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Venus ISD curriculum staff outline assessment, coaching and teacher certification supports; district joins Texas Teacher Collaborative
Summary
Curriculum and instruction leaders described monthly curriculum‑based assessments, renewed PLC supports, learning walks and a new partnership—Texas Teacher Collaborative—which will support seven teachers pursuing National Board Certification beginning in January 2025
Dr. Morgan, director of Venus ISD’s curriculum and instruction department, briefed the board on Dec. 16 about the department’s work on assessments, professional learning communities (PLCs), coaching and a new teacher certification initiative.
Major department actions: Dr. Morgan said the district is creating curriculum documents for core teachers, implementing monthly curriculum‑based assessments to measure mastery of TEKS, and revitalizing PLC processes with instructional coaches and campus leaders. The presentation described monthly “learning walks” with principals and the C&I team using a six‑element instructional framework; the team will align follow‑up professional development to gaps found during visits.
Writing and testing focus: Dr. Morgan said the district is prioritizing writing instruction—especially extended constructed responses and the writing process for grades 3–8—because of its weight on the STAAR (STAR) test. Instructional coaches are spending time across campuses (elementary, middle and high school) and documenting support through coaching conversations, classroom visits, PLC visits and support sessions.
School improvement grants and AVID: the presentation noted three campuses are participating in school improvement grants (LASO/ESF focus grants) and that AVID programming now begins at third grade in the elementary school; site coordinators for AVID include assistant principals and teachers on each campus.
Texas Teacher Collaborative and National Board certification: Dr. Morgan said Venus ISD was invited to join a Texas Teacher Collaborative funded by the Charles **** Foundation; seven teachers will participate beginning in January to pursue National Board certification. Dr. Morgan explained that once a teacher earns National Board Certification in Texas the district may qualify to request a teacher incentive allotment (the presenter said the minimum allotment is $3,000), which can be added to a certified teacher’s salary if the teacher remains in the district.
Monitoring and next steps: Dr. Morgan said curriculum coordinators and instructional coaches will continue one‑on‑one coaching with learning leaders, deliver aligned PD on January professional days, and use assessment data to adjust instruction. Board members asked a brief question about the time frame for coaching touch points, and Dr. Morgan clarified the charts reflected activity since August of the current school year.
What the board received: the presentation supplied a program‑level picture of the district’s investments in teacher supports and student assessment systems and identified the Texas Teacher Collaborative as a targeted retention and instructional quality strategy.
