Lewisville ISD Accepted Into Texas High Performance Schools Consortium

The Texas Education Agency announced Wednesday that Lewisville ISD has been accepted as one of only 23 districts and charter schools in the state to participate in the Texas High Performance Schools Consortium.

Created by S.B. 1557, an act of the Texas Legislature, the consortium's purpose is to "inform the governor, legislature, and commissioner concerning methods for transforming public schools in this state by improving student learning through the development of innovative, next-generation learning standards and assessment and accountability systems." Participants can ask the Texas Education Agency to waive some state regulations if needed to accomplish the goals.

The consortium will make recommendations in four key areas:
- Digital Learning (including electronic textbooks and online courses)
- Learning standards (what students must master to be successful)
- Multiple assessments (testing, and other ways of measuring what students are learning)
- Local control

Lewisville ISD was already in the midst of a transformation, begun in 2011 as a Strategic Design. LISD's strategic design stated six broad goals, four of which directly addressed the main tasks of the consortium, giving Lewisville a head start in its application to be a part of the consortium.

The schools chosen for the consortium represent the diversity of the state, as well as a variety of district sizes and types. Districts submitted an application and went through a rigorous selection process to become part of the consortium. To be eligible to participate, a district or charter must have:

1. Received either national, statewide, or regional public acknowledgement for district-wide or campus-wide excellence in academic performance or innovative practice;

2. Supplied proof of compliance with TEA audit requirements; and

3. Met performance ratings requirements– Only districts and campuses that have received Academically Acceptable, Recognized, or Exemplary ratings and open enrollment charter schools that are rated Exemplary in the 2010-2011 state accountability system are eligible.