The Texas Education Agency's Best Practices Clearinghouse was launched under a directive from House Bill 1, passed by the Texas Legislature in 2006. Campuses, districts, and charter schools who have documented improvement in student performance and/or school operations can submit best practices in the areas of classroom instruction, dropout prevention, business and management practices, and finance and resource allocation.
The purpose of the Clearinghouse is to provide a convenient means for schools to share successful practices and to provide schools with a one-stop web site for accessing best practice examples, information, and resources.
NISD had six District initiatives selected for the Best Practices Clearinghouse in 2008. Plaques from TEA were presented to those staff members who were responsible for the initiatives.
Benchmark Testing & Curriculum Management System Presented to:
- Dr. Linda Mora, Deputy Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction
- Dr. Sara McAndrew, Executive Director of Secondary Instruction
- Linda Zarakas, Director of School Improvement Initiatives
- Sandra Poth, Director of Testing & Evaluation
- Bobby Flores, Curriculum Management System Coordinator
- Kelly Smith, Assistant Superintendent for Technology Services
- Don Schmidt, Assistant Superintendent for School, Community and Student Services
The Curriculum Management System was implemented in the 2003-04 school year to give our educators the ability to make data-driven instructional decisions to increase student academic success. The CMS database contains students' current and historical academic records, longitudinal enrollment information, standardized assessment data, and benchmark assessment data. Because the data is brought directly to the teachers, NISD district, campus, and teaching staffs are better equipped to personalize the achievements and challenges of each and every student in our schools. As a result the District has seen marked improvement in test scores and academic achievement.
Debt Management Presented to:
- George Torres, Deputy Superintendent for Business & Finance
- Oscar Cardenas, Assistant Superintendent of Budget & Finance
- Hector Matos, Director of Budget & Research
- David Rastellini, Director of Accounting
- Mark Flores, Director of Payroll & Accounts Payable
In 2001, Northside established a Debt Management Program specifically aimed at reducing the financial impact of bond issues on taxpayers. Since then, the District has saved, or "avoided" paying $165 million in interest payments. The District's finance staff saves taxpayer money by watching market conditions and continually refinancing bond debt at lower interest rates. In addition, the District does not sell all of its bonds at one time and instead waits until the money is needed for projects. As a result, NISD's tax rate remains relatively low when compared with other districts in San Antonio.
Energy Management Program Presented to:
- Vernon Dunagin, Assistant Superintendent for Facilities & Operations
- Tony Yoder, Energy Management Supervisor
- Luis Marti, Energy Management Supervisor
NISD's Energy Management Program has been in place for 18 years and saves the District about $1 million a year on utility bills. The program operates on several fronts, but one of the most impressive is the energy management control system, which enables us to control outside lighting and heating and air-conditioning at more than 100 schools and facilities via computer. The Energy Management Program also has numerous other initiatives that conserve water, electricity, paper, and other natural resources.
Paraprofessional Appraisal Process Presented to:
- Jim Miller, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources
- Dr. Danny Deguire, Human Resources Administrator
The Northside ISD Paraprofessional Appraisal System provides employees with needed feedback on their job performance while providing a written record to employers of the successes and areas for improvement of staff. The result of this systematic appraisal system for classified personnel is fair and consistent evaluations of employees and documentation of performance for improvement.
Absence Management Regulation Presented to:
- Jim Miller, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources
- Mark Hardison, Human Resources Benefits Coordinator
- Pricelda Landry, Director of Compensation
The Absence Management Program has several initiatives in place aimed at reducing the number of employee absences. One of the most effective initiatives requires supervisors to meet with employees who have had 10 or more absences in a year and provide details about the District's absentee policies. Since the Absence Management program has been implemented, the number of employee absences has gone down even though the number of employees has increased significantly.
Substitute Teacher Orientation Presented to:
- Jim Miller, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources
- Dr. Danny Deguire, Human Resources Administrator
The Substitute Teacher Orientation program provides high quality training to all substitute teachers so that even when a substitute is required in a classroom, student learning continues. Northside ISD has a two-pronged approach to provide this training: 1) an 2 1/2 - hour orientation to the District, and 2) an all-day training workshop to provide classroom management and effective teaching practices. Thanks to the Substitute Teacher Orientation program, fewer discipline problems arise and continuity of instruction is provided.
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