Latest news with #KarenMolinar
CBS News
23-07-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Fort Worth schools prepare for cellphone ban as Texas law limits use during school hours
When the school year starts, in districts across the state, students won't be able to use cellphones or certain other electronics during the school day due to a new law that leaves a lot of the details up to individual schools and school districts. The Fort Worth Independent School District is deciding on its policy now. Fort Worth ISD parent Adrienne Hayes has a 16-year-old and says she knows just how distracting a cellphone can be. "There's been times where he's veered off on YouTube or done other things instead of being engaged in the lesson," said Hayes. However, when it comes to Texas' new law banning cellphone use in K-12 schools, she says she sees both sides. "Academically, I think it will strengthen our kids, being able to reengage in the curriculum," Hayes said. "Considering the state of the world today, it could be a sense of security for parents, as well as for kids having access to them." "So, when we have our parents who are upset about this state law that has been implemented, we understand," said Dr. Karen Molinar, the Fort Worth ISD Superintendent. "But you need to know our approach for FWISD is to protect our instructional time; however, still give you access to your student before and after school hours." At Monday's school board meeting, a policy that aligns with Texas' new law was presented. Under the new rules, students will start with a verbal warning, then for repeat offenders, the punishment can escalate to contacting parents, phone confiscation, parent-teacher conferences, and even in-school suspension. Parents are being told to call the front office if they need to reach a student throughout the school year. Steven Poole, the head of the United Educators Association, says he's concerned about the teachers.. "Who is going to have their back when they start confiscating cellphones, turning them into the office, when students and parents start pushing back on this policy?" Poole asked. The policy, if it passes, would start on the first day of school.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Fort Worth ISD reports 2024 STAAR results, prioritizes literacy in ongoing overhaul
The Brief Fort Worth ISD announced preliminary 2024 STAAR results showing gains in reading and most subjects across grades 3-8. The district surpassed its strategic plan literacy goal and saw improvements in 4th and 5th-grade reading and math, and US History and Biology EOCs. FWISD acknowledges challenges in English I and II and plans a full curriculum redesign and new literacy/math frameworks for the 2025-26 school year. FORT WORTH, Texas - Fort Worth ISD (FWISD) announced their preliminary 2024 STAAR results on Tuesday and states their intentional focus on literacy is already resulting in gains for students across the district. Big picture view On Tuesday, during the regularly scheduled Board of Trustees meeting included FWISD Superintendent Dr. Karen Molinar. Dr. Molinar presented preliminary STAAR scores from spring testing. The preliminary data showed reading performance scores are on the rise. FWISD not only met its strategic plan literacy goal but surpassed it by four percentage points. What they're saying "Beyond third grade reading, we are also seeing gains in nearly every tested subject in third through eighth grades, a strong signal that our instructional strategies and support systems are driving meaningful outcomes for students across the district," Superintendent Dr. Karen Molinar said. "Our work does not stop here. In fact, it's only just begun. Moving forward, we have to remain focused on literacy and be willing to make changes in areas we are not performing as we should be," Molinar added. By the numbers Results for the grades 3-8 STAAR showed no decreases in reading scores for all grades, with gains ranging from 2-7%. Preliminary scores also show: • 4th grade reading and math scores went up at all levels – Approaches, Meets, and Masters. • 5th grade reading scores improved at the Meets and Masters levels, while the Approaches level stayed the same. The biggest gain was at the Meets level, with a 5% increase. • The percentage of students achieving the Masters level in US History increased to 25%, reflecting growth among our highest-performing students. • 85% of students taking the Biology EOC scored at Approaches Grade Level or higher, and the percentage meeting or exceeding grade level expectations rose significantly. Dig deeper FWISD says they recognize the challenges in English I and II performance and are diving deeper into the data to act with urgency to address performance challenges. Superintendent Dr. Molinar is putting new measures in place to address these deficiencies, such as demo classrooms with instructional modeling, and a full curriculum redesign with tiered support tailored to student needs. What's next As FWISD moves into the 2025-26 school year and implements the District Wide Strategic Plan, every decision Fort Worth ISD makes will focus on what truly drives student success. The district is already launching a bold and aggressive redesign of literacy and math frameworks. This includes more instructional time in middle schools, a new phonics program for kindergarten through second grade, and enhanced dyslexia tools. "We will continue to work to give every student in Fort Worth ISD the tools they need to succeed. I am proud of our teachers and students and what they accomplished this year, but we will hit the ground running in August and continue to improve. Every second and every student counts", said Molinar. The Source Information in this article was provided by the Fort Worth Independent School District.