BOARDWorks
A Publication of South Texas Independent School District August/September 2014
STISD receives high accountability ratings from TEA
Jeff Hembree, Deputy Superintendent
of STISD, reported on the district’s
performance under the state’s accountability system during the Sept.
23 board meeting. A public hearing
was also held.
Based upon the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness
(STAAR) examinations, STISD, and
each of its campuses, received the highest accountability rating available this
year - Met Standard.
STISD was also one of 26 districts
in the state and one of four districts
in the Region One area to receive the
Postsecondary Readiness distinction
designation, the only distinction designation available at the district level.
Every campus also received the maxi-
mum number of distinction designations available.
These distinctions include: Academic Achievement in Reading/ELA, Academic Achievement in
Mathematics, Academic Achievement in Science,
Academic Achievement in Social Studies, Top 25
Percent Closing Performance Gaps and Postsecondary Readiness.
Hembree. “As a district, we strive to
not only meet the standards of state
accountability, but to surpass them.
Our rigorous district goals can only be
met through the hard work students,
parents and faculty put in on a daily
basis.”
“It is gratifying to see these kinds of results,” said
Dr. Cornelio Gonzalez, Executive
Director of the Region One Education
Service Center, was present the evening
of the board meeting to award STISD
with an Excellence in Education
plaque for the district’s outstanding
achievements and distinction designation in Postsecondary Readiness.
Dr. Cornelio Gonzalez, Executive Director of Region One
Education Service Center, awards STISD Superintendent Marla M.
Guerra, Ed.D., and STISD Board President Homero Garcia with an
Excellence in Education plaque.
For more information about STISD’s
accountability ratings, visit www.stisd.
net -- About Us -- Accountability &
Needs Assessment -- State Accountability.
STISD Board approves name for new San Benito junior high
The STISD Board of Directors approved South Texas Academy of Rising Scholars (STARS) as the name for
the district’s new Cameron County
junior high, which is set to open in time
for the 2015-2016 school year.
“I am extremely excited that a decision
has been made and approved,” said
Carrie Sauceda, STARS Principal.
“Thank you to everyone involved in the
selection process and to the Board of
Directors for making the final approval.
This is just the first step in establishing
our new school. We will continue to
work diligently to ensure STARS has
a solid start come time for its opening
next fall.”
STARS will open its doors in the fall of 2015. During the initial year, the campus will enroll seventhgrade students. STARS is projected to serve between
250 and 300 students during its first year, and a total
of about 550 students at capacity.
The campus will open in the facility that currently
houses STISD’s South Texas Academy for Medical
Professions (Medical Academy) campus, located
at 151 S. Helen Moore Road in San Benito. A
few modifications are being made to the building
to prepare the facility to meet the needs of its new
student body.
brand for the campus, while also collaborating with other administrators
in the district to finalize the course
sequence for the 2015-2016 school year.
As enrollment for STARS will begin on
January 17, 2015 – on the same day it
opens for all other STISD campuses –
student recruitment is also a priority for
the fall semester. Enrollment will take
place online - at www.stisd.net - on a
first-come, first-served basis. The start
time for STARS will be 2:00 p.m. For
all other STISD campus start times,
visit www.stisd.net -- Students -- Future
Students -- Enrollment Timeline.
Sauceda is currently working on the creation of a
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BOARDWorks
Students speak on summer symposium experiences
Students from South Texas High School
for Health Professions (Med High) and
The Science Academy of South Texas (Sci
Tech) presented on their experiences as part
of the DocPrep, MD Anderson and Rice
Symposium Summer Institutes, during the
Sept. 23 board meeting at Biblioteca Las
Américas in Mercedes.
Med High took 20 rising seniors to participate in DocPrep, an academic enrichment
program at Baylor College of Medicine
(BCM) June 8-13, where they toured various buildings throughout the college as well
as enjoyed off-campus trips to museums.
