News from Mrs. Graves

Upcoming Events
Monday, 2/23  

Tuesday, 2/24

Wednesday, 2/25  Early Dismissal, 12:30 pm, Parent Conferences
Thursday, 2/26  3rd gr Production of 101 Dalmatians, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, 2/27  Go Texan Day
Saturday, 2/28  Roberts Auction (adult only, ticketed event)

Monday, March 2
Tuesday, March 3    NTB Competition
Wednesday, March 4  Spring Picture Day
Thursday, March 5  
Friday, March 6  PTO Meeting, 8:10 a.m.


3rd grade production:
101 Dalmatians
This week our 3rd graders will perform Disney's 101 Dalmatians.  The show begins Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Audience members will be asked to wait to enter until sound check is complete. The house will open at 6:15.  If you need wheelchair seating, please contact Ms. Ballard in advance by email at jballard@houstonisd.org

You will receive a schedule and costuming information in the Tuesday folder. All costumes are being provided and must be returned after the production.

Early dismissal, Wednesday, 2/25
This Wednesday we will dismiss early at 12:30 p.m., and the afternoon is designated for Parent Conferences.  Here are a few tips for a productive parent and teacher conference:

1. Think about and write down questions in advance. If you think your child's teacher might need some time to gather information to answer your questions, send the questions in advance so the teacher may prepare.
2. Ask you child's teacher to clarify anything you don't understand.
3. Hearing good things about your child feels good. Hearing your child may be struggling with something at school may hurt. If you begin to feel hurt or defensive, take a moment to communicate that with the teacher, and look for a way to work together to help your child be more successful. No one is perfect in every way, and sometimes school is hard.
4. Assume good intentions. No one teaches because it is easy. It is hard work, and we have an incredible teaching staff. They are here to partner with you, and they care as much about your child's success as you do.

Go Texan Day!
On Friday we will celebrate Go Texan Day! Go Texan Day is a day to celebrate as the rodeo pulls into town.  Children are invited to wear their favorite go Texan gear, jeans, boots and a western shirt. 

News from Mrs. Graves

Upcoming Events
Monday, 2/16  
Tuesday, 2/17
Wednesday, 2/18  District Spelling Bee; Kinder & 1st gr Fieldtrip
Thursday, 2/19  SDMC Meeting; Community Meeting, Pershing Middle School, 6:00 p.m.
Friday 2/20

Monday, 2/23  
Tuesday, 2/24

Wednesday, 2/25  Early Dismissal, 12:30 pm, Parent Conferences
Thursday, 2/26  3rd gr Production of 101 Dalmatians, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, 2/27  Go Texan Day
Saturday, 2/28  Roberts Auction (adult only, ticketed event)

Wednesday, March 4  Spring Picture Day


What's the Difference Between Stanford, IOWA and STAAR?
Parents often have questions about the major assessments their children will take each year. For many years the district has administered Stanford 10, a norm-referenced achievement test.  This year, for the first time, we will administer IOWA to all elementary students as the replacement norm-reference test.  Norm-reference tests are written to show spread in academic achievement, and helps school administration and parents see how children are performing as compared to students across the country.  A percentile rank of 50 shows that a child is performing at an equal level to the average student across the U.S.  Students performing above the 70th percentile are performing above average, and children performing below the 30th percentile are performing significantly lower than the average. In HISD, Kindergarten students are administered the IOWA in December, and 1st-5th graders will take this assessment in May.

STAAR is the acronym for the state exam administered to 3-5 graders at the elementary level to see if the child is meeting minimum standards of performance.  This test is identified as a criterion reference assessment, meaning it only tests the objectives defined for each grade level to be taught to mastery.  In other words, it doesn't have a spread of questions that tests above and below grade levels items.  Third graders will take Reading and Math, 4th graders will take Reading, Writing and Math, and 5th graders will take Reading, Math and Science in April.   


New Math Standards
For the first time, our students will be tested on the new Math standards, some of which were previously considered 6th and 7th grade math standards.  

