At cohort schools, campus leaders and teachers strive to provide wall-to-wall personalized learning.
TRANSFORMATION SCHOOLS
Personalized Learning Preparatory at Sam Houston Elementary School
School Website: www.dallasisd.org/houston
Principal, Ashley Belton, asbelton@dallasisd.org PL Coordinator: Rachel Swartz, rswartz@dallasisd.org |
What We Do:
Through empowering students in a culture of innovation, Personalized Learning Preparatory at Sam Houston provides a one-size-fits-one learning environment that celebrates diversity, student voice, and excellence for every student.
How We Do It:
Through empowering students in a culture of innovation, Personalized Learning Preparatory at Sam Houston provides a one-size-fits-one learning environment that celebrates diversity, student voice, and excellence for every student.
How We Do It:
Key Components of Our Personalized Learning Model:
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Proudest Accomplishments:
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Proudest Accomplishments:
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IGNITE Middle School
PL Coordinator: Julia Hall, juhall@dallasisd.org |
What We Do:
Our model is Career Exploration and Passion-Driven Learning. IGNITE is middle school where every scholar crafts a professional vision, and that vision becomes the context, motivator, and purpose for their learning. Our mission is to create an inspirational, challenging, and caring learning community that empowers all students with the academic ability, life skills, and rich learning experiences needed to realize their unique life visions.
How We Do It:
To ensure that every student leaves the 8th grade knowing who they are, where they are going, and how they will get there, we take IGNITE scholars on a four-phase Journey to Impact:
Key Components of Our Personalized Learning Model:
✓ Blended Rotational Classroom
✓ Project-Based Learning
✓ Competency-Based Learning
✓ Learner Profiles and Pathways
Proudest Accomplishments:
✓ More than 600 applicants for 200 6th grade seats
✓ Industry partnerships established with UT Southwestern and Varidesk
Our model is Career Exploration and Passion-Driven Learning. IGNITE is middle school where every scholar crafts a professional vision, and that vision becomes the context, motivator, and purpose for their learning. Our mission is to create an inspirational, challenging, and caring learning community that empowers all students with the academic ability, life skills, and rich learning experiences needed to realize their unique life visions.
How We Do It:
To ensure that every student leaves the 8th grade knowing who they are, where they are going, and how they will get there, we take IGNITE scholars on a four-phase Journey to Impact:
- Awaken: Self-Discovery
- Enlighten: Career Exploration
- Ignite: Crafting a Vision
- Impact: Realizing the Vision
Key Components of Our Personalized Learning Model:
✓ Blended Rotational Classroom
✓ Project-Based Learning
✓ Competency-Based Learning
✓ Learner Profiles and Pathways
Proudest Accomplishments:
✓ More than 600 applicants for 200 6th grade seats
✓ Industry partnerships established with UT Southwestern and Varidesk
Innovation, Design, Entrepreneurship Academy (IDEA)
PL Coordinator: Andrew White, andwhite@dallasisd.org |
What We Do:
The Innovation, Design, Entrepreneurship Academy is a community of innovators challenging assumptions and designing creative solutions, one student at a time.
How We Do It:
IDEA knows our one-of-a-kind students deserve a one-of-a-kind education, so we (1) facilitate a personalized educational model, allowing students to learn what they need to know, when and how it's best for them; (2) connect students with mentors and internships to prepare them for life after high school; and (3) use restorative practices to grow Next Generation Skills like critical thinking and collaboration that develop our students of today into the innovators of tomorrow.
Key Components of Our Personalized Learning Model:
✓ One-to-one student mentoring program
✓ Internships in a field of each student’s choice
✓ Student-paced lessons and personalized instructional pathways
✓ One-to-one student laptops to support adaptive instruction
✓ Next Generation Skills rubrics
✓ Student-led goal setting
Proudest Accomplishments:
✓ Achieving the highest District exam scores among all comprehensive high schools in English, World Geography, and Algebra II
✓ Outscoring district averages in Algebra and English I EOC state exams
✓ Securing more than 50 student internships
✓ Partnering with nearly 200 mentors to support students
The Innovation, Design, Entrepreneurship Academy is a community of innovators challenging assumptions and designing creative solutions, one student at a time.
How We Do It:
IDEA knows our one-of-a-kind students deserve a one-of-a-kind education, so we (1) facilitate a personalized educational model, allowing students to learn what they need to know, when and how it's best for them; (2) connect students with mentors and internships to prepare them for life after high school; and (3) use restorative practices to grow Next Generation Skills like critical thinking and collaboration that develop our students of today into the innovators of tomorrow.
