Mission CISD (Consolidated Independent School District) has been approved to join the Texas High Performance Schools Consortium as an associate member. The consortium was created by the 82nd Texas Legislature in 2011. It started as a group of 23 carefully selected high-performing school districts to inform the governor, legislature, and commissioner of education on methods for transforming Texas public schools.
“The associate membership into the Texas High Performance Schools Consortium says a lot about Mission CISD,” said Ricardo López, superintendent. “It says we have some creative, and high-caliber programs in place, and that we have something to offer the state as it works towards transforming education in Texas. Our students will benefit because this helps put Mission CISD in the forefront of educational trends.” López also said inclusion in the consortium will give the district, and the Rio Grande Valley, an added voice on future legislative issues impacting the future of education.
Senate Bill 1557 give the consortium until January 2018 to complete its work that currently includes: identifying high priority learning standards; designing a new assessment and accountability system; and resolving issues that could come from transitioning to the transformed system.
“We will attend our first meeting as a part of the consortium’s work on March 4,” Said López. “ I look forward to us joining the two full-consortium member districts from the Rio Grande Valley in making sure the RGV is not only heard, but that we continue to play an active role in moving public education forward in a way that will best prepare our students for their futures.”
The ultimate goal is to transform education so that all Texas students are future ready. The consortium indicates the preferred future for Texas schools should be a system built around: dynamic curriculum standards in each content area; a variety of assessment alternatives that are not limited to paper and pencil tests; use of technology that is integrated into the learning for students; involving local communities in accountability features; and various pathways to graduation.
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