Publications
Math Improvement Initiative: Algebra I Summary 2007-2008
This report summarizes the 2007-2008 program evaluation results of the AISD-UT partnership to improve math instruction in all high schools and thus increase student math achievement across the district.
Math Improvement Initiative, Year 2 Implementation: 2008-2009
The partnership between AISD and the Charles A. Dana Center was designed to improve the teaching and learning of math and showed promise in its second year of implementation. This report provides a detailed summary of results.
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.
School Turnaround AmeriCorps Initiative
This report describes the School Turnaround AmeriCorps Initiative and the program's impact on students at Reagan High School and Travis High School during the 2015-2016 school year.
Seed Model Campus Cohort Program Evaluation: Early signs of campus improvement in social and emotional learning
This report looks at the impact of the Seed Model Campus Cohort Program in its first 3 years of implementation. Evidence put forth in the report suggests that by deliberately focusing on inclusive program design and peer-to-peer sharing with a focus on growth, the program already positively contributes to SEL implementation, particularly through increased coordination of SEL leadership efforts and through increased adult SEL skills.
Families as Partners Parent Champion Initiative
Motivated by the dual-capacity framework for family-school partnerships, one initiative of the Families as Partners program is to enhance the capabilities, connections, cognition, and confidence of parents. This report focuses on the capacity building of the 2018–2019 parent champion initiative.
Comprehensive School Reform: Texas High School Initiative Grant Summary Report, 2005-2006
This report summarizes the 2005-2006 program evaluation results of the state-funded high school initiative grant, designed to promote school-wide improvements based on campus needs assessments, focusing on teacher professional development and increased parent involvement.
High School Professional Learning Communities, 2008-2009
This report summarizes 2008-2009 program evaluation results for the high school professional learning communities initiative.
What is Inclusive Participation?
What is Inclusive participation? This report explains the Creative Learning Initiative’s new measures that evaluate visual and performing arts participation at all secondary schools. As a district, we are invested in moving toward truly equitable, inclusive visual and performing arts participation where student group membership and the school attended does not predict arts participation. However, because we know that is not currently the case, we will continue to monitor these metrics and anticipate visual and performing arts participation becoming more equitable for all students.