Cedar Hill ISD is seeking a system that would reflect the whole child, be aligned with the values of the community, and help drive meaningful change. As we plan and respond to the ever-changing needs of scholars in today’s society, we seek an accountability structure that more accurately reflects our community values and scholar needs.

Developing a community-based accountability system involves parents, scholars, community leaders, and educators working together to develop a more complete and holistic way to share data and information with our community about our schools.

In a series of roundtable events held this spring, CHISD will engage stakeholders to hear and ensure that we are aligning our accountability work with their expectations.  In late April 2021, we will hold stakeholder forums to answer the question: 

“What are your hopes and dreams for Cedar Hill ISD and its scholars?”

Currently there are 51 school districts in Texas that are working towards the development of a community-based accountability system.

CHISD believes in unlocking every Longhorn’s potential. We are committed to developing a true accountability system that comprehensively holds us accountable to the Hopes and Dreams of the community as well as the priorities of the district, rather than a partial accounting that results in dictated and ineffective judgements.  We owe it to our scholars to go beyond tests that measure past performance on narrowly defined criteria to focus on current and future success while providing opportunities for scholars to explore their talents, interests and passions.

A community-based accountability system:

•  Recognizes and honors the multiple ways scholars express learning and the manner in which all scholars are prepared for an ever-changing future. 
•  Is driven by the unique needs of the scholars and the values and expectations from the community it serves, as compared to the one-size-fits-all approach that is currently used.
•  Includes parents, community members, and educators working in partnership to identify meaningful indicators of progress and/or successes unique to the Cedar Hill ISD community.
•  Supports efforts to innovate and customize learning experiences based on the needs and interests of our scholars and community.
•  Recognizes that schools are accountable for the capacities, requirements, principles, and infrastructure necessary to create and sustain a successful learning organization.
•  Is an engine of meaningful change for schools, not another report card.

This community-based accountability system prioritizes the whole child and will report multiple, diverse data points above and beyond what can be shared from standardized tests. Public school accountability should include multiple, comprehensive measures that more accurately reflect the student experiences on a campus and the expectations from its community. Accordingly, the CBAS will include information and data based upon the following categories:

• Scholar Learning Progress
• Scholar Readiness 
• Engaged & Well-Rounded Scholars
• Community Engagement/Partnerships 
• Professional Learning & Quality Staff 
• Fiscal & Operational Systems 
• Safety & Well-Being of Our Scholars
• Equity

Cedar Hill ISD will publish the community-based report in the Fall of each school year in conjunction with the Texas Education Agency’s release of the A-F Accountability Ratings.