Under the new math standards, process is a focus, when traditional instruction focused more on product.  Students are being held accountable for non-traditional algorithms, something most parents are not familiar with.  If you find yourself scratching your head to help with homework, please feel very comfortable to stop and write a note to the teacher. Traditional algorithms are important, but students in Texas and in much of the country's public schools, are expected to know a variety of strategies for multiplication and division.  

News from Mrs. Graves

Upcoming Events
Monday, 2/9 
Tuesday, 2/10  
Wednesday, 2/11  State of the Schools Address, 12:30
Thursday, 2/12  4th gr Austin Trip
Friday 2/13

Monday, 2/16  
Tuesday, 2/17
Wednesday, 2/18  District Spelling Bee
Thursday, 2/19  SDMC Meeting; Community Meeting, Pershing Middle School, 6:00 p.m.
Friday 2/20

Wednesday, 2/25  Early Dismissal, 12:30 pm
Thursday, 2/26  3rd gr Production of 101 Dalmatians, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, 2/28  Roberts Auction (adult only, ticketed event)


New Fruit & Veggie Bar
Our 5th grade Girl Scouts worked closely with the HISD Food Services Department to get new fruit and veggie options for our Cafe.  Beginning Monday, students will have more options for fresh fruits and vegetables as a part of the tray lunch, or available as a la carte items.  Options will include oranges, green apples, golden delicious apples, pears, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes and bell peppers.  The fresh fruit and veggie station is available on a trial basis.  


Community Meeting
Next week, on Thursday, February 19th, HISD officials will be hosting a meeting to discuss area overcrowding issues for residents in the Roberts, Twain and West University school zones.  The meeting will take place at Pershing Middle School, beginning at 6:00 p.m.  

State of the Schools Address

On Wednesday, February 11th at 12:30 p.m., Dr. Terry Grier, Houston ISD Superintendent, will be a providing an update and vision for Houston ISD schools.  You may follow along live on the HISD website at www.houstonisd.org or follow @HoustonISD on Twitter.

Reading Goals

Teachers finished mid-year reading assessments in January.  Did your child meet her mid-year reading goal?  How is he progressing toward the year-end reading goal.  Ask your child about her progress.

News From Mrs. Graves

Upcoming Events
Monday, 2/2 
Tuesday, 2/3  100th Day of School; 3rd gr Field Trip; Progress Reports go home
Wednesday, 2/4  School Tour, 9:00 am
Thursday, 2/5
Friday 2/6  PTO Meeting, 8:10 a.m.; Grief and Loss Parent Ed, 9:00 a.m.

Monday, 2/9 
Tuesday, 2/10  
Wednesday, 2/11  
Thursday, 2/12  4th gr Austin Trip
Friday 2/13


Wednesday, 2/25  Early Dismissal, 12:30 pm



Are you a registered volunteer?
To chaperone a field trip, or assist in the school, you must complete this process.  It takes 1-2 weeks, so please help us by taking care of it as soon as possible.  Here is how:

How can I become a VIPS?All volunteers must register online and pass a criminal background check before they can participate as a volunteer. Please follow the steps below to become a VIPS:

Step 1:	Register online at www.houstonisd.org/vipslogin.
Step 2:	Once you have registered, you must go in person to the school of interest and show proof of identification.
Step 3:	Identification information will go into our database for processing by the Volunteer Coordinator at each campus.
Step 4:	The criminal history background check can take 2-3 weeks to complete.
Step 5:	Once you are CLEARED to volunteer, you are eligible to volunteer throughout HISD.

What type of identification is accepted?
● Texas Driver’s License
● Official Passport
● Texas Identification Card
● Official U. S. Military ID
● Driver’s License (issued by any state in the U.S.)
● Matricula Consular
● Identification Card (issued by any state in the U.S.)
● Resident Alien Card

News from Mrs. Graves

Upcoming Events
Monday, 1/26 Student Coalition Meeting
Tuesday, 1/27
Wednesday, 1/28  Early Dismissal, 12:30 - Professional Development
Thursday, 1/29
Friday 1/30 

Monday, 2/2 Student Coalition Meeting
Tuesday, 2/3  100th Day of School; 3rd gr Field Trip; Progress Reports go home
Wednesday, 2/4  
Thursday, 2/5
Friday 2/6  PTO Meeting, 8:10 a.m.; Grief and Loss Parent Ed, 9:00 a.m.


