IntroductionIn June 2000, the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts' Texas School Performance Review (TSPR) completed a comprehensive school review of the Galveston Independent School District (GISD). During July 2001, TSPR staff members returned to assess the district's progress in implementing their recommendations.
Since 1991, TSPR has recommended more than 5,500 ways to save taxpayers in 63 different public school districts more than $600 million over five years. TSPR also conducts follow-up reviews of districts that have had at least one year to implement its recommendations. The 36 “progress report” reviews conducted to date show that 90 percent of TSPR's combined proposals have been acted upon, saving taxpayers more than $108 million, with more savings expected in the future.
Improving the Texas School Performance Review
Comptroller Carole Keeton Rylander, who took office in January 1999, consulted school district officials, parents and teachers from across Texas and carefully examined past reviews and progress reports in an effort to make the Texas School Performance Review more valuable, even vital, to the state's more than 1,000 school districts. With the perspective of having served as a teacher and later a school board president, the Comptroller vowed to make TSPR more accountable to local school districts and the communities they represent.
Comptroller Rylander began by establishing new criteria for selecting school districts for future reviews. Priority is given to districts that have been judged as poor-performing academically or financially, and to hands-on reviews that benefit the greatest number of students. These are the school districts and children that need help the most.
Recognizing that only about 51 cents of every education dollar is spent on instruction, Comptroller Rylander's goal is to drive more money into the classroom. In addition, Comptroller Rylander has ordered best practices and exemplary programs found in TSPR's reviews to be shared quickly and systematically among all the state's school districts and with anyone else who requests such information. Comptroller Rylander has directed TSPR to serve as an active clearinghouse of the best and brightest ideas in Texas public education. Best practices identified in the original review of KISD are included in the Comptroller's best practices database, A+ Ideas for Managing Schools (AIMS), which is accessible on the Web at www.aimsdatabase.org.
Under Comptroller Rylander's approach, the TSPR team and consultants will work with districts to:
- ensure students and teachers receive the support and resources they need to succeed;
- identify innovative options to address core management challenges;
- ensure administrative activities are performed efficiently, without duplication and in a manner that spurs education;
- develop strategies to ensure that districts' processes and programs are continually assessed and improved;
- understand the links among the districts' functional areas and determine ways to provide a seamless system of services;
- challenge any process, procedure, program or policy that impedes instruction and recommend ways to reduce or eliminate obstacles; and
- put goods and services to the “Yellow Pages test”—government should do no job if there is a business in the Yellow Pages that can do that job better and at a lower cost.
Finally, Comptroller Rylander has opened her door to Texans who share her optimism about TSPR's potential. Suggestions to improve school reviews are welcome at any time. The Comptroller is a staunch believer in public education and public accountability.
Detailed information can be obtained from TSPR by calling 1-800-531-5441, extension 5-3676, or by visiting the Comptroller's Web site at www.window.state.tx.us.
TSPR in Galveston Independent School District
The Comptroller's office began its performance review of GISD in November 1999. This review was the first affected by legislation enacted during the 1999 legislative session that requires districts to pay 25 percent of the cost of a review if a majority of the school district's board votes to request a review.
On August 11, 1999, the GISD board passed a resolution to request the review and pay up to $37,500 toward its estimated $150,000 cost. On September 8, 1999, the Comptroller and the GISD board president signed an interlocal agreement at a public announcement of the review in Galveston.
After nearly six months of work, the Comptroller's office released its review, which highlighted GISD's exemplary programs and offered 130 recommendations that could result in net savings of more than $4.3 million over the next five years.
The Comptroller's office selected WCL Enterprises, a consulting firm based in Katy, Texas, to assist the agency with this review. The TSPR team interviewed district employees, school board members, parents, business leaders and community members and held a community meeting in GISD's Scott Elementary School. To obtain additional comments, the review team conducted focus-group sessions with parents, teachers, principals, business leaders and representatives from community organizations. The Comptroller's office also received letters from a wide array of parents, teachers and community members, as well as calls to the Comptroller's toll-free hotline.
One hundred ninety-three campus and 48 central administrators and support staff, 18 principals and assistant principals, 378 teachers, 251 parents and 380 students completed written surveys as part of the review.
