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Weslaco ISD reviews January Lone Star Governance benchmark results, flags reading targets and curriculum review
Summary
District staff presented benchmark 1 results showing strength in 4th- and 5th-grade math but weaker 4th-grade English language arts; the committee said it will wait for benchmark 2 before recommending target adjustments and will evaluate the district's reading curriculum next year.
WESLACO, Texas — District staff presented the Lone Star Governance (LSG) benchmark 1 results to the Weslaco ISD Board of Trustees on matters of math and English language arts for fourth- and fifth-grade students.
The presentation, from a district LSG representative identified in the meeting as Mrs. Solano, reported that "these cells, shaded in green are those who have met or surpassed the end of the year target," and said math at the fourth- and fifth-grade levels showed relative strength while fourth-grade ELAR (reading) lagged.
The board was told the district's targets are set on the "meets plus" performance level used under state accountability and HB 3; Mrs. Solano said the district may recommend campus-level targets that average to the current district target so unique campus populations are reflected. "We might reconvene and evaluate if the targets were set too high at the 4th grade," she said, adding that the district will wait for benchmark 2 results before bringing any formal recommendation to the board.
Superintendent Richard Rivera and trustees asked for specifics on what practices are driving stronger outcomes at high-performing campuses. Dr. Jaime Rodriguez, a trustee, asked, "what have you identified that's working, say at Gonzales and Koechler, in regards to the reading?" Mrs. Solano and other administrators pointed to blended learning, targeted PLC (professional learning community) work, detailed lesson internalization and modeling by campus leaders as repeatable practices at campuses with better results.
Board members pressed for more campus-level detail so lower-performing campuses can replicate effective practices. Trustee Jacqueline Sustaita said she asked staff to break out data by campus to identify successful methods: "what are they doing that can help other schools?" Trustees also asked staff to highlight schools with mastery-level performance of 20% or higher at the next report.
On curriculum, staff confirmed the district is in a period of "full implementation" after COVID for the adopted ELAR materials (referred to in the meeting as Saba/Sabas) and will evaluate whether the current adoption meets post-COVID needs before making a formal recommendation for new adoption in the 2025'26 cycle.
The district said action steps include sustaining Tier 1 instruction with fidelity, continuing district PLCs, deploying three-star mentors at campuses with needs, and waiting for additional benchmark data before adjusting targets.
Trustees and staff agreed to return with benchmark 2 results and recommended campus targets that reflect each campus's unique population while preserving the overall district goal.
Ending: Trustees approved the Lone Star Governance monitoring report as part of the meeting (see "Votes at a glance"), and staff will bring campus-target proposals and benchmark 2 results to a future board meeting.
