness in the classroom?

Teachers matter. There may be no better or simpler proof of this than the study of prominent researcher, Eric Hanushek, which showed that if a student had an effective teacher, as opposed to an average teacher, for only five years in a row, the increased learning would be sufficient to close entirely the average gap between low and middle income students during that relatively short amount of time. Teachers do indeed matter.

We have sought out rigorous research and have analyzed the best research and best practices in the area of improving teacher effectiveness. What follows represents the results of our research, a plan for achieving excellence in the classroom for all Texas students by bolstering teacher effectiveness.

The basic elements of this plan are to:

• strengthen standards and align coursework and achievement tests with these standards;
• improve the statewide collection of information about student, teacher, administrator, and school performance;
  
• create the best tools to measure the academic progress of students in order to increase teacher effectiveness;
  
• dramatically improve the evaluation of teacher performance;
  
• pay more to teachers who perform well and who take on greater and more difficult assignments;
  
• support and retain teachers through improved professional development and other proven academic programs;
  
• remove persistently ineffective teachers,
  
• improve principal leadership; and
  
• improve teacher preparation to increase the supply of more effective teachers.

To read the full report: http://www.texasgbc.org/pdfs/Excellence%20in%20the%20Classroom.pdf

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Quality Counts 2007

Texas ranks high in standards and in achievement, low in opportunity.

Education Week’s “Quality Counts” report has ranked Texas 16th in the nation for elementary and secondary performance.

The Elementary and Secondary Index is based equally on current performance and improvement, or changes over time, and uses 15 individual indicators relating to reading and math performance, graduation rates and the results of advanced placement exams. 

Other high scores:

Aligning Education from Cradle to Career
State rank: 11

Elementary and Secondary Performance
State rank: 16

Standards, Assessments, and Accountability
State rank: 9

Texas’s one failing was in the category “Chances for Success”. There Texas ranked 48th. The “Chance-for Success” index, which is based on 13 indicators that highlight whether young children get a good start, succeed in elementary and secondary school, and hit key educational and income benchmarks as adults.

To read the complete, highly detailed report, please go to: http://www.edweek.org/media/ew/qc/2007/17shr.tx.h26.pdf

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Ten Reasons to Celebrate Texas Schools

The following is a letter written by Superintendent Greg Gibson of Crowley ISD on December 14, 2006:

This morning, Crowley ISD teachers, students, administrators and board members met with our state senator and representatives as we gear up for the goth legislative session. I hope we made them realize the importance of fully funding public schools in Texas.

To this end, I think that it is extremely important for all Texans to fully understand how their public schools are doing. The following are ten good reasons to celebrate Texas public schools:

1. Students are taking and passing-more AP courses and exams than ever before.

According to the College Board, the number of Texas students taking Advanced Placement (AP) classes has increased 61 percent since 2001, and the number of students earning college credit for those courses also is on the rise.

2. Texas is a role model for accountability.

A recently-released survey by The Princeton Review, 'Testing the Testers in 2003: An Annual Ranking of State Accountability Systems," ranks Texas third nationally. The survey's findings are based on test quality and how the state used test results to shape and improve its policies on education.

3. Texas high schools implement rigorous graduation requirements.

Texas was one of the first two states in the nation to make a college-ready curriculum the standard high school curriculum for all students, beginning with students who were freshmen in the 2004-05 school year, according to Closing the Expectations Gap 2006, a report by Achieve, Inc.

4. Texas leads the nation in improving student performance.

Education Week selected Texas as one of two states that has substantially improved student performance over the past decade, citing our state's commitment to standards-based education as a key component to our success. Students are taking and passing more AP courses and exams than ever before.

5. Texas is a leader in pre-kindergarten education.

The National Institute for Early Education Research ranked Texas third among the states in 2005 for access that 4-year-olds have to state pre-kindergarten programs. The state ranked ninth in the nation for 3-year-olds' access.

6. Texas achieves extraordinary results at a modest cost.

According to the Annual Survey of Local Government Finances by the U.S. Census Bureau, current spending for public education in Texas in 2003-04 (the most recent data available) is $7,104 per pupil. That ranks Texas 35th among the states, spending $1,000 per pupil less than the national average.

