College Station ISD Issues Statement About Future Staffing Following Public Comments To The School Board

College Station ISD issues a statement about future staffing following public comments during the April school board meeting.

Click below to hear comments from David Foley during the April 16, 2024 College Station ISD board meeting:

 

Click HERE to read and download a statement printed from College Station ISD’s website:

Q: Is CSISD laying off employees?
A: No. CSISD is reallocating staff within the curriculum and instruction department to best serve student growth and support teachers. All enrichment specialists, instructional coaches and interventionists will have the opportunity to be employed by CSISD in professional positions for the 2024-2025 school year.

Q: Will CSISD have interventionists for the 2024-2025 school year?
A: Classroom teachers intervene with students on a daily basis. While CSISD will not have the position of interventionists as we have had in the past, students will continue to receive targeted, data-driven intervention by our highly-qualified and dedicated classroom teachers. Professional learning will be provided throughout the school year as we remain committed to teacher development and student growth. Change is often difficult and challenging, but CSISD is confident that this change will better support students and staff. For employees that currently fill an interventionist role, they have the opportunity to serve in a different capacity such as instructional coach, MTSS coordinator or classroom teacher.

Q: Will CSISD have enrichment specialists for the 2024-2025 school year?
A: Yes. For the 2023-2024 school year, CSISD had 13 enrichment specialists. 10 of these staff members are returning for the 2024-2025 school year and three have retired.

Q: How will restructuring serve and support more students and teachers?
A: Reallocating staff will provide access to intervention and enrichment opportunities for all students based on individual needs from our classroom teachers. Rather than removing students from classroom instruction for intervention or enrichment, students will spend more time in the classroom receiving high-quality instruction from our certified teachers. When students are removed from classroom instruction for intervention or enrichment, they miss out on initial content instruction from their teacher. Providing intervention or enrichment within the classroom means students will not miss valuable instructional time and the intervention and enrichment will be more aligned with learning targets. Based on individual student data, CSISD will be able to provide a consistent model for student growth and teacher support. Throughout the school year, teachers will receive support through professional development specifically designed to support integrating interventions and enrichment to meet the needs of all students.

Q: Why is CSISD making these changes?
A: After careful consideration and evaluation of our data and resources, it was identified that CSISD can provide continuous improvement for students and staff through reallocating of resources, adjusting curriculum, and professional development. While this will provide some cost-savings in the midst of a challenging budget situation, this decision was made to best support students and teachers.

Q: What is student intervention?
A: An intervention is anything a school does, above and beyond what all students receive, that helps certain students succeed in school (Buffum et al., 2012). When students receive a specific service, it is an intervention. Intervention can be individual attention to a student during class time, small group work based on a learning target or any other additional service or instruction outside of initial instruction. In CSISD, teachers already provide high-quality interventions on a daily basis. The district will be providing professional development and resources to teachers to continually improve interventions in the classroom.

Q: What is enrichment?
A: Enrichment programs, such as Gifted & Talented, are designed to meet the needs of students who have been identified as gifted or talented in one or more areas, such as intellectual ability, creativity or leadership skills. These programs often offer specialized instruction, advanced coursework or enrichment opportunities tailored to the unique strengths and interests of gifted students. The goal is to provide these students with challenging and stimulating educational experiences that help them reach their full potential. (TEA)

Q: Will services for GT-identified students be reduced by this change?
A: No. Students will continue to receive GT pull-out services.

Q: Will special education services be reduced by this change?
A: No. CSISD is not reducing special education services or staff. Special education services are individualized based on student need and will not be impacted. All services outlined in the IEP will be provided. Staff are assigned based on student needs. For example, if a large number of students who receive special education services moves from an elementary school to an intermediate school, the amount of staff (teachers and/or paraprofessionals) may need to be adjusted to support students at the next grade level.

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