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fort Worth ISD celebrates preliminary 2025 STAAR results for grades 3 through 8
Officials with the Fort Worth Independent School District are celebrating preliminary results from a statewide standardized test that they said shows gains in reading performance for grades 3 through 8. Superintendent Karen Molinar presented the early test results for spring 2025 during a school board meeting on Tuesday, June 10, a week before the Texas Education Agency publicly releases statewide testing data from the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, for elementary and middle school grades. TEA released End-of-Course assessment results for high school subjects on Tuesday morning, which showed the district had seen gains in student performance in Biology and Algebra I, but losses in English I, English II and U.S. History. The preliminary test scores for grades 3-8 showed no decreases in reading scores across the board, and the gains seen ranged from 2-7%. Notably, reading and math scores for third and fourth graders increased at all performance levels. The largest decrease in performance, compared to official 2024 results, was seen in fifth grade math for students approaching grade level in the subject. There were 62% of students meeting this metric in 2025 compared to 66% in 2024. 'We are definitely not anywhere near where we want to be for any student in this district and as a district as a whole, but this does show that the actions that we did put in place this school year — by putting adults in front of students; and redesigning our campus instructional coaches to work with small groups; the professional learning and developments that we provided to our assistant principals (and) our principals with our leading and learning team, with putting a focus on instruction and data, we saw results,' Molinar said. Molinar emphasized that the elementary and middle school data she presented was unofficial student-level data that would not be used for projecting the district's A-F accountability ratings, which are administered by TEA to measure how well campuses and districts are performing academically and beyond. During the school board's June 24 meeting, Molinar said she would present the official results from TEA that will include a breakdown of the data by student demographics. 'I'm choosing to share our early results around our 3-8 (grades) to show you the importance of the plans we have already put in place for '25-'26 (school year),' Molinar said. 'This is what we call very dirty data from a state file, and that we'll see all cleaned up later on, on those release dates. Everything can differ just by a little bit, but we're very confident in the percentages that you'll see.' The district is implementing a new instructional framework in the upcoming school year where all lessons will be structured the same way across all grades to create consistency in instruction and reduce planning time for teachers. The framework is part of the district's efforts to turnaround its stagnant academic performance that's been seen historically. The district is also implementing a new block schedule for middle school students, who will have 90-minute classes starting in August. Molinar noted the district met a literacy goal outlined in its strategic plan, which was to increase the percentage of third graders meeting grade level in reading on STAAR to 33% by 2025. The preliminary test results showed 37% of third graders meeting this benchmark. This literacy goal grows over the next four years with a final goal of having 50% of third graders reading on grade level by 2029. An additional math goal outlined in the strategic plan for third graders was also met for 2025, Molinar added. The target was 32% of students meeting grade level, and the early test results show 34% students performing at that level. 'Very excited about that. We know our target for next year in 2026 is 36%. We believe, with that new instructional planning calendar and framework and the redesign that we will not only meet that target in 2026, but we will exceed that target,' Molinar said.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Fort Worth ISD reveals new lesson structures to help improve academic performance
