We Welcome & Thank Partners

In C-FB ISD, we are fortunate to have large corporations, small businesses, civic groups, and the faith community working with our outstanding educational team.  Their efforts combined with the work of our Parent Teacher Associations and parent groups help us with our goal of "high achievement for all students."

Over the years, we have recognized the work of various partners at our School Board meetings to thank them for the impact that they have made in the lives of our students.  These organizations are a sampling of the incredible efforts of the volunteer work that regularly goes on at our campuses. 

We also have partnerships that help with district-wide projects such as Kacie's Run or our annual Special Olympics Track Field Meet.

Here are some illustrations of the work done for our students and schools by our partners:

MacArthur Baptist Church is recognized at


December 2011 School Board Meeting

• MacArthur Baptist Church has been partnering with Ranchview High School since 2006. Ranchview fine arts groups have used the building for performances and formal auditions. The school has also used the building for its annual PSAT workshop and senior class Baccalaureate service. Members have given teachers welcome back gifts and hosted an annual appreciation luncheon. More than 65 members adopted the varsity football team. They wore specially designed t-shirts sporting the numbers of their selected players. Church members cooked team meals, cheered wildly, celebrated after wins and encouraged after losses.  They filled the stands at both home and away football games.

• Area Walmarts have donated hundreds of items for district projects and campus projects through the years. They have helped out student councils, the PTA Clothes Closet, Post Proms, student clubs, career fairs, and more. They have donated needed school supplies and recognized teachers through the stores' Teacher of the Year program.

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  PTA volunteers pick up
  uniform donations from Academy.

  SHW Group worked with METSA, our Math, Science and Engineering Academy at R. L. Turner High School. Engineers from the architectural firm gave insight on the project-based curriculum and participated in career days.  They have served as advisers when needed.  SHW team members have also served on the Board of Directors of the C-FB ISD Educational Foundation.

• Sony Electronics, Inc. has provided in-kind donations for various campuses to help special projects that focus on student achievement activities such as Math Night and Literacy Night.

•  Academy Sports and Outdoors has donated school uniforms to the district. We have distributed the uniforms through the C-FB ISD PTA Clothes Closet and Metrocrest Social Services.

 
• First Baptist Church Carrollton has been Central Elementary School's partner for several years. The members have provided such items as coats, gloves and hats. They even set up a day for health screenings along with fun activities such as bounce houses, games and other activities.

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  Kathryn S. McWhorter Elementary receives books
  from Zurich, Inc.
  at special assembly.

  Zurich, Inc. in celebration of its 100th anniversary in the United States donated more than 950 books and $1,450 to Kathryn S. McWhorter Elementary School.



All of these partnerships are designed based on what the organization can do and what needs our campuses may have. We value the support given by every partner. Again, these are just a few of the partnerships that we have in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District.

Your partnership can provide volunteers, funding, equipment, materials, and/or assist with special needs. We work to match the school’s needs with the organization’s resources, but a few suggestions include:

• Classroom Volunteers
• Student Mentors
• Guest speakers
• Educational tours or field trips
• Incentive awards for student achievement
• Teacher discounts, rewards

If you wish to get started or find out how you can partner with C-FB ISD, please fill out the Partners In Education interest form. Once we have received the form and reviewed your information, a team member from the Strategic Communication Services Office will contact you regarding your partnership interest.

If you are a community member and would like to be a school volunteer, we welcome you as well. Visit our Volunteer page for more information on how you can become a volunteer at one of our schools.

We have a great public school system, but we can be even better when we have vested partners working with the educational team. Your time and expertise will help us with our four strategic objectives because they are interdependent.  However, your involvement will strengthen our stakeholder confidence as students, parents, and community leaders see your interest in the local schools.

C-FB ISD is in the top 9% in academic performance as measured by the Education Resource Group.  This is a perfect time for you to become involved in your local school district.

This is a school district where families feel connected.  Our 2011 parent survey told us that 90 percent of our parents were satisfied with their child's campus.   In a poll of registered voters, we learned that 70 percent believe that C-FB ISD is an excellent public school system. When looking at registered voters with children in the district, that number climbed to 90 percent.  And, you can join our parents and team in making a difference.

When educators and stakeholders work together, we make sure that our schools are places where students feel accepted and are challenged to learn.  And, when that happens, academic performance will be even higher.

C-FB ISD Partners Page

Update On C-FB ISD Grading

Almost one year ago, a Focus Points entitled "What's Going On About Grading" highlighted the district's work on grading procedures. In the blog, we talked about grades and what do they really mean? We also shared that based on the work of the District's Grading Task Force, five campuses would pilot the draft grading procedures for the 2011-2012 school year.

