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New COVID-19 testing method allows for safer classrooms

Read more about New COVID-19 testing method allows for safer classrooms

Austin ISD could test more students for COVID-19 via a new method where students from the same class put their swabs into one testing vial. Why it matters: This new approach — called pooled testing — could allow Austin ISD to target campuses where students are testing positive more frequently and help slow the spread.

Austin ISD and Dell Technologies set to open new STEM learning center at Northeast Early College High School

Read more about Austin ISD and Dell Technologies set to open new STEM learning center at Northeast Early College High School

Austin ISD in collaboration with Dell Technologies will celebrate the opening of the new STEM learning center at Northeast Early College High School on Wednesday, Oct. 20.

During the celebration, students will receive a tour of the new facility and learn about the opportunities available through the Dell partnership. Students will also get a chance to meet McLaren Formula 1 racers and learn about how STEM plays a major role in racing.

COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic - Reilly Elementary School

Read more about COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic - Reilly Elementary School

We have a free COVID-19 (Pfizer) vaccine opportunity available for our AISD Community, all family members included, 12 years of age and older. This opportunity is being hosted by Travis County Vaccine Collaborative. Walk-ins welcome, no insurance required.

Austin ISD looking for feedback via pre-K Survey (En Español)

Read more about Austin ISD looking for feedback via pre-K Survey (En Español)

Families can let Austin ISD know what they think about pre-K through a survey.

Why it matters: Austin ISD is looking to improve the pre-K experience — from enrollment processes to communications and beyond. This survey will give us the data on where we need to improve and why.

Austin ISD Hosts College Prep Week (En Español)

Read more about Austin ISD Hosts College Prep Week (En Español)

It's never too early to start thinking about college.

That's why Austin ISD will be hosting Go Get It Week starting Monday, Oct. 18, where campuses will engage elementary, middle, and high school students about college awareness.

During the week, students will participate in an array of activities while in their first period or advisory periods.

There will be activities every day for Go Get It Week, see below!

Monday 10/18: Decorate a College Pennant.

Tuesday 10/19: College Scavenger Hunt.

Wednesday 10/20: College Trivia.

State of the District

Read more about State of the District

State of the District 2021

A conversation with Dr. Stephanie S. Elizalde and Evan Smith of The Texas Tribune

Watch on AISD.TV & Facebook Live: www.facebook.com/austinisd

Tuesday, October 19
7 p.m. English with English closed captioning
8 p.m. English with Spanish closed captioning

Estado del Distrito de 2021

Una conversación con la Dra. Stephanie S. Elizalde y Evan Smith de The Texas Tribune

Austin ISD Police awarded grant to elevate mental health crisis responses

Read more about Austin ISD Police awarded grant to elevate mental health crisis responses

The Austin ISD Police Department was awarded a $248,245 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to hire its own Licensed Mental Health Professionals.

Austin ISD Previews How Data Is Used To Engage Underserved Communities In Long-Range Planning

Read more about Austin ISD Previews How Data Is Used To Engage Underserved Communities In Long-Range Planning

Austin ISD families got a preview on Tuesday of how data is being used for Austin ISD’s long-range planning, which could determine which improvements and new facilities are included in the next bond.

“Long-range planning helps us anticipate student needs and align our resources to serve our students better," said Director of Planning Melissa Laursen. "Understanding where we are today and working with our communities to develop a vision and goals for where we want to be is key to the success of our students and district."

Austin ISD AP Test Scores remain consistent despite COVID disruption

Read more about Austin ISD AP Test Scores remain consistent despite COVID disruption

The recent release of Advance Placement testing scores revealed that despite COVID-19 disruptions, Austin ISD students passed their AP exams at a similar rate to the last two years. The Advanced Placement program is offered in all Austin ISD high schools and some middle schools. The program consists of college-level courses, and students can take the AP exam at the end of the semester for college credit.

Family Newsletter — Oct. 14, 2021

Read more about Family Newsletter — Oct. 14, 2021

Family Newsletter

By Eddie Villa ● Oct 14, 2021

Smart Brevity™ count: 4 mins... 1069 words

Hello families and happy Thursday!

Eddie here, stepping in for Scott while he enjoys family time this week. Let’s get to this week’s newsletter.

1 big thing: How to get your child connected with mental health support

Illustration of two hands reaching towards each other

Austin ISD has tiers of mental health support for our students and it all starts with the school counselor.

Why it matters: Recently, we have seen an increase in students and families asking for mental health support, so we want to make sure you know where you can receive help.

Go deeper: The first step to receiving mental health support is seeing the campus counselor.