As students in the Fort Worth Independent School District wrap up their last week of school, Superintendent Karen Molinar revealed details about how classroom lessons will be structured upon their return to school in the fall. Molinar gave a presentation to the school board on Tuesday, May 20, of Fort Worth ISD's new instructional framework that will go into effect in the 2025-26 school year for literacy and math. The framework is one of the components of the district's effort to turn around its stagnant academic performance. The goal is to promote consistency in the classroom and reduce planning time for teachers while keeping their autonomy intact. Beyond literacy and math, the framework will apply to all subjects for kindergarten through eighth grade, Molinar said. A framework for high school lessons is in the works. Molinar explained in-depth the three parts of the instructional framework: first teach; demonstration of learning; and reteach and challenge. First teach, the initial layer of instruction known as tier one instruction, includes addressing gaps students have in prerequisite skills, adjusting what students are learning or how they're learning it, and using techniques that allow students to participate and share their thinking during a lesson. 'Regardless of where they come in at, that first teach always has to be at grade level. If they're reading on a second-grade level, but they're in the third grade, they're always going to receive that third-grade instruction,' Molinar said. The second part, demonstration of learning, consists of no more than five questions that are aligned with the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, exam to gauge what students took away from the lesson. The final reteach and challenge block involves grouping students based on how they performed with their demonstration of learning to receive additional support if needed. Students who 'meet' or 'master' the material do enrichment activities to further their learning. District officials will provide teachers with lesson slide decks and questions for the demonstrations of learning to be used as guides during class time. The slide decks and lesson materials will be linked together in one place through an online portal. 'The lesson planning is done for the teachers. The delivery is the autonomy of the teacher,' Molinar said. 'Teachers are now going to be able to plan weeks in advance and really be able to adjust.' Molinar also presented a funding overview for various options of reading and math curriculum approved by the State Board of Education, which included the Bluebonnet Learning curriculum. Bluebonnet's literacy curriculum has sparked controversy for its Bible-infused reading materials. Molinar focused on the math portion of the Bluebonnet curriculum, including a presentation slide with bullet points explaining why it was 'a better choice for Fort Worth ISD.' Among the examples she mentioned were its instructional support for teachers, emergent bilingual students and students who previously have struggled with math. It also replicates the district's current curriculum, Eureka Math and Carnegie Learning, so teachers won't have to learn an entirely new curriculum. 🚨 More top stories from our newsroom: → Fort Worth ISD board approves plan to close 18 schools → TCU student murder case moves toward trial → Mansfield ISD board approves superintendent's contract [Get our breaking news alerts.] The school board approved the adoption and roughly $2 million purchase of the Bluebonnet Learning math curriculum later on in the meeting, in an 8-0 vote without discussion. School board member Wallace Bridges was absent. 'If there's a better resource for our students, and we're getting funding from the state, it's our obligation to put that in front of them and to make sure our teachers have the best curriculum and the best resources for our students,' Molinar said. Molinar also shared the district's update for dyslexia screening, which includes adding another screening for seventh-grade students. When students are taking their beginning-of-the-year MAP test, middle schools will do screening for seventh-graders identified by the district. By the end of the first six weeks of school, or Sept. 19, families will be given a data analysis of their child's screening with a literacy support plan. Students suspected of having dyslexia, or other disabilities under the umbrella of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, will be evaluated by district staff within 45 school days of staff receiving parental consent to do the evaluation.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fort Worth ISD board to discuss recommended school closures, hear public comment