In 2000-01, GISD served 9,347 students, 6.6 percent fewer than in 1997-98 (10,007). GISD's property value in 2000-01 is $243,136 per student.
GISD's student performance has improved over the last few years. In 1994-95, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) rated two GISD schools as Low Performing and rated the district Academically Acceptable with no schools rated Recognized or Exemplary. In 2000-01, by contrast, the district received a rating of Academically Acceptable from TEA, with four Recognized schools and one Exemplary school. Only the district's alternative education program received a Low-Performing rating, and that program has since been outsourced, in an effort to improve its academic programs and its TEA rating, to the Harris County Department of Education.
While GISD's student performance remains slightly below state and regional averages, the district has made significant strides in closing the performance gap. In 1999-2000, 74.6 percent of all GISD students passed the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS), compared to just 45.2 percent in 1994-95. In 2001, 85.2 percent of GISD's students passed the TAAS reading test, 88.9 percent passed TAAS math, and 85.7 percent passed the TAAS writing exam. Each passing rate was higher than in the previous year.
During 2000-01, the district employed a staff of 1,290 full-time employees, including 684 teachers who made up 49 percent of GISD's staff. GISD budgeted for general fund expenditures of $52.7 million in 2000-01, with 65.8 percent of these revenues generated locally, 31.8 percent coming from the state and about 0.6 percent contributed by federal funds. About 1.9 percent came from other sources.
Over the last year, GISD's superintendent made a number of significant organizational changes. The position of assistant superinten-dent for Administration was eliminated, and its duties distributed among existing administrative personnel. The executive director for Personnel assumed a new position as executive director for Employee and Community Relations, while a campus principal was moved into a restructured position called executive director of Human Resources. The long-time Communications director assumed a new role as director of Policies and Planning. These changes all were recommended by TSPR to improve the district's internal and external service.
While the district has yet to complete some of TSPR's recommendations, the team assigned to conduct this one-year update found notable progress.
Ninety-three of TSPR's recommendations have been implemented and 28 are in various stages of progress. Only five have not yet been addressed. GISD officials rejected four other recommendations because they believed they were not feasible at this time. (See Appendix A for details of the recommendations' status.)
Galveston ISD Report Card
Chapter # of
RecommendationsComplete In
ProgressNot
ImplementedRejected Percent Complete/
In ProgressRating District Organization and Management 15 12 2 0 1 80%/13% Excellent Educational Service Delivery 13 11 1 0 1 85%/8% Excellent Community Involvement 9 7 1 0 1 78%/11% Satisfactory Personnel Management 9 6 3 0 0 67%/33% Satisfactory Facilities Use and Management 10 5 4 1 0 50%/40% Satisfactory Financial Management 6 4 1 0 1 67%/17% Satisfactory Asset and Risk Management 8 7 1 0 0 88%/13% Excellent Purchasing and Warehouse Services 18 13 5 0 0 72%/28% Satisfactory Child Nutrition Services 12 10 1 1 0 83%/8% Excellent Transportation 13 9 2 2 0 69%/15% Satisfactory Computers and Technology 10 4 6 0 0 40%/60% Satisfactory Safety and Security 7 5 1 1 0 71%/14% Satisfactory Overall Grade 130 93 28 5 4 72%/22% = 94% Excellent = More than 80% complete
Satisfactory = 80% to 100% complete or in progress
Needs Work = Less than 80% complete or in progress
Exemplary Programs and PracticesTSPR identified numerous “best practices” in GISD. Through commendations in each chapter, TSPR's report highlighted model programs, operations and services provided by GISD administrators, teachers and staff members. Other school districts throughout Texas are encouraged to examine these exemplary programs and services to see if they can be adapted to meet local needs. TSPR's commendations include the following:
- GISD uses the Success For All (SFA) reading program, developed by Johns Hopkins University for children from low-income backgrounds, for its students in grades K-6. SFA concentrates on helping every child learn to read through intensive daily instruction, continual assessment and timely one-on-one tutoring as needed. Since implementing the SFA program in 1994-95, the share of GISD students in grades 3-8 passing the reading portion of TAAS rose from 65.4 percent to 84.5 percent in 1998-99.
