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Esparza Elementary placed in comprehensive support; district recommends LIFT grant partnership
Summary
District staff told trustees Doctor Thomas Esparza Elementary scored 51 in the state's 'closing the gap' domain (cut score 61), qualifying it for comprehensive support; staff recommended a Region 1 partnership and a three-year LIFT grant ($235,000 award structure) to fund targeted supports beginning in 202627.
Victoria Martinez, the district coordinator assigned to Esparza Elementary, reported that Doctor Thomas Esparza Elementary scored a 51 in the state's closing-the-gap domain; the state's cut score was 61, so the campus was identified for comprehensive support and improvement.
Martinez said Region 1 conducted a diagnostic, identified two to three priority actions, and recommended targeted interventions including structured data-analysis protocols, weekly PLCs, observation-and-feedback systems, and focused coaching. "It does require the campus is required to improve to be above the 5% cut score for 2 consecutive years to be able to exit comprehensive school," Martinez said.
District staff proposed entering a partnership with Region 1 under the LIFT (Leadership and Instructional Foundations for Texas) grant. Martinez explained the grant structure: the award associated with this support totals $235,000, with a state requirement that the vetted partner receive 70 percent of funds; the remaining 30 percent is to support campus-specific professional development and targeted supplies. The partnership is presented as a three-year option beginning in 202627 but year-two continuation is contingent on funding and selection of high-quality instructional materials.
Principal Aranda Pesina and campus staff described steps already taken (revised master schedule, increased instructional time, PLC protocols, structured observations and data analysis) and credited frequent specialist visits and targeted coaching with early benchmark gains; district benchmark results cited in the meeting showed progress from earlier assessments.
Trustees asked about monitoring frequency; district staff said specialists visit weekly at some campuses, directors visit monthly, and the campus is conducting weekly data checks tied to benchmarks and progress-monitoring assessments.
The board voted to approve the reporting requirement for Esparza's improvement plan and was asked later to approve the partnership as part of action items.