Recently, Dr. Sheila Maher, associate superintendent for Educational Services, updated the C-FB ISD PTA Council on the grading pilot's progress. The School Board's next Work-Study Session on April 19 will focus on Grading and Student Academic Achievement.

By implementing grading procedures that accurately reflect student learning, the district is focusing on its singular goal of "high achievement for all students." As Dr. Maher pointed out in her presentation to the PTA Council, effective grading procedures ultimately impact all four district strategic objectives.

For example, if students are learning and achieving then that is reflected in their grades. When students are being successful, the learning environment is positive.  We also find that our district is operationally more effective.  Parents are confident in the school system because their students are achieving at high levels.

The five piloting campuses are:

•  R. L. Turner High School
• Davis Elementary School
• Vivian Field Middle School
• Rosemeade Elementary School
• Early College High School

The input and work by faculty and staff of these five campuses have been incredible.  These educators have given valuable insight to improving grading practices.  They have helped us see how to improve the logistics not only for our students but also our educational team.  Our goal is for our students to learn to do quality work the first time; however, if students need additional time, we want to provide a mechanism for them.  We are seeking ways to involve parents in the student learning too.  As we move through the grading piloting procedures,  our principals and teachers are evaluating everything that relates to instruction and assessment.  Our bottom line is to increase achievement for all students.

To view the draft of the district's Grading Procedures, click below:
Grading Procedures Feb 2011

To view the PowerPoint Presentation shown by Dr. Maher at the PTA Council Meeting, click below:

Grading Presentation

Come Out and Support Spring Athletes

In C-FB ISD, we have one goal: high student achievement for all students. We believe that high achievement permeates academics, fine arts and athletics in our district. What our students learn in athletics and fine arts translates into other endeavors.

This spring, we have numerous athletic events, and we encourage the community to come and see our student athletes in action.  Our annual C-FB Relays will be held Fri., March 23 at Tommy Standridge Stadium, 1330 W. Valwood Parkway, Carrollton.  

Our Varsity field events will begin at 2:00 p.m. followed by the Junior Varsity running events at 3:00 p.m., Junior Varsity  field events at 5:30 p.m. and Varsity running events at 6:00 p.m. Admission prices are $4.00 for adults and $3.00 for students.

We have some amazing athletes in C-FB ISD.  For example, two athletes to come watch at the relays are Creekview senior Melissa Gonzalez and Newman Smith senior Courtney Okolo, both nationally-ranked and University of Texas Austin-bound on track scholarships.

Our district will host the 9-4A District Track and Field Meet on April 10, 11, and 12 at Standridge Stadium, with competition beginning at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday and at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Ticket prices will be $4.00 for adults and $3.00 for students per day.

 We still have some district games remaining in our Soccer season, and our teams have excellence chances for the district play-offs.  The Creekview and R. L. Turner boys' soccer teams have both  made the weekly top 10 rankings of The Dallas Morning News for area 4-A soccer teams. Remaining district soccer games are March 20 and March 23.  Athletic Schedules

 C-FB ISD will host the Region II-4A Soccer Tournament on Fri., April 13, and Sat., April 14 at Standridge Stadium. The girls' semi-finals will be at noon and 2:30 p.m. on Friday followed by the boys' semi-finals at 5:00 and 7:30 p.m. Finals will be played on Saturday with the girls scheduled for 11:00 a.m. and the boys at 1:30 p.m. Ticket prices will be $7.00 for adults and $5.00 for students per session.

The 4-A district softball and baseball games are already underway which includes Creekview, R. L. Turner and Newman Smith.  Ranchview will begin its 3-A district softball and baseball season on March 20. Athletic Schedules

 Success Abounds

Although the school year is still underway, we are already seeing much success in our athletic program.  Here are just a few of our achievements.

• Ranchview female power lifter Destiny Thomas will compete in the THSWPA State Meet in Corpus Christi on March 17.
•  R. L. Turner senior Rhyann Perry received the Texas State Athletic Trainers Association Academic All-State Award. This award is given to students who spend many hours helping with the medical care of athletes while also maintaining high academic standards in the classroom.

At the 2012 State High School Diving Championships, we had three divers who had outstanding results. They are as follows:

• Conner Shackelford of Newman Smith earned a fifth place. Being in the Top 6, Conner qualified for All-American.
• Sarrie Zinszer of Creekview placed ninth and was named to the "All-State 2nd Team."
• Brandon Alexander of Creekview placed fourteenth and was named to the "All-State 2nd Team."

 Three C-FB ISD students placed at the State Wrestling Tournament.

