June 18, 2018
Trustees Approve Raises for District Employees

At their monthly meeting, Trustees approved a compensation plan for the 2018-2019 school year that includes raises for district employees. Equal to two percent of the midpoint of their salary range, the approved raise will result in a $1,200 increase for teachers, librarians and nurses.

Each year the District conducts a review of salary schedules and pay structures in order to maintain a competitive salary system that supports the recruitment and retention of quality employees. This year's review found that Belton ISD's beginning teacher salaries, which will increase to $47,300, was four percent above the average starting salary for eight surveyed districts in the area.
Congress of Future Medical Leaders

Delilah Miranda, a sophomore at Belton New Tech High School @ Waskow (BNTHS@W) has been selected to be a Delegate to the Congress of Future Medical Leaders hosted by The National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists.
  
The Congress is an honors only program for high school students who want to become physicians or go into medical research fields. During the three-day Congress, Delilah will join students from across the country and hear Nobel Laureates and National Medal of Science winners talk about leading medical research; be given advice from Ivy League and top medical school deans on what to expect in medical school; be inspired by fellow teen medical science prodigies; and learn about cutting edge advances and the future in medicine and medical technology.
Texsa State Historical Association Commendations

Teachers Elizabeth Howson of North Belton Middle School and Timothy Potts of Belton New Tech High School @ Waskow were both recognized by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) for outstanding achievement in Texas Day History this year.
 
In recognizing Mrs. Howson and Mr. Potts as "top history teachers in the State of Texas," TSHA highlighted their significant commitment to providing students the opportunity to excel in the study of history.
Miller Heights Elementary Counselor Honored 

During the  me eting, Board members honored Miller Heights Elementary Counselor Munirah Tarver for her recognition as the Education Service Center (ESC) Region 12 Elementary School Counselor of the Year.
  
Tarver, who has served as a counselor for four years, received the award at ESC Region 12's 2018 Counselor Appreciation Luncheon held last week in Waco.
Environmental Science NASA Externship

Belton New Tech High School @ Waskow teacher Jessica Settle has been selected for the TEX² teacher externship with the NASA Texas Space Grant Consortium. This statewide competitive program will be held at The University of Texas at Austin this summer with follow-up taking place during the first semester of the 2018-2019 school year.
  
Teacher externs with the NASA Texas Space Grant Consortium gain direct experience with NASA scientists and engineers, as they learn about cutting edge trends, skills, and opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) industries. Mrs. Settle's experiences in this program will enrich and strengthen classroom instruction and further enhance student learning.
Big Red Community Partner - Belton Economic Development Corporation

Belton ISD's vision is "to be a leader in preparing every student to excel in tomorrow's world." That includes equipping students with the tools that they need for the jobs of the future - some of which don't even exist today. The Belton Economic Development Corporation (BEDC) is a significant partner in those efforts.
 
An important voice on the Belton CTE Business Advisory Committee, the BEDC has played a large role in the planning, funding and promotion of this summer's Belton IT Training Academy. Through this program, Belton ISD graduates are learning about cyber security fundamentals and will have the opportunity to earn CompTIA A+ and Network+ certifications.
 
For their commitment to Belton ISD's vision, BEDC is the Big Red Community Partner for June. Board President Joe Shepperd, Executive Director Cynthia Hernandez and Director of Business Retention and Expansion Ana Borchardt accepted the award.
Superintendent's Report

Attendance Boundaries Planning Process
  
Bob Templeton from Templeton Demographics will lead the Board in a discussion on the attendance boundaries planning process at the July Board Meeting.
  
STAAR Testing Preliminary Results
  
Last week the District received preliminary STAAR data for third through eighth grades, as well as end-of-course exams.

Overall, Belton ISD exceeded the State passing rate in every subject and every grade level, with the exception of English II where scores were equal to the State and seventh grade math where Pre-AP seventh graders take the eighth grade STAAR. For Belton ISD, passing the eighth grade STAAR is a prerequisite for Algebra 1. Approximately one third of Belton ISD's seventh grade students took the eighth grade test.

 

In reading, 20-33% of Belton ISD students mastered the STAAR test, depending on the grade level. Sixth grade was 20% and third grade was 33%. Belton ISD exceeded the State masters' level in fourth grade. Some campuses had mastery percentages between 19 and 23%.

 

For elementary math, the District average mastery percentage is 30 to 36% depending on the grade level. Some schools have over 40% mastery. In science at all grade levels, the percent of students scoring mastery is higher than the State by up to 11 percentage points, depending on the grade level. Belton ISD also outperformed the State mastery level for US History.

 

It's notable that a high percentage of Belton ISD students achieved at the highest level of performance, "Mastery," which is evidence of the strength of our instructional program.

 

Like the State, Belton ISD needs to continue its focus on writing and will continue to focus on closing the gaps between non-economically disadvantaged and economically disadvantaged students. This includes continued efforts to identify ways to meet student needs at campuses with the highest percentage of economically disadvantaged students.
  

Beyond writing and the performance of high low SES campuses, the District will continue to focus on student achievement across all subjects and will use this data to continue to refine instructional plans for next year.
More photos of students and staff members recognized at this month's board meeting can be found on Belton ISD's Google+ page.