Since TSPR's review, GISD has continued to work toward its goal of becoming a TEA Recognized district. This year, only one of the district's ethnic subgroups had a TAAS passing rate below 80 percent. The percent of all GISD students passing TAAS reading rose by 1.2 percent in 2000-01 from 1999-2000.
- In 1995, GISD began rewriting its math curriculum for grades K-8, incorporating the standards of the National Council of Teachers of Math and the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), with emphasis in the area of oral and written communication of math concepts. Since the project's implementation in 1998-99, the percentage of GISD students in grades 3-8 passing the TAAS math rose from 79.1 percent in 1997-98 to 84.6 percent in 1998-99.
GISD continues its emphasis on math. In 2000-01, TAAS mathematics passing rates improved for all ethnic subgroups in GISD, marking the district's highest-ever achievement in math. The percent of economically disadvantaged students who passed the TAAS math test rose from 68 percent in 2000 to 85.2 percent in 2001.
- GISD's Students That Are Reaching (STAR Lab) program, offered at Parker Elementary School, is staffed by three special education teachers and two aides. The STAR Lab is used as a special education resource classroom that assists students who need additional help in language arts, math and reading. When its resource sessions end at noon, the lab becomes a learning center providing instruction designed to supplement students' education, especially “at-risk” students.
Students continue to use the STAR lab to bolster their skills in a self-paced and challenging setting. During 2000-01, usage of the STAR lab rose by 11 percent over the previous year.
- GISD publicizes school activities and student accomplishments effectively. The district regularly publicizes school events and news in the local daily paper and also uses donated billboard space to announce various athletic and fine arts events. GISD also reaches minority constituents through targeted communications with the Galveston African American Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and other organizations.
In 2000-01, GISD began several new initiatives to enhance communication with parents and the community at large. A new GISD newsletter, “Connections,” covers district events and activities in four issues each year. Through a unique and cost-effective partnership with the Galveston County Daily News, “Connections” is inserted directly into the local newspaper, enabling the district to reach 19,000 constituents without postage costs. A Spanish version of “Connections” is distributed through the schools.
GISD also unveiled a new Web site during 2000-01. The Web site features a home page for each campus, including enrollment figures, TAAS scores and other pertinent information. The district also has overhauled its entire policy manual and posted it on the district Web site for easy access by staff, parents and other constituents.
Through its newly established Employee and Community Relations Department, GISD has instituted a Sunday “GISD Report” in the Galveston County Daily News. This half-page of donated space provides GISD with a forum for discussing a variety of topics, from parenting issues to educational programs and upcoming events.
GISD's Employee and Community Relations Department mobilized dozens of parent volunteers to present its first “Community Fair” in May 2001. The fair attracted more than 600 participants who received information on a variety of topics important to parents, such as educational opportunities during the school year and the health issues and summer recreational programs.
- GISD uses innovative methods to attract and train teachers. The district serves as a professional development site for the University of Houston at Clear Lake, hosting interns during the last year of their teacher or administrator educational programs. Since 1997-98, GISD has hired 16 students from the university. The district also has a tuition assistance program that helps its employees pursue certification in bilingual education, reading, special education and math specialties in programs at area colleges and universities. Participants must commit to work in the district for three years after completing certification, take 12 semester hours per year and maintain a 2.5 grade-point average.
GISD has further enhanced its ability to recruit and retain qualified teachers with a $1.1 million pay increase for the 2001-02 school year, bringing GISD in line with area school districts. The board approved the raise in March of 2001, ahead of the traditional budget cycle, to bolster recruitment efforts.
GISD also is in the third operational year of its “Grow Your Own” program, an effort that has proven fruitful in developing teachers for the district. Six current GISD teachers earned their degrees and certification through the program. An additional 32 candidates are in the program at this writing, many of whom will ultimately fill GISD teaching positions in critical shortage areas such as bilingual and special education and mathematics.
- GISD's energy management efforts have saved the district more than $700,000 annually since 1990. The program includes energy audits of district facilities; central control of heating and air conditioning units; equipment retrofits to reduce energy consumption with more efficient equipment; installation of more efficient lighting; and utility bill audits.