7. Texas public school parents believe in our schools.

According to the 2006 Texas Statewide Survey on Education (conducted by Harstad Strategic Research, Inc. and the Tarrance Group), 85 percent of Texas public school parents, the people who know schools best, grade their children's school an A or B, and 88 percent of these same parents rated their childrens teachers from Good to Excellent.

8. Texas students top national average.

Texas students in grades 3-8 who took the 2005 Iowa Test of Basic Skills math exam scored above the national average. Students in grades 3-5 scored above the national average on the reading exam. "Increases in average test scores over a 10-year period are particularly evident in reading at grade 3 and in mathematics at grades 3 and 5," according to the 2006 Texas National Comparative Data Study

9. Texas Schools are 93 percent efficient.

A 2004 study by Texas A&M University-commissioned by the Joint Select Committee on Public School Finance-found, using a cost function analysis of school costs and results, that our public schools are at least 93 percent efficient with their funds (a score most businesses would envy)

10. Texas ranks first and second in NAEP math averages.

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DSVP Alerts Texas Non-Profits Focused on School Drop-out Prevention: $200,000 in Grants is Available, Feb. 16 Deadline

Dallas Social Venture Partners Administers Grants for Private Foundation in Texas

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Two select non-profit organizations working on drop-out prevention in Texas can receive funding up to $100,000 each this year by submitting an application of inquiry to Dallas Social Venture Partners (DSVP) by 5 p.m. Central, Feb. 16, 2006. The grants are being made by a private foundation in Texas, with DSVP serving as grants administrator.
“The foundation offering these grants prefers to remain anonymous, with DSVP serving as the funds administrator,” said Krista Weinstein, director of DSVP, a Dallas non-profit organization that promotes venture philanthropy, a philanthropic approach for business leaders, entrepreneurs and community volunteers committed to providing “dollars and sense--business sense”--for community service agencies.

To be considered for a grant, an applicant must:

• Applicants must be classified as 501(c)(3) organizations as determined by the Internal Revenue Code
• Grant requests will be considered for projects or programs in Texas which support methods to decrease the drop-out rate.
• Grant requests will be evaluated against data demonstrating applicant is working within a community of educational need. School attrition rate, as used in this RFI, is the documented percentage of students who do not graduate from high school in the geographic region in which the applicant operates. It is up to the applicant to provide data documenting this.
• The Foundation will not consider requests from individuals or organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, or national origin. The Foundation will not entertain requests from religious organizations for sectarian purposes, sports teams, and political lobbying organizations. Unrestricted funds granted by the Foundation may not be used for any of the above prohibited funding criteria purposes.
• The Foundation intends to award one or two $100,000 competitive grants annually. The competitive grant process will be reviewed and approved annually so that the Guiding Principles, Funding Criteria, and Application Procedure may change over time.
• Competitive grant recipients are not allowed to apply for consecutive year funding; however, past recipients may apply in future years.
• To be considered for the competitive grant, organizations must submit a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) to The Competitive Grant Committee to the address listed below. This letter must not exceed two pages in length and have no attachments. Letters must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, February 16, 2007. The LOI must include the following information:
• Name of the applicant and contact information.
• Summary of the applicant’s mission, goals and history.
• Total operating budget for the applicant for the 2007 fiscal year.
• Summary of applicant’s philosophy on drop-out prevention.
• Summary of applicant’s previous success in serving students in areas of educational need.
• What is the one thing that the funding community needs to know about drop-out prevention?
• Summary of the goals and activities to be supported by the grant.
• Total budget for the project (if the request is project specific).
• Description of how the proposed project addresses the Guiding Principles listed above.
• Statement of how the applicant will evaluate the results/effectiveness of the project.
• Data (Texas Education Agency or other) which demonstrates the school(s) attrition rate(s), as defined in the Funding Criteria above, of the community in which the applicant is operating.

Electronic submissions of LOIs are strongly encouraged; however, LOIs will be accepted via hard copy mail or fax to the following address only:

The Competitive Grant in Drop-Out Prevention
Dallas Social Venture Partners
10670 N. Central Expressway, Suite #512
Dallas, Texas 75231
Phone: 214-855-5520
Fax: 214-855-5541
Email: loi@dsvp.org

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More Texas Children Eating Breakfast at School, But State Could Do More to Increase Participation and Federal Funds

 According to a report by the national Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), 33,140 more Texas students have participated in the federally funded school breakfast program since 2004. Yet despite these gains, millions of Texas school children still don’t take advantage of the program.