• Creekview's Elijah Cook placed sixth at State.
• R. L. Turner's Nina Machado placed fifth at State.
• Creekview's Bobbi Navarrete placed fifth at State.

We are always to pleased to learn about the success of our graduates.  Congratulations to Creekview alum Krista Lopez. Oklahoma State forward Krista Lopez is the 2011 Capital One Academic All-American of the Year for NCAA Division I women’s soccer according to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

You can read more about our individual student successes in our district blog:  http://blogabilities.blogspot.com/

Involvement in athletics increases creativity, problem-solving, and the motivation to learn. We appreciate the effort, dedication, and commitment to purpose of our student athletes. We also salute the coaches and trainers who work with our student athletes on daily basis.

We thank the community for your support of C-FB ISD athletics, and we encourage you to attend as many of the spring events as you can because you will be impressed and inspired by our athletes.

Special Education Providing High Quality Support

The student achievement presentation for the March School Board meeting focused on the Special Education services of the C-FB ISD. Our Special Education Department currently serves more than 2,600 students from birth to 21 years of age, which is about 10 percent of our district's student enrollment. We offer high quality services for our students who have been identified as needing these services.

In C-FB ISD, our goal is "high achievement for all students." And, the students served in Special Education are achieving at high levels. As the chart indicates, C-FB ISD Special Education students outperformed their state peers on every state assessment in 2011.  We are very proud of our students, teachers and staff.

To achieve such success with our identified Special Education students, the district has Special Education teachers who work with our regular education teachers along with specialized team members to support students with specially designed materials, instruction and services.

Our district has a stellar reputation for its Special Education services. We offer these options to our students and families because we understand the importance of customization and support. We also provide related services to assist students if these will help them with their learning.  The district provides Extended School Year Services (ESY) during June, July and August if the instructional team believes students will lose significant skills during the summer.  For example, 92 students participated in ESY during summer 2011.  ESY will again be offered this summer for qualifying students.

A program that our Special Education team added to benefit our students who are 18 to 21 years is a  Functional Skills Workshop. The team created the workshop with these goals in mind:

• To provide vocational training and daily living experiences
• To learn how to access the community safely
• To be as independent as possible in "life after high school."

Child Find
The district is an ongoing participant in Child Find. Child Find is a statewide program seeking children with disabilities who reside in Texas who may need special education or related services.  Any student from birth to 21 years old must be identified, located and evaluated. Children may be referred by parents, doctors, school personnel or community members. If you have questions about Child Find, please contact the district's Special Education Department.

All Stars

We are so proud of the district's All Stars, the district's Special Olympics team.  In 13 years, we've grown from 16 athletes to more than 200 athletes from 22 campuses. They participate in bowling in the fall and track and field in the spring. We will host our 12th annual invitational meet at Standridge Stadium where the district will welcome more than 500 athletes from eight area school districts on March 28.  We invite everyone in the community to come watch the All Stars and the other special athletes as they compete.

Photos from 2011

Kacie's Run

Our annual track and field meet would not be possible without Kacie’s Run. This event definitely teaches the importance of giving. The run raises funds for the C-FB ISD Special Olympics Track and Field Meet and bowling competitions for the All Stars. 

The event is Sat., March 24 at Standridge Stadium, and we invite everyone in the community to come run or walk for our special athletes.
Please register online at www.cfbisd.edu/kacie.  And, even if you don't run or walk, we encourage you to come out and support the runners, walkers and our district as we raise funds our All Stars.

This event is a collaborative effort of our C-FB ISD students, staff and community. Our students and staff work with parents and the community at large to raise funds for our All Stars.  Last year, our Kacie's Run team presented $20,100 to our All Stars.  These funds help our All Stars participate in their bowling and track and field events.  Kacie's Run is truly a bright spot in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch community.  Click on the photos from the 2011 event, and you will see this is an event that you and your family will want to participate in on Sat., March 24.
Photos from Kacie's Run 2011

Kacie’s Run is held in memory of Kacie Brekhus, a 2003 graduate of R. L. Turner High School. Kacie’s Run involves a wonderful C-FB ISD family – Mel and Candi Brekhus. The Brekhus Family has been truly touched that the run has been named in honor of their daughter Kacie. The family serves an inspiration to the students and all of us.

The district's Special Education Department offers a variety of instructional programs and services to meet the educational needs of Special Education students. With high expectations for success, students with disabilities will become life-long learners and contributing members of the community. In the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District, we have one goal – high achievement for all students. We invite you to join us as a partner.