District Response to Overcrowding
Over the next few weeks I will be meeting with District officials to learn more about their ideas for easing some of our crowding issues.  At this time, they are not pursuing changes to our attendance zone.  Reducing the number of magnet transfers will help, and I have requested an additional portable building with two classrooms for next year to support the higher number of kinder and 1st grade students.  

As I know more, I will communicate that to you and share it with our SDMC.   If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.  I will do my best to get good answers for you.


Spotlight on IB:
What is a Transdisciplinary Program?

An excerpt from The Primary Years Programme: A basis for practice...

The PYP acknowledges the importance of particular subject areas: language; mathematics; social studies; science; arts; personal, social and physical education.

...However, the PYP also recognizes that educating students in a set of isolated subject areas, while necessary, is not sufficient.  Of equal importance is the need to acquire skills in context, and to explore content that is relevant to students and transcends the boundaries of the traditional subjects. “To be truly educated, a student must also make connections across the disciplines, discover ways to integrate the separate subjects, ultimately relate what they learn to life” (Boyer 1995: 82).  Ernest Boyer proposed that students explore a set of themes representing shared human experiences such as “Response to the Aesthetic” and “Membership in Groups”.  He referred to these as “Core Commonalities”.  In the PYP, this idea of human commonalities shares the transdisciplinary themes.  Each transdisciplinary theme is accompanied by the extended description that explains what students will be inquiring into under this theme. 

An excerpt from Developing a Transdisciplinary Programme of Inquiry…

The programme of inquiry is a matrix made up of the six transdisciplinary themes running vertically, and the age groups running horizontally.  Organizing the curriculum around the six transdisciplinary themes contextualizes the learning for students.  It enables them to experience a balance of subject-specific knowledge, concepts and skills in order to develop an understanding of the transdisciplinary themes.

The Six Transdisciplinary Themes

Who we are—An inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities, and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human.

Where we are in place and time—An inquiry into orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations, from local and global perspectives.

How the world works—An inquiry into the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of the scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.

How we express ourselves– An inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.

How we organize ourselves– An inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment.

Sharing the planet– An inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.

News from Mrs. Graves

Upcoming Events
Monday, 1/19  MLK Holiday
Tuesday, 1/20  
Wednesday, 1/21
Thursday, 1/22
Friday 1/23  Staff Appreciation Luncheon, hosted by 2nd & 3rd grade

Monday, 1/26 Student Coalition Meeting
Tuesday, 1/27
Wednesday, 1/28  Early Dismissal, 12:30
Thursday, 1/29
Friday 1/30  

Teacher Professional Development
Our teachers participate in a variety of professional development opportunities each year. Much of our professional development takes place over the summer months and during the two weeks of pre-service in August, but some takes place throughout the school year, afterschool, and during early release days.

Teachers are contracted to work (and paid for) 180 days each year.  Ten days are identified as pre-service professional development and teacher preparation.  During those ten days, we embark in professional development identified as a District learning goal or as a Campus learning goal.  Two years ago the District focus was on improving the level of rigor in classrooms, while the focus this past August was on improving literacy practice.  Our campus goals generally focus on IB pedogogy and the Programme of Inquiry, literacy, math, science and arts/technology integration.  

This past August our campus focus helped guide our professional development plans.  We planned time for development in IB, technology integration and literacy.  Teachers spent two full days in IB training (prior to their contracted days), focusing on concept-based learning or written curriculum in transdisciplinary teaching.  They spent three days in the District literacy training.  We also worked as a full faculty with an IB consultant to create a newly aligned Programme of Inquiry, ensuring all Science and Social Studies learning objectives were anchored in units within the identified concept.    

Outside of the initial training in August, teacher develop personalized annual learning goals each year.  They work independently or in inquiry groups to improve their practice in areas they have identified.  This year we have teachers working on instructional practices in math, reading, science, writing instruction and in gathering data on mastery of learning objectives. All of this learning is done outside of the work day, usually during our monthly faculty meetings.   

