Over the weekend, district officials acknowledged that they have a lot of work to do to ensure high school graduation rates reflect attainment of rigorous academic standards and not “seat time.” For months, Dallas ISD has cautioned against placing too much emphasis on the recent increase in the graduation rate, saying it is something worth noting but that it must be accompanied by college readiness rates. District officials note that even the principal evaluation system, which has been in place for two years, does not include graduation rates as a performance indicator for principals. Instead, the evaluation includes a more…

National Blue Ribbon status is one of the highest honors any school can achieve. Each year, the U.S. Department of Education announces the schools considered high-performing or those where students are making significant improvements in achievement levels. This year, Dallas ISD has four schools nominated for consideration, which is a huge accomplishment. This is a two-part series highlighting the schools. “Think globally, act locally, and go boldly into the future.” That is the school motto at Henry W. Longfellow Career Exploration Academy, and it is a driving force for the school’s approximately 430 students each day as they prepare for success…

Editor’s note: The following is an editorial piece from the Dallas ISD news team.  “The Dallas Independent School District does not discuss personnel matters.” You often read or hear that sentence when the school district is approached by a media outlet regarding an event involving a staff member. No doubt, that response is frustrating when you and others want and need more information in order to understand the whole story. We understand. When we don’t elaborate on a personnel matter, it can lead community members to potentially speculate on the reasons why or can fuel a belief that important information…

Operation Comeback returns this year as the district steps up its efforts to locate students known as “no-shows” who have not shown up for the first weeks of school. During the next few weeks, district staff will attempt to connect with these students to convince them to return to school or determine if they have moved out of the district. As part of Operation Comeback, district staff will operate a phone bank Sept. 10-19 in an effort to call no-show students. The initiative will culminate in a neighborhood walk on Saturday, Sept. 20, as staff, community leaders and volunteers fan out…