 The national school breakfast program was created by Congress 40 years ago to ensure that children were getting the healthy meals they need to perform well in school. Extensive research has shown that kids who eat breakfast at school do better academically.

The breakfast program is paid for by the federal government. Almost 85% of the students on the program in Texas eat for free or at a reduced price, because their families have limited income. Children from higher-income families pay for breakfast, but their meals are also subsidized. During the 2005-2006 school year, 1,116,582 low-income Texas students received school breakfast compared to 1,091,269 in 2004-2005, an increase of 2.3 percent. The total number of children who ate breakfast increased at the same rate.

 In Texas, 98.7 percent of schools that offer school lunch also offer school breakfast, ranking the state 3 out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia However, because only half (52.6%) of the students who eat lunch at school also eat breakfast, Texas loses out on tens of millions of federal dollars each year. FRAC estimates that if Texas’ breakfast program reached at least 60% of the low-income kids who eat lunch, the state would receive an additional $32.9 million in federal funds per year.

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Children’s Chances for Success Vary Dramatically By State, Report Warns – Texas Rank Is Very Low

Study Examines State Efforts to Connect Education & Training From Birth to Adulthood; Launches State Achievement Index for Grades K-12

State Highlights Reports Include Detailed Findings for Each State

A child born in Virginia is significantly more likely to experience success throughout life than the average child born in the United States, while a child born in New Mexico is likely to face an accumulating series of hurdles both educationally and economically, according to an analysis published by Education Week.

The analysis by the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center is based on the “Chance-for-Success Index,” which tracks state efforts to connect education from preschool through postsecondary education and training. The index was developed by the EPE Research Center for Quality Counts 2007: From Cradle to Career, Connecting American Education From Birth to Adulthood, produced by Education Week with support from the Pew Center on the States. The report is available online at www.edweek.org/go/qc07.

The Chance-for-Success Index provides a perspective on the importance of education throughout a person’s lifetime and is based on 13 indicators that highlight whether young children get off to a good start, succeed in elementary and secondary school, and hit key educational and income benchmarks as adults. Virginia, Connecticut, Minnesota, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire rank at the top of the index, while Kentucky, Nevada, West Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, Arizona, Louisiana, and New Mexico lag significantly behind the national average in descending order.

The 13 indicators that make up the index capture key performance or attainment outcomes at various stages in a person’s lifetime or are correlated with later success. For example, in the early-childhood years, indicators include the percent of children living in families that earn a decent wage and the percent of children with at least one parent who has a postsecondary degree – factors that research shows have an impact on how well children perform in school.

“Overall, the Index captures the cumulative effects of education experience from birth through adulthood and pinpoints the chance for success at each stage and for each state,” said Christopher B. Swanson, the director of the EPE Research Center. “We find that a child’s life prospects depend greatly on where he or she lives.”

Virginia, for example, earns the highest Chance-for-Success score. The average child in Virginia starts out ahead of the curve: less likely to live in a low-income family and more likely to have college-educated parents. Those early advantages are amplified during the elementary-through-postsecondary years, when the typical young person enjoys higher achievement and is more likely to finish high school and continue on to college than in other states. Virginia’s well-educated adult population and strong economy offer ample opportunities to realize the returns to schooling as individuals enter the workforce. Similar conditions prevail in other high-ranking states, including Connecticut, Minnesota, and New Jersey.

A near-mirror image of this pattern occurs in the steadily declining trajectories of states like New Mexico. There, weak school performance is unable to overcome, and may exacerbate, the early sociodemographic disadvantages of poverty, linguistic isolation, and low parental education. Among adults in New Mexico, educational attainment, income, and rates of steady employment all fall significantly below the national average. Other low-ranking states, such as Louisiana, Arizona, and Texas, share many of the same characteristics.

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Texas Faith Leaders Demand More Options for Latino Parents

Christian leaders and presidents of pastors associations, representing more than 200 Hispanic Christian Churches and an estimated 20,000 members in the Valley of Texas gathered in McAllen to address the demand for solutions to the crisis that exists in Latino educational outcomes in the state.

