School Performance Review Galena Park Transmittal Letter 2003 - Texas

[Pages:690]TRANSMITTAL LETTER

March 28, 2003

The Honorable Rick Perry, Governor The Honorable David Dewhurst, Lieutenant Governor The Honorable Thomas R. Craddick, Speaker of the House Commissioner Felipe Alanis, Ph.D.

Fellow Texans:

I am pleased to present my performance review of the Galena Park Independent School District (GPISD).

This review is intended to help GPISD hold the line on costs, streamline operations, and improve services to ensure that more of every education dollar goes directly into the classroom with the teacher and children, where it belongs. To aid in this task, I contracted with SDSM, Inc.

I have made a number of recommendations to improve GPISD's efficiency. I also have highlighted a number of "best practices" in district operations-model programs and services provided by the district's administrators, teachers, and staff. This report outlines 73 detailed recommendations that could save GPISD nearly $10.2 million over the next five years, while reinvesting more than $3.1 million to improve educational services and other operations. Net savings are estimated to reach nearly $7.1 million that the district can redirect to the classroom.

I am grateful for the cooperation of GPISD's board, staff, parents and community members. I commend them for their dedication to improving the educational opportunities for our most precious resource in GPISD-our children.

I am also pleased to announce that the report is available on my Window on State Government Web site at window.state.tx.us/tspr/galenapark/.

Sincerely,

Carole Keeton Strayhorn Texas Comptroller

c: Senate Committee on Education House Committee on Public Education The Honorable Mario Gallegos, Jr., Texas Senate, District 6 The Honorable John Whitmire, Texas Senate, District 15 The Honorable Joe Crabb, Texas House of Representatives, District 127 The Honorable Harold Dutton, Jr., Texas House of Representatives,

District 142 The Honorable Joe Moreno, Texas House of Representatives, District

143

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In September 2002, Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn began a review of the Galena Park Independent School District (GPISD). Based upon more than six months of work, this report identifies GPISD's exemplary programs and suggests concrete ways to improve district operations. If fully implemented, the Comptroller's 73 recommendations could result in net savings of nearly $7.1 million over the next five years.

Improving The Texas School Performance Review

Soon after taking office in January 1999, Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn consulted school district officials, parents and teachers from across Texas and carefully examined past reviews and progress reports to make the Texas School Performance Review (TSPR) more valuable to the state's school districts. With the perspective of a former teacher and school board president, the Comptroller has vowed to use TSPR to increase local school districts' accountability to the communities they serve.

Recognizing that only 51 cents of every education dollar is spent on instruction, Comptroller Strayhorn's goal is to drive more of every education dollar directly into the classroom. Comptroller Strayhorn also has ordered TSPR staff to share best practices and exemplary programs quickly and systematically with all the state's school districts and with anyone else who requests such information. Comptroller Strayhorn has directed TSPR to serve as a clearinghouse of the best ideas in Texas public education.

Under Comptroller Strayhorn's approach, consultants and the TSPR team will work with districts to:

? ensure that students and teachers receive the support and resources necessary to succeed;

? identify innovative ways to address the district's core management challenges;

? ensure that administrative duties are performed efficiently, without duplication, and in a way that fosters education;

? develop strategies to ensure that the district's processes and programs are continuously assessed and improved;

? 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 a business in the Yellow Pages can do that job better and at a lower cost.

Finally, Comptroller Strayhorn has opened her door to Texans who share her optimism about the potential for public education. Suggestions to improve Texas schools or the school reviews are welcome at any time. The Comptroller believes public schools deserve all the attention and assistance they can get.

For more information, contact TSPR by calling toll-free 1-800-531-5441, extension 5-3676, or see the Comptroller's Web site at window.state.tx.us.

TSPR In Galena Park ISD

In December 2000, Comptroller Strayhorn selected GPISD for a school performance review. Based on the Comptroller's criteria for school audits, GPISD is among the 50 largest school districts in Texas with more than 65 percent of its students economically disadvantaged. While academically the district is excelling, the district is facing financial challenges associated with meeting the needs of a growing and diverse student population.

