December 2016

67 AISD Schools Earn 187 Distinction Designations

Austin ISD's Board recognized 67 Austin ISD schools for earning one or more distinction designations in 2016 for a total of 187 distinctions by the Texas Education Agency.
 
Seven secondary schools earned five or more distinctions and eight elementary schools earned at least five of the six available.
 
"I am proud of the hard work our students, staff and families put into achieving such high success every day," Superintendent Paul Cruz said.

AISD Announces Schools Frozen to Transfers for 2017-18

Austin ISD has announced the names of 23 schools that will be frozen to transfers during the 2017-18 school year.
 
Each year, AISD determines which schools should be frozen to transfers because they have, or are expected to have, enrollments that exceed their capacities. 
 
There will be 23 frozen schools for K-12 for school year 2016-17.
 
Schools frozen to transfers in 2017-18 are:
 
High Schools: Akins, Bowie, Lanier and McCallum
 
Middle Schools: Burnet, L

Destination Life—Regional Transition Fair

Date
Saturday, March 4, 2017 - 9:00 am to 1:30 pm
Where
Round Rock High School, 300 N. Lake Creek Drive, Building 100

Destination Life—Regional Transition Fair is for special education students and their families to prepare for life beyond high school and includes job training, continuing education, living options and more!

Austin ISD joins nine area school districts to host the event, which will feature more than 75 booths and and vendors. Join us from 9 a.m.–1:30 p.m. March 4 at Round Rock High School. 

Speaker sessions in English and Spanish, as well as Spanish interpretation, will be provided. Food will be available for purchase from Hat Creek food truck.

Topics:

  • Guardianship and Alternatives
  • Panel of Former Students Who Have Graduated
  • Post-Secondary Options
  • Living Options for People with Disabilities
  • Star-Plus Program

Contact information: Renee Borders at renee.borders@austinisd.org or 512-414-6379, or Claire Dixon at claire.dixon@austinisd.org or 512-414-5832 (bilingual)

Click here to see a flier on the event with more information.

Click here to register for the event

We hope to see you there!

Austin ISD One of 23 Districts in Texas on College Board’s AP District Honor Roll

For the first time, Austin ISD is one of 433 school districts in the U.S. and Canada and one of 23 districts in Texas being honored by the College Board with placement on the 7th Annual AP District Honor Roll. To be included on the 7th Annual Honor Roll, the district had to increase the number of students participating in Advanced Placement while also increasing or maintaining the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of 3 or higher for three consecutive years.

How to Help Keep Student Meal Accounts Current

A recent social media campaign is encouraging donations to school districts to help offset negative balances on student meal accounts. 

Food Services Director Anneliese Tanner said that at Austin ISD, no students are ever denied a meal because their accounts aren't current.

Instead, the district absorbs the cost of feeding all students who need a lunch, running at a deficit of about $14,000 on any given day.

Austin ISD Closes for Winter Break, Dec. 21–Jan. 2

Austin ISD will be closed for the winter break Wednesday, Dec. 21, through Monday, Jan. 2.

All AISD offices and schools will be closed during this period.

Regular business hours resume Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017, for staff. Students return to classes on Wednesday, Jan. 4.

For information about upcoming AISD holidays and events, please visit the district's calendar at austinisd.org/calendar.

$2 Million Matching Grant to Expand Social and Emotional Learning at AISD

Three Austin donors—the Buena Vista Foundation, the Klein Family Foundation and the Tapestry Foundation—recently announced their commitment to donate $2 million as a reinvestment into AISD’s Social and Emotional Learning initiative. The matching grant is an invitation to the Austin community to support a deeper integration of SEL into the practice of all AISD schools.

Research has established a link between the social emotional well-being of students and their level of academic engagement.

Families of Middle School, High School Students to Get Grades Faster

Austin ISD's technology department has found a way to get report cards and progress reports to families of middle school and high school students more quickly. The district will be going digital on all report cards for secondary students this month for their third six-weeks report cards.

Of the approximately 23,000 secondary students overall, 9,292 students are already opting for digital report cards.