CCISD News - August to October 2005

School District Seeks Volunteers and Recommendations for School Naming Committee

By Clear Creek Independent School District on October 28, 2005

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—The Clear Creek Independent School District is accepting applications to serve on the school naming committees for Elementary #23 and High School #4. The district is also accepting naming recommendations from the community at this time. The Office of Public Information must receive the completed form or naming recommendation by Nov. 14. Citizens can fax the form to (281) 284-9901 or e-mail it to kpermett@ccisd.net.

The meeting dates are Nov. 17 and Dec. 7 at 6 p.m. The High School Naming Committee will meet at Creekside Intermediate School and the Elementary School Naming Committee will meet at Falcon Pass Elementary.

For additional information, call (281) 284-0020.

Community Uses Red Ribbons to Denounce Drugs

By Clear Creek Independent School District on October 17, 2005

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—Community members are encouraged to participate in the second annual “Wrap the Town Red” event from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Oct. 22, at League Park located at 500 E. Main in League City. Sponsored by The Bay Area Alliance for Youth & Families, the celebration includes a health fair and carnival.

Beginning at 9:30 a.m., community members of all ages will have the opportunity to “Wrap the Town” in red ribbons in honor of Red Ribbon Week. The week commemorates the ongoing fight against the use of drugs across the United States. At 11 a.m., participants can play games at the “Say BOO to Drugs” carnival, visit booths and get information from the health and safety organizations that serve the Bay Area Houston community.

Everyone who participates in the wrapping will be provided T-shirts and hot dogs. The event is co-sponsored by Deveraux Hospital, Intracare Hospital and ARI construction in conjunction with The Bay Area Alliance for Youth & Families.

For more information on the activities or to register your group for the event please RSVP to (281) 316-5724 or email jlobaugh@ccisd.net.

Clear Creek High School Alumni Invited Home for Homecoming

By Clear Creek Independent School District on October 13, 2005

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—Clear Creek High School is celebrating its 50th Homecoming Day Oct. 21. Clear Creek High School alumni are encouraged to attend the homecoming carnival, pep rally and game. In addition, the school is inviting all previous Creek homecoming queens to participate in the pre-game crowning ceremony.

The Wildcats play the Galveston Ball Tornadoes at 7 p.m. The 2005 Homecoming Queen will be crowned by 1995 Homecoming Queen Jackie Justice during the pre-game ceremony. The game takes place at the District Stadium located at 2305 East Main St. in League City.

For more information about the homecoming events, contact Mary Latulippe at (281) 338-7019 or by email at mlatulip@ccisd.net."

Clear Lake High School Teacher Stamps Passport with Life Experience in Romania

By Clear Creek Independent School District on October 12, 2005

Teachers from around the world attended the recent Training of Writers Program in Romania. Pictured are Victor Fernandez-Ramirez, Asuncion, Paraguay; Farouq Arar, Qalqilia City, Palestinian Territories; Traci LaFoy, Clear Lake High School; Sam Mensah, Harrismith, South Africa; and Marijus Kersys, Kaunas, Lithuania. Photo Credit: CCISD.

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—Clear Lake High School economics and macroeconomics teacher Traci LaFoy recently participated in the Training of Writers Program in Bucharest, Romania. The program is sponsored by the National Council of Economic Education in conjunction with the United States Department of State

LaFoy worked with 24 educators from around the world. Countries represented include, Armenia, Belarus, Estonia, Indonesia, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine, and United States. In combined groups of United States participants and non-United States participants, educators created lesson plans based on economic concepts for grades K-12, focusing on various disciplines from Literature to History.

"It may sound crazy to travel half way around the globe to write lesson plans, but learning how to develop economic lesson plans for elementary through high school that are easily translated and understood in many different languages was quite a challenge," said LaFoy. "Working with my colleagues from all over the world was a once in a lifetime experience and I am blessed to have had the opportunity.

School District Board Presents Long Range Plan to Council

By Clear Creek Independent School District on October 12, 2005

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—The Clear Creek Independent School District Board of Trustees presented the League City City Council the district’s Long Range Facilities Plan during the Oct. 3 joint workshop. The five inch thick notebook contained the district’s demographic study, capital improvement needs for each campus, as well as highlighting the need for future schools and facilities until 2020.

