Arlington ISD reports higher staff engagement, adopts district and campus goals including AI objective

Trustees on Sept. 18 adopted a package of district and campus performance objectives, including annual House Bill 3 goals, after hearing staff present a stronger set of staff-survey results and proposed academic priorities.

Assistant Superintendent of Research and Accountability Doctor Natalie Lopez and Director of Research Janaeia Stewart presented findings from the 2024-25 staff satisfaction survey. Participation increased to 63.2% from 52.7% the prior year, and the district achieved its board target on the employee retention and satisfaction index (ERSI), meeting a goal to move the index from 3.9 to 4.0.

"Even a small uptick of 0.1 would reflect hundreds of staff changing their perceptions positively," Stewart said, noting the district's sample of roughly 5,000 staff means a 0.1 change represents about 500 staff. Presenters highlighted campus-level strategies that drove gains, including shared decision-making routines, teacher-led professional development, improved communication practices and wraparound interdisciplinary meetings for challenging student behaviors.

The board then heard a multi-part presentation from Dr. Collins and academic leaders on the district improvement plan. Trustees approved a set of performance objectives tied to board priorities: specific objectives for early literacy and early numeracy, an objective for college, career and military readiness, expanded measurement of staff and parent net promoter scores, safety and discipline alignment with campus behavior plans, and a new district-level objective to prepare staff and students for appropriate uses of artificial intelligence.

Key HB 3 targets presented and adopted included raising third-grade reading "meets" performance on the STAAR (STAR) from 40% to 41%, third-grade math "meets" from 35% to 36%, and increasing graduates meeting CCMR domain 1 benchmarks from 92% to 93%.

Votes at a glance

- District performance objectives and HB 3 goals: adopted (unanimous vote). - Campus performance objectives: adopted (unanimous vote). - District values and beliefs (amended change: "parents" to "families"): adopted (unanimous vote). - Consent agenda (minus item k): approved; item k (procurement authorization for certain bond projects) approved after discussion.

Trustees asked staff to return with baseline net promoter scores and with recommended key progress measures to align with the new performance objectives and the superintendent's evaluation.

Trustees praised the alignment between board priorities and the district improvement plan. Trustee Mister Wilbanks called the alignment "the first time in seven years" he's seen complete alignment between board priorities and improvement plans, while other trustees emphasized continuing work to support early literacy interventions and staff development as implementation moves forward.