With more than 80 languages spoken throughout Dallas ISD every day, the need for clear communication manifests in many forms. Sometimes it’s a young child struggling to explain symptoms to a nurse, a middle schooler who wants to see their school counselor, or a parent navigating a language barrier during a parent-teacher conference. For almost 20 years, Dallas ISD’s Translation Services’ mission is to reach families and students in their preferred language, housing the largest translation and interpretation team in Texas. Composed of 26 team members, they support a total of 10 languages. Through daily hotline calls and direct campus…

A successful school year begins long before the first bell rings. With the right preparation, going back to school can be smooth and stress-free. “Parents’ role in preparing their child to come back to school is crucial and critical to their success,” Sherri Vault, Counseling Services coordinator, said. “Most of them have been free and easy all summer, so preparing to get back into routines that physically enable students to get back into a school setting impacts their mental ability to start school.” To ensure students and parents/guardians start the year strong, Dallas ISD provides a network of support services…

Dallas ISD’s emergent bilingual students achieved major academic success in the 2025-2026 school year by outperforming their state peers at all three performance levels, across every subject. Shared during a recent board meeting, this year’s State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness grades 3-8 and End-of-Course assessments show leading scores in reading, math, and social studies. The success is due to Dallas ISD’s long-standing commitment to dual language education. For more than 20 years, the district has offered a free dual language program at every campus. The program helps maintain high academic standards in a student’s native language while developing…

While many students are still enjoying the final days of summer break, the halls and practice fields at Thomas Jefferson High School are filled with music as band students prepare for the months ahead. This marks the unofficial start of the new school year, refining skills, building endurance, and strengthening the teamwork that will carry them through football games, performances and competitions this fall. For senior Andrea S., the work began before the full band arrived. “The first week was for leaders,” she said. “We went over the fundamentals so we could teach the members. Things like posture and staying…