In January 2001, after consulting with the board, Superintendent Neeley called the Comptroller and requested that the review be delayed. The review began in September 2002, with interviews and two public forums held at Galena Park High School from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on September 17 and September 19, at North Shore Senior High School. The Comptroller's office selected SDSM Inc., an Austin-based consulting firm, to assist with the review at a cost to the Comptroller's office of $185,000. The review team interviewed district employees, school board members, parents, business leaders and community members.

To obtain additional comments, the review team conducted focus group sessions with teachers, principals, parents and community members. To ensure that all stakeholder groups could provide input, TSPR sent surveys to students, parents, teachers, campus and central administrators and support staff.

A total of 312 respondents answered surveys. Sixty administrative and support staff,31 principals and assistant principals, 68 teachers, 33 parents and 120 students completed written surveys as part of the review. Details from the surveys and public forums appear in Appendices A through F.

The review team also consulted two databases of comparative educational information maintained by the Texas Education Agency (TEA)-the Academic Excellence Indicator System and the Public Education Information Management System.

GPISD selected peer districts for comparisons based on similarities in student enrollment, student performance and community and student demographics. The selected peer districts were Aldine ISD, Pasadena ISD, Humble ISD and Goose Creek CISD. TSPR also compared GPISD to district averages in TEA's Regional Education Service Center IV (Region 4), to which GPISD belongs, and to the state as a whole.

During its six- month review, TSPR developed 73 recommendations for improving operations and saving taxpayers nearly $10.2 million by 200607. Cumulative net savings from all recommendations (savings minus recommended investments or expenditures) would reach nearly $7.1 million by 2006-07.

A detailed list of costs and savings by recommendation appears in Exhibit 4. Many TSPR recommendations would not have a direct impact but would improve the district's overall operations.

Acknowledgments

The Comptroller's office and SDSM, Inc., wish to express their appreciation to the GPISD Board of Trustees, Superintendent Dr. Shirley Neeley, district employees, students, parents and community residents who helped during this review. Special thanks go to Mike Seale, who served as GPISD's liaison. He arranged for office space, equipment and meeting rooms, organized the findings meeting, responded to data requests and accommodated the review team's needs.

Galena Park ISD

GPISD, an urban school district located in eastern Harris County, covers 32 square miles and includes land in four separate political subdivisions: the city of Galena Park; Jacinto City; several unincorporated communities in Harris County including Greens Bayou, Woodland Acres and the Cloverleaf Addition in Harris County; and a limited area of the city of Houston. The district's students are 63 percent Hispanic, 21 percent African American and 14 percent Anglo. Economically disadvantaged students make up 65.8 percent of the student population.

Exhibit 1 details the demographic characteristics of GPISD Regional Education Service Center (Region 4), the state and GPISD's peer school districts.

Exhibit 1 Demographic Characteristics of Students GPISD, Peer Districts, Region 4 and the State

2001-02

District

Ethnic Group (Percent)

African

Economically

2001-02 American Hispanic Anglo Other Disadvantaged

Aldine

53,201 33.7% 54.7% 8.8% 2.9%

73.7%

Pasadena

43,476

5.6% 66.8% 24.1% 3.5%

57.3%

Humble

25,239 10.6% 15.3% 70.7% 3.5%

17.3%

GPISD

19,336 21.3% 62.9% 13.8% 2.0%

65.8%

Goose Creek Consolidated

18,274

17.3% 42.6% 38.7% 1.3%

52.2%

Region 4

900,198 21.7% 38.1% 34.8% 5.4%

48.8%

State

4,146,653 14.4% 41.7% 40.9% 3.1%

50.5%

Source: Texas Education Agency (TEA), Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS), 2001-02.

In 2001-02, the district served 19,336 students in three high schools, four middle schools, one intermediate school and 12 elementary schools. Of these 19 schools, the district has six schools classified as "Exemplary" by TEA and 13 "Recognized" schools. GPISD's 2001-02 budget was more than $139.9 million. The district employs 2,524 staff members; 1,326 (52.5 percent) are teachers.

