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New Caney ISD leaders outline turnaround plan for Kiefer Crossing Middle School
Summary
District staff presented a Texas Accountability (TAP) turnaround plan for Kiefer Crossing Middle School, described leadership and staffing changes, adoption of state-recognized instructional materials, and a timeline for submitting the plan to the state for approval.
New Caney Independent School District leaders told the school board that a turnaround plan is under way at Kiefer Crossing Middle School after two consecutive years of unacceptable accountability ratings.
District administrators presented the plan during the board meeting and said they have already made leadership and staffing changes, begun implementing high-quality instructional materials and data protocols, and held a parent meeting to explain the work. The district said it will submit the plan to the Texas Education Agency for approval and implement it in the next school year if approved.
Dr. Gundarko, speaking to the board, said the district learned in September that Kiefer Crossing would be placed on a TAP (turnaround) plan after two years of unacceptable ratings. “We had about 70 to 80 parents there” at a recent campus meeting, Dr. Gundarko said, and staff stayed after to answer individual questions. He told the board the district expects TEA approval in February or March and that the plan is intended for implementation the following school year.
The presentation listed several immediate steps already taken. District administrators reassigned campus leaders: Mr. Ceballos was moved to Kiefer Crossing as principal, Britney Horton was assigned as dean with instructional responsibilities, and Destiny Cook was placed as an instructional coach. District staff described a new dean position focused on instruction and said Human Resources and student services assisted with personnel and family communications.
On curriculum and instruction, district staff said they adopted high-quality instructional materials (HQIMs) recognized by the Texas Education Agency: STEMscopes for math, Amplify for language arts (already in use), and Solvus for science and social studies. Officials described new data protocols that compare district assessments across middle schools and allow teams to identify and share instructional practices. Dr. Gundarko said the district is treating the TAP work as an opportunity to scale practices across other middle schools.
Administrators reported visible operational changes on the campus after facilities and operations staff reset routines and improved custodial and transition expectations. Mr. Sabals (operations) and other staff were credited with rapid improvements in the building environment and parent communication.
District leaders said the immediate goal is to move Kiefer Crossing to a minimum C this school year, with the longer-term aim of reaching a B or A to exit the TAP designation. No formal board action was taken on the plan at the meeting; the presentation was informational and the board was asked to approve the plan for submission to the TEA once the board signs off.
Parents and board members who spoke at the meeting acknowledged the challenges and expressed support for the work. One board member noted that accountability ratings do not reflect “the heart and soul” of daily campus work but said the ratings require district attention to measurable outcomes.
The district said it will continue parent engagement, maintain frequent communications posted on social media and elsewhere, and implement the instructional and staffing changes while awaiting state approval.
