CURRENT SITUATIONAverage class sizes in SISD elementary schools are the same as the state average. Secondary classes, by subject area, are slightly larger, by about one student, than the state average (Exhibit 2-43).
Exhibit 2-43
SISD Class Size by Subject Area
1995-96
Level/Subject Average Size District State Elementary 20.0 20.0 Secondary English 22.3 21.0 Foreign Language 23.4 22.1 Mathematics 23.3 21.0 Science 23.4 21.9 Social Studies 23.3 22.8 Source: PEIMS, October 1995
The student to teacher ratio (Exhibit 2-44) is 16.1, compared to a statewide average of 15.6.
Exhibit 2-44
SISD Average Student/Teacher Ratio
1995-96
District State Student/Teacher Ratio 16.1 15.6 Source: PEIMS, October 1995
SISD teachers are slightly more experienced than teachers statewide but their average years of experience in SISD are slightly lower than the state average (Exhibit 2-45).
Exhibit 2-45
SISD Average Teacher Experience
1995-96
Teacher Experience SISD State Average years experience 11.9 11.7 Avg. years experience with district 7.3 8.0 Source: PEIMS, October 1996
About 27 percent of SISD teachers (Exhibit 2-46) have less than six years experience, while the average statewide is about 33 percent.
Exhibit 2-46
SISD Teachers by Years of Experience
1995-96
SISD State Years Experience Number
of
Teachers*% Number
of
Teachers*% Beginning 57 4.5% 15,093 6.3% 1-5 Years 288 22.9% 64,837 27.0% 6-10 Years 236 18.8% 43,191 18.0% 11-20 Years 476 37.9% 72,136 30.0% Over 20 Years 198 15.8% 45,113 18.8% Source: PEIMS, October 1996 * Rounded
FINDING
SISD has conducted a survey each March since 1991-92 using the Organizational Health Inventory, an instrument allowing staff members to rank the leadership quality of their superiors on factors such as communication and the ability to hear and implement suggestions. This provides useful feedback to principals and other administrators on the organizational health of their schools and on important aspects of their leadership. Scores above 500 indicate a healthy climate, while those below 500 suggest problems. Scores are broken down and analyzed by elementary, middle, and high schools. From this information, the district develops a profile of principals and other administrators and designs appropriate staff development measures to enhance their performance.
SISD's average scores at all levels indicate an open climate, and over the years the scores have become more positive. Based on these data, SISD schools exhibit very positive organizational health.
COMMENDATION
Using the Organizational Health Inventory, SISD annually gauges its organizational climate in its schools and within district leadership.
FINDING
SISD has instituted an innovative program in grades K-12, the Teachers-As-Counselor program, that spreads counseling into the teaching function. A three-day training session, accompanied by a guide book, prepares teachers for the project. These trained teachers meet weekly with eight to 10 students experiencing similar problems to solve problems and prevent them from becoming more serious. Students not responding to these group meetings are returned to the school counselor. 66.9 percent of the elementary school parents responding to the Texas A&M University survey gave high marks to the counseling function. Staffing ratios for counselors are shown in Exhibit 2-47.
Exhibit 2-47
SISD Counseling Staffing Allocations
1996-97
Elementary Middle High 0-749 students = 1 counselor 750-999 students = 1.5 counselors
1000-1249 students = 2 counselors
1 counselor for each 400 students (or major fraction thereof -201) 1 counselor for each 400 students (or major fraction thereof -201)
plus
1 vocational counselor and
1 drug education specialist
Source: SISD Curriculum and Instructional Services Department.
SISD ranks in the middle of peer districts on its number of students served by each elementary counselor (Exhibit 2-48).
Exhibit 2-48
Peer Districts Comparisons of Elementary Counselor Staffing
1996-97
District Number of Elementary Students Current Number of Elementary Counselors Number of Students Served by Elementary Counselor Carrollton-Farmers Branch 12,310 22 560 Duncanville 1 3,539 7 506 Fort Bend2 22,139 30 738 Goose Creek 8,933 18 496 Klein 13,520 16 845 Richardson 17,600 44 400 Spring3 10,359 20 518 Source: SISD Curriculum and Instructional Services Department.
1 Duncanville also has intermediate schools that may include 4-6 grades. The enrollment in those grades is 1,755, with 5 counselors.
