Dallas ISD’s Board of Trustees is finalizing a set of goals and constraints that will shape student learning for the next five years, with a focus on real-world skills.
New to the list of goals is verbiage around personal financial literacy. This was added after board members asked it be considered, saying students specifically asked for resources and support in that area.
“If we want our students to be ready for college and careers, they need to understand financial basics,” said Superintendent Stephanie S. Elizalde, Ed.D..
During the April board meeting, Elizalde shared updates on goals like improving reading and math scores on state tests for third and eighth graders. The district also plans to monitor progress with checkpoints along the way to make sure students stay on track.
She also introduced a new goal of increasing the number of students who complete a personal financial literacy course by 2030. The plan includes promoting financial-focused electives already offered and weaving personal finance topics into economics classes.
Trustee Ben Mackey praised the move.
“This was the number one thing students said they wanted,” he said.
But Dallas ISD isn’t stopping at money skills.
The district is also emphasizing “habits of mind,” or life skills like digital literacy, emotional intelligence, and communication. These soft skills will be built into existing lessons and special modules, starting with high schoolers and expanding to all grades later.
Trustee Sarah Weinberg said she appreciated the effort.
“These things are tough to measure, but they’re exactly what our students need,” she said. “It’s the secret ingredient to a well-rounded education.”
The board will continue to discuss these proposed goals and constraints, and are expected to vote on them in time for the start of the 2025-2026 school year.