Key Components of Our Personalized Learning Model:
✓ One-to-one student mentoring program
✓ Internships in a field of each student’s choice
✓ Student-paced lessons and personalized instructional pathways
✓ One-to-one student laptops to support adaptive instruction
✓ Next Generation Skills rubrics
✓ Student-led goal setting
Proudest Accomplishments:
✓ Achieving the highest District exam scores among all comprehensive high schools in English, World Geography, and Algebra II
✓ Outscoring district averages in Algebra and English I EOC state exams
✓ Securing more than 50 student internships
✓ Partnering with nearly 200 mentors to support students
INNOVATION SCHOOLS
Felix G. Botello Elementary
Principal, Sandra Espinoza, sespinoza@dallasisd.org PL Coordinator: Allison Williams, allwilliams@dallasisd.org |
What We Do:
We conquer our goals and achieve excellence by personalizing learning for every student.
How We Do It:
Felix G. Botello’s scholars build problem solving skills and independent thinking and become socially aware by attaining mastery of content with rigorous instruction that focuses on each students’ strengths, interests and needs in order to personalize learning. This supports students’ immediate and long-term educational futures and their career paths.
Key Components of Our Personalized Learning Model:
✓ Blended Learning rotational model
✓ Student-led academic and personal goal-setting
✓ Learner Profiles
✓ Data-driven Instruction
✓ Flexible seating and space
✓ Differentiated instruction based on students’ needs
✓ Learning Management Systems (Schoology & Google Classroom)
✓ Extensive interest-based extracurricular activities
Proudest Accomplishments:
✓ Earned 5 State Distinctions in 2016-2017 SY: Academic Achievement in ELA/Reading, Mathematics, and Science, Top 25 Percent in Closing Performance Gaps and Postsecondary Readiness
✓ TEA Postsecondary Readiness score 292% above target in 2016-17
✓ TEA Closing Performance Gaps score 82% above target in 2016-17
✓ TEA Student Progress score 52% above target in 2016-17
✓ The school’s Beliefs and Priorities on the Climate Survey rose from 80.1 to 91.7 in our first year of PL Implementation
✓ 95.1% of the campus feels our school has a College-Going Campus environment according to the Climate Survey
We conquer our goals and achieve excellence by personalizing learning for every student.
How We Do It:
Felix G. Botello’s scholars build problem solving skills and independent thinking and become socially aware by attaining mastery of content with rigorous instruction that focuses on each students’ strengths, interests and needs in order to personalize learning. This supports students’ immediate and long-term educational futures and their career paths.
Key Components of Our Personalized Learning Model:
✓ Blended Learning rotational model
✓ Student-led academic and personal goal-setting
✓ Learner Profiles
✓ Data-driven Instruction
✓ Flexible seating and space
✓ Differentiated instruction based on students’ needs
✓ Learning Management Systems (Schoology & Google Classroom)
✓ Extensive interest-based extracurricular activities
Proudest Accomplishments:
✓ Earned 5 State Distinctions in 2016-2017 SY: Academic Achievement in ELA/Reading, Mathematics, and Science, Top 25 Percent in Closing Performance Gaps and Postsecondary Readiness
✓ TEA Postsecondary Readiness score 292% above target in 2016-17
✓ TEA Closing Performance Gaps score 82% above target in 2016-17
✓ TEA Student Progress score 52% above target in 2016-17
✓ The school’s Beliefs and Priorities on the Climate Survey rose from 80.1 to 91.7 in our first year of PL Implementation
✓ 95.1% of the campus feels our school has a College-Going Campus environment according to the Climate Survey
Chapel Hill Preparatory Academy
PL Coordinator, Jessica Navarro, jnavarro@dallasisd.org |
What We Do:
At Chapel Hill , we personalized a high-quality education and inspire lifelong learners.
How We Do It:
The staff at Chapel Hill is committed to a trusting, caring, and orderly environment where teaching and learning are evident and students are empowered to reach their full academic potential. All aspects of Chapel Hill's organization, curriculum, and extracurricular activities are child centered and designed to accommodate individual learning styles so that all students experience success and learn at a rigorous level.