During the 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 school year, a 50-member citizen committee worked collaboratively with the district to create the Long Range Master Facilities Plan.

Because of this extensive collaborative effort, CCISD is one of the first school districts in Texas to have developed a comprehensive plan. District officials have been invited to speak at local, state and national conferences to share how other districts can develop a plan that is effective and efficient.

Clear Creek Education Foundation Generosity Shines at Reach for the Stars Gala

By Clear Creek Independent School District on October 7, 2005

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—The Clear Creek Education Foundation far exceeded its goal for the 2005 Reach for the Stars fundraising gala. Community sponsors donated more than $96,000 for a net profit of nearly $70,000. The Foundation helps to generate and distribute funds for the advancement of public education. Special Guest Presenter Dayna Steele, Houston radio personality, presented the alumni awards, the George Carlisle Distinguished Service Award and the Valor award. More than 270 guests were in attendance.

Pictured are (front row) Honoree Rebecca Hall Parker, Clear Lake High School Class of 1982; Dr. Sandra Mossman, CCISD superintendent of schools, Deborah Hutchinson, mother of Valor Award recipient Ray Joseph Hutchinson, (back row) Jim O’Malley, CCEF president, Bill Kruger, George Carlisle Distinguished Service Award recipient, Honoree Tinker Murray, Clear Creek High School Class of 1969; Lars Meyerson, Clear Creek High School Class of 1979; Michael Hutchinson and his son Lee and his wife Laura. Honoree John Rando, Clear Creek High School Class of 1979, was not present

School District Earns Perfect Score on State’s Fiscal Accountability System

By Clear Creek Independent School District on October 5, 2005

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—Clear Creek Independent School District received a perfect score on Texas’ Schools FIRST (Financial Accountability Rating System of Texas) program, earning the district a rating of “Superior Achievement.” The district’s success on the accountability system demonstrates the exceptional quality of Clear Creek ISD’s financial management and reporting system.

“We are very pleased that Clear Creek ISD once again is being recognized for our sound financial management,” said Clear Creek ISD Superintendent Dr. Sandra Mossman. “This rating shows that Clear Creek ISD’s schools are accountable not only for student learning, but also for achieving these results in the most cost effective and efficient manner.”

The 21 indicators judged by FIRST include fund balance reserves, effectiveness of tax collection, student to teacher ratios, administrative cost ratios and bond funding. The district budget allocates 64.1 percent to classroom instruction. The funds spent on administrative costs are 6.8 percent of the budget – compared to the state average of 11 percent.

Developed by the Texas Education Agency in response to Senate Bill 875 of the 76th Texas Legislature in 1999, this is the third year the program has awarded ratings to the school districts. The primary goal of Schools FIRST is to achieve quality performance in the management of school districts’ financial resources, a goal made more significant due to the complexity of accounting associated with Texas’ school finance system.

The rating system assigns one of four ratings, with the highest being “Superior Achievement,” followed by “Above-Standard Achievement,” “Standard Achievement,” and “Substandard Achievement.” Districts with serious data quality problems may receive the additional rating of “Suspended—Data Quality.” Districts that receive the latter two ratings under Schools FIRST must file a corrective action plan with the Texas Education Agency.

School District Extends School Boundary Committee Volunteer Application Deadline

By Clear Creek Independent School District on September 30, 2005

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—The Clear Creek Independent School District has extended the deadline to receive applications to serve on the 2005-2006 School Boundary Advisory Committee. The purpose of the committee is to determine the attendance zones of current and future elementary, and high school campuses in Clear Creek ISD.

Please visit the District web site, www.CCISD.net to download the application form. The form is to be faxed or mailed to the Clear Creek ISD Office of Public Information at (281) 284-9901 no later than Wednesday, Oct. 19 by 4 p.m.

The selection process takes place Thursday, Oct. 20 at 4 p.m. in the Board Room at the Education Support Center, located at 2425 East Main in League City. The first meeting of the committee takes place Monday, Oct. 24 at the Education Support Center.