This historic meeting, the first of its kind in the Valley, brought together leaders representing a wide range of Christian denominations to highlight the importance of activating their voice obtaining tools and information that support their efforts to increase educational options for families in Texas. The event was hosted by the National Coalition of Latino Clergy & Christian Leaders (CONLAMIC), the largest Latino Christian advocacy organization in the nation, representing 15,000 churches in 32 states. Also present were leaders from the Hispanic Council for Reform & Educational Options (Hispanic CREO).

 “The future of our civic and faith communities relies on the adequate education of our children, and as leaders of the Latino church, we have the authority and moral obligation to demand educational options that will provide families with access to better schools,” said Reverend Miguel Rivera, President of CONLAMIC.

“The Rio Grande Valley is the fastest growing region in Texas. The Valley is 87 percent Hispanic with almost 40 percent of the population under the age of 19 years. About 60 percent of the Valley is under the age of 35,” said Josefina Rios, CONLAMIC Texas State Coordinator. “Forty-eight percent of Valley residents do not even have a high school education and 87 percent never obtain a college education," she said. "Our high school dropout rate in the Valley is very high at almost 50 percent, while less than 30 percent of Anglo students leave school. There is a big gap between our ethnic groups," said Mrs. Rios.

The most vocal participants were the Presidents of the pastors associations of McAllen, Harlingen, the Rio Grande, and Mid Valley. Also in attendance were Teachers, media representatives and public officials.

“Latino Christian leaders in the Valley overwhelmingly support school choice. They are extremely interested in efforts to increase parental choice in education in Texas in 2007 and they want to ensure that the Valley is not overlooked,” said Maite Arce, Vice President of Hispanic CREO.

“We call upon our Texas legislative leadership, Governor Rick Perry, Lt. Governor David Dewhurst, and Speaker Tom Craddick, to commit to the passage of legislation in 2007 of a pilot school choice program,” said Rev. Rivera.

Christian ministers committed to actively support the efforts to pass this important legislation that provides Texas Latino children the opportunity for a better education and a real opportunity to participate in the American Dream.

For more information please go to http://www.conlamic.org or http://conlamic.blogspot.com.

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Drop-Out Rate a Crisis for Texas

Experts Say 50% of Texas Drop-Outs Are Black or Hispanic

According to education experts a least half of all high school students in the state's urban school districts are dropping out of school and the rate is highest among blacks, Hispanics, and low-income students. In statistics released by the Intercultural Development Research Center statewide, each graduating class has at least 120,000 fewer students than started high school.

Rebeca Huffman, President and CEO, Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options (CREO) reports that "in a school choice environment the drop out rate will be cut in half, which means returning $365 billion to Texas public education and keeping 60,000 students in school each year." She states that "when parents have a choice and use that choice to send their children to better schools, research shows children succeed. School choice allows parents to break the cycle of mediocrity in their families and steer their children toward success."

Rep. Rick Noriega, D-Houston reports that state leaders are aware of the problem but are focusing their attention on other issues. Huffman says that state leaders need to listen to Rep. Noriega. "He apparently gets it and seems to be prepared to tackle the problem head on. We are prepared to stand with him in this important effort."

While many believe that school choice won't lower the dropout rate CREO cites two recently released studies, "The High Cost of Failing to Reform Public Education in Indiana," and "The High Cost of Failing to Reform Public Education in Missouri," which show that school choice does reduce drop-outs.

On February 7, 2007, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. an education freedom rally will be held on behalf of Texas children on the steps of the Capitol. John Stossel of ABC News will be among the featured speakers. Hispanic CREO is organizing the effort with Texans for School Choice and other organizations as well as parents, children, teachers, and faith-based organizations to reinforce a message to Texas Legislators that our children need to have access to a broader range of public and private schools in order to improve their chances for success in life.

The Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options (CREO) was founded to address the crisis in Latino education by empowering Latino families with parental choice in education. By creating coalitions with parents, schools, faith-based organizations, advocates and like-minded groups, Hispanic CREO has been able to educate, inform and mobilize Latino parents on the issues surrounding school choice. Hispanic CREO's central purpose remains educational but central to its educational mission is empowering parents with the knowledge and tools they need to advocate for them, their children, and their community.