Key Components of Our Personalized Learning Model:
✓ Blended Learning station rotation model
✓ Data Driven Instruction
✓ Differentiated Learning Pathways
✓ Learner Profiles
✓ Social-Emotional Learning including daily morning meetings using the Responsive Classroom model
✓ Flexible learning spaces and seating
✓ Extensive extracurriculars including Makerspace Library, Destination Imagination, and Robotics
Proudest Accomplishments:
✓ State and global award-winning Destination Imagination student teams
✓ STAAR Postsecondary Readiness score 158% above target in 2016-17
✓ National Spelling Bee Finalists
✓ 6% year over year increases both 3rd grade reading and math in each of the two years since Personalized Learning implementation began.
✓ 95% of staff believe that” Instruction in this school is focused on helping students get ready for college.”
At Chapel Hill , we personalized a high-quality education and inspire lifelong learners.
How We Do It:
The staff at Chapel Hill is committed to a trusting, caring, and orderly environment where teaching and learning are evident and students are empowered to reach their full academic potential. All aspects of Chapel Hill's organization, curriculum, and extracurricular activities are child centered and designed to accommodate individual learning styles so that all students experience success and learn at a rigorous level.
Key Components of Our Personalized Learning Model:
✓ Blended Learning station rotation model
✓ Data Driven Instruction
✓ Differentiated Learning Pathways
✓ Learner Profiles
✓ Social-Emotional Learning including daily morning meetings using the Responsive Classroom model
✓ Flexible learning spaces and seating
✓ Extensive extracurriculars including Makerspace Library, Destination Imagination, and Robotics
Proudest Accomplishments:
✓ State and global award-winning Destination Imagination student teams
✓ STAAR Postsecondary Readiness score 158% above target in 2016-17
✓ National Spelling Bee Finalists
✓ 6% year over year increases both 3rd grade reading and math in each of the two years since Personalized Learning implementation began.
✓ 95% of staff believe that” Instruction in this school is focused on helping students get ready for college.”
Cowart Elementary
PL Coordinator, Bailey McGinnis, bmcginnis@dallasisd.org |
What We Do:
At Cowart we empower learners to reach new heights.
How We Do It:
At Cowart, we encourage and empower scholars to learn and grow academically, socially, and emotionally, in order to prepare them for success as productive citizens and lifelong learners.
Key Components of Our Personalized Learning Model:
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Proudest Accomplishments:
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At Cowart we empower learners to reach new heights.
How We Do It:
At Cowart, we encourage and empower scholars to learn and grow academically, socially, and emotionally, in order to prepare them for success as productive citizens and lifelong learners.
Key Components of Our Personalized Learning Model:
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Proudest Accomplishments:
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Henry B. Gonzalez Personalized Learning Academy
School Website: www.dallasisd.org/gonzalez
PL Coordinator, Cheryl Dumas, cdumas@dallasisd.org |
What We Do:
At Gonzalez, we empower future world changers in a personalized environment through collaboration, transformative thinking, and leadership.
How We Do It:
At Gonzalez, our mission is to promote the whole child academically, emotionally and socially; all stakeholders will be accountable to provide our scholars with a foundation to excel with a global, competitive education that will empower them to become college and career ready.
Key Components of Our Personalized Learning Model:
✓ Blended Learning station rotation model
✓ Student and Teacher Learner Profiles to gauge and increase growth
✓Learning Pathways to promote student agency and achievement
✓Extracurricular activities during and after school to develop the whole child✓Varied learning experiences promoting STEAM with our Outdoor classrooms and Computer Science
Proudest Accomplishments:
✓ Texas Education Agency State and Local Rating “A”✓ Safety Eagle Award for the Safest School in Dallas ISD 2018 and 2019
✓ UIL State Finalist in Destination Imagination, 2018
✓ Outdoor Classroom (Out Teach)
At Gonzalez, we empower future world changers in a personalized environment through collaboration, transformative thinking, and leadership.
How We Do It:
At Gonzalez, our mission is to promote the whole child academically, emotionally and socially; all stakeholders will be accountable to provide our scholars with a foundation to excel with a global, competitive education that will empower them to become college and career ready.