The question often arises from parents about professional development related to early dismissal days.  Parents wonder what teachers are doing, and question whether or not the time is well-spent and justify the extra effort to find child care.

Early Dismissal days are set by the District.  Of the five identified days, two are reserved for parent conferences.  The other three days are intended for professional development.  As a Technology Pilot School, this year, two of those days are being used by the District Technology Department to support our learning for use of the HUB, the District online learning site that houses curriculum and will eventually serve as a major support for parents to bridge the divide between school and home.  The remaining day was used to help teachers develop their individual professional development plans.

At Roberts, we are fortunate to have highly skilled and highly trained teachers.  The professional development days are critical to that end.  


Tardies and Early Check-out
We are experiencing a higher than usual rate or tardies and children leaving early.  Please make every effort to have your child at school before 7:55 so that your child is ready for learning at 8:00 a.m. when the final bell rings.  

We will be sending notifications to parents regarding chronic tardies or repeated early check out.  Both are causing children to miss critical instruction.

Arriving late to school, and missing instruction time, are considered violations of the Code of Student Conduct, and can impact the conduct grade on the report card.  Please help your child maintain a strong school behavioral record by ensuring he/she arrives early enough to be ready to start the day at 8:00 a.m.


Field Trips
We have some exciting field trips scheduled for the Spring.  If you are interested in serving as a chaperone, please be certain you have been approved through the District to serve as a volunteer.  If you aren't sure if you are approved, stop in or call our Reception desk and ask Ms. Brown or Ms. vanRavenswaay to check the list.  Parents who have not been approved by the District will not be allowed to attend field trips.

News from Mrs. Graves

Upcoming Events
Monday, 1/12  Student Coalition, 11:30-12:30
Tuesday, 1/13 NTB Qualifier Test, 7:15 a.m.
Wednesday, 1/14 
Thursday, 1/15  SDMC Meeting, 3:30
Friday, 1/16

Monday, 1/19  MLK Holiday
Tuesday, 1/20
Wednesday, 1/21
Thursday, 1/22
Friday 1/23  Staff Appreciation Luncheon

Wednesday, 1/28  Early Dismissal, 12:30


The Power of "Yet"
I often find interesting ideas through my TED app.  Are you familiar with TED Talks? TED is a set of global conferences run by the Sapling Foundation, a private non-profit group, tagged with the slogan "Ideas Worth Spreading".   These talks are recorded and available at www.ted.com or through the TED App for mobile devices.

Today I noticed a new talk recorded in December by Carol Dweck, a widely known Psychologist and researcher out of Stanford University.  She is a personal favorite on how our mindset shapes our success and our future.  Her newest talk discusses the power of framing our challenges with "yet". Instead of facing challenging tasks with an outcome of success or failure, focusing on the influence of effort and persistence, we can frame our thinking with a new set of outcomes and recognize that we may not have met the challenge yet, but with hard work and persistence we can.

I invite you to learn more by watching the short talk, or learn more by reading her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.


School Funding, Part III
Magnet Funding
Prior to the 2013-14 school year, Magnet funding was assigned to schools when programs were first approved.  Roberts Elementary received $350,000 each school year to maintain our Fine Arts Magnet Program.  Last year the District approved a theme-based funding formula to ensure equity between programs.

Elementary Fine Arts Magnet Programs, under the new funding system, will receive $350.00 per magnet student, plus the cost of a magnet coordinator.  At Roberts, all students are part of our magnet program, whether they are zoned students, or attend on a magnet transfer.  Because of our increase in enrollment, our funding would remain near the $350,000.

As we have discussed before, the increase in zoned enrollment has limited our ability to accept non-zoned students on magnet transfers. Our non-zoned enrollment has dropped under the 20% threshold, resulting in a "probation" status for our magnet program.  If we cannot meet the 20% threshold during the 2015-16 school year our magnet budget will be decreased by 50% for the 2016-17 school year and then eliminated for the 2017-18 school year.

