• In January 2016, several Denton ISD leaders attended a session House Bill 1842 and “District of Innovation” legislation at the TASA Midwinter Conference. Under the guidance of superintendent, Dr. Jamie Wilson, an advisory team was formed from the attendees and preliminary discussions began on how Denton ISD would approach the process.

  In honoring its commitment to the success of every child by advocating for true accountability based on measurement of individual student progress over time, regardless of external mandates, the Denton ISD Board of Trustees discussed and unanimously passed a resolution to explore becoming a “District of Innovation (DOI)” on Tuesday, February 9, 2016.

  Advisory team members met monthly between February and May 2016 to guide the formation of the District of Innovation (DOI) Committee. Because members wanted input from a significant number of stakeholders, it was determined each campus would have one teacher representative (40). Additionally, administrators including principals and assistant principals from each of the four high school vertical zones (12) and a representative from each of the five district divisions (i.e. Academic Programs, Business Office, Curriculum and Instruction, Human Resources and Technology) as well as parent (five), business and community (seven) reps were added. Including the superintendent and DOI Chairperson, Chris Shade, Coordinator of District Improvement and Innovation, the committee of 70 was formed.

  Based on the work of author and leadership expert, Simon Sinek, committee members were introduced to WHY the district would be taking on this process. In Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Action, Sinek writes,“Every organization on the planet knows WHAT they do. These are products they sell or the services they offer. Some organizations know HOW they do it. These are the things that make them special or set them apart from their competition. Very few organizations know WHY they do what they do. WHY is not about making money (or earning higher school ratings). That’s a result. WHY is a purpose, cause or belief. It’s the very reason your organization exists.”

   Historical context was shared as progress had been over three years in the making. Through social and traditional media, the district Educational Improvement Council (EIC), first rewrote its mission (our “WHY”) to read as follows:

  “Denton ISD: Empowering lifelong learners to be engaged citizens who positively impact their local and global community.”

  Next, the district logo was redesigned through crowdsourcing to capture the essence of the mission statement and to model the meaning of being a part of a “local AND global community” at the same time. Over the past two years, the EIC has worked to develop a community-based accountability system; and the district has crafted a report to reflect the values of the community. What We Value 2.0. With these initiatives in mind, the district has embraced this opportunity to explore the lengths to which it could go as a “District of Innovation,” with “innovation” defined by Couros as “a way of thinking that creates something new and better.”

  
  The first of a series of “colloquies” with the DOI Committee was held during the Denton ISD TIA Conference on July 19, 2016. Keynote speaker, George Couros, met exclusively with the DOI Committee to discuss his book, The Innovator's Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity. During the opening colloquy, members discussed The Ever Increasing Burden on America's Public Schools written by businessman and author Jamie Vollmer, identified a number of burdens imposed upon public education, and sorted responses into one of three circles (based on Habit 1 from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey):

   1) concern (issues of which we are aware and concerned, but can do little about now (i.e. standardized assessment), 2) influence (issues we are concerned about and can influence now), and 3) control (issues we can directly control now).

   

   

  The DOI Committee met for the second time on September 13, 2016 at Braswell HS. Superintendent, Dr. Jamie Wilson, addressed the role of the committee noting members were to identify barriers to student achievement and local control. While the DOI Committee was established to assist administrators in identifying barriers, it was noted appropriate district staff would be assigned to craft solutions to overcome the identified barriers. Once identified, the District of Innovation (DOI) Plan was to be crafted noting the specific exemptions the district sought under the DOI legislation with a deadline set prior to winter break. During the colloquy, members discussed the results of the circles of concern, influence, and control activity completed during the summer session and noted attendees identified time, expectations, and students as the top three areas of influence. Members participated in roundtable discussions addressing the following questions:
• What barriers prevent Denton ISD from meeting students’ needs and/or impedes teaching and learning, student opportunities, school culture/climate, and growth/management?
• Explain this barrier in more detail.
• What would evidence of its implementation look like?
• What would evidence could demonstrate its impact (on teaching and learning, student opportunities, school culture/climate, and/or growth/management)?
• Identify if the barrier is this internal (i.e. local policy, procedure, etc.)  or external (i.e. federal or state law, mandate, etc.).

Between the second and third gatherings of the DOI Committee, members of the Superintendent's Cabinet (i.e. directors, superintendents, etc.) and campus principals participated in the same exercise identifying barriers.

• School start date
• Certification (related to career and technology education)
• Class size
• 90% attendance

The October 11, 2016 DOI Colloquy was cancelled; and in its place, campus teacher reps worked collaboratively with campus principals to hold campus-specific meetings during the month of October to provide an update of the external barriers already included and to collect additional feedback from the campus regarding additional barriers yet to be identified. Using a slideshow presentation, members shared the work of the committee and collected additional feedback from the campus. Thus, each and every educator in Denton ISD was provided the opportunity to contribute to the process of identifying barriers.

Once complete, DOI committee member gathered together on October 25, 2016 to review final submissions, which included site-based decision-making as well as the [new] state appraisal system (T-TESS) in addition to the initial barriers previously identified.

A draft copy of the District of Innovation (DOI) Plan was posted on November 11, 2016 for internal review. DOI Committee members were formally asked to respond online to the draft on November 18, 2016.

• The District of Innovation (DOI) Plan will be formally discussed during the meeting of the Board of the Denton ISD Board of Trustees on December 13, 2016; and the DOI Plan will be posted online for 30 days.