For more information about the Special Education Department, visit the department's website: Marie Huie Special Education Center

You can also view the Student Achievement Presentation on the district's Vimeo channel: C-FB ISD Board Meeting: March 1, 2012

You can see the actual PowerPoint Presentation below.

Special Education Board Presentation March 2012

Online Annual Reports Build Stakeholder Confidence

In the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District, we have always believed in the importance of accountability and stakeholder confidence. That is why for the second year, we have published a comprehensive online annual report. This report is available for our community to see how well C-FB ISD is doing.


This report covers data from the 2010-2011 school year plus we have provided a mix of information from the current year. Because we want our community to be well-informed, the 2009-2010 annual report is still available as well. We believe that having two years of data will give our community a better understanding how our educational team is meeting our singular goal of "high achievement for all students."

This year's annual report is designed the same as the 2009-2010 report so you can easily compare information. We again focus on our four strategic objectives. The report has six tabs: leadership, achievement, learning environment, operational effectiveness, stakeholder support and current figures. Throughout the report, we have links back to http://www.cfbisd.edu/ so you can see live, current information.

If you are a frequent reader of Focus Points, you have read that we believe that our four objectives are interdependent. That means, that when our team members work on one objective, their efforts can impact one or more of our objectives. For example, as our students see success whether it's in academics, fine arts or athletics, we build stakeholder confidence.

We believe that we've made some improvements to our online annual report. For example, this year, we have added three videos.

In our achievement section, you will see a fine arts video featuring 2011 C-FB ISD graduate Jack Pena as he plays a solo with the Creekview High School orchestra.

In our athletic accolade section, you can see the Newman Smith High School 1,600-meter relay team of Kaila James, Mia James, Adriana De LaRue and Courtney Okolo win the 2011 UIL State Championship.  It is exciting to see these student athletes in action.

Share Your Story Form

Over the last two years, we have asked individuals who have relationships with C-FB ISD to share their stories.  We have included samplings of what our parents, students, and staff  have told us about the C-FB ISD spirit.  We believe that these stories will give those who view the annual report a glimpse into why C-FB ISD is a bright spot in public education.

We hope that you take time to review our 2010-2011 annual report. Here are some facts you will learn about C-FB ISD when you read through the report.

•  90% of our parents were satisfied with their child's campus.
•  55.4% of our students live within the city of Carrollton.
• The graduating class of 2011 received $27,127,621 in college scholarship offers from local donors, colleges, universities and the military.

We invite you to take time to read, review and reflect about the C-FB ISD 2010-2011 online annual report.  You will see that our district is going to great lengths to meet the goal of "high achievement of all students."  After you have learned about the great work that our team is doing to help C-FB ISD students achieve, we know that you will want to join our team.  Please click here to find out how you can become a vested partner.  Or, if you are already involved, please click on the "Share Your Story Form," and let us know how C-FB ISD has made a difference in your family.

What Is C-FB ISD's Financial Picture?

At the February School Board Work-Study Session on Resource Allocation, Mr. Mark Hyatt, associate superintendent for support services, reiterated to our Board members and those in attendance that because C-FB ISD has been planning and making reductions over several years, the district is in a better position to weather this school financial storm than many other districts for the upcoming school year.

If you recall from previous Focus Points, I have mentioned that our School Board and educational team have taken very seriously our strategic objective to "continuously increase operational effectiveness."  And, because we have been operationally effective and efficient, the district has maintained a strong reserve (general fund balance). 

As you look at the district's Fund Balance history and projection in the chart, you will see that the district is financial stable.  And even with a significant loss in 2012-2013, C-FB ISD can maintain well over the recommended 60 to 90 days of operational costs in reserves.  However, there are future concerns if the district drops below the recommended days in fund balance. 

We continue to streamline our operations and believe in this quote from District Leadership That Works by Robert Marzano and Timothy Waters:

"High performing districts ensure that the necessary resources, including time, money, personnel and materials are allocated to accomplish the District's goals. This can mean cutting back on or dropping initiatives that are not aligned with district goals for achievement and instruction."

As we presented the 2012-2013 proposed budget to the School Board, Mr. Hyatt explained that due to changes in state funding formulas as well as the expiration of federal stimulus funding, the district will have over $8 million less in available resources.

As we looked to the next year, the preliminary estimates are based on the following:

• No major reductions in staffing.  We will continue to reduce our staffing through regular attrition as our team members resign and retire.
• Limited reductions in district signature programs.  Programmatic changes are based on instructional needs because of our singular goal: "high achievement for all students." We are allocating our resources - time, money, personnel and materials where they can have the greatest benefit.
• Utilization of funds from the district's General Fund Balance and other reserves.

