This week, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) will release letter grades which will label school districts with an A, B, C, D or F and campuses with a rating of "met requirement" or "improvement required" based on performance in the 2017-2018 school year on STAAR/EOC assessments. What we know for sure is that the rating will not take into account the hard work of students, teachers, administrators, parents, and community members who have spent countless hours in working together to ensure every student receives a quality education. In addition, the ratings will fail to offer districts focal points or even suggestions on how a district can improve on their current rating, but what it will do is label campuses, cities, neighborhoods, and communities as lacking in educating children. The ratings do not take into consideration the unique characteristics and needs of every individual student within a district, the academic needs, daily successes experienced inside and outside the classroom, hours of professional learning that teachers participated in to perfect their craft, extracurricular course offerings, and the intense involvement by the community.
Regardless of the letter grade received, CISD will not allow this label to cause us to waiver in providing our students with a rigorous academic program, and course offerings which will prepare students for college, their future career, or set a course for success in the military. This is more important than preparing a student for a multiple-choice test which is given once a year and does not demonstrate our students' creativeness, uniqueness, growth mindset, and resiliency. What this letter grade fails to do is give credit to the amazing accomplishments our students have achieved during this past school year. Below is a list of these great feats from our schools over this past year. This list is not comprehensive due to the numerous achievements our students, staff, community, and school partners have accomplished.
- Implementation of the Digital Equity for all plan which will provide free WiFi to all CISD students who live within the district's boundary.
- Varsity girls' cross country were District 7-4A Champions, Region 1 Champions, and State Runner-Up.
- District 7-4A Champion, Region 1 Champion, and State Runner-Up.
- Varsity boys' cross country were District 7-4A Champions, Region 1 Qualifiers, and State Qualifiers, and were District 7-4A Champions for the second consecutive year.
- Seven boys and seven girls participated at regional competition.
- Boys' and girls' cross country won district for the 2nd consecutive year and qualified for the regional meet for the 12th consecutive year.
- The boys team qualified for the State meet for the first time in school history.
- Varsity basketball - Bi-District Qualifiers (4th place in district).
- Varsity basketball - Bi-district Qualifiers (2nd place in district).
- Varsity basketball finished the season with an overall record of 19-12 (10-2 in district).
- Girls powerlifting had seven Regional Qualifiers.
- Boys powerlifting had six Regional Qualifiers.
- Varsity soccer - Bi-District Champions, Area Champions, Regional Quarterfinal Champions.
- Varsity soccer finished the season with an overall record of 20-6-1 (7-1-2 in district).
- Varsity soccer - District 7-4A Champions and Bi-District Champions.
- Varsity soccer finished the season with an overall record of 16-4-4 (8-2 in district).
- Varsity baseball - Bi-District Qualifiers (3rd place in district).
- 9 IMMS boys track athletes qualified for the Meet of Champions.
- 11 IMMS girls track athletes qualified for the Meet of Champions.
- Hosted the Inaugural Military Appreciation Night (Volleyball) at Castleberry High School.
- Hosted Military Appreciation Night at W. O. Barnes Stadium.
- Cross Country Community Service Project- Fed those in need at When We love Ministries.
- Volleyball Community Service Project- Canned Food Drive.
- Community Service Project- Feeding the Homeless (CHS Boys & Girls Basketball).
- Partnered with the curriculum and donated $200.00 in gardening equipment for the JJE Garden Club.
- Completed the Local Wellness Challenge by providing qualifying local food to our students.
- Child Nutrition partnered with Culinary Arts to compete in Aramark's annual Lone Star Chef Competition at Baylor University for a chance to win scholarship funds.
- Fully Funded Dual Credit offered in conjunction with Tarrant County:
- 2017-2018 enrollment = 103
- Fully Funded Dual Enrollment offered in conjunction with the University of Texas (new in 2018-2019):
- 2018-2019 enrollment = 163
- Career & Technical Education Pathways
- Business Management
- Cosmetology & Human Services
- Culinary Arts
- Education & Training
- Health Science Technology
- Hospitality Services
- Information Technology
- Manufacturing & Welding
- Marketing
- Scholarship & Grant Assistance for CHS Graduates in 2017-2018 totaling $2,428,584.
- Implemented Books and Bytes to encourage summer reading and engage students in computer science.
- Established a commitment to computer science for all students.
If you are a resident of Castleberry ISD, we hope this list has made you proud of the accomplishments of our students and staff members. Moving forward, we will view the letter grade which the district receives as one data point on how we can help our students grow acadmically, but it will not define who we are as a district or community. Castleberry ISD will continue to love, grow, encourage, and protect our students each day, and we will not let a letter grade derail our mission in "Growing the minds of Tomorrow TODAY!"