• Must provide 187 teacher contract days
• Must provide a minimum of 75,600 instructional minutes
• Embeds weather make-up days
• Allows for 180 instructional days

• Abbreviated first week of school
• Embedded ongoing planning time consistently throughout the year
• Embedded student and staff breaks throughout the year
• Maintaining traditional holiday break schedules (week at Thanksgiving, at least two weeks of winter break and full week of spring break). 
• Provides opportunities for effective staff development
• Fall semester concludes prior to Winter Break
• Spring semester concludes prior to Memorial Day

A shortened first week of school enables students to attend all classes, meet new teachers, learn expectations and transition back into routine.

Our professional educators have experienced greater obstacles in both teaching and ensuring students learn more than at any other time in history. A traditional calendar restricts our educators’ ability to collaborate, review student learning data, and plan for necessary adjustments to instruction. By embedding at least one early release day a month, teachers will have dedicated time to plan instruction and review current student performance in order to adjust instruction for all students in a grade level or content area. 

Early release days are scheduled on Wednesdays in order to ensure all teachers are available to collaborate and review student performance. By scheduling on Wednesday, we can ensure that all teachers will be present for collaborative planning. Educators that serve as program leaders, sponsors, or extracurricular support are commonly off-campus working with students, groups, or organizations on Thursdays/Fridays.

The final four days of each semester are critical for grading and recording quarter grades and finals. In addition, these days provide additional time for collaboration and adjustment at the conclusion of the fall semester in preparation for the spring semester.

Students enrolled in dual credit courses with our local universities must end their semester prior to the winter break to align with the university calendar.

In order to provide for the priorities previously mentioned and maintain the 187 staff days and 180 instructional days, an additional student holiday was not possible. In addition, there are two additional early release days in December to support spring planning and semester grade entry.

In order to provide for the priorities previously mentioned and maintain the 187 staff days and 180 instructional days, an additional professional development day was not possible.

The Denton ISD Extended School Day (ESD) program is developing optional afternoon learning opportunities for elementary students on early release days. Students do not have to be enrolled in the ESD program to utilize this service. Denton ISD Transportation will run buses at both the early dismissal time and the regular dismissal time for elementary students who wish to remain at school until regular dismissal time.

Prior to each school year, high school associate principals work with Academic Programs to design the most effective A/B calendar. The early release days will be distributed as evenly as possible between A or B days.

A committee composed of various campus and division representatives, including but not limited to elementary, middle and high school principals, Academic Programs, Special Education and Curriculum and Instrustruction, drafted the calendar. Prior to approval, the committee presented the calendar to the Education Improvement Council (EIC), Denton Community Council of PTAs, campus principals, Superintendent’s Cabinet and the Board of Trustees. The committee made adjustments as feedback was received.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) sets the testing calendars for the state.

All testing calendars are posted online at TEA’s website. You can view the testing calendars at this link: https://tea.texas.gov/student-assessment/testing/student-assessment-overview/testing-calendars