Campus counselors listen and assess what a child is going through and connect the family with additional mental health services.
Licensed Mental Health Professionals are also available for all schools to consult with counselors on care plans.
Children may be referred to our school mental health providers for more intensive clinical care: Gramercy Specialty Clinic, Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine, or Integral Care.

The bottom line: Counselors are the hub for connecting families with additional mental health services. They work hand-in-hand with Licensed Mental Health Professionals to figure out the best plan to get your child what they need.

What they're saying: “We have a robust list of counseling therapy services that help our LMHPs support all students. It’s what we do. We are here to help our families determine what level of service we can provide beyond their school counselor,” said Dr. Twyla Williams, director of counseling, crisis, and mental health.

2. Our plan for vaccinating 5- to 11-year-olds

The Let’s Talk question of the week asks about the COVID-19 vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds.

What’s the district’s plan to vaccinate students once the Pfizer vaccine is approved for emergency use?

Answer: We’ll use our scheduled pop-up clinics to roll out the vaccine to our younger students when we get the green light.

We’ve been hosting clinics since last April and have helped vaccinate more than 9,000 people.

Yes, but: There are a few hoops to jump through to get ready to vaccinate younger children.

The vaccine not only has to get FDA approval, but it also has to be approved by the CDC and state and local authorities.
We’ll work quickly with our vaccine partners to get the clinics ready, but please wait for our go-ahead so you don’t show up before we’re able to get started.

Driving the news: The FDA will discuss emergency use authorization of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children under 12 on Oct. 26.

Pfizer requested the emergency use authorization after its trial of more than 2,000 children showed the vaccine created a “robust antibody response” to fight off COVID-19.

3. Watch ‘State of the District,’ premiering Oct. 19

Catch up with Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde in a candid conversation with Evan Smith, CEO and co-founder of the Texas Tribune for this year’s State of the District.

Why it matters:  State of the District is your chance to hear an unfiltered update on some of the district’s top issues, including student achievement and COVID safety protocols.

Go deeper: In previous years, the State of the District was a speech during the Inspire the Future event.

Now, we’ll premiere the event on Facebook Live and AISD.TV so everyone can see what’s happening in AISD here first.

What's next: Watch the discussion Tuesday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. on AISD.TV or the Austin ISD Facebook page.

4. New reading instruction for K-3

girl with mask on and backpack reading a book

Your student is going to get enhanced instruction on learning to read if they’re in Kindergarten through third grade.

Why it matters: Kindergarten through third-grade lessons focus on learning how to read so students can use reading to learn new concepts in future grades.

By the numbers: Only 37% of third-grade students in Texas were proficient in reading in 2021, as measured by STAAR.

We’re aiming for 57% of our third-grade students to reach proficiency.

Driving the news: All K-3 teachers and principals in Texas are required to go through Reading Academies training by Fall 2023, as mandated by the 2019 legislature in House Bill 3.

Teachers must complete the Reading Academy by 2023 to continue teaching Kindergarten through third grade in Texas.

What you can do: Encourage your student to read at home.

One way to do that is to check out books from the library, and the city is now waiving the $120 annual non-resident fee for anyone enrolled in our schools.

What they're saying: Odom Elementary School Bilingual Kindergarten Teacher Priscilla Ayala-O’Neal is finishing up her third module of the Reading Academies.

"These reading strategies are proven by science just like a chemical reaction is proven,” Ayala-O’Neal said. “Even though it's more stuff for us to do, it's improving the learning for our students and that's why we're here."

Learn more about how Ms. Ayala-O’Neal is using what she’s learning in the classroom.

5. COVID cases decrease again

It looks like we’ve made it through the worst of the Delta wave (knock on wood) and our numbers continue declining.

Why it matters:  The lower we keep our COVID rates and transmission, the more we’re able to have a year focused on academic outcomes.

This week: We’re continuing our decline with 102 total COVID cases, which represents 0.12% of our students and staff.

Students had a slight uptick, going from 84 last week to 85 cases this week.
Staff cases took a 44% tumble, going from 24 to 14 cases.

In the news: We’re officially in Stage 3 of the COVID-19 risk-based guidelines.

We’re keeping the mask mandate for now.
We’ll review our COVID protocols next week to see what we can adjust now that community spread has declined.

6. Middle School Fair

An envelope that contains a calendar with a circle around a specific day.

Calling all current and future middle school families. Mark your calendars for our Middle School Fair on November 13.

Why it matters:  Our middle schools offer a bundle of diverse and innovative programs that your child can take advantage of. Programs include athletics, fine arts, dual language, STEM, tech and film, after-school clubs, and more.