Hispanic CREO's mission is to improve educational outcomes for Hispanic children by empowering families through parental choice in education. We achieve this by providing parents with free information and resources, which help them become self-advocates for their children. CREO is a non-profit, non-partisan organization. "CREO" is Spanish for "I believe."

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Southeast Texas Teachers to Benefit from $1 Million BP Grant Program

Educators to be Honored for Creative, Innovative Energy Programs

Teachers from Pre-K through high school in six Southeast Texas counties are eligible to take part in an expanded $1 million grant program by global energy provider BP that rewards development of creative energy education programs.

The A+ for Energy program has been expanded in its second year in Texas and now is open to accredited teachers in Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, and Harris Counties, as well as Montgomery County for the first time.

Grants of $5,000 or $10,000 will be presented directly to teachers submitting creative classroom, after-school, extra-curricular or summer activities involving energy education and/or energy conservation.

“We want to continue to recognize innovative ideas by awarding cash grants to teachers who spark creativity in their students,” said Irene Brown, BP America Inc. national director of the A+ for Energy program. “Through these creative efforts of our teachers, we want to help students discover the boundless possibilities and promise of a quality energy education.”

The 2006 competition resulted in $1 million in grants going to 93 teachers from 69 schools in Southeast Texas, benefiting 38,027 students. A new feature in 2007 is a Sustainability Award for last year’s winners who wish to apply for ongoing support.
“We want to recognize Texas teachers who inspire learning by creating exciting and memorable experiences around the subject of energy,” Ms. Brown said. “The subject becomes even more important with the realization that energy education is a vital component of Texas classrooms, and is supported by Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).”

In addition to the grant award, BP will provide winning teachers with a scholarship to attend a three-day energy training conference, sponsored by BP and presented in partnership with the National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project. The all-inclusive scholarship will cover the cost of travel, meals and lodging and a kit of instructional materials (tools and resources for teaching energy activities) valued at $500.

The overwhelming success of A+ for Energy in both Texas and California has resulted in BP expanding the program this year to six new locations throughout North America, including Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, New Mexico, Ohio and Alberta, Canada.
BP partners with NEED to support energy education by helping supply course content and curriculum aligned with state standards for the core subject areas of science, math and social studies throughout all grade levels.

Participating teachers must have applications postmarked by March 23. Grant winners will be notified by May 21. Applications are available online at www.aplusforenergy.com or by calling 409-943-2693.

About NEED

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Castleberry ISD is the First School District in Texas to Install the Rapid Responder Crisis Management System

The Castleberry Independent School District is the first school district in Texas to install the Rapid Responder® crisis management system to protect students, staff, and buildings during an emergency. The district was awarded an Emergency Response and Crisis Management grant for $100,400 from the U.S. Department of Education earlier this year. Seattle-based Prepared Response, Inc. was awarded the technology contract and will be installing Rapid Responder in all of the district's elementary, middle, high school, and administration facilities in the coming months. The district will also receive bio-emergency/infectious disease and critical incident training/response courses as part of the grant.

The Rapid Responder system provides school security, police, fire, and other first responders with key information that allows them to act quickly, decisively, and in a coordinated response with other responders. Implementation of the system includes preplanning meetings between school officials and first responders, "digital mapping" of the school buildings, and system training for both school staff and responders. Agencies responding to an emergency now will be able to view more than 300 data points, including floor plans, satellite and geospatial (GIS) information, interior and exterior photos, emergency plans, hazardous materials locations, utility shut-offs, and evacuation routes. Rapid Responder is the only crisis management system to have been "Certified" as a "Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology" through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's SAFETY Act.

"Castleberry ISD has always prided itself on working closely with emergency personnel to protect our students and staff," said Superintendent Gary Jones. "The cutting-edge, all-hazards Rapid Responder system takes our emergency planning to a new level by improving coordination and response during a crisis. It allows response agencies to develop crisis plans before an event occurs thus saving time during an emergency."

Last November, Prepared Response conducted an orientation meeting with school administrators and first responders to coordinate emergency planning and discuss the implementation of the system over the next few months. Representatives from Fort Worth Police and Fire, River Oaks Police and Fire, Sansom Park Police and Fire, and Tarrant County attended the meeting. A pre-plan tactical meeting was held in December to develop response plans for any crisis.