DocPrep provides health professions and
science-related activities at the Texas Medical Center in Houston. Students attended
medical lectures with professors from Rice
University and BCM, received college and
medical school counseling, participated in
a communications course taught by graduate students, and experienced hands-on
anatomy laboratory experiences.
a heightened drive for the outlook of their
future,” said Miguel Celio-Torres, Med
High Teacher and DocPrep Coordinator.
Twenty-five rising Med High seniors visited two of the MD Anderson research
facilities in Central Texas - The Michael E.
Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine
and the Virginia Harris Cockrell Cancer
Research Center at Science Park - as part
of the MD Anderson Summer Institute.
Students toured areas of the compound and
interacted with veterinarians, scientists and
other research center staff.
Students also visited the Texas A&M
Health Science Center. They toured the
facility and participated in various activities, which included listening to a panel of
current medical Ph.D. students.
Students also toured hospitals in the Texas
Medical Center and were able to observe
an open heart surgery.
“This opportunity allows each student to
experience the myriad of possibilities for
careers in medicine, which they may have
not known even existed,” said Rosemary
Courtney, Lead Coordinator of the MD
Anderson Program. “I believe the exposure
to these options is what truly makes the
MD Anderson experience valuable.”
“This impactful experience provided profound insight, a broadened perspective, and
Sci Tech took 20 rising senior students
on a two-week summer program at Rice
A few of the Med High students who attended the 2014
DocPrep educational program, and their sponsor: Left to right:
Christian Encarnacion of Mission, Oliver Rosa of Edinburg,
Larissa Ramilo of Mission, Helen Chen of Mission, Mathew
Peynado of Mercedes, Mary Ycu of Mission, Patricia Guzman of Mission, and Miguel Celio-Torres (Instructor).
A few of the Med High students who attended the 2014 MD
Anderson Summer Institute, and their sponsors: Left to right:
Rosemary Courtney (Instructor), Julianna Berlanga of
Mission, Brittany Garcia of Pharr, Nadia Garcia of San
Benito, Amanda Solis of Brownsville, and David Kohlhase
(Instructor).
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University in Houston. The purpose of
the Rice Summer Symposium program is
to expose participating students to the college experience, and to give them an idea
of what the various science and engineering
fields encompass.
The program allowed students to engage
in bioscience and bioengineering work,
with graduate students serving as student
mentors, and it culminated with a presentation at the symposium’s closing banquet
ceremony.
Off-campus tours included trips to MD
Anderson, BCM, Natural Science Museum
and the University of Texas (UT) School
of Dentistry.
Students are selected into the program
based on GPA, PSAT scores, teacher evaluations, extracurricular involvement and an
essay related to bioscience.
“The Rice Summer Symposium is a fantastic opportunity for these students to not
only apply some of the knowledge they
have acquired, but to see that there is so
much more out there that they have yet to
learn and experience,” said Scott Wiley,
Sci Tech Teacher and Rice Symposium
Coordinator.
A few of the Sci Tech students who attended the 2014 Rice
Summer Symposium, and their sponsors: Left to right: Gabriel Silva of Weslaco, Louisa Benavidez (Instructor), Isabella
Gomez of Los Fresnos, Isabella Soto of McAllen, Monica
Marin of Mission, Loretta McGee (Instructor), Hannah
Wiley of Weslaco, Mashad Arora of Brownsville,
and Scott Wiley (Instructor).
BOARDWorks
BETA’s IB Diploma Program going three years strong
South Texas Business, Education &
Technology Academy (BETA) is in
its third year of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program, an
academically challenging and balanced
program that prepares students for success at the university level and beyond.
Marcos Flores, BETA Teacher and IB
Coordinator, presented a Past, Present
and Future Report on the program at
the Sept. 23 meeting, honing in on the
challenges and successes up to this
point.
BETA IB started with its first cohort
of 30 IB Diploma students during
the 2012-2013 school year, with eight
IB subjects offered. During the next
school year, BETA experienced a 57
percent decrease in the first cohort.
The remaining 17 students were offered
nine subject areas for study. The ending
result was 15 percent of the remaining
17 students in the cohort received the
IB Diploma.