This year's fair is being held at Martin Middle School, 1601 Haskell Street.

You’ll learn about our programs offered across our 19 middle schools, enjoy performances from talented students, and meet with other students, families and staff from our middle schools.

7. Coming on up…

Food Service & Warehouse Workers Appreciation Week: Oct. 11-15

Board Information Session: Oct. 14

Environmental Stewardship Advisory Committee: Oct. 14

State of the District: Oct. 19

Domestic Violence Awareness Workshop: Oct. 20

TACRAO College Fair: Oct. 21

Transportation Employees Appreciation Week: Oct. 18 – 22

Long-range Planning Committees (LPC) Meeting: Oct. 26

Board Regular Voting Meeting: Oct. 28

Domestic Violence Awareness Workshop: Oct. 28

Equity Advisory Committee (EAC) Meeting: Nov. 2

Board Information Session: Nov. 4

Community Bond Oversight Committee Meeting: Nov. 9

Like this style and format? Request access to Axios HQ — the tool and templates you need for more engaging team updates.

Family Newsletter

By Eddie Villa ● Oct 14, 2021

Smart Brevity™ count: 5.5 mins... 1404 words

¡Hola, familias, y feliz jueves!

Soy Eddie, supliendo a Scott mientras disfruta de un tiempo con su familia esta semana. Comencemos con el boletín informativo de esta semana.

1. Algo importante: Cómo conectar a sus hijos con el apoyo de salud mental

El Austin ISD tiene niveles de apoyo de salud mental para nuestros estudiantes, y todos comienzan por el consejero escolar.

Por qué es importante: Recientemente, hemos visto un aumento en los estudiantes y las familias que solicitan apoyo de salud mental, así que queremos asegurarnos de que sepan dónde pueden ayudarlos.

Profundizando: El primer paso para recibir apoyo de salud mental es ver al consejero de la escuela.

Los consejeros escolares escuchan y evalúan por lo que está pasando un niño y ponen a la familia en conexión con servicios de salud mental adicionales.

Los profesionales de salud mental autorizados (LMHP, por sus siglas en inglés) también están disponibles para todas las escuelas para consultar con los consejeros sobre los planes de atención.

Los niños pueden ser remitidos a nuestros proveedores de salud mental escolar para recibir una atención clínica más intensiva: Gramercy Specialty Clinic, Acceso a la Salud de los Niños de Texas A Través de la Telemedicina (TCHATT, por sus siglas en inglés) o Atención Integral.

En conclusión: Los consejeros son el centro para poner a las familias en conexión con otros servicios de salud mental. Trabajan junto con los profesionales de salud mental autorizados para determinar el mejor plan para darles a sus niños lo que necesitan.

Lo que están diciendo: "Tenemos una lista grande de servicios de terapia de consejería que les sirve a nuestros LMHP para apoyar a todos los estudiantes. Es lo que hacemos. Estamos aquí para ayudar a nuestras familias a determinar qué nivel de servicio podemos proveer además de su consejero escolar", dijo la Dra. Twyla Williams, directora de Consejería, Crisis y Salud Mental.

2. Nuestro plan para vacunar a los niños de 5 a 11 años

La pregunta de Let’s Talk de la semana es sobre la vacuna contra la COVID-19 para niños de 5 a 11 años.

¿Cuál es el plan del distrito para vacunar a los estudiantes una vez que la vacuna Pfizer sea aprobada para el uso de emergencia?

Respuesta: Planeamos usar esas clínicas provisionales para vacunar a nuestros estudiantes más pequeños cuando nos den luz verde.

Hemos estado ofreciendo clínicas desde el pasado abril y hemos ayudado a vacunar a más de 9,000 personas.

Sí, pero… hay algunos obstáculos que se deben superar para estar listos para vacunar a los niños más chicos.

La vacuna no solo tiene que recibir la aprobación de la FDA, sino que también tienen que aprobarla los CDC y las autoridades locales y estatales.

Trabajaremos rápidamente con nuestros socios de vacunación para tener listas las clínicas, pero, por favor, esperen a que anunciemos que pueden venir, para que no lleguen antes de que podamos empezar.

Encabezando las noticias: La FDA discutirá la autorización del uso de emergencia de la vacuna Pfizer contra la COVID-19 para los niños menores de 12 años el 26 de octubre.

Pfizer solicitó la autorización del uso de emergencia después de un ensayo con más de 2,000 niños que demostró que la vacuna creó una “respuesta sólida de anticuerpos” para combatir la COVID-19.