2 Includes special education.
3 57 elementary students are served at the Wunsche School by a counselor not classified as an elementary counselor. These students have been removed from the elementary student count.
TEA recommends a maximum ratio of one counselor for every 300 students. The Texas Association of Secondary School Principals and the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association recommend one counselor for each 350 students.
While SISD does not fully meet all of the recommended ratios, the district's counseling arrangement incorporates four important safeguards: every school has at least one certified counselor; teachers are trained and monitored by certified school counselors; students requiring more intense guidance are referred to certified counselors; and school site-based teams have the flexibility to hire additional counselors if they do not feel the current system meets student needs.
COMMENDATION
SISD uses a unique system to handle counseling, saving the district more than $320,000 annually while still providing a high level of service to the students.
This program has allowed the district to avoid hiring eight additional counselors at an average salary plus benefits of more than $40,000 annually.
FINDING
The majority of SISD's students and staff are Anglo (Exhibit 2-49). The student body is 53 percent Anglo, 21 percent African American, 19 percent Hispanic, and 6 percent Other. Total SISD personnel is 82 percent Anglo. Ninety-four percent of teachers, 87 percent of principals and assistant principals, and 92 percent of counselors are Anglo. The percentage of total minority staff is less than that in all but two of SISD's peer districts, and the district's percentage of African-American teachers is the lowest.
Exhibit 2-49
SISD Ethnicity of Staff and Students
1996-97
Ethnic Group Students Total Personnel Teachers Principals/ Assistant Principals Counselors African American 21.3% 9.3% 2.0% 13.2% 4% Anglo 53.2% 82.2% 93.9% 86.8% 92% Hispanic 19.3% 6.4% 3.4% 0% 4% Other 6.2% 2.2% 0.4% 0% 0% Source: 1996 PEIMS and SISD Personnel Office
The teachers assigned to special programs (Exhibit 2-50) are predominantly Anglo.
Exhibit 2-50
SISD Special Programs Teaching Staff by Ethnicity
1996-97
Ethnicity Special Education Alternative Education Bilingual/ ESL Title 1 Tier 4 Total Teachers African American 5% -- 2% -- 2% 21% Anglo 92% 94% 61% 100% 98% 53% Hispanic 1.5% 6% 33% -- -- 19% Other 1.5% -- 4% -- -- 6% Source: 1996 PEIMS and SISD Personnel Office
Recommendation 14: Ensure proportional representation of ethnic group members among SISD's teaching, counseling, and leadership forces.
SISD should make the recruitment of outstanding minority teachers, counselors, and administrators a major goal. The director of Personnel Services should survey colleges and universities producing large numbers of minority teachers and expand contacts with them. Committees should conduct ongoing interview sessions at these locations. Outstanding minority students should be contacted during their junior years to express interest and provide information about job opportunities. The director should create a minority network system to maintain contact with practicing minority teachers and administrators. Local minority business executives, professional leaders, and parents should be asked to assist SISD in locating minority applicants and help with follow-up communications to promising applications.
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AND TIMELINES
1. The superintendent assembles a group of community minority business executives, professional leaders, and parents to inform them of SISD's initiative and to solicit their assistance in locating outstanding minority applicants and to assist with follow-up communications to promising applicants. September 1997 2. The superintendent directs the assistant superintendent for Curriculum and Instructional Services and the assistant superintendent for Personnel and Support Services to develop a plan for the recruitment of minority teachers, counselors, and leaders. September 1997 3. The assistant superintendent for Personnel contacts placement offices in universities throughout the state and region to inform them of SISD's initiative and to solicit opportunities to interview outstanding minority candidates. September 1997 4. The assistant superintendent for Curriculum and Instructional Services contacts the chairs of education departments throughout the state to inform them of SISD's initiative and to solicit opportunities to contact outstanding minority students in their junior year of study. September 1997 5. The assistant superintendents create recruitment teams made up of SISD minority teachers and leaders to visit universities and interview promising applicants September 1997 6. The assistant superintendent for Personnel and the executive director of Board and Community Services design and implement an aggressive communications campaign for professional journals and the media. September 1997 7. SISD recruits experienced minority teachers and administrators. September 1997 and ongoing FISCAL IMPACT
This recommendation would have no fiscal impact. Funds could be prioritized in budgets allotted for personnel recruitment, marketing, and communications.
| Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts | Window on State Government Contact Us Privacy and Security Policy |