The IB Diploma Program’s second cohort consisted
of 51 students, a 41 percent increase from the first
cohort. Students from this cohort who tested in IB
Spanish B scored 2 points above the global average
in the language, with 41 percent of these students
earning perfect scores on their exams. After taking
only two of the six exams required in order to earn
an IB Diploma, 51 percent of the students in this
cohort have obtained half the total points necessary.
BETA added its tenth IB subject to the curriculum
for the 2014-2015 school year. Of the 51 students
in the second cohort, 48 remain in this new school
year. This number shows only a 6 percent decrease
compared to the first cohort’s 57 percent decrease.
BETA’s third cohort now consists of 65 students,
a 22 percent increase from the program’s second
cohort, and a 54 percent increase from its first.
Looking ahead, 75 sophomore students are projected to sign up for BETA’s PreIB cohort four.
This would be a projected 13 percent increase from
the third cohort.
Flores ended his report with a story on
former BETA student and member of
the first IB cohort, Carolina Ball. Ball’s
appreciation for the IB program goes
far beyond what the vigorous curriculum prepared her for at the university
level. In fact, one of the most valuable lessons she received was from the
community, action and service (CAS)
program requirement.
This requirement allowed Ball the opportunity to break through a personal
barrier, and she continues to use that
experience in helping others who are
dealing with that same situation by
being actively involved in community
outreach programs. “The IB program
is not just an academic program,” said
Ball. “The South Texas ISD Board has
created an opportunity to also promote
and celebrate individuality, creativity
and most importantly compassion. For
that, I am forever grateful.”
New addition at Med High to be named after Tony Gonzalez
A recommendation to name the new
Med High health science addition after a long-time member of the STISD
Board of Directors was approved during the August board meeting.
In accordance with STISD Board
policy, a special facilities naming committee for the addition was appointed
by Homero Garcia, STISD Board
President, earlier this year.
The special committee met on July 31,
2014, at the STISD Administration
Building, where a recommendation
was placed by an unanimous vote of
the special committee.
proved the recommendation to name the new addition the Octaviano (Tony) Gonzalez Health Science
Center, after STISD Board member Tony Gonzalez.
Gonzalez, a native of San Juan, was elected to the
STISD Board of Directors in 1989, and is currently
in his 24th year of service to the district. In his role
as an STISD Board member, he has
strongly advocated for a quality education for all children, using his time and
talents to support the principle that all
children deserve this.
Gonzalez has served as a National
School Board Association director for
two years, as a Texas Association of
School Boards trustee for nine years, as
a National Association of Latino Appointed and Elected Officials for two
years and on the Texas School Services
Foundation for five years.
A building dedication will be held
at a later date during the 2014-2015
school year.
The STISD Board of Directors ap-
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BOARDWorks
Connect With Us!
Bulletin Board
• STISD Board Meeting: 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 28, at Medical Academy Library in
Find us on Twitter: @SouthTexasISD &
San Benito
on Facebook at: https: www.facebook.com/SouthTexasISD
• October: National Principals Month
• Second Semester Enrollment: Nov. 4 at 9:00
• Parent Connection Meeting (Med High):
Nov. 13 at 6:00 p.m. - Homework Resources
+ Student Skill Builder
BoardWorks is published for patrons of South
Texas Independent School District after each
regular meeting of the Board of Directors. Board
meetings take place on the fourth Tuesday of
the month at 7:00 p.m. Board minutes are the
final authority on action taken at STISD board
meetings.
Board Bits
a.m. at www.stisd.net.
•
Marla Guerra, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools, presented her goals for
the 2014-2015 school year to the STISD Board of Directors during the
Sept. 23 board meeting. The full report may be accessed through the
district website at www.stisd.net -- About Us -- Accountability & Needs
Assessment -- District & Campus Improvement Plans & Goals.
•
According to the district’s graduate report, the district and campus goal
is to have 95 percent or higher of students complete the recommended or
distinguished plans, and 70 percent or higher of this group complete the
distinguished plan. The 2014 district graduate report shows over 96 percent of students having completed the recommended and distinguished
programs. The full report may be found at www.stisd.net -- About Us -Accountability & Needs Assessment -- Graduate Reports.