As energy costs rise across the nation, GISD has partnered with both state and local political subdivisions in the Texas Conference of Urban Counties Aggregation Project, Inc. This group was formed to aggregate its members' purchasing power and obtain lower electricity rates than any individual member could obtain on its own. As a result of this affiliation, GISD expects to save an additional 15 percent on its electricity purchases next year.
- Using a grant from the Galveston Area Council, GISD has purchased a cardboard baler and required its garbage disposal vendor to recycle its waste cardboard, reducing its trash pickups from three per week to two and saving the district $15,000 a year.
Recycling and conservation continue to be a major emphasis of district operations. In 2000-01, the district's contract for recycling was expanded to include all major GISD facilities, not just schools. Recycle bins are available for use by school and administrative staff at each GISD facility, as well as citizens in surrounding neighborhoods. GISD's recycling bins generate revenues for individual campuses that are used to support student and teacher activities.
- GISD has obtained special discount pricing for after-school, dial-up Internet access for teachers, students and parents. The normal cost to access the Internet through a local Internet provider ranges from $10 to $20 per month. Through the Regional Education Service Center IV, however, GISD acquires the service for $4.99 per month.
The integration of information technology into classroom instruction continues to be a top GISD priority. Thus far in 2000-01, GISD has offered 14 different training workshops, most of them delivered through portable, wireless laptop labs at targeted campus sites. These lessons, lasting about 45 minutes to one hour each, focus on classroom and teacher productivity. Prior to summer 2001, 2,460 employees participated in about 1,500 hours of technology training. During the summer 2001, the district offered about 50 classes serving up to 20 teachers or employees each, in three-hour sessions.
- GISD started a new program to help students attend college in 2000-01.
In collaboration with Galveston College and other organizations and corporations, GISD took part in a capital campaign to help every student graduating from a Galveston high school to attend college. This Universal Access program, which began in fall 2001, provides a scholarship to qualifying students of up to $1,000 per year. The scholarship covers tuition and fees for full-time study at Galveston College for up to two years.
For the 2001-02 school year, the program's first year, 138 local students applied for funding and 40 received scholarships. The other applicants qualified for financial aid through other state and federal programs.
The following key TSPR recommendations were highlighted by GISD administrators and staff as having the greatest impact on district operations. These recommendations are organized by chapter and area of operation, as in TSPR's original report. The comments came from district administrators during the TSPR team's follow-up visit to the district.
District Organization and Management
Recommendation 2: Complete the process of revising and updating the district's board policies and related administrative procedures. According to district administrators, this step has greatly improved communication throughout the district. The community and staff at all levels now have easy access to the district's policy manual via the district Website. Having the policy manual on-line has also eliminated the potential use of out-of-date policies within GISD.
Recommendation 3: Amend the mission statement to identify and communicate clearly the values and beliefs that guide the district and serve as the basis for all policies and actions. While the final outcome is yet to be determined, the superintendent told the TSPR follow-up team that meeting with the board to discuss the issues concerning the district's future and agree upon broad goals, was the first time in a long while that everyone was able to talk openly about their goals for the district in the coming years.
Recommendation 12: Assess the organizational health in each school annually using a qualified survey instrument. The organizational health survey has been a very useful exercise for GISD. The results were compiled not only for the district but also for each campus, and the consultant that conducted the survey met with each campus team to discuss that campus individual strengths and weaknesses. When two principals resigned, district officials said they used the survey to determine their leadership needs and based their candidate search on filling those needs. The survey has aided many other decisions, including revisions to the student code of conduct and the Campus Improvement Plans.
Educational Service Delivery
Recommendation 17: Increase the student-teacher ratio at all secondary campuses by an average of one student per teacher. Administrators said that increasing the student-teacher ratio on all campuses had proven important to the district's financial and academic well-being. The dollars saved by eliminating low-enrollment classes were used to fund a portion of the teacher pay raises given last year. As additional positions are eliminated next year because of a declining student enrollment, the money will again go to fund ongoing pay raises—raises that are critical if GISD is to remain competitive and attract and retain the highest-quality teachers.
