Los Fresnos High School Chosen for TEA Case Study

The Texas Education Agency School Improvement and Support team has selected Los Fresnos High School as a participant in a Best Practices case study because of its designation as a High Performing and High Progress Title I Reward School.

“Los Fresnos High School is of interest to our team because the campus has achieved successes in the face of barriers that prove to be challenges for many schools,” said Mark Baxter, TEA Director of School Improvement and Support. “Your exceptional accomplishment in leading a school designated as a Title I Reward School is inspiring.”

Only 11 schools statewide were selected for the Case Study. LFHS was one of three high schools chosen. Two middle schools and six elementary schools were also named.

These case studies are a new project involving the TEA, Comprehensive Center at SEDL (TXCC), and select reward schools.

The project will include members of the campus leadership team participating in individual or group meetings where field researchers will conduct standardized interviews to learn more about school improvement practices and successes.

Interviews would be conducted with the Principal, a District Coordinator of School Improvement, and a group of approximately five teachers throughout a course of a day.

After site visits, researchers will process interview data into campus highlight case studies. The final case studies may be distributed as best practice documents through Texas school improvement trainings.

“The intent of this project is to highlight successes and to share best practice learning for training purposes,” Baxter said. “The final produced case studies will only include your positive success story.”

LFHS was eligible for the Title I Reward School status because the school has a high percentage of students from economically disadvantaged families, and a high mobility rate.

The State of Texas secured a conditional waiver from the U.S. Department of Education for specific provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), commonly known as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. In the conditional waiver, the requirement for Distinguished School identification was replaced by the High Performing and High Progress Reward Schools designation.

In July, the TEA published the list of Title I Reward Schools. For more information about Reward Schools and to view the list, visit the TEA web page for the ESEA Flexibility Waiver, Principle 2 at: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/ESEAFlex_Principle2.aspx