At its Tuesday night, May 13 meeting, the Fort Worth ISD school board will hear public comment and a presentation about the proposed Facilities Master Plan, which recommends closing and consolidating 18 elementary and middle schools over the next four years. After this week's discussion, the board is scheduled to vote on the plan at its meeting the following week on Tuesday, May 20. 'This proposal is about building a better future for our students,' Superintendent Karen Molinar said in a news release Monday. 'Our goal is to create learning environments that inspire success. By right-sizing and investing in our schools, we can ensure every student has access to the programs and resources they need to thrive.' Fort Worth ISD officials said the plan was developed through an extensive review of facility conditions and enrollment trends, and input from the community meetings, stakeholder surveys and the district's Master Facilities Plan Community Task Force and Steering Committee. The district has said that the campuses being considered for closure are under-enrolled or need major repairs. The following 14 proposed closures are part of the plan, pending approval by the board: J.T. Stevens Elementary closing at end of 2026-27 school year; Students transfer to Westcreek Elementary and Bruce Shulkey Elementary Charles Nash Elementary closing at end of 2025-26 school year; Students transfer to Oakhurst Elementary, Versia Williams Elementary and Rufino Mendoza Elementary Harlean Beal Elementary closing at end of 2027-28 school year; Students transfer to David K. Sellars Elementary H.V. Helbing Elementary closing at end of 2027-28 school year; Students transfer to Diamond Hill Elementary and M.H. Moore Elementary Kirkpatrick Elementary closing at end of 2025-26 school year; Students transfer to Washington Heights Elementary and Dolores Huerta Elementary Kirkpatrick Middle closing at end of 2028-29 school year; Students transfer to newly constructed J.P. Elder Middle Edward J. Briscoe Elementary closing at end of 2025-26 school year; Students transfer to Carroll Peak Elementary, Morningside Elementary and Van Zandt-Guinn Elementary Morningside Middle closing at end of 2028-29 school year; Students transfer to newly constructed William James Middle De Zavala Elementary closing at end of 2026-27 school year; Students transfer to Lily B. Clayton Elementary and E.M. Daggett Elementary Atwood McDonald Elementary closing at end of 2026-27 school year; Students transfer to Bill J. Elliott Elementary and East Handley Elementary A.M. Pate Elementary closing at the end of 2026-27 school year; Students transfer to Christene C. Moss Elementary Sunrise-McMillan Elementary closing at end of the 2027-28 school year; Students transfer to Maudrie M. Walton Elementary, Christene C. Moss Elementary and W.M Green Elementary (A.M. Pate could become a school of choice, and Sunrise-McMillan could become a family resource hub) Riverside Applied Learning Center closing at end of 2025-26 school year. Students transfer to Bonnie Brae Elementary Hubbard Heights Elementary closing at end of 2028-29 school year. Students transfer to Seminary Hills Park Elementary, Richard J. Wilson Elementary and Worth Heights Elementary Additionally, the closures of S.S. Dillow Elementary and McLean 6th Grade Center and the construction of a new campus for Eastern Hills Elementary are included in the plan, with those changes already receiving board approval. The current Eastern Hills Elementary campus will close in June and its students will attend West Handley Elementary during the transition. West Handley will close in June 2028 and its students will be consolidate at the new Eastern Hills campus in the 2028-29 school year, the plan states. District officials said the proposed plan would not require additional financing or a new bond program. 'This is a difficult process, but it is one rooted in equity, academic impact, and fiscal responsibility,' said Deputy Superintendent Kellie Spencer. 'We're proposing a phased approach that allows for stability, forward planning, and community partnership. Smarter spaces mean stronger schools.' The May 13 special meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Fort Worth Independent School District Service Center, 7060 Camp Bowie Blvd. Video of the meeting will be live-streamed and archived on Fort Worth ISD's YouTube channel and on the FWISD Video on Demand site. Residents who want to speak during public comment can sign up by calling 817-814-1920 by 4 p.m. on the day of the meeting or sign up at the meeting location until 5:20 p.m. If you want to make a public comment by written statement, you may email boardmeetings-publiccomment@ by noon on the day of the meeting. Written statements will be shared with the board but won't be read aloud during the meeting. Public comment is limited to items on the agenda, per board policy. 🚨 More top stories from our newsroom: → Japanese, New York investors own thousands of suburban Fort Worth homes → What can Florida school vouchers tell us about Texas? → TCU students' cars targeted in burglaries [Get our breaking news alerts.] Other items on the agenda for the May 13 meeting are an update on plans for the school district's 2025-26 budget, including potential options for raising employee salaries, and an execution session to discuss the legal implications of a letter from the Texas Education Agency that informed Fort Worth ISD of a possible state takeover of the district because of failing test scores at a now-closed school.
