Innovation plans approved for Keller, posted for GCISD

Keller trustees just approved a district of innovation plan, while Grapevine-Colleyville school officials recently posted their plan on the district website in preparation for a vote next month.

To bring more control back to local school boards, hundreds of Texas school districts have become “Districts of Innovation” or are working on their innovation plans.

In 2015, legislators approved House Bill 1842, which allows districts to gain some of the flexibility of charter schools, including choosing their school start date, attendance rules, certain discipline procedures and some teacher-related provisions.

The Keller school district’s innovation plan seeks exemption from the 90 percent attendance rule, length of the school day, school start date and minimum days of attendance. Also, three different discipline provisions and flexibility in teacher planning periods, state certification requirements and certified employee contract rights.

Out of more than 60 school districts where boards have approved innovation plans, the most common exemption is the school start date, with more than 90 percent claiming it, according to information from the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB).

Birdville and Mansfield have approved plans. Districts somewhere in the process include Hurst-Euless-Bedford, Arlington and Crowley.

The process begins when a board adopts a resolution declaring the intention to consider becoming a district of innovation.

Trustees must hold a public hearing and appoint a committee to consider for which Texas Education Code provisions they will seek an exemption. Districts must replace the provision with a local policy.

Plans must be posted online for 30 days before board members vote. Innovation plans are approved for a five year period.

Innovation plan gives exemptions

“I think it was a great process, and I look forward to the collaboration going forward,” said Keller board President Craig Allen.

The policy review committee will develop new policies to govern district actions where the innovation plan gives exemptions.

Leah Beard, Keller director of organizational improvement and strategic planning, said the Texas Education Code remains in effect until trustees approve the new policies.

Because the academic calendar is scheduled for approval in February, Keller officials discussed a new policy that includes the provision that classes would not start before Aug. 15. The local policy governing school start date also will be on the February board agenda.

Reshaping construction of the school day

Grapevine-Colleyville district officials posted on the district website, the proposed innovation plan developed in committee. Schools in the district will seek exemption from the school start date, minimum minutes of instruction and teacher certification requirements.

The exemption from minimum minutes of instruction “opens the door to a more innovative construction of the school day,” said Rick Westfall, Grapevine-Colleyville district deputy superintendent.

For example, the Collegiate Academy can follow the Tarrant County College schedule where students get out of class early on Fridays, instead of having to follow the regular high school hours.

Under special circumstances, other students could have different schedules to allow them to participate in internships or take college courses, Westfall said.

The calendar flexibility would allow classes to start before Aug. 28, the mandatory start date in 2017 for Texas schools.

Westfall said that starting earlier would allow for the fall semester to end in December without having two imbalanced sessions and end school sooner to benefit summer school and college summer programs.

Trustees are tentatively scheduled to vote on the Grapevine-Colleyville innovation plan at the Feb. 27 board meeting.

This story was originally published January 26, 2017 at 2:48 PM with the headline "Innovation plans approved for Keller, posted for GCISD."