Editor: Amanda Odom
(956) 514-4255 or [email protected]
100 Med High Dr.
Mercedes, TX 78570
Five Schools, One Journey!
Phone (956) 565-2454
Fax (956) 565-4639
Website www.stisd.net
Non-Profit
Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit #333
McAllen, TX
SUPERINTENDENT
Marla M. Guerra, Ed.D.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Octaviano “Tony” Gonzalez
Homero Garcia, President
Maria G. Leal
Joe “Joey” L. Lopez, Vice-President
Filomena Leo, Ed. D.
Douglas “Doug” E. Buchanan, Secretary
Robert “Bobby” J. Lerma
Graciela Camargo
Henry LeVrier
Eduardo L. “Larry” Cantu
Ramon Montalvo, III
Yolanda Cuellar
Eliceo Muñoz, III
Javier Farias
Berta Palacios
Richard Fleming, M.D.
Irma Perez-Treviño
Adrian Garcia
Israel G. Quintanilla
Sylvia Sánchez Garza
Julio S. Saldaña, Jr.
Hector Gonzales
Rick Villarreal, D.D.S.
Eduardo “Ed” Gonzalez
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Med High to receive New Touch of Life Technologies
Integrated VH Dissector software provides a complete,
whole body, 3D and cross-sectional anatomical reference
built on data from the Visible Human Project. The system
includes a 55” multi-touch screen, PACS workstation, and
height-adjustable stand with tilt operation from 0 degrees
horizontal to 90 degrees vertical.
The system will be set up in the lecture hall of the new
Med High addition.
New Touch of Life Technologies, Inc. will conduct trainings with faculty, staff and students.
Med High Principal Dr. Barbara Heater with VH Dissector Sectra
Visualization Table
The STISD Board of Directors approved a new cutting
-edge technology table for the Med High campus. This
table will allow students and faculty to interact with
anatomical visualizations.
The VH Dissector Sectra Visualization table is presently
being used in medical schools across the country, but Med
High will reportedly be the first high school in the nation
to utilize the full capabilities of the system.
“The company is so fascinated by the concept of our
STISD schools that they want us to partner with them
on several cases,” said Barbara Heater, Ph.D., Med High
Principal.
“One of those is to have faculty involved in the visible man
projects and have some of our students do the research in
that area. From what started as simply trying to upgrade
our anatomy and physiology courses, we now see a lot of
benefits and opportunities coming to our school with this
new cutting-edge technology.”
Staff Ethnicity, Gender & Degree Report
The STISD Board of Directors received the 2013-2015
Staff Ethnicity, Gender & Degree Status Report at the
Sept. 23 board meeting at Biblioteca Las Américas in
Mercedes.
Of the 297 STISD professionals, there are 239 teachers
and 58 administrators or support specialists. Compared
to last year, the number of teachers decreased slightly, by
0.42 percent, and the number of administrators/support
specialists increased by 9.43 percent.
For teachers, the breakdown of college degrees is as
follows:
• Associate & Non-Degreed: 6 (2 percent);
• Bachelor: 159 (67 percent);
• Master: 72 (30 percent); and
• Doctorate: 2 (1 percent).
The breakdown of ethnic status for teachers is 77 Anglos
(32 percent), 150 Hispanics (63 percent), and 12 who
belong to another race (5 percent). By gender, it is 136
females (57 percent) and 103 males (43 percent).
For administrators and support specialists, the breakdown
of degrees is as follows:
• Associate: 2 (4 percent);
• Bachelor: 7 (12 percent);
• Master: 46 (79 percent); and
• Doctorate: 3 (5 percent).
The breakdown of ethnic status for this group is 11 Anglos (19 percent), 46 Hispanics (79 percent) and one who
belongs to another race (2 percent). By gender, it is 38
females (66 percent) and 20 males (34 percent).
For the full report, visit www.stisd.net -- About Us -- Accountability & Needs Assessment -- Misc. Reports.
Tell Your Friends & Family!
Enrollment for the 2nd semester begins
Tuesday, November 4.
www.stisd.net