Publications

Creative Learning Initiative: Impact of Creative Teaching on Academic Growth
This report examines the impact of Creative Teaching techniques on students’ academic growth on the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) reading and math tests from 2016–2017 to 2017–2018. Statistically significant growth on STAAR reading was found for students who had teachers who were moderately competent at Creative Teaching techniques and used these techniques at least two times per week in their classrooms.

Creative Learning Initiative: Implementation Summary, 2018-2019
The Creative Learning Initiative (CLI) is a community-wide effort to bring creative learning and the arts to each and every student in Austin. Lead by MINDPOP, the City of Austin, and Austin Independent School District (AISD), CLI designs systematic and sustainable programs that integrate creativity, creative teaching strategies, and the arts with classroom teaching, campus programming, and campus improvement. Overall, CLI implementation in 2018–2019 was comparable to prior years and continues to have a positive impact on students. This report summarizes the CLI implementation activities.

Creative Learning in Adverse Times
This paper describes the work done to advance CLI goals despite the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among many successes resulting from CLI’s resourcefulness and adaptability was an increase in secondary arts enrollment for students in special groups (e.g., special education, economically disadvantaged, and emergent bilingual). In addition, CLI’s novel Season of Arts Experiences provided 28 schools who would not have otherwise participated access to 27 unique arts partners, contributing to over 107 total arts partnerships in the 2020-2021 school year.

ACCESS Initiative 2009-2010 Summary: Conflict Resolution and Violence Prevention at Garcia Middle School
This report summarizes the 2009-2010 evaluation results of AISD's ACCESS initiative conflict resolution and violence prevention program at Garcia Middle School.

Program Summary and Second-Year Outcomes For The ACCESS Initiative, 2008-2009
The Austin Community Collaboration to Enhance Student Success (ACCESS) is a community collaboration between the Austin Independent School District (AISD) and public and nonprofit agencies. By implementing a number of innovative prevention and treatment programs to address the emotional, behavioral, and social needs of students, the ACCESS initiative seeks to promote and encourage safe and positive learning environments. Additionally, ACCESS aims to enhance the way social services are delivered on campuses by creating a youth mapping program with geographic information to locate, target, and…

Creative Teaching in 2017-2018
Creative instruction across the curriculum is a critical pillar of the Creative Learning Initiative (CLI). This report, the second in a series of three on CLI, shares teacher’s reactions to training in Creative Teaching, how and why they use it in the classroom, and how that usage relates to student outcomes. To view the interactive report, click on the link below, then use the green drop down menu in the upper left corner to select “Creative Teaching.”

ACCESS Initiative 2009-2010 Summary: Project Towards No Drug Abuse
This report summarizes 2009-2010 evaluation results for AISD's ACCESS initiative Project Toward No Drug Abuse.

Creative Campus Distribution in 2017-2018
National research shows that students attending arts-rich schools have higher levels of motivation and better academic and social success. This report, the first in a series of three on the Creative Learning Initiative, is used to track the progress of our district's investment in the whole child through the arts and creative teaching at each campus. To view the interactive report, click on the link below, then use the green drop down menu in the upper left corner to select “Creative Campus Profiles.”

2017-2018 Coordinated School Health
The Coordinated School Health (CSH) reports describe how the CSH program was implemented at AISD campuses. The reports provide summary- and campus-level information about achieved CSH action goals and information about changes in physical fitness of students at the campus since the previous year.

2016-2017 Coordinated School Health Report
The Coordinated School Health (CSH) reports describe how the CSH program was implemented at AISD campuses. The reports provide summary- and campus-level information about achieved CSH action goals and information about changes in physical fitness of students at the campus since the previous year.