Flexibility and opportunities for more enrichment and courses will be coming to Round Rock ISD students after the Board of Trustees approved its District of Innovation (DOI) plan at its October 20, 2016, regular meeting.

The Board approved a plan to exempt Round Rock ISD from seven laws under the Texas Education Code:

  • Teacher Certification for Hard-to-Fill Areas,
  • First & Last Day of Instruction,
  • Minimum Minutes of Instruction,
  • Minimum Attendance for Credit,
  • Class size limits for Kindergarten through Fourth Grade,
  • Teacher Mentors, and
  • Kindergarten Start Age.

The District posted its plan for a 30-day public review from September 19 – October 18 and presented it to its District Level Committee (DLC) for approval prior to a Board vote.

Now the District will work to draft local policies for each of its exempted areas to enact changes for the upcoming school year. With the approval, Round Rock ISD will notify the Texas Education Agency (TEA) of its plan and conduct annual reviews.

“District of Innovation gives our schools the flexibility to offer more opportunities for students and make it easier for principals and teachers to lead schools,” Board President Paul J. Tisch said. “Now, our role is to create local policies that meet our unique needs in Round Rock ISD. We are excited for this opportunity to continue building on our Strategic Plan. I am grateful to our Superintendent, Board, and Design Team, including Trustees Terri Romere and Diane Cox, for their efforts in creating this plan.”

The Texas Legislature created the DOI program in House Bill 1842 during its 84th session in May 2015. The provision allows school districts to gain local control in certain areas, creating thoughtful and purposeful policy for its students.

“We are excited for the opportunity to enhance our District’s ability to offer innovative programs, approaches and initiatives to our community and further the quality of teaching and learning that takes place,” said Mandy Estes, interim chief of teaching and learning. “We look forward to collaborating with our Board of Trustees, staff, and community to assess and implement further flexibility afforded by our District of Innovation plan.”

Round Rock ISD will be able to find more teachers in the areas of Career and Technical Education (CTE), dual credit, dual language, and world languages, which are areas that are typically challenging to fill. When hiring teachers in only those specific areas, it will create a standard to determine qualifications, such as alternative testing options and/or qualified experiences. The District will continue to seek certified teachers and retain existing teachers in the areas being considered.

In exempting from first/last day of school state requirements, the District creates flexibility to determine dates locally, through the District calendar adoption committee process, which includes opportunities for input by parents, staff, and the community.

Round Rock ISD will continue to plan for a complete school year equaling the state required 75,600 minutes (about 420 minutes per day); however, by removing the minimum minutes requirement, the District could have the flexibility to alter the school day to allow for weather delays and/or professional development without having to make-up time.

Removing the seat time requirement for middle school and high school courses gives families and students options to earn course credit based on mastery of content and/or to pursue innovative solutions for students to obtain credit through virtual environments. Course credit would not be bound by time constraints.

Changes to teacher mentor requirements allows principals to make the best choice for new teacher mentors.

Adjusting the required starting age could give families the opportunities to work with their child’s school to start kindergarten early, when it is in the best interest of the child.

Districts currently submit waivers on an annual basis for kindergarten through fourth grade classrooms exceeding 22 students. The calculation happens across all classrooms in a grade level at one school equaling 22:1 or less before requiring a waiver.

Under the DOI exemption, Round Rock ISD has the flexibility to eliminate the required waiver process when classes exceed thresholds, creating its own system of Board oversight. This allows schools to keep classrooms at or below the ratio with the flexibility for schools to make site-based decisions.

For example, it could be in the best interest of students in a grade level with a 23:1 ratio to keep students with their teacher of record instead of hiring a new teacher in the middle of the school year. In some schools, students frequently transfer in and out, which could cause several shifts in enrollment and create disruptions for kids.

For more information on the District of Innovation process and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) visit the District of Innovation homepage.