For additional information, contact the Public Information Office at (281) 281-284-0020

School District Invites Community to Serve on School Boundary Committee

By Clear Creek Independent School District on September 12, 2005

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—The Clear Creek Independent School District is in the process of forming the 2005-2006 School Boundary Advisory Committee. The purpose of the committee is to determine the attendance zones of current and future elementary, and high school campuses in Clear Creek ISD.

Please visit the District website, www.CCISD.net to download the application form. The form is to be faxed or mailed to the Clear Creek ISD Office of Public Information at (281) 284-9901 no later than Wednesday, Oct. 12 by 4 p.m.

The selection process takes place Thursday, Oct. 13 at 4 p.m. in the Board Room at the Education Support Center, located at 2425 East Main in League City.

The eight returning members of the School Boundary Advisory Committee are as follows:

· Ken Baliker; Bay Oaks; Space Center Int.

· Elizabeth Drum; The Landing; Clear Creek HS

· Carla Fandry; Brookwood; Clear Lake HS

· Mischelle Stewart; Rustic Oaks; Creekside Int.

· Jeanne Avandsalehi; Brittany Bay; Victory Lakes Int.

· Randal Oates; Sterling Knoll; North Pointe Elem.

· Reeneea Ann Ennis; Brookforest; Brookwood Elem.

· Betty Squyres; Pine Brook; Brookwood Elem.

For additional information, contact the Public Information Office at (281) 281-284-0020

All Schools in District Meet Adequate Yearly Progress Requirements

By Clear Creek Independent School District on August 26, 2005

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—Clear Creek Independent School District students once again set the bar for state achievement. All schools in the district met the states requirement for Adequate Yearly Progress, which is based on expectations for growth in student achievement.

“The success of all children is an essential building block of public education. The high level of achievement of our students is a reflection of the dedication of the teachers and staff of Clear Creek ISD,” said Dr. Sandra Mossman, superintendent of schools for Clear Creek ISD. ”

Under No Child Left Behind, accountability provisions that formerly applied only to districts and campuses receiving Title I, Part A funds now apply to all districts and campuses. The AYP requirements are based on the following principles:

All Schools: A single statewide definition of AYP applies to all districts and campuses, including Title I and non-Title I districts and campuses, alternative education campuses, and open-enrollment charter schools.

All Students: All students must be tested and all results must be included in the AYP calculation. Assessments included in the AYP calculation are:

* Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics;
* State-Developed Alternative Assessment II (SDAA II) in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics;
* Locally-Determined Alternate Assessments (LDAA) for students exempted from the TAKS and SDAA II by the Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) committee for Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics;
* Reading Proficiency Tests in English (RPTE) for recent immigrant limited English proficient (LEP) students who were exempted in Reading/Language Arts by the Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC);
* Linguistically Accommodated Testing (LAT) of the TAKS or SDAA II Mathematics assessments for recent immigrant LEP students who were exempted by the LPAC.

Standards: Baseline performance standards for Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics measures are determined using the methodology required in No Child Left Behind. The standards must increase over time to reach 100 percent by the 2013 –2014 school year.

Participation: Districts and campuses must meet test participation standards as well as performance standards for students tested.

Other Measures: High schools must meet a graduation rate standard set by the state.

For more information call the Clear Creek ISD Office of Public Information at (281) 284-0020.

Clear Path Alternative School Welcomes Community to Open House

By Clear Creek Independent School District on August 25, 2005

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—Clear Creek Independent School District’s Clear Path Alternative School is having an open house at their new facility at 6 p.m., Sept. 22. The school is located at 400 South Kansas in League City. The entire community is invited to the grand re-opening of the building.

Walter Bevers, principal of Clear Path Alternative School, will personally escort the community on a guided tour of the historic facility built in 1938. The building was renovated during the summer to accommodate the new school. Teachers will talk to parents and community members about the program. The community is encouraged to come see how this program is making a valuable difference in the community.

