At the June 6 board work session, RISD shared two end of year performance metrics with trustees, including end of year MAP results and data from RISD’s annual climate survey of teachers, which informed a discussion about the district’s cellphone-free policy for students.
End of Year MAP Data
The Measurement of Academic Progress (MAP) is a student assessment tool used by school districts across Texas and the U.S. to measure how students are doing three times each school year in reading and math. Monitoring MAP data through a school year helps teachers and administrators know how well each student is understanding the curriculum and at what level of mastery. Teachers then know which students need additional instruction or interventions in certain areas to ensure they are growing academically.
RISD has previously reported beginning and middle of year MAP data, and presented end of year data to trustees on June 6. MAP is an indicator of whether a student’s actual growth reached their individual expected growth based on previous assessments. MAP results are a normed distribution, meaning the tool expects that while all students will grow academically, 50% of students should meet their expected growth goals.
RISD’s end of year MAP data indicates academic growth from beginning of year across grade levels and students groups. 92% of eligible RISD students had a MAP growth measure in both Reading and Math. And RISD students as a whole are meeting national growth norms. While MAP is a tool primarily used by educators during the school year to help inform teaching and intervention decisions, it is also useful as an annual overall metric, especially when considered with other student performance data, such as STAAR results.
Watch the End of Year MAP presentation and discussion
Teacher Feedback Overwhelmingly Positive on Survey Results
Trustees also considered and discussed RISD’s end of year teacher climate survey results. More than 2,000 RISD teachers completed the survey, which was administered in May.
Overall, positive teacher feedback increased on every metric compared to the 22-23 school year. Among many positive survey results, teachers expressed high levels of satisfaction with RISD’s direction, the culture of college and career readiness, and central office support. The relative opportunities for improvement noted on the survey included consistent administration of discipline, and how disruptive students are addressed. While both areas improved compared to last year’s survey and are still overall positive, discipline remains the weakest area of the teacher survey, and will be a major point of emphasis in 2024-25.
Student Cell Phone Policy
Teacher survey results related to the district’s student cellphone-free schools policy indicated strong, widespread support. Teachers report the cellphone-free policy has allowed them to recapture up to 10 or more minutes of instructional time every class period – an impact that collectively results in hundreds of hours of additional teaching and learning across the district over the course of the school year.
Educator survey results from the five RISD campuses that have implemented magnetic “Yondr“ pouches as a tool to enforce the policy were even higher on every survey metric. Administrators of Yondr implementation schools shared very positive feedback ranging from higher teacher retention to a reduction in discipline. For 2024-25, some additional secondary principals are considering Yondr implementation for their campuses. More information will be available to parents and students as part of back to school preparation and planning.
Watch the Survey and Cellphone presentation and discussion
Trustees Poteet, Timme Sworn In; Board Reorganizes With New Officers
After running unopposed in May, RISD Trustees Megan Timme (Single Member District 1) and Chris Poteet (At Large Place 7) were sworn in on June 6 to three-year terms.
June 6 was the final regular meeting of the 2023-24 school year, and trustees reorganized in advance of the 2024-25 school year.
RISD Board Officers for 2024-25
Chris Poteet, President
Eric Eager, Vice President
Rachel McGowan, Secretary
Regina Harris, TASB Delegate
Vanessa Pacheco, TASB Alternate
Poteet replaces Regina Harris as Board president, who served in the role since 2021.
Watch the Swearing In, Board reorganization discussion and vote
