September 2018

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Surveys & Research at Austin ISD

Two of the ways that Austin ISD serves its community are through administering surveys and conducting research - the former to collect feedback data from families, students, and employees and the latter to use external resources to improve Austin ISD.

Austin ISD supports high quality research that addresses well-informed research questions that directly impacts stakeholders at Austin ISD. It is important to note that the district has moral and legal obligations which require oversight of any research occurring that makes use of district resources such as data, facilities, employee time, or access to students.

While the expectations of the researcher are more intricate than these steps listed, these are the main milestones of the research process protocols.

  1. AISD receives application materials from external researcher
  2. Coordinator and Review Board arrives at decision on application 
  3. Appropriate paperwork is submitted, filed (PRAP, DSA, consent forms etc.) 
  4. Research is conducted via approved on-campus study or database pull
  5. Researcher submits a 1 - 2 page executive summary to externalresearch@austinisd.org

Note: Eternal research proposals must demonstrate clear and direct educational value to Austin ISD and not just to the profession of education in general. They must also be minimally disruptive to the educational process. These two areas are foundational to the approval of research projects moving forward.

Austin ISD will make all attempts to prioritize and support current AISD staff with their educational research needs.

Notice: The district is committed to supporting our current employee’s graduate research requests, and will do so as much as our capacity allows. All external research requests are reviewed by a content review committee.

 

2025-2026 External Research Calendar

Request Type Submission Deadline
Campus Research Request June 2, 2025
Data Research Request October 31, 2025

Clear Bag Policy

Austin ISD Clear Bag Policy

Visitors are required to use clear bags at any Austin ISD central athletic facility. The central facilities are Burger Center, Delco Center, House Park, Nelson Field and the Noack Sports Complex.

The policy applies to both home and away games for all sports that are played at any of the five central facilities.

Budget Briefs: Task Force Refocuses, Reviews Guiding Principles

The Budget Stabilization Task Force used its Aug. 29 meeting as a time to refocus on its charge and review guiding principles prior to moving forward with developing its recommendations. The group has reviewed district spending and is beginning to identify strategies to close the budget deficit, following the Board of Trustees' approval of the latest budget that includes a $29 million dip into reserves. The district is also expected to have even greater budget shortfalls in the future.

Here are three things to know as the task force moves forward:

Budget Briefs: Task Force Discusses Potential Budgeting Actions, Began Establishing Subcommittees

The Budget Stabilization Task Force worked in small groups to discuss potential budget investments and began establishing subcommittees at its fifth meeting Sept. 12. The group continues its work finding strategies to close the budget deficit, following the Board of Trustees' approval of the latest budget that includes a $29 million dip into reserves. The district is expected to have even greater budget shortfalls in the future.

Here are three things to know as the task force moves forward.

Creative Learning Initiative

The Creative Learning Initiative

The Creative Learning Initiative is an investment in the future of Austin. Our mission is to ensure that every child benefits from the arts and creative learning across core curriculum subjects, during and outside of the school day.

Austin ISD is a lead partner in the Creative Learning Initiative (CLI), a nationally recognized, community-wide partnership among the district, MINDPOP, the City of Austin and more than 100 community arts partners working to transform education in Austin.

Our goals are to:

  • Create arts‐rich schools for all students.
  • Create a community network that supports and sustains the arts‐rich life of every child.
  • Develop leaders and systems that support and sustain quality creative learning for the development of the whole child.
  • Demonstrate measurable effects on students, families, schools and our community.

CLI provides a specialized curriculum and professional development for educators, using relevant, rigorous, and engaging Creative Teaching strategies and arts-based activities that support students' academic and social-emotional development. Creative learning ensures that every student is seen, valued, supported, and prepared to reach their full potential.

Why Creative Teaching?

Creative Teaching is a set of flexible, research-based instructional strategies that teachers can use to increase cognitive demand and provide meaningful ways for students to express understanding. In this video, MINDPOP and AISD share why Creative Teaching works.


Watch on YouTube.

Creative Learning Initiative Campuses

CLI is being implemented in a phased approach in Austin ISD schools. This allows the district to provide training for hundreds of teachers at multiple schools at a time before the schools transition to their own sustainability plans.

As of 2024-25, CLI is serving 98 Austin ISD campuses, which includes all elementary schools and over 54,000 students districtwide. CLI is currently being implemented in the following families of schools:

  • Akins ECHS Vertical Team
  • Anderson Vertical Team
  • Austin High Vertical Team
  • Bowie Vertical Team
  • Crockett ECHS Vertical Team
  • Eastside Memorial ECHS Vertical Team
  • LBJ ECHS Vertical Team
  • McCallum Vertical Team
  • Navarro ECHS Vertical Team
  • Northeast ECHS Vertical Team
  • Travis ECHS Vertical Team

Contact Us

Sloan McLain, Coordinator
sloan.mclain@austinisd.org

Laura Clay, Instructional Coach
laura.clay@austinisd.org

Christy Davis, CLI Associate
christy.davis@austinisd.org

Vacant, Public Relations and Partnerships Specialist

Setting the Pace: Bowie Student Newspaper Nominated for National Award

(Story written by Ellie Coulston, Bowie High School journalism student).

 

For the first time in nearly 20 years, The James Bowie Dispatch has been nominated for the National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker award.

 The NSPA recognized The Dispatch as an All-American paper with four marks of distinction for its 2017–18 publications.

All-City Orchestra Concert

Date
Thursday, September 27, 2018 - 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Where
AISD Performing Arts Center (1500 Barbara Jordan Blvd.)

Join Austin ISD middle and high school orchestra students from throughout the district for the annual All-City Orchestra concert.

The concert begins at 7 p.m. at the AISD Performing Arts Center, 1500 Barbara Jordan Blvd.

The event is free with general admission seating. Free parking is available at the AISD Performing Arts Center parking garage.

For more information, contact the AISD Fine Arts office at 512-414-4489.

Hope to see you there!

46th Annual Marching Band Jamboree

Date
Tuesday, September 25, 2018 - 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm
Where
Toney Burger Center (3200 Jones Road)

Please join us for the 46th annual Marching Band Jamboree!

High school bands from throughout Austin ISD will take the field and perform starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Toney Burger Center, 3200 Jones Road.

Tickets are $3 and can be purchased from AISD High School band programs.

Children 12 and under are free.

For more information, please contact the AISD Fine Arts office at 512-414-4489.

Thank You for Contacting Us

Your donation receipt/grant award notification form has been submitted. A copy of the form will be sent to you via email. Please feel free to print the form for your records and mail or email to the donor if needed. You will be contacted by Finance or the Office of Innovation and Development if there are questions regarding your donation/grant or reporting requirements. Until then, make sure to check out the following resources: