CCISD reports early‑literacy gains, large CCMR increase and attendance improvements in goals update

Clear Creek Independent School District cabinet members presented a multi‑area goals update to trustees, highlighting early‑literacy gains, a substantial increase in college‑career‑military readiness (CCMR/TSI) benchmarks among recent graduates, improved attendance and an array of safety and financial measures the district will pursue in the coming year.

Dr. Henley (district academic lead) said the district’s cohort tracking shows first graders in the 2023–24 cycle finished the year at about 78% on the Amplify early‑literacy composite and that second graders reached the 75% end‑of‑year goal this spring. “We are thrilled to see that our kids are, progressing beyond that goal,” Dr. Henley said, adding the district attributes much of the progress to a new curriculum tool, Reading Horizons, stronger coaching and professional learning in classrooms.

Administrators also reported a large increase in CCMR‑related benchmarks. For the Class of 2023 the district noted a previous measure of 44% (reported earlier) and later stated that 75% of graduates met TSI benchmarks in English and math by the end of the year; staff credited programs including Texas College Bridge and expanded SAT/ACT/TSI support for the gains. “That was a big portion of the growth that we saw — just implementing that and ensuring our students are equipped with the resources necessary to be successful on those entrance exams,” a presenter said.

Attendance results were also highlighted: the district average rose from 93.8% to 94.6% over the reporting period, and staff noted 16 consecutive weeks above 95% at one point. Presenters described a districtwide, tiered intervention system that identified students, communicated plans and created action steps with campuses and support staff.

On safety and behavioral supports, staff described a planned special‑education behavior support center that will open in August 2024, expanded mental‑health training for auxiliary staff such as bus drivers and kitchen workers to be completed by the start of the school year, and an interactive electronic mapping system (with door and window numbering) that will integrate with municipal law‑enforcement CAD/AutoCAD systems. The safety team reported 25 completed elementary campus safety audits as part of a three‑year internal TEA audit cycle; remaining elementary audits and secondary audits are scheduled for the next school year.

The finance presentation (Ms. Benzai) outlined steps to stabilize the district’s budget: the November voter‑approved tax‑rate election generated $18 million in additional revenue; the district reduced about 36.5 full‑time positions for an estimated $2.5 million in savings; staff also called out a taxable‑value audit they expect could yield roughly $4 million in one‑time revenue and cited swaps of funding sources that saved approximately $180,000 this year. Staff said tuition‑based pre‑K enrollment rose by 90 students and noted changes to a Galveston/Brazoria cooperative funding model that are expected to save roughly $300,000 annually.

Trustees pressed for more baseline and scaled‑score details. One trustee noted the presentation showed quarter‑by‑quarter maximum scaled scores but not the students’ average scaled scores; staff agreed to provide baseline/average scaled scores for each quarter and additional scaling documentation by the end of the week. Trustees also asked for explicit, measurable first‑year success metrics for the new Behavior Support Center (for example, enrollment targets or teacher‑satisfaction metrics) and for multi‑year trend overlays where possible.

What’s next: Administrators said they will post the presentation and follow up with the requested baseline data, scaled‑score averages and clearer success metrics for new programs in coming materials and meetings.