As our zoned enrollment increases, we will be able to make up for most of the funding loss if our Magnet Program is cut, but there may be a need for additional fundraising to maintain some of the "extras" around campus.


Name That Book, 3-5 Qualifier Test
If your child has been reading the books on the Name That Book, 3-5 list, and are interested in trying out for the competitive team, the qualifier test is this week.  There will be no late admission. Children must arrive before 7:15 a.m.  We will test in room 101, across from reception.  Students with this highest 6 scores will be chosen for the team, with the next highest scoring student to serve as the alternate.

Spotlight on IB:

What are Key Concepts?

excerpt from Making the PYP Happen

Central to the philosophy of the PYP is the principle that purposeful, structured inquiry is a powerful vehicle for learning that promotes meaning and understanding, and challenges students to engage with significant ideas.  Hence in the PYP there is also a commitment to a concept-driven curriculum as a means of supporting that inquiry. 

Which concepts were chosen and why?

A set of eight concepts was drawn up, each of which, it is felt, is of major importance in the design of a transdisciplinary curriculum.  These concepts are:

• form - the understanding that everything has a form with recognizable features that can be observed, identified, described and categorized.
• function - the understanding that everything has a purpose, a role or a way of behaving that can be investigated.
• causation - the understanding that things do not just happen, that there are causal relationships at work, and that actions have consequences.
• change - the understanding that change is the process of movement from one state to another.  It is universal and inevitable.
• connection - the understanding that we live in a world of interacting systems in which actions of any individual element affect others.
• perspective - the understanding that knowledge is moderated by perspectives; different perspectives lead to different interpretations, understandings and findings; perspectives may be individual, group, cultural or disciplinary.
• responsibility - the understanding that people make choices based on their understandings, and the actions they take as a result do make a difference.
• reflection - the understanding that there are different ways of knowing, and that it is important to reflect on our conclusions, to consider our methods of reasoning, and the quality and the reliability of the evidence we have considered.

At Roberts, students are encouraged to consider all concept levels when developing questions to help guide their learning.  Often times, when we are asking questions about new ideas or information we are focused on questions of form or function. It is important we encourage learners to consider other concepts such as change, connections, perspective and responsibility.  

Ask your child about some of their questions from their classroom Wonder Wall for the current Unit of Inquiry.  Are they developing questions other than those falling in form or function?

  

News from Mrs. Graves

Upcoming Events
Tuesday, 1/6  Students Return to School
Wednesday, 1/7  School Tour, 9:00 a.m.
Thursday, 1/8  School Spelling Bee, 8:15 a.m.
Friday, 1/9  PTO Meeting, 8:10 a.m.; Kinder Field Trip; NTB Book Talk, 11:30-12:30

Monday, 1/12  
Tuesday, 1/13  NTB Qualifier Test, 7:15 a.m. (NEW DATE)
Wednesday, 1/14
Thursday, 1/15  SDMC Meeting, 3:30 p.m.
Friday, 1/16

Wednesday, 1/28  Early Dismissal, 12:30 p.m.


Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful winter break filled with family and friends, and lots of time to reconnect.  The Spring semester is always a busy time around campus.  There are so many ways to connect as a community, and if you haven't gotten involved already, you will have several great events to choose from this semester.  

The teachers worked today to prepare for the upcoming semester.  They are rested and recharged to take on the important work ahead.  Please remember they are your best connection to how your child is performing in school.  Make sure you are staying connected with the classroom blog, where you can find information about what your child is learning each week.  


School Funding, Part II
Decentralized Budgeting

In the first part of this series I shared information about how schools are funded by the state.  Most school districts across the state use a centralized funding system in which the school district decides on the types of positions and programs at every school, leaving the individual campus with little say in how the money is spent.  HISD has operated under a decentralized funding system for many years, allowing each campus to make decisions about staffing, programs and professional development at the campus level.  This is easily thought of as people and stuff.

