DFW News App

Arlington ISD Superintendent Matt Smith speaks during the 14th annual State of the District address on Aug. 9, 2024, in the district’s Professional Development Center. (Drew Shaw | Arlington Report)
” data-medium-file=”https://fortworthreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/State-of-District-4-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://fortworthreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/State-of-District-4-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C520&ssl=1″ tabindex=”0″ role=”button”>
Arlington ISD officials voiced one central message at its recent State of the District address: the school district’s value to the community.

Speakers highlighted Arlington ISD’s diversity, recent student success initiatives and the construction projects it completed over the past decade through two bond packages, which amount to over $1.6 billion. They also discussed the challenges schools are facing in test scores and accountability ratings.

It was the debut State of the District for Superintendent Matt Smith, who entered his position in January. Community leaders and local business owners mingled with Arlington ISD trustees and parents under the roof of the district’s Professional Development Center.

“The most important asset in our community is our kids,” Arlington Mayor Jim Ross told the Report. “Our school district has the vast majority of them there, so it is critical we stay attached at the hip so we’re all on the same page in taking care of our kids.”

Arlington ISD school board President Justin Chapa, left, speaks with Jennifer Cowley, president of the University of Texas at Arlington, at the 14th annual State of the District address on Aug. 9, 2024, in the district’s Professional Development Center. (Drew Shaw | Arlington Report)

That community-district connection appeared in each facet of the event — from the lunch catered by district alumnus-owned Prince Lebanese Grill, to the national anthem sung by a Martin High School senior, to the leaders of the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce who spoke throughout the program.

Student success initiatives 

“Today, honestly, I’d like to talk a little bit about building bridges,” Smith said at the opening of his address. 

To Smith, bridges represent the work the school district has done and is doing. Bridging gaps in Arlington ISD requires recognizing the district’s diverse community, Smith said.

In 2023-24, three-quarters of students in Arlington ISD qualified for free or reduced-price lunch, meaning 75% are from economically disadvantaged households, Smith said. Families speak over 80 different languages, and 34% of students are emergent bilingual students, coming from homes where English isn’t their first language.

How diverse is Arlinton ISD?

48% Hispanic

26% Black

15% white

5% Asian

5% two or more races

Those numbers factor into the district’s investments in equitable student success initiatives. 

Last year, Arlington ISD launched universal free pre-K with its “Full STEM Ahead” program that emphasizes math, science and technology in its curriculum. 

The first group of students, now entering kindergarten, outperformed non-pre-K enrolled students in reading by almost double, said school board President Justin Chapa. 

On state kindergarten readiness screeners, 64% of students who attended Arlington ISD’s pre-K program met or exceeded reading benchmarks, compared to 38% for those who did not attend the program, according to numbers presented at the address.

“One of the most successful ways to increase student improvement for students who come from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds is to expose them to a rich preschool program,” Chapa said.

School materials fill boxes for a school supply drive at the 14th annual State of the District address on Aug. 9, 2024, in Arlington ISD’s Professional Development Center. (Drew Shaw | Arlington Report)

Education experts believe that students who meet benchmarks when they enter kindergarten are likely to see more success in third and eighth grades — two years closely scrutinized as important measures of how students are responding to their education.

To expand high school student success, the district has continued growing its industry-based certifications programs, giving students hands-on career preparation in fields like culinary arts, cosmetology, welding and phlebotomy. 

The district awarded students nearly 2,400 industry-based certifications last year, Chapa said.

STAAR test and accountability scores

On Aug. 15, school districts across the state expect to receive A-F accountability ratings from the Texas Education Agency. The grades reflect data like graduation rates and standardized test scores. 

Smith expects Arlington ISD to receive a C, a few points lower than the B’s it received in 2022 and 2019. Ratings were last issued in 2022 because of a lawsuit halting an updated accountability rating system in 2023; Arlington ISD signed onto the case.

Arlington ISD trustees have lamented the expected drop in scores. They argue TEA has unfairly made sweeping changes to how it calculates the grades — changes expected to be fully rolled out this year. 

Smith echoed that message at the State of the District, reading through a list of challenges school districts have faced since 2019.

Chief among these was the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdowns and turmoil it inspired in public education.

Smith also highlighted changes made to the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, test. Student performance on the test has a key role in influencing A-F ratings.

In 2023, the STAAR test went from being administered mostly on paper to fully online. The exam introduced a new emphasis on short-form essay responses, replacing the previous multiple-choice question format. 

The essays are also now graded mostly by artificial intelligence, while they used to be fully graded by humans.

Arlington ISD saw its 2024 test scores lag behind statewide averages, which broadly saw a dip in student performance following the test changes. The number of students who met grade level expectations — the state’s measure of a student’s ability to succeed next year without intervention — dropped across most grades and subjects from 2023.

Smith said the recent changes make comparing recent test scores to previous years like “comparing apples to oranges.” 

“Almost everyone you talk to doesn’t like high-stakes testing, and yet that continues to be ignored in Austin as we talk briefly about our data today,” he said.

Still, Smith said the district isn’t content with the test scores and TEA ratings it’s seeing, and he will use the data to work with teachers and officials to improve student outcomes. Efforts will include expanding the district’s targeted, small-group education programs, reevaluating curriculum, and improving school environments. 

Drew Shaw is a reporting fellow for the Arlington Report. Contact him at drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org or @shawlings601. At the Arlington Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.