From the full-throated singing of uplifting songs to parades in the hall, each of the eight Dallas ISD campuses selected to become innovation schools celebrated in different ways.
An innovation school offers a new academic model inside an existing neighborhood campus that keeps its traditional boundaries. As part of the Office of Transformation and Innovation (OTI) proposal process, leadership at each of the eight schools spent months designing new academic models.
“These eight new innovation schools focus on our neighborhood campuses, bringing more educational choices into our families’ backyards,” said Angie Gaylord, Dallas ISD Deputy Chief of Transformation and Innovation.
The eight new innovation schools will have one of two academic models: Personalized Learning, which focuses on a student’s interests, talents and goals; and STEAM, which focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.
Ronald E. McNair Elementary School Principal Ariss Rider said becoming a STEAM campus would have a significant impact on students.
“This will expose our children and this community to subjects they usually aren’t as familiar with,” Rider said. “This could make an impact on not just our kids and community, but possibly our world.”
The seven other campuses selected as innovation schools to launch in 2019–2020 are:
- Ignacio Zaragoza Elementary School (Personalized Learning)
- Arturo Salazar Elementary School (Personalized Learning)
- Leila P. Cowart Elementary School (Personalized Learning)
- Birdie Alexander Elementary School (Pilot Personalized Learning)
- H.B. Gonzalez Elementary School (Personalized Learning)
- Jack Lowe Elementary School (Personalized Learning)
- Kleberg Elementary School (Pilot STEAM)
Students currently attending these schools are welcome to continue at the schools and benefit from the new academic model.