The campus budgeting process begins with the initial per unit (student) allocation. Last year, elementary campuses received approximately $3378 for each student.  The largest expense in the campus level budget is for "people".  It takes the full allocation for approximately 16 students to cover the cost of the assigned classroom teacher.  With the funding for 16 students already allocated for the classroom teacher, the allocation for approximately 4 students in each class covers the cost of other personnel.  Every campus must have an administrative staff (principal, registrar, secretary) and because we are a large elementary school, our administrative staff includes an assistant principal and instructional coordinator.  Because of our proximity to the medical center, and because we often have children with critical illnesses, we need a full time nurse.  

After budgeting for administrative staff, we begin considering our other needs.  We are required by state law to offer special education services, reading intervention and physical education, and as an IB school we are required to offer a foreign language and technology.  That covers our staffing expenses, and most of our ancillary rotation.  We will talk more about fine arts in Part III.

With staffing funded, we generally have about $200,000 left to budget for all other expenses, or the equivalent of the allocation for 2 students per class.  We must consider the cost of substitutes for when teachers are out sick, professional development, academic programs such as Everyday Math and Wordly Wise, as well as classroom materials such as classroom libraries and Target Math daily practice.  We budget annually to maintain our leveled library for daily small group reading instruction, and for the past three years have made large investments in our school library to ensure children have up-to-date print resources and access to e-books.  Each year funds are earmarked for replacing furniture and classroom rugs, and for the cost of updating technology (something we have been able to share with PTO).

In early spring of each year we project enrollment for the upcoming year and prepare a preliminary budget based on the emerging needs of the campus.  Those needs are identified with the use of student performance data from the prior year, as well as with data from the annual parent and student surveys.  The SDMC reviews that data and are asked to provide feedback on any areas of the budget that may need adjustment.  

Each year, the Texas Education Agency reports on campus, district and state level expenditures per student.  Roberts spends less on school leadership and more on classrooms than the District or the State average.  It is my commitment to ensure every available dollar reaches the student at the classroom level, and is not squandered with administrative costs.  









 

News from Mrs. Graves

Upcoming Events
Monday, 12/15  3rd gr Holiday Market, 8:15 a.m.

Tuesday, 12/16  3rd gr Holiday Market, 8:15 a.m.
Wednesday, 12/17  Community Exhibition, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, 12/18  
Friday, 12/19  Classroom Winter Holiday Parties

Tuesday, 1/6  Students Return to School

Magnet Application Deadline:  Friday, 12/19

If you have moved out of the Roberts attendance zone, or expect to move during the Spring semester, and wish to stay at Roberts next school year, you may wish to apply for a magnet transfer.  Students are not guaranteed a spot, but can be considered if space is available.  Students who move out of the attendance zone will only be allowed to continue at Roberts with a Magnet transfer.

Spotlight on IB:
Roles in the Exhibition
Role of Parent/Guardian and Community Members

Parents/Guardians and Community members will:

• have an understanding of the purpose and requirements of the exhibition
• support and encourage students and teachers throughout the process of inquiry
• help students to access resources--people, places, media and information
• provide expert subject knowledge where applicable
• encourage independent inquiry and respect ownership of the process
• support students' action efforts
• have an opportunity to reflect on and give feedback on the exhibition
• celebrate with the students by attending the staging of the exhibition

You are cordially invited to join us Wednesday evening, 6:30-7:30 to learn more about the global issues our 5th graders have been learning about and working to effect change locally. We will begin with a short video and discussion in the Cafe, then all projects will be on display throughout the building.  You may not be able to see every project but will have the opportunity to see all projects on the Exhibition Website.

News from Mrs. Graves

Upcoming Events
Monday, 12/8  Iowa Testing, Kinder
Tuesday, 12/9  Iowa testing, Kinder
Wednesday, 12/10  Iowa Testing, Kinder
Thursday, 12/11  Iowa Testing, Kinder; Spelling Pre-Bee, 7:15 a.m.
Friday, 12/12  Iowa Testing, Kinder; NTB Book Talk, 11:30-12:30;  Faculty Caroling, 6:00 p.m.