Recommendation 21: Develop a comprehensive staff development policy that includes mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating GISD's training programs. District administrators said this was a very controversial issue, but they felt it was important because it requires all educators to enhance their skills continually. The new district policy requires all teachers to obtain 12 hours of continuing training on their own time, either during the summer, in the evening or on weekends. The district provides the training free of charge, but many teachers most in need of certain classes were not taking advantage of the opportunities. Now, if a teacher needs additional training in a specific area, their principal can suggest that some portion of their required training be in those areas.
Community Involvement
Recommendation 31: Create a PTO-PTA Council consisting of PTO and PTA presidents and vice presidents. Every campus now has a parent and a teacher representative. The district contracted with the Texas Association of School Boards for a three-day training on the Parent Learning Network and the district has purchased the program for future training efforts. Most of the cost for this training was covered with existing grant money. In the last year, the district held a Community Fair at which 60 representatives provided training to hundreds of people from inside and outside the community. The fair was a tremendous success, and the district received accolades in the local news for a job well done.
Recommendation 35: Publish a bi-monthly newsletter that informs the public of GISD activities. By working very closely with its local newspaper, the Galveston County Daily News, GISD has obtained a free page in each Sunday paper to publicize the good things going on in the district. A portion of the page is dedicated to advertising, which helps to offset the paper's expense for providing this service. The district also has begun publishing a regular newsletter four times each year as an insert in the newspaper for a relatively low rate. These vehicles allow nearly 19,000 area residents to receive information about GISD activities.
Recommendation 37: Increase efforts to develop and nurture partnerships with foundations, business organizations and nonprofit agencies. GISD is working to revitalize its educational foundation. The district hopes to use the foundation to attract additional funds it can use to enhance its educational programs. The district through the foundation also has pursued several grants to start a mobile education project that would go from neighborhood to neighborhood to share parenting information.
Personnel Management
Recommendation 43: Increase salaries for experienced teachers and administrators at least to the average for area districts. One of the biggest challenges GISD faced when TSPR's review began was recruiting and retaining qualified teachers and administrators. With nearly 100 teaching vacancies each year, the district was experiencing significant difficulties in hiring and retaining certified and qualified teachers, a difficulty that had begun to affect student performance. Moreover, a number of administrative positions could not be filled because the salaries offered were too low.
By raising its salaries and making a commitment to remain competitive in the marketplace, the GISD board has taken a bold step that is achieving results. At the end of 2000-01, less than 40 vacancies existed. Human Resource personnel told TSPR that early approval of the salary schedule for 2000-01 has greatly improved the district's recruitment efforts, so much so that neighboring districts have called to say that GISD was attracting their good candidates—a situation GISD had not seen in a number of years.
Facilities Use and Management
Recommendation 47: Develop a long-range facilities master plan.
Recommendation 48: Review current attendance zones and revise their boundaries to more equitably distribute students across schools. To respond to these recommendations, GISD hired a demographer and organized a facility planning committee made up of district staff and community members to assess each building to establish what repairs or expansion were necessary. The results were startling to some committee members who had not realized the critical facility needs existing in the district. In all, the committee identified more than $100 million in necessary repairs, renovations and construction needs. The demographer has recommended that the district close a campus and consolidate programs based on shifting enrollments within the district.
Recommendation 49: Combine the Maintenance and Operations Departments. While this merger is not yet complete, district administrators said that examining these departments and establishing a more coordinated approach to facility management will be critical as the district considers options for addressing its long-term facility needs. The district plans to hire a new facilities director in the near future to help this consolidation occur.
Financial Management
Recommendation 59: Create formal procedures to ensure corrective actions recommended in audits are taken in a timely manner. In March, June and September of each year, the district's administration updates the board on the district's progress in addressing each audit recommendation.
Recommendation 62: Transfer GISD tax levy and collection functions to the Galveston County Tax Office. While the implementation of this recommendation got off to a rocky start, district officials have indicated that since the new computer system was put in place, things have improved significantly. This recommendation could save the district nearly $200,000 annually if collection rates remain at or near the same levels as previous collection years. Delinquent tax collections have improved significantly.