The Rapid Responder system was used at a Washington state high school to quickly contain a gunman and evacuate 2,000 students in 20 minutes, and in another incident to locate the shut-off valve for a broken fire sprinkler system saving the district more than $100,000 in damage.

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Birdville ISD, Texas

Fitch has assigned an 'AAA' rating to Birdville Independent School District, Texas' (the district) $102.8 million unlimited tax school building and refunding bonds.

The 'AA' underlying rating reflects the district's strong financial position, manageable student enrollment, and a healthy, diverse area economy. The rating also reflects moderately high debt levels and a slowing amortization rate with additional borrowing planned. Although the district is nearing full maturity, it faces notable capital needs to relieve overcrowding at the elementary and high school levels as well as renovate its older facilities. Current financial performance, however, suggests the district will be able to maintain its favorable financial profile.

The district is located in Tarrant County, next to the City of Fort Worth and northwest of the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. The district's 42 square mile service area includes the cities of North Richland Hills, Haltom City, Richland Hills, and Watauga, as well as a portion of the City of Hurst. Taxable assessed valuation (TAV) growth continues to exceed student enrollment growth at 5% annually since fiscal 2002. The tax base is predominately residential, and it serves as a bedroom community for the greater metropolitan area. Area wealth levels are above state and national averages. Birdville ISD remains one of Tarrant County's largest districts with more than 22,000 students since fiscal 2002; however, overall district enrollment growth is primarily flat, reflected in the slight decline of .04% annually in student enrollment over the past five years. Enrollment growth is still occurring within specific grade levels, particularly at the elementary and high school grade levels, however.

The district's financial performance has historically been strong, with general fund unreserved fund balances of roughly 22%-28% of expenditures, transfers out, and other uses since fiscal 2001; the general fund balance has included an annual $12.5 million designation for budget contingencies since fiscal 2003. Audited fiscal 2006 results reflect the continuation of strong reserve levels. The district bettered previously stated expectations with a smaller $1.7 million drawdown on general fund drawdown due to a one-time capital outlay and unprecedented utility/fuel costs. The fiscal 2007 budget included 2-9% salary increases for teachers, staff, and administrators and the district was able to maintain their competitive edge with one of the state's highest starting teacher salaries at more than $44,000.

With the current offering, the district's direct debt burden stands at 3.6% of TAV and $1,761 per capita. The inclusion of overlapping debt increases the overall debt burden to a moderately high 5.8% of TAV and $2,867 per capita. The district's debt no longer receives substantial state support as in prior years. A slowing amortization rate that is now about average at 52% of outstanding debt retired in 10 years currently characterizes the district's debt profile.

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Dallas Independent School District Installing a Central Monitoring and Control System

The Dallas Independent School District (Dallas ISD), the 14th largest public school system in the nation, is installing a central monitoring and control system to manage mechanical systems at more than 220 schools. TAC, a world leader in building automation, security systems and energy solutions, secured the $2.5 million design and build services contract to provide Dallas ISD with a Web-based, district-wide monitoring and control system. The contract is scheduled for completion in July 2007 and includes an extended 5-year service agreement.

This project follows in the wake of major school renovations and additions financed by a $1.4 billion bond program for Dallas ISD. TAC contributed to this renovation with new building management system (BMS) installations in more than 70 schools since 2002

The new system will allow operators to monitor, control and trend all available points and will allow district employees to take a proactive approach to managing schools. All schools will be accessible with a unique IP address and will be presented on three 36-inch plasma screens. Each facility has its own user name and password, making it easy for simple operations, such as switching pumps and fans on and off, to be handled remotely from a single location.

“Each time the district had a hot/cold call, personnel would physically drive to the school. Likewise, time scheduling was done the same way. In short, everything was done in a reactive mode,” said Jeffrey Drees, vice president, Systems Integration-Central, TAC. “Dallas ISD awarded TAC this contract based on our ongoing customer relationship, proven track record with operations and excellent solution. We are in the process of installing the system and successfully working through the challenges inherent in such a complex project, such as gaining access to the schools, gathering database information from our competitors and coordinating with the district’s IT department.”

“Having central monitoring and control of more than 200 campuses and facilities offers important benefits for the Dallas schools,” said P.C Chiu, director of HVAC for Dallas ISD. “These include enabling the district to proactively manage facilities, make intelligent energy management decisions and obtain significant energy savings.”

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