Monday, 12/15  3rd gr Holiday Market, 8:15 a.m.
Tuesday, 12/16  3rd gr Holiday Market, 8:15 a.m.
Wednesday, 12/17  Community Exhibition, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, 12/18  
Friday, 12/19  Classroom Winter Holiday Parties


School Funding, Part 1
Where Does the Money Come From?
In the State of Texas, schools are funded through a combination of local tax revenue and state dollars based on a per unit allocation.  Approximately 80% of school funding in HISD is generated by local tax revenue, with approximately 20% coming from the state.  The amount of money provided by the state varies depending on local tax revenue.  Districts can increase school funding by raising taxes, but often have to share that increased revenue with the state for redistribution to other poorer districts, referred to as a"Robinhood" funding system.  

Districts receive money for each student enrolled.  For the 2013-14 school year, HISD received approximately $6,000 for each "unit".  Most school districts centralize funds and make decisions for all campuses.  In HISD, we recognize that our district is very diverse and the needs of one campus are not necessarily the same as the needs of another campus.  We operate under a decentralized budget.

Within a decentralized budget system, some services are centralized, such as maintenance, utilities, accounting, purchasing, human resources, assessment and textbooks.  Other funding decisions are made at the campus level, such as whether or not the campus needs a reading specialist or a librarian or a school nurse.  The decentralized budget allows us to choose and fund programs like IB and more rigorous curriculum like Everyday Math.  The decentralized campus budget is based on a per unit allocation of $3470 in the general fund.  

So what is a unit?  Each year in January we project the number of students we expect to have enrolled at the campus in the upcoming school year.  That number is multiplied by our average daily attendance to create the number of units in our base allocation for which we will be funded. For instance, if we project 100 students, and our average daily attendance during the prior year was 97.3%, then we will be funded for 97.3 units with our preliminary budget.

Schools also receive weighted units for students who have special learning needs, such as limited English proficiency, special education or those identified as gifted and talented.  For instance, this year we have 292 students who qualify as gifted and talented, creating Special Populations Refined Units (292 x .12) of 35.04.  Special Population Refined Units are then added to the Base Allocation, and multiplied by the "per unit allocation".  

For those interested in learning more about this topic, take a few minutes to view a video at http://vimeo.com/60502113.  

Next week learn more about how we use our decentralized funds to create a budget that best meets the needs of children at Roberts.

  

What is Spelling Pre-Bee?

All students in grades 3-5 who are interested in competing in this year's spelling bee must qualify through the Pre-Bee.  This will be a written qualifier test using words from the Scripts National Spelling Bee list.  Teachers have copies of the student list.  The Pre-Bee will begin promptly at 7:15 am. on Thursday, December 11th.  There will be no late admittance.

News from Mrs. Graves

MORE THAN 50,000 PAGE VIEWS ON THE PRINCIPAL'S PAGE!

Upcoming Events
Monday, 12/1  
Tuesday, 12/2  Progress Reports
Wednesday, 12/3  School Tour, 9:00 a.m.
Thursday, 12/4  Author Visit, 3rd & 4th gr; 2nd grade Performance, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, 12/5   Iowa Testing, Kinder; PTO Meeting, 8:10 a.m.; NTB Book Talk, 11:30-12:30

Monday, 12/8  Iowa Testing, Kinder
Tuesday, 12/9  Iowa testing, Kinder
Wednesday, 12/10  Iowa Testing, Kinder
Thursday, 12/11  Iowa Testing, Kinder; Spelling Pre-Bee, 7:15 a.m.
Friday, 12/12  Iowa Testing, Kinder; NTB Book Talk, 11:30-12:30;  Faculty Caroling, 6:30 p.m.


Iowa Assessment
Iowa Assessment is a national, norm-referenced achievement test, measuring your child's performance relative to the performance of other children across the nation. The Iowa Assessment contains approximately 10 subtests measuring achievement in the core content areas. You can learn more about the Iowa Assessment at Riverside Publishing 

The test is generally administered over the course of a week, with most testing concluding before lunch.  Kinder students will be administered the Iowa Assessment beginning Friday of this week, through Friday, December 12.  Students in Grades 1-5 will be administered the Iowa Assessment in May. 

The Iowa Assessment is really not something that can be studied for in advance.  The content on the test is general knowledge and application of information.  Teachers have been working with your children to help them understand the format of testing.  The purpose of administering this test to Kinder students is to set a baseline for performance.