The district has made significant strides academically under the direction of its superintendent, Dr. Shirley Neeley, who was hired in 1995. In 199495, the district's overall TEA accreditation status was Accredited, the precursor to today's ranking of Academically Acceptable. In 2001-02, GPISD is the largest Exemplary district in the state.

As shown in Exhibit 2, GPISD's percent improvement on Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) over this period nearly doubled the state increase. Although GPISD was last among its peers in 1997-98, its student performance in 2001-02 surpassed all but one of the peer districts as well as the state and regional average.

Exhibit 2 Percent of Students Passing TAAS, All Tests Taken (Grades 3-8 and

10) GPISD, Peer Districts, Region 4 and the State

1997-98 through 2001-02

District Humble Aldine Goose Creek Pasadena GPISD Region 4 State

199798*

87.4%

80.1%

199899**

85.6%

78.4%

19992000**

87.6%

80.6%

200001**

200102

Percentage Point Change

1997-98 to 2001-02

88.7% 89.9%

2.5%

84.1% 87.1%

7.0%

78.1% 80.3%

82.8% 85.3% 86.4%

8.3%

77.9% 74.2% 75.9% 77.7%

79.4% 79.2% 78.1% 78.1%

81.4% 81.4% 80.6% 79.9%

83.9% 86.6% 85.4% 89.1% 83.1% 86.8% 82.1% 85.3%

8.7% 14.9% 10.9% 7.6%

Source: TEA, AEIS, 1997-98 through 2001-02. *Recalculated from original posting to include special education and grades 3 and 4 Spanish TAAS. ** Recalculated from original posting to include special education and grades 3 through 6 Spanish TAAS.

The following series of key findings and recommendations is designed to assist the board, superintendent and administration in overcoming a number of challenges, including:

? improving student performance beyond state assessments; ? enhancing business management practices; and ? instilling public confidence and improving communication.

Key Findings and Recommendations

Improve Student Performance Beyond State Assessments

Improve participation rates in the statewide testing program. A smaller percentage of GPISD students take the TAAS than the state and regional averages, due primarily to its Special Education and LimitedEnglish-Proficient (LEP) exemption rates. In 2001-02, more than 8 percent of the district's students tested took the State Developed Alternative Assessment, an alternative test given to special education students. While the district has done a commendable job of improving its

students' TAAS scores, it should develop and implement districtwide and campus-specific strategies to increase participation rates for future statewide tests.

Review end-of-course data and develop strategies to prepare for the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. In2001-02, GPISD high school students fell below regional and state averages on exit-level TAAS writing and all tests taken and end-of-course exams. TEA has indicated that districts can predict how their students will perform on the new Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) by their performance on the end-of-course exams. Students' performance on the more rigorous TAKS can be improved by incorporating end-of-course objectives and strategies in the district improvement plan (DIP) and campus improvement plans (CIPs).

Improve student performance on college entrance tests . GPISD students score below the state and regional averages on college entrance tests. GPISD high schools differ in the emphasis they place on the American College Test (ACT) and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) in their CIPs. The district has attempted to improve student participation and performance by offering preparatory courses and staff training for teachers on incorporating test-taking skills into the regular curriculum. Including a greater focus on ACT/SAT preparation and exam-taking in the DIP and in its CIPs should help the district to better prepare students for college and ultimately for the workforce.

Improve student participation in Advanced Placement (AP) courses and exams. While GPISD has received recognition for increasing its number of students enrolled in AP courses, the AP participation rate and AP performance by district students remain below regional and state averages. Students surveyed during a 2002 evaluation of the AP program said that their main reason for not taking AP exams was a lack of preparation. In addition, the district holds its secondary teachers accountable for student performance on AP exams, but not for participation. Consequently, teachers tend to encourage students who are more likely to do well on the AP exams to participate. A comprehensive plan focusing on the academic and financial benefits to be gained by participating in AP courses, and including a staff development schedule for AP teachers in the areas of test-taking and preparation, would help the district increase its participation and exam rates.

Enhance Business Management Practices

Apply industry staffing formulas at the campus level and reduce the number of secretaries at the central administrative level. According to industry standards, GPISD is overstaffed with vice principals, clerical and

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