Although the current proposed 2012-2013 budget does show an approximate $11.9 million deficit, the staff  is using a system-based approach to analyze district programs, operations and services. The School Board, the district's governing body, developed three guiding objectives to prioritize the district's resource allocations and determine budget reductions. And, we are still seeking ways to reduce that deficit as we did in this current budget cycle.  Note:  The adopted 2011-2012 budget began with a $9.7 million deficit; the district is now estimating less than a $3.6 million deficit.

The Three Guiding Objectives

• Minimize the impact on student academic achievement
• Minimize the impact on non-academic special services and programs for all students, i.e., extra-curricular and co-curricular programming
• Minimize the impact on the ability to retain and attract quality staff

In the budget reduction process, the district leadership, campus leaders and the District Improvement Council took the three guiding objectives provided by the School Board and reviewed various programs, operations and services.  In the chart are examples of reductions for 2012-2013.  As with any budget, we will continue to review what additional reductions are viable.

In C-FB ISD, we believe in one goal: "high achievement for all students."  We also believe in re-engineering and restructuring our schools and programs so that we maximize our time, money, personnel and materials to benefit our students.  But, we need the community's support.  We invite you to join with us and be a vested partner in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District.  We also encourage you to share with us your thoughts about the district through Share Your Story or at cfbinfo@cfbisd.edu.

Providing a Safe Learning Environment

In the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District, we have one goal: high achievement for all students.  To meet that goal, we have four strategic objectives that are extremely interdependent.

The learning environment is a crucial piece to the puzzle when it comes to student success. We are proud of the work we are doing to promote positive student character traits, decrease out-of-school suspensions and increase attendance among our students.  This year, our team also implemented a newly formatted Student Code of Conduct, which we hope is easier to understand for our parents and students.

In the 2011 C-FB ISD parent survey, 92.6 percent of the parents responding said that their child's school provided a safe environment. We believe that for high achievement to take place, our schools must be safe and learning-focused. We are pleased that our parents have such a strong perception about our schools, but I believe we have received those high marks because we as a school community have been proactive in providing a safe, positive learning environment.

Since the early 1990’s, C-FB ISD has had a committee whose mission is to look continuously for practical ways to improve campus and district safety. The committee still today operates seeking out research, guidance from law enforcement and input parents and community members.  All of us know, there is no single simple solution for school safety.  However, what we do know is that we must work together to provide the best possible learning environment for our students and educational team.  And, that will always be a priority for the C-FB ISD community.

In a recent presentation to the C-FB ISD PTA Council, Wade Lillie, director of the Security and Operations Services Department, highlighted how the district prepares for emergencies.  The key word is "planning." 

Every year, our campuses and other district facilties develop an "emergency response plan" in conjunction with the District's Crisis Management and Emergency Response Plan. We provide copies of these plans to each police and fire department, and other emergency response agencies to provide detailed and up-to-date information for a faster and more efficient response.

These plans include how the school or building will handle all types of issues.  Each district facility (not just schools) are expected to conduct drills annually.  These range from evacuation drills, i..e, fire drills to shelter in place, i.e., bad weather in the area. 

Since January 2009, C-FB ISD has used V-Soft by Raptor Technologies to register and monitor visitors, contractors and volunteers who come to the school. When visitors, volunteers or contractors check-in, they are asked to present a valid state or government issued photo ID for entering into the system.

Thanks to the 2003 bond referendum program, the district added some additional security measures to district campuses.  These basic tools include electronic door locks. We also have secured or monitored entrances.  Other additional tools include closed-circuit TV systems for security and discipline monitoring, burglar alarms to prevent and report unauthorized access, and automatic fire alarms that detect heat and smoke in case of fire.

The district has also introduced a tool to our middle and high schools called  AnComm's "Talk About It."  "Talk About It" is an anonymous messaging communication service that gives students an opportunity to "talk" to certain faculty members. As soon as a student submits a text message, then the appropriate administrator receives the message and resolve the issue as it arises.  We believe it is important to be proactive and respond to situations in a timely manner.

In C-FB ISD, we have close working relationships with local police departments, including on-campus School Resource Officers (SROs) who work closely with our district security and operations team as well as our administrative team.

We value the tools that we have at our disposal to keep our buildings safe as well as the training that has been provided, but what is most important is the "safety team."  That safety team includes everyone: our students, teachers, principals, all C-FB ISD staff, and the entire C-FB ISD community.  We are responsible for the safe and positive schools in our district.  A  positive, caring learning environment will help us with our goal of high achievement for all students.

To visit the PowerPoint Presentation shown at the PTA Council Meeting, see below:
LilliePTA Presentation 2012