Asset and Risk Management
Recommendation 63: Place unused bank balances in higher-yielding investments overnight to increase investment earnings. In an interesting turn of events, this recommendation has had an effect on local area businesses as well as the district's interest earnings. Moody Bank, the district's depository, did not offer overnight investments to its customers. GISD's business manager approached the bank with this recommendation and together they worked through the details. Now GISD has earned an additional $40,000 in interest, and Moody Bank is offering the service to its other customers.
Recommendation 65: Close the Lovenberg Retirement Trust account.
Recommendation 66: Use $800,000 from the Lovenberg Maintenance Trust Fund on middle school facility improvements over the next fiscal year and develop a plan for using funds from the trust in each subsequent year. These recommendations made money available that was going unused. The district is considering using this money for needed repairs and renovations and the support of its ailing health insurance fund balance.
Purchasing and Warehouse Services
Recommendation 83: Lease or purchase warehouse space to replace the existing GISD warehouse. GISD's warehouse facility is in serious disrepair, according to district officials. As part of the district's overall facility plan, GISD included the cost of building a new warehouse in its upcoming bond election.
Recommendation 87: Contract with the Harris County Department of Education to develop and maintain records retention schedules required by state law. District officials said they believe this recommendation will limit the amount of warehouse space needed to store documents and feel that they finally have a good records retention policy in place. Child Nutrition
Recommendation 92: Increase meal participation by eliminating barriers and implementing new programs. GISD's Child Nutrition coordinator has promoted a new breakfast program across the district. Nearly every school now has a breakfast program. To date, the district has brought in an additional $65,000 in revenues from breakfast sales, while ensuring that more of its children have a nutritious breakfast.
Recommendation 96: Use industry standard MPLH guidelines for establishing staffing levels. Because the district has been aggressive in increasing participation rates, the productivity of its staff has improved dramatically, making it necessary for the district to eliminate fewer employees than TSPR originally anticipated. Even so, district officials said that instituting cafeteria staffing standards helped cafeteria managers to see that they either had to increase meals served or decrease staff hours to achieve their goals. They did both, and the effect has been positive for all involved.
Transportation
Recommendation 111: Adopt a 15-year bus replacement cycle. GISD's business manager indicated that a regular replacement schedule for buses would make the budgeting process simpler. Instead of budgeting for large purchases every few years, everyone now understands that some amount must be set aside each year.
Computers and Technology
Recommendation 114: Eliminate the position of AS400 technician and hire an Instructional Technology coordinator.
Recommendation 123: Develop a comprehensive technology training plan that focuses on integrating technology in the classroom. Last year, district officials said GISD wasn't ready for these recommendations. They indicated that they were years behind most districts in bringing technology into the classroom. Now that they have obtained computers for the classrooms and have begun training teachers in their use, administrators feel the time is right to hire an instructional technology coordinator. The district hopes to fill the position from within its current staff during the fiscal year.
Recommendation 115: Hire a Network/Fileserver Specialist and a PC Technician. The district started by hiring a student as a part-time PC technician. Two additional positions will be posted this fall, but the costs for filling these positions will be reduced because they are using students, who are also improving their skills as they work.
Safety and Security
Recommendation 127: Outsource GISD's alternative education program. GISD has been challenged academically to provide alternative education for 50 or more students each year that need these services. After an extensive search, GISD has contracted with the Harris County Department of Education for these services. GISD has been very satisfied with the quality of education and other services provided by the contract, despite the fact that savings were not as high as originally anticipated because more children were included than in the original estimate.
GISD has made steady progress in implementing TSPR recommendations, particularly considering that several new administrators assumed their positions during this time. Ninety-three percent of TSPR's recommendations either have been implemented or are being implemented at this writing. District administrators have rejected four of the report's recommendations and have provided their reasons for delay or inaction on five others. This section addresses key areas requiring additional attention.
Board Stability
The board and superintendent voted to request TSPR's review and pay 25 percent of its cost. Since that time, the board has developed an excellent code of conduct, conducted a goal-setting session and updated and approved a comprehensive set of policies to guide the district's operations. During that same time period, however, the board itself has been a source of turmoil, with five different presidents over the last year. Each new president has shifted the board's focus and attention.