Kinder parents should check with the child's teacher if your child has an appointment scheduled this week.  We may not be able to offer make-ups if your child misses testing.  


Have You Moved?
If you have moved (or expect to move) out of the Roberts attendance zone, you may want to complete a Magnet Application.  Students living outside of our school zone, attending without a Magnet transfer, will be withdrawn at the end of the school year.  The only way to stay at Roberts if you live outside of the school zone is to have an approved Magnet transfer.

If you no longer live at the address on file with us, bring new proof of residency to the main office as soon as possible. 

School Funding

Are you interested in learning more about how schools are funded in HISD?  I will be sharing information about school funding in a multi-part series in upcoming editions of The Principal's Page.  Stay tuned...

Save The Dates
Thursday, 12/4, 6:30 p.m.         2nd grade Winter Show - Flakes
Friday, 12/12, 6:30 p.m.             Faculty Caroling
Monday, 12/15, 8:15 a.m.           3rd gr Holiday Market
Tuesday, 12/16, 8:15 a.m.           3rd gr Holiday Market
Wednesday, 12/17, 8:30 p.m.    5th gr Community Exhibition
Friday, 12/19                                 Class Holiday Parties

News from Mrs. Graves

Upcoming Events

Monday, 11/24  Student Coalition Meeting
Tuesday, 11/25  PJ Day Fundraiser; NO AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
Wednesday, 11/26  Thanksgiving Holiday
Thursday, 11/27  Thanksgiving Holiday
Friday, 11/28   Thanksgiving Holiday

Monday, 12/1  
Tuesday, 12/2  Progress Reports
Wednesday, 12/3  School Tour, 9:00 a.m.
Thursday, 12/4  Author Visit; 2nd grade Performance, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, 12/5   PTO Meeting, 8:10 a.m.; NTB Book Talk, 11:30-12:30


Magnet Program Status
I know many of you have questions about the status of our Magnet Program, and I want to get you the information you need.  

What is the problem?  Magnet Programs are required to maintain at least 20% enrollment outside of the attendance zone.  Prior to this school year, we have been able to meet that requirement while not exceeding our state mandated class size of 22:1.  This school year our zoned enrollment has increased substantially, with approximately 75 more students than we had last year.  This increase in zoned enrollment (and no additional classrooms) has increased our class size beyond the state student to teacher ratio of 22:1, not allowing us to meet the 20% requirement.  Roberts Fine Arts Magnet was placed on probation after our appeal was denied.

What does "probation" mean?  Nothing changes to our program this school year.  We will continue to provide the magnet program, and students on magnet transfers will continue to be eligible for transportation.  Next fall the district will re-evaluate our enrollment.  If we meet the 20% out of zone enrollment the probation will be lifted.  If we do not meet the required 20% the district will slate our magnet program for closure.

What happens if the program is slated for closure?  If the program is slated for closure, we will no longer be able to accept students on magnet transfers.  Current magnet students will be allowed to stay at Roberts through 5th grade, but transportation will no longer be available the following school year.

What is the timeline?
Year 1, 2014-15  Probation Status
Year 2, 2015-16  Slated for Closure
Year 3, 2016-17  50% Funding/Loss of Transportation/No New Magnet Transfers
Year 4, 2017-18  No Magnet Funds

How would loss of funding impact Roberts? The Fine Arts Magnet Program currently receives just under $350,000 each year.  The funding loss will be difficult to absorb if our enrollment declines, however a recent demographers study anticipates our zoned enrollment to continue to increase over the next few years.  If this holds true, a large part of the funding gap can be closed.  

What does this mean for younger siblings of current magnet students?  Siblings of current magnet students do receive priority in the lottery process.  Schools are allowed to give 25% of expected magnet spots to siblings.  If there are additional siblings, they will be placed at the top of the magnet wait list.  This will be used for admission decisions for the 2015-16 school year.  If the magnet program is slated for closure next fall, no magnet spots will be available for the 2016-17 school year.  Siblings can be considered for other types of transfers if space is available.