Key Components of Our Personalized Learning Model:
✓ Blended Learning station rotation model
✓ Student and Teacher Learner Profiles to gauge and increase growth
✓Learning Pathways to promote student agency and achievement
✓Extracurricular activities during and after school to develop the whole child✓Varied learning experiences promoting STEAM with our Outdoor classrooms and Computer Science
Proudest Accomplishments:
✓ Texas Education Agency State and Local Rating “A”✓ Safety Eagle Award for the Safest School in Dallas ISD 2018 and 2019
✓ UIL State Finalist in Destination Imagination, 2018
✓ Outdoor Classroom (Out Teach)
Dan D. Rogers Elementary
PL Coordinator: Heather Jarrell, hjarrell@dallasisd.org |
What We Do:
Rogers Elementary cultivates empowered global citizens who dream big, persist, and achieve excellence. Our purpose is to develop community-minded leaders of tomorrow by facilitating an individualized pathway that is tailored to each student’s academic, social, and emotional needs. We provide a rigorous, engaging, and supportive environment that fosters collaboration, creativity, and commitment to excellence.
How We Do It:
At Rogers, we believe that students should drive their own learning. As they progress from kindergarten to fifth grade, they develop self-awareness and social intelligence that helps them understand their roles in society as individuals and as global citizens. Students learn to analyze their own data and learn to reflect on growth and improvement. In addition, they learn to provide meaningful feedback to peers. Instruction is adapted for each student to meet their individual strengths, needs, and interests while they work both independently and interdependently in Blended and Project-Based Learning environments.
Key Components of Our Personalized Learning Model:
✓ Blended Learning station rotation model
✓ Individualized instruction based on each students’ strengths, needs, and interests
✓ Project-Based Learning labs
✓ Student-led academic and personal goal-setting
✓ Emphasis on student voice and ownership
✓ Integrated Social-Emotional Learning anchored in Mindful Mondays
✓ Interest-based extracurricular program
Proudest Accomplishments:
✓ STAAR results that consistently exceed average scores in the district and feeder pattern
✓ STAAR Postsecondary Readiness score 158% above target in 2016-17
✓ Earned all 6 state distinctions in both the 2015-2016 and the 2016-17 school years including Top 25% in Student Progress, Closing Achievement Gaps, and Postsecondary Readiness
Rogers Elementary cultivates empowered global citizens who dream big, persist, and achieve excellence. Our purpose is to develop community-minded leaders of tomorrow by facilitating an individualized pathway that is tailored to each student’s academic, social, and emotional needs. We provide a rigorous, engaging, and supportive environment that fosters collaboration, creativity, and commitment to excellence.
How We Do It:
At Rogers, we believe that students should drive their own learning. As they progress from kindergarten to fifth grade, they develop self-awareness and social intelligence that helps them understand their roles in society as individuals and as global citizens. Students learn to analyze their own data and learn to reflect on growth and improvement. In addition, they learn to provide meaningful feedback to peers. Instruction is adapted for each student to meet their individual strengths, needs, and interests while they work both independently and interdependently in Blended and Project-Based Learning environments.
Key Components of Our Personalized Learning Model:
✓ Blended Learning station rotation model
✓ Individualized instruction based on each students’ strengths, needs, and interests
✓ Project-Based Learning labs
✓ Student-led academic and personal goal-setting
✓ Emphasis on student voice and ownership
✓ Integrated Social-Emotional Learning anchored in Mindful Mondays
✓ Interest-based extracurricular program
Proudest Accomplishments:
✓ STAAR results that consistently exceed average scores in the district and feeder pattern
✓ STAAR Postsecondary Readiness score 158% above target in 2016-17
✓ Earned all 6 state distinctions in both the 2015-2016 and the 2016-17 school years including Top 25% in Student Progress, Closing Achievement Gaps, and Postsecondary Readiness
Ignacio Zaragoza Elementary
PL Coordinator: Jay Morales, jmoralesrivera@dallasisd.org |
What We Do:
We strive to create a learning community where families, students, and educators collaborate to develop successful college- and career-bound students.
How We Do It:
At Zaragoza, we believe students learn best when instruction is tailored to their interests and needs. We ensure mastery of both academic and non-academic skills by creating a customized learning pathway for each student, integrating student-led data analysis and goal-setting through Learner Profiles, and igniting students’ passion for real-world projects through weekly Explore Blocks. We empower students to build strong relationships, to understand, appreciate, and exemplify the character strengths that they and others possess through the Positivity Project.
