Superintendent's Message
Dear Moulton ISD and Community Members,
I hope everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving and were able to spend time with their family and friends. Things have been moving quickly at MISD. We are well into our 3rd six weeks of school, and are heading towards the Christmas break.
Academics
The Elementary and Junior High UIL meet was held in Shiner on November 21st, and 22nd. Many of our Elementary and Junior High students brought home ribbons. Congratulations to all of our students and sponsors for another successful UIL year.
In addition our official ratings for the 2010-2011 school year were released by the Texas Education Agency. As reported earlier in the year, the Elementary school received an “Exemplary” rating. This is the highest rating that a school can receive. The High School and Junior High received an Academically Acceptable rating for the 2010-2011 school year. The district received an overall rating of “Recognized,” which is the 2nd highest rating. The Texas Education Agency also handed out Gold Star Acknowledgements for the Elementary and Junior High/High School campus. The Elementary received a Gold Star Acknowledgement for Commended Performance on Reading/ELA, Commended Performance on Writing, Commended Performance on Mathematics, Commended Performance on Science, and Comparable Improvement in Reading. The High School and Junior High received Gold Star Acknowledgements for attendance rates (2009-10), AP/IB Results (2009-10), College-Ready Graduates (Class of 2010), Recommended High School Program (Class of 2010), Texas Success Initiative (TSI) ELA, Texas Success Initiative (TSI) Mathematics, Commended on Writing, and Commended on Social Studies.
These ratings will stand for the 2010/2011 school year as well as the 2011/2012 school year. This year our 3rd through 9th grade students will be taking a new state assessment called the STAAR test. Our 10th and 11th grade students will still be taking the TAKS tests. The Texas Education Agency has released little information regarding the new state assessment. However, I am confident that our students and teachers are up to the challenge.
This year, we have formed a committee at the secondary level. We are analyzing information that has been released by the Texas Education Agency regarding the End of Course Assessments and the implementation of the new STAAR test. Due to these regulations, there will most likely be changes to the way we do our semester and yearly finals. The goal of the committee is to find ways to maximize instruction time, and meet the new requirements set forth by the Texas Education Agency. With the new assessment system in mind, changes will have to be made to preserve as much instructional time as possible.
Thank you in advance for being involved in your child’s education. Please do not hesitate to call your child’s school with questions regarding their academic progress.
Budget
You may have heard that many districts across the State of Texas have joined the Equity Center’s lawsuit against the state of Texas. The lawsuit claims that the current funding system is not equitable for all students in the State of Texas. Moulton ISD has not decided to join the lawsuit at this time, but it is under consideration. Even with the current budget cut, MISD will continue to put money towards improving our academic weak areas. Teachers will continue to get the instructional materials that they have requested. So far this year, we have spent $2,750 on morning and after-school tutoring. I am expecting this number to continue to grow as the year progresses. In addition, we are looking at different computer based intervention programs such as Neufeld math. These computer based programs are designed to help students with their weaker academic areas.
Athletics/Extra-Curricular Activities
Basketball season has started and tournament season has come to an end. Both the boys and girls teams have been competing admirably and continue to improve as the season progresses. Our Junior High teams are also off to a great start.
In was great to see our students participate in the Veteran’s Day program. The students did a wonderful job of delivering messages of support for our Veterans, playing music, singing, and presenting the United States flag. I am proud of our students that played a part in making the Veteran’s Day program a success. Also, our students did a fantastic job at the Christmas concert. I truly believe that all extra-curricular activities are the best at-risk program for our students. It gives them a chance to be involved in activities that are beneficial to their self-esteem, and it gives them incentive to do well in their academic studies.
I hope everyone has a restful Christmas break. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call or stop by.
Chad Rothbauer
Moulton ISD Superintendent of Schools
