'Innovation labs' will be ILA's core instruction; applicants outline supports for English learners and students with disabilities

Innovative Leadership Academy presented its innovation labs as the primary instructional model and described how it would serve emergent bilingual students and students with disabilities.

Tony Fisher, the proposed superintendent, said ILA’s model rests on three pillars—innovation labs (arts + technology), competency‑based learning and leadership development—and that the labs are intended as TEKS‑aligned core instruction rather than enrichment. Dr. Jacqueline Curtis, chair of the Academic Excellence Committee, said the integration of arts, technology and leadership is meant to deepen engagement and literacy across subjects.

Applicants told TEA staff they anticipate about 40% of the student population will be emergent bilingual learners and that they will implement a transitional bilingual approach in initial grades with an early‑exit design. They said lesson plans will include English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS), staff will receive targeted professional development, leadership will monitor lesson plans and walk‑throughs, and the LPAC process will be supervised by campus leadership until a dedicated EB coordinator is hired.

On special education, applicants said the school projects about 10% of students may have IEPs and budgeted $3,000 for special education materials in Year 1. Applicants described measures to make the labs accessible: certified special education staff and aides will push into labs, adaptive software (text‑to‑speech and other accessibility features) will be used, task cards and flexible grouping will scaffold activities, and physical adaptations such as movable furniture, quiet corners and noise‑canceling headphones are planned. Tony Fisher and special‑populations respondents said PLPs (3‑week individualized learning plans) will be co‑created with students, families and teachers and will be used alongside IEP goals in ARD meetings for progress monitoring.

Applicants emphasized that interventions are embedded in daily instructional cycles (lab rotations, small‑group teacher zones and adaptive software) rather than delivered by pulling students out of core instruction. They also said teachers will receive pre‑service training (10 days) and ongoing embedded professional development to support ELPS delivery and inclusive practices. If campus capacity requires, applicants said leadership (founder and principal) will initially cover some coordinator duties until specialized hires are made.

TEA staff asked for specifics about adaptive furniture and the $3,000 special education line item; applicants said purchases would be determined by student IEPs and that the line item was sized to supplement items already embedded in lab design. Applicants said PLPs would be used as a progress‑monitoring tool in ARD/IEP meetings.