Frequently-Asked Questions
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Frequently-Asked Questions
What is the purpose for becoming a District of Innovation?
Local control: The district decides which flexibilities best suit the needs of the students.
Autonomy: The district must submit a copy of the district of innovation plan to the commissioner of education, but approval is not required. The final plan is approved by the Sheldon Board of Trustees by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the membership of the board.
Flexibility: The district will have the flexibility to implement practices similar to charter schools, including some additional exemptions from other mandates.
What are the potential benefits of becoming a District of Innovation?
Allows the district to plan to improve student academic outcomes with local input and less regulatory control from the Texas Education Agency (TEA).
Serves as a way to market our district to parents, students, and community.
Serves as a way to facilitate and support efforts to reform struggling campuses in Sheldon ISD.
What areas are included in the local innovation plan developed by Sheldon ISD?
Teacher Evaluation
Teacher Certification
Probationary Contracts
School Start Date
Kindergarten Grade 4 Class-Size
Minimum Minutes of Instruction
High School Diploma and Certificate/Course Sequence
Minimum Attendance for Class Credit (90% Attendance Rule)
Designation of Campus Behavior Coordinator
Can the plan be amended in the future?
The local innovation plan may be amended, rescinded, or renewed if the action is approved by a vote of the Sheldon ISD's District-wide Instructional Improvement Committee and the Sheldon ISD Board of Trustees in the same manner as required for initial adoption of the local innovation plan.
If the District of Innovation Plan is approved, how long would it remain in place?
The plans are valid for five years from the date of adoption. Following adoption, the plans may ONLY be amended or changed by the same process required to create the original plan. Proposed amendments would be submitted to the District of Innovation committee and then to the school board for approval by the super majority vote of the board. After five years, all sections of the plan must be reviewed and the original adoption process followed for renewal purposes.
Sheldon ISD will begin to implement components of the plan beginning with the 2017-2018 school year and ending at the end of the 2021-2022 school year. The committee will continue to monitor the implementation of the plan to ensure it meets the goals and expectations established by the district leadership team.
What school districts are eligible to be Districts of Innovation (DOI)?
Districts with an academic accountability rating of Met Standard are eligible to be a District of Innovation.
What other school districts have adopted a District of Innovation Plan?
A list of school districts that have adopted a District of Innovation Plan can be found on the TEA website.
See link below:
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https://tea.texas.gov/Texas_Schools/District_Initiatives/Districts_of_Innovation/