Quandt has “The Right Stuff” at Boeing’s Space Camp for Educators

By Clear Creek Independent School District on August 25, 2005

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—Sandy Quandt, fourth grade teacher at Ed White Elementary, recently had an out of this world experience at Boeing’s Space Camp for Educators in Huntsville, Ala. She was one of 16 teachers from around the world to have this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Quandt was one of six teachers honored with “The Right Stuff” award. This award is presented to the teachers whom the camp counselors decided had persevered to meet challenges and exhibited overall growth throughout the camp.

“It was an amazing week with many challenges and hard work, but worth every minute,” Quandt said. “The experiences I came away with from camp will long remain some of my favorite.

School District Accepting Referrals for Gifted and Talented Program

By Clear Creek Independent School District on August 23, 2005

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—The Clear Creek Independent School District Gifted and Talented Program is accepting written referrals for students in Kindergarten through 12 grade for the 2005 - 2006 school year. Referrals are accepted, ongoing, from teachers, students, administrators, special education personnel, counselors or parents/guardians. The referral must be submitted in writing to the Gifted Program Office or to a Gifted Specialist located at each of the elementary schools.

The Gifted Program is designed for students who demonstrate significantly above-average achievement or potential in the areas of general intellectual ability, specific subject matter aptitude and creative/productive thinking skills. Criteria for selection include cognitive skill tests, professional recommendations, classroom performance and portfolio samples.

A child will not be tested more than twice in Kindergarten through fifth grade, and twice in sixth through 12 grades. The deadline for students in first through 12 grades is Oct. 7 (Deadline extended due to Hurricane Rita). The deadline for accepting referrals for students in kindergarten is Dec. 1. For more information, please contact the Gifted and Talented Program office at (281) 284-0081 or the elementary Gifted Specialist/secondary counselor at the child’s campus.

Districtwide Educational Improvement Council Membership Needed

By Clear Creek Independent School District on August 18, 2005

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—The Clear Creek Independent School District is seeking representation for the Districtwide Educational Improvement Council for the 2005-2006 school year. The Council is involved in establishing and reviewing the District’s educational goals, objectives, and major districtwide classroom instructional programs. This includes planning, preparing and reviewing the District Improvement Plan.

The Council meets once a month after school with the first meeting scheduled for September 12, 2005 at 4:30 p.m. in the Board Room of the Education Support Center. The Council serves exclusively in an advisory role. Both community and business representatives are needed.

Community member representatives must reside in the district. Business member representatives need not reside in the district but must own or operate a business in the district.

If interested in becoming a DEIC representative, volunteer forms can be accessed on the District’s website; www.ccisd.net or requested from the District’s Office Of Public Information. Completed forms are due to the Education Support Center, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, by 4:30p.m. on Monday, September 5, 2005.

CCISD: Get Involved - DEIC Volunteer Form - pdf file

School District Receives Building Permit, Cancels Public Hearings

By Clear Creek Independent School District on August 12, 2005

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—The Clear Creek Independent School District, in cooperation with the League City City Council, recently adopted an Interlocal Cooperation Agreement to ensure the successful completion of the District’s fourth high school on Palomino Lane. Since the passing of the agreement, the city has also issued the District a Special Use Permit for the property and the required building permit.

“The District is pleased that we are moving forward in a spirit of cooperation with the City of League City,” said Dr. Sandra Mossman, superintendent of schools for Clear Creek ISD. “We are now beginning the next phase of construction for High School #4 and anticipate the school opening as planned in August 2007.”

Public hearings that had been scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Aug. 18 and Aug. 22 have been cancelled. The purpose of the hearings had been to address the district’s plan to accommodate the 5,000 students that would be housed at Clear Creek High School in the event that the district’s fourth high school could not be completed before August 2007.

For more information about Clear Creek ISD and the construction of High School #4, call the Office of Public Information at (281) 284-0020 or visit the website at www.CCISD.net.

LaMell Named Head Principal at Clear Brook

By Clear Creek Independent School District on August 2, 2005

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—The Clear Creek Independent School District Board of Trustees named Kristi LaMell as the new principal of Clear Brook High School during the July 26 Board meeting. LaMell is replacing Michael Kries, who has accepted a principalship in his home town near the Dallas area.