GISD administrators told TSPR that they are uncertain of the direction they are expected to take on certain review issues left pending or only partially implemented. Some board members are using the review document as a bible to guide the district and expect administrators to follow the recommendations precisely. After a change in president, the same issues are debated from a different perspective, or administrators are asked to document any problems with the report and challenge attempts at implementation.
If GISD expects to present a unified front to the community when it requests support for any proposed bond issue, the board must restore stability and consistency to its own operations. In the coming months and years, the board will face many decisions, both large and small. To ensure public confidence and trust, the board must debate the issues openly and professionally and reach wise, well-considered decisions. This cannot happen as long as the board continually shifts its leadership and direction.
District Organization
GISD eliminated its director of Communications position and created a position of director of Planning (as per TSPR's Recommendation 6). Yet many planning activities have been placed on hold because the previously assigned communication duties have not been assumed by a chief information officer (CIO), as was envisioned in the report's broader reorganization scenario (Recommendations 9 and 34). The CIO position was created and budgeted, but never filled.
Furthermore, the district created a position of director of Community and Employee Relations (as per Recommendation 8), but did not create the recommended position of coordinator of Volunteers and Partnerships (Recommendation 29) or functionally align related positions to ensure that the functions of Community Involvement, Communications and Employee Relations were carried out effectively.
While TSPR applauds the district's general progress in the areas of communications and planning, it is critical that the district reconsider its long-term needs. Careful planning and community outreach will be critical as the district considers future construction projects.
GISD's Ideas for Improving the Texas School Performance Review
TSPR does not assume that its school review process works so well that it cannot be improved. Therefore, as part of its progress report preparation, TSPR asked Galveston ISD staff members and administrators what went right with the review, what went wrong and how the process could be improved.
Feedback from other districts already has prompted improvements in TSPR's review process. For example, early reports did not include implementation strategies, and districts told TSPR they needed help in getting started. As a result, school reviews now include implementation strategies and timelines for each recommendation.
GISD administrators and board members made the following observations:
According to the superintendent, the review created a lot of work for the district, but he added that the review had been worthwhile and he felt it would remain useful to the district for years to come. Another administrator said that many of the recommendations highlighted things district personnel knew needed to be done, and that the report gave them the impetus to finally get them done. Without the review, the board and administration eventually might have addressed many of the problems uncovered in TSPR's report, but they said the review helped the district accomplish a great many things in a very short time.
As with any complex process, some things could have been done better. The superintendent said that while the board asked for the review, some board members were confused about what to expect from TSPR. He suggested that TSPR should spend more time with the board as a whole and with individual members at the onset of its review process, to determine their expectations, outline the steps in the review process and discuss the best way for the board and administrators to work with TSPR to get the most out of the review. TSPR will make a point of doing so in future reviews, to ensure that school boards and administrators fully understand the review process and that TSPR fully understands their expectations.
The superintendent said he felt TSPR's review was balanced and fair, presenting the district's accomplishments and shortcomings in an even-handed way. He mentioned that those members of the community who were on a “witch hunt” were disappointed that the tone of the report was not more negative. Another administrator, however, felt that more emphasis was needed on the positive aspects of the district, saying that the fact that GISD was doing relatively well in most areas was lost in the media. While it is difficult to control what aspects of a review will be emphasized in the media, TSPR is adding all of GISD's exemplary programs to the Comptroller's AIMS Database so that districts throughout the state can learn from and replicate GISD's exemplary programs.
On a more technical note, administrators said that some of TSPR's implementation strategies assumed that certain activities would require board approval when they did not. Furthermore, they felt some strategies had impractical timelines or did not take budgeting timelines into consideration. TSPR will examine its implementation strategies more carefully in the future to ensure that they are practical and workable and that only those things requiring board action are sent to the board for approval.
From a practical standpoint, TSPR understands that it would have been desirable to have the results of the review in the early spring so that its recommendations could be thoroughly researched and budgeted for the next school year. The Legislature, however, has mandated that TSPR conduct 20 reviews per year. To meet its workload, TSPR must release one series of reviews in the spring and another in the summer. Regrettably, both schedules have drawbacks.