3. Vea el estreno del "Estado del Distrito" el 19 de octubre

Póngase al día con la superintendente Stephanie Elizalde en una cándida conversación con Evan Smith, director ejecutivo y cofundador de The Texas Tribune en el Estado del Distrito de este año.

Por qué es importante:  El Estado del Distrito es su oportunidad de escuchar una actualización sin filtros de algunos de los asuntos más importantes del distrito, incluyendo el rendimiento estudiantil y los protocolos de seguridad contra la COVID.

Profundizando: En años anteriores, el Estado del Distrito era un discurso durante el evento de Inspira al Futuro.

Ahora estrenaremos el evento en Facebook Live y AISD.TV para que todos puedan ver aquí primero lo que está sucediendo en el AISD.

¿Cuál es el siguiente paso? Vea la discusión el martes, 19 de octubre a las 7 p.m. en AISD.TV o en la página de Facebook del Austin ISD.

4. Nueva instrucción en lectura para K-3.°

Sus niños tendrán una instrucción mejorada en lectura si están en kínder a tercer grado.

Por qué es importante: Las lecciones de kínder a tercer grado se enfocan en aprender cómo leer para que los estudiantes puedan utilizar la lectura para aprender nuevos conceptos en grados futuros.

Según las cifras: Solo el 37% de los estudiantes de tercer grado de Texas demostraron dominio en lectura en 2021, según los resultados de las STAAR.

Nuestra meta es que el 57% de nuestros estudiantes de tercer grado demuestren dominio.

Encabezando las noticias: Todos los directores y maestros de K-3.° en Texas tienen la obligación de asistir a la capacitación de las Academias de Lectura a más tardar en otoño de 2023, según la orden legislativa del Proyecto de Ley 3 de la Cámara de Representantes de 2019.

Los maestros tienen que terminar la Academia de Lectura a más tardar en 2023 para continuar enseñando kínder a tercer grado en Texas.

Lo que pueden hacer: Animen a sus niños a que lean en casa.

Una manera de hacerlo es sacar libros de la biblioteca, y ahora el ayuntamiento está eximiendo de la cuota anual de $120 a las personas que no son residentes pero están matriculadas en nuestras escuelas.

Lo que están diciendo: La maestra de kínder bilingüe de la Escuela Primaria Odom Priscilla Ayala-O’Neal está terminando su tercer módulo de las Academias de Lectura.

"Estas estrategias de lectura están comprobadas por la ciencia, igual que una reacción química", dijo Ayala-O'Neal. "Aunque sea más por hacer, está mejorando el aprendizaje de nuestros estudiantes y por eso estamos aquí".

Obtenga más información sobre cómo la Srta. Ayala-O'Neal está utilizando lo que está aprendiendo en el salón de clases.

5. Vuelven a disminuir los casos de COVID

Parece que hemos superado lo peor de la ola de la Delta (tocando madera) y nuestros números continúan disminuyendo.

Por qué es importante: Mientras más bajas mantengamos nuestras tasas y el contagio de COVID, tanto más podremos tener un año enfocado en los resultados académicos.

Esta semana: Continuamos nuestra disminución con un total de 102 casos de COVID, lo cual representa el 0.12% de nuestros estudiantes y personal.

Los estudiantes tuvieron un ligero repunte, yendo de 84 casos la semana pasada a 85 esta semana.

Los casos del personal se redujeron en un 44%, pasando de 24 a 14 casos.

En las noticias: Estamos oficialmente en la Etapa 3 de las recomendaciones basadas en el riesgo de COVID-19.

Por ahora, estamos manteniendo la orden del uso del cubrebocas.

Revisaremos nuestros protocolos de COVID la próxima semana para ver qué podemos ajustar ahora que el contagio en la comunidad ha disminuido.

6. Feria de Escuelas Secundarias

Este es un llamado a todas las familias actuales y futuras de escuelas secundarias. Anoten en sus calendarios la Feria de Escuelas Secundarias el 13 de noviembre.

Por qué es importante: Nuestras escuelas secundarias ofrecen una multitud de programas diversos e innovadores que pueden aprovechar sus niños. Los programas incluyen deportes, bellas artes, Lenguaje Dual, STEM, tecnología y cine, clubes extracurriculares y más.

La feria de este año será en la Escuela Secundaria Martin, 1601 Haskell Street.

Se informarán sobre los programas que ofrecemos en nuestras 19 escuelas secundarias, disfrutarán presentaciones de estudiantes talentosos y conocerán a otros estudiantes, familias y personal de nuestras escuelas secundarias.