LaMell began with Clear Creek ISD in 1999 as an assistant principal at Clear Brook High School. Most recently she has been an assistant principal at Clear Creek High School. LaMell has more than 25 years experience in education as both a teacher and an administrator. Prior to her experience with Clear Creek ISD, she began working for Friendswood ISD in 1980 as a mathematics teacher and girls’ athletic coach.

LaMell earned her Bachelor of Science in Physical Education from Texas A&M University and two Master of Science degrees in Accounting and Educational Management from the University of Houston—Clear Lake.

School District Makes Significant Gains in 25 of 26 Indicators

By Clear Creek Independent School District on August 1, 2005

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—The Clear Creek Independent School District continues to lead the charge in ensuring high achievement for all students. The District has made significant gains in 25 out of the 26 academic indicators of the TAKS exam. With the state’s new stringent reporting mandates, the continued success of the District’s students is representative of the dedication and hard work of the teachers and staff of Clear Creek ISD.

For the 2004-2005 school year, students had to answer more questions correctly on each test to achieve a passing rate, because this is the first year the exam is at the Panel Recommendation level. Despite the significant increase in exam expectations, the District’s students had a pass rate of 90 percent or higher in 13 of the 26 academic indicators.

One area that the District has targeted for improvement is the science portion of the TAKS exam. Students in the economically disadvantaged student group across the District improved five percent from the previous year on the science portion of the TAKS. However, Clear Creek ISD needed an additional four percent performance improvement in this area to receive a “Recognized” rating. Therefore, Clear Creek ISD will receive the Texas Education Agency rating of “Acceptable” because of the performance on this one indicator of out of 26.

“We are proud of the hard work and dedication of our teachers as they provided each student the necessary preparation to improve their performance,” said, Dr. Sandra Mossman, Superintendent of Schools. “However, we are concerned about every child in our District and are taking all possible steps to ensure improvements for the coming school year. In order to address the needs of our students in science we have developed a multi-phased plan to improve science scores. The District’s improvement plan includes partnering with area universities, such as the University of Houston—Clear Lake and Rice University, pursuing science grants and hiring an elementary science coordinator.”

Currently, the District is serving nearly 34,000 students at 36 schools and enrollment is growing at approximately 1,200 to 1,400 students every year through 2020.

“We recognize that every child has different needs and learning styles,” Mossman said. “Therefore, differentiated instruction, which outlines individual educational needs for each student, will continue to be the focus of the District’s education format for the coming year.”

This is the second year ratings have been issued under the state’s redesigned accountability system, which is now based on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) scores, State-Developed Alternative Assessment (SDAA) scores, high school completion rates and annual dropout rates.

Overall, five schools received “Exemplary” status, 21 schools received “Recognized” status and seven schools received “Acceptable” status. No schools in Clear Creek ISD received a rating of “Academically Unacceptable.” Listed below are the campuses and their rating designation.

Exemplary

Armand Bayou Elementary

Brookwood Elementary

Ferguson Elementary

Stewart Elementary *

Ward Elementary *

Recognized

Bauerschlag Elementary

Bay Elementary

Clear Lake City Elementary

Falcon Pass Elementary

Goforth Elementary

Greene Elementary

Hall Elementary

North Pointe Elementary

Ross Elementary

Weber Elementary

Wedgewood Elementary

Whitcomb Elementary

White Elementary

Brookside Intermediate *

Clear Lake Intermediate

Creekside Intermediate *

League City Intermediate

Seabrook Intermediate *

Space Center Intermediate

Victory Lakes Intermediate *

Clear Lake High School *

Acceptable

Hyde Elementary

Landolt Elementary

League City Elementary

McWhirter Elementary

Webster Intermediate

Clear Brook High School

Clear Creek High School

Clear View Education Center **

* Indicates that the campus improved its rating from the previous year.

** Highest rating available for an alternative campus.

For more information about Clear Creek ISD, contact the Office of Public Information at (281) 284-0020 or visit the website at www.CCISD.net.

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