DOI Committee members met to review the feedback offered on the “DOI Barriers and Innovations” spreadsheet to this point. The form asks the following questions in the four areas identified on the Denton ISD What We Value Survey:

What barriers prevent Denton ISD from meeting students’ needs and/or impedes 1) teaching and learning; 2) student opportunities; 3) school culture/climate; and 4) growth and management?

• Explain this barrier in more detail.
• What would evidence of its implementation look like?
• What evidence could demonstrate its impact?
• Is this internal (i.e. local policy, procedure, etc.) or external (i.e. federal or state law, mandate, etc.)?
• Any additional comments or feedback regarding this barrier?

Feedback generated is divided into internal (i.e. local policy, procedure, etc.) and external (i.e. federal or state law, mandate, etc.) barriers. External barriers will be included in the DOI Plan proposed to the Denton ISD Board of Trustees. Once finalized, external barriers will be assigned to the appropriate Denton ISD division and department for resolution. Internal barriers will be reviewed, discussed, and addressed internally.

• School start date
• Certification (related to career and technology education)
• Class size
• 90% attendance

The committee discussed the next steps to be taken. The October 11 DOI Colloquy will be canceled; and in its place, campus teacher reps will work collaboratively with campus principals to hold campus-specific meetings to provide an update of the external barriers already included and to collect additional feedback from the campus regarding additional barriers yet to be included. Therefore, each and every educator in Denton ISD will have the opportunity to contribute to the process of identifying barriers. Committee members asked for specific guidance on what to share with the campus. Members will be provided with a set of expected outcomes as well as materials such as handouts and/or presentation slides by Friday, October 7 with a target date of Wednesday, October 5. Committee members examined a document listing statewide exemptions claimed by other Texas ISDs (http://www.slideshare.net/chrisshade/tea-doi-summary-of-district-exemptions), reviewed a few example DOI Plans posted on the TEA website, and the format of the Denton ISD DOI Plan was revealed, which will include videos of DOI members giving the rationale behind the exemptions. The DRAFT sample can be found on the Denton ISD website at https://www.dentonisd.org/Page/88592. 

Linking back to the second DOI colloquy, members were reminded the role of the membership was “to identify barriers to student achievement and local control;” and “while the DOI Committee will assist administrators in identifying barriers, appropriate district staff will be  assigned to craft solutions to overcome the identified barriers.” After meeting with Executive Cabinet members, various administrators were tasked with leading and consulting on the assigned topic(s) identified in the DISD DOI Plan. Since roles were recently assigned, there is no progress to report at this time. It was noted administrators would have to consider board policy and possible rewrites of current policy. Additionally, admins must honor any federal and/or state mandates than cannot be excised (such as Title I and State Comp Ed funding guidelines). Since the contents of the plan emphasize local control, the idea is to report on these matters directly to the school board who is responsible for district oversight including plan and/or policy matters.

In addition to the external barriers identified in the DISD DOI Plan, a number of internal barriers – issues not requiring exemption from law – were articulated in the online spreadsheet used by DOI reps to catalog barriers. A list of all of the internal barriers was provided to members during the DOI colloquy on Tuesday, February 21, 2017. Some of the barriers pinpointed by committee reps and/or their constituents were struck from the list as Chapter 12A, Districts of Innovation law in the Texas Education Code limits the permissible exemptions in §12A.004 (such as Student Success Initiative (SSI) laws). Committee members prioritized the list using the nominal group technique assigning a point value of 5 points for the most important [internal] barrier to be addressed by Denton ISD, 3 points for the second most important, and 1 point for the third most important. After tallying members’ point sheets, the following areas rose far above the rest. With 44 points, “insufficient, protected time for instructional planning,” was rated as the number one priority to be addressed by Denton ISD. A “9 week grading periods in elementary” was a close second with 41 points; and “lack of teacher collaboration and vertical alignment from elementary to middle school and from middle to high school” ranked third lagging behind at 31 points. With 28 points, the “need for K-2 math intervention” was a close fourth. No other barrier was rated higher than the teens with “inadequate or lost recess” garnering 16 points as did the need for a “full-time reading interventionist position on each elementary campus” with “bilingual dyslexia services” and a “class [size] cap of 24:1 in fifth grade” as the only other barriers rated in the teens with 15 points.

 

Members discussed the ins and outs of the highest rated barriers. A few, such as the “need for K-2 math intervention, a full-time reading interventionist on each elementary campus, bilingual dyslexia services,” and a “class [size] cap of 24:1 in fifth grade” require funding. The site, Taxparency Texas, and the contents of the site including the video, “Do you know where your property taxes go?” was discussed as it was included in the Educational Improvement Council (EIC) meeting held the day prior. The site notes despite the fact the State of Texas has benefitted $4.25 billion from rising school property values, “the state reduced its contribution to education” and “used its general fund on other state obligations” including spending “$2.6 billion to businesses for tax relief.” Additionally, “since 2008, the State’s level of funding per student has decreased $339 per student (when adjusting for enrollment growth) and $795 per student (when adjusted for enrollment growth and inflation);” and “the State’s share of funding education from All Funds has decreased from 44.9% in 2008 to 38.4% in 2017 while local property tax dollars to fund public education have increased from 44.8% in 2008 to 55.1% in 2017.” These hidden figures directly impact the funding necessary to support the internal barriers requiring additional funding. 

 

From here, internal discussions on the top three internal barriers will take place amongst Denton ISD leadership.