Key Components of Our Personalized Learning Model:
✓ Standards-based grading
✓ Differentiated learning pathways for each student
✓ Learning Management System (Google Classroom)
✓ Blended Learning station rotation model
✓ Learner Profiles
✓ Explore Blocks for grades 3-5 including painting, modern band, page turners and robotics
✓ Increase student academic achievement through intentional data driven instruction
Proudest Accomplishments:
✓ Growth of 17 percentage points on the Reading STAAR since the launch of Personalized Learning (growth 3x higher than the district rate)
✓ STAAR Postsecondary Readiness score 267% above target in 2016-17
✓ STAAR Student Progress score 106% above target in 2016-17
✓ Earned 4 state distinctions in 2017: Academic Achievements in English Language Arts and Reading, Academic Achievement in Mathematics, Top 25% student progress, Top 25% Closing Performance Gaps
✓ 98% positive response rate to key staff survey question, “The key actions my school is working on this year are focused on what is best for students.”
We strive to create a learning community where families, students, and educators collaborate to develop successful college- and career-bound students.
How We Do It:
At Zaragoza, we believe students learn best when instruction is tailored to their interests and needs. We ensure mastery of both academic and non-academic skills by creating a customized learning pathway for each student, integrating student-led data analysis and goal-setting through Learner Profiles, and igniting students’ passion for real-world projects through weekly Explore Blocks. We empower students to build strong relationships, to understand, appreciate, and exemplify the character strengths that they and others possess through the Positivity Project.
Key Components of Our Personalized Learning Model:
✓ Standards-based grading
✓ Differentiated learning pathways for each student
✓ Learning Management System (Google Classroom)
✓ Blended Learning station rotation model
✓ Learner Profiles
✓ Explore Blocks for grades 3-5 including painting, modern band, page turners and robotics
✓ Increase student academic achievement through intentional data driven instruction
Proudest Accomplishments:
✓ Growth of 17 percentage points on the Reading STAAR since the launch of Personalized Learning (growth 3x higher than the district rate)
✓ STAAR Postsecondary Readiness score 267% above target in 2016-17
✓ STAAR Student Progress score 106% above target in 2016-17
✓ Earned 4 state distinctions in 2017: Academic Achievements in English Language Arts and Reading, Academic Achievement in Mathematics, Top 25% student progress, Top 25% Closing Performance Gaps
✓ 98% positive response rate to key staff survey question, “The key actions my school is working on this year are focused on what is best for students.”
T.C. Marsh Preparatory Academy
PL Coordinator: JC Strickland, jstrickland@dallasisd.org |
What We Do:
Marsh’s vision is to inspire students’ love of learning in order to cultivate well-informed and engaged citizens that will positively impact their community, their country, and the world.
How We Do It:
Marsh empowers students to take control of their educational destiny through personalized learning. By reimagining the public education experience, we support every student’s individual academic journey on the road to college.
Key Components of Our Personalized Learning Model:
✓ Small group instruction
✓ Technology-rich lessons
✓ Implementation of the Summit Learning platform
✓ Social-emotional learning integrated schoolwide
✓ Extensive extracurriculars including Leadership Cadet Corps, band, orchestra, and theater
Proudest Accomplishments:
✓ Award-winning band program, earning 81 First-Division medals in the district’s solo/ensemble event in 2016-17 alone and consistent superior ratings at regional competitions
✓ The district’s first and highest-ranking Leadership Cadet Corps, winner of # medals over the past # years
✓ 20 percentage point increase on Math STAAR assessment passing rate
✓ 37 percentage point increase on key staff survey question, “The key actions my school is working on this year are focused on what is best for students.”
✓ 55% decrease in out-of-school suspensions and elimination of in-school suspensions
Marsh’s vision is to inspire students’ love of learning in order to cultivate well-informed and engaged citizens that will positively impact their community, their country, and the world.
How We Do It:
Marsh empowers students to take control of their educational destiny through personalized learning. By reimagining the public education experience, we support every student’s individual academic journey on the road to college.
Key Components of Our Personalized Learning Model:
✓ Small group instruction
✓ Technology-rich lessons
✓ Implementation of the Summit Learning platform
✓ Social-emotional learning integrated schoolwide
✓ Extensive extracurriculars including Leadership Cadet Corps, band, orchestra, and theater
Proudest Accomplishments:
✓ Award-winning band program, earning 81 First-Division medals in the district’s solo/ensemble event in 2016-17 alone and consistent superior ratings at regional competitions
✓ The district’s first and highest-ranking Leadership Cadet Corps, winner of # medals over the past # years
✓ 20 percentage point increase on Math STAAR assessment passing rate
✓ 37 percentage point increase on key staff survey question, “The key actions my school is working on this year are focused on what is best for students.”
✓ 55% decrease in out-of-school suspensions and elimination of in-school suspensions