Arlington ISD reports benchmark gains at many campuses; principals detail classroom strategies

Arlington ISD's Research & Accountability team and campus leaders told trustees on April 9 that benchmark data show notable gains across several campuses that had been rated D or F in 2025.

Doctor Champion and Research staff presented charts showing movement from D/F ratings toward higher benchmarks. The presentation singled out campuses that made significant gains and showed several that moved from F to D or D to C. Champion introduced two principals who described their school-level work: Alicia Rodriguez of Thornton Elementary said her campus focuses on ‘‘wildly important goals''" and uses student and teacher trackers, CBLI and a one-way dual-language model; she said 75% of Thornton's students are emergent bilingual learners and the campus relies on systematic coaching and targeted small-group instruction.

Workman Junior High principal Erin Fogelman described targeted "domain 3" lists to identify students who regressed and focused small-group instruction and counseling interventions to address test anxiety and regression. "We pulled lists for each teacher's tested subjects so our teachers can see the story of a student," Fogelman said, describing one-on-one regression conversations led by counselors.

Why it matters: the presentations showed measurable progress on the district's key progress measures and offered district-level context for resource shifts tied to campus need.

Next steps: staff will continue monthly progress reports and principals invited trustees to visit campuses for classroom observations.