PSJA honors Lone Star Ribbon school, highlights Cradle-to-College conference and blended-learning rollout
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Summary
PSJA trustees recognized PSJA Thomas Jefferson Early College T-STEM as a 2025 Lone Star Ribbon School and heard district leaders outline a Cradle-to-College conference and a new blended-learning initiative supported by a two-year planning grant, including station-rotation classroom models and monthly learning walks to monitor fidelity.
PSJA Board President Ricardo Rodriguez and district leaders on Nov. 17 recognized PSJA Thomas Jefferson Early College T‑STEM as a 2025 Lone Star Ribbon School and spotlighted the district's cradle-to-college work and a new blended-learning rollout.
Dr. Nora Rivas Garza told trustees the Lone Star designation, announced by the state, recognizes the high school's academic performance and progress in closing achievement gaps. Board members and school leaders congratulated the students, teachers and administrators for the distinction.
Assistant Superintendent Marquez and Dr. Linda Uribe presented the Cradle-to-College conference the district hosted earlier in November, saying the event included a pre-conference and a day-and-a-half of sessions across six tracks. Dr. Uribe reported 277 participants and 50 pre-conference attendees, 38 sessions and more than $9,000 in sponsorships; presenters said the conference generated enough revenue to cover costs and return funds to support student programs.
Trustees also heard a detailed update on PSJA's blended-learning initiative from Dr. Iris Guajardo and Dr. Susana Arredondo. The presenters said PSJA was accepted into a two-year blended-learning planning cohort and partnered with a technical provider (K12 Coalition) to support classroom implementation. The district is implementing a station-rotation model: elementary students rotate daily for 20 to 30 minutes within reading or math blocks; middle-school classrooms integrate blended stations roughly twice weekly. The district described layered supports including principal and teacher professional learning, monthly learning walks and external validation opportunities; TEA has expressed interest in PSJA hosting a statewide blended-learning summit.
Board members praised the programs and asked about long-term sustainability. Trustee Castillo asked what happens after grant funding ends; Supt. Alejandro Elias and trustees said staff would continue to seek grants and district resources to maintain successful practices. Dr. Guajardo noted the grant is a planning and implementation vehicle and that the district will continue pursuing funding, instructional alignment and monitoring to sustain the work.
The presentations concluded with trustees commending teachers and staff for implementation and student outcomes, and asking staff to consider expanded family engagement strands for future conferences.