August 29, 2023 at 5:30 PM - Board Meeting

Description:  The Board met on July 25, 2023.  Minutes were recorded and are now being presented to the Board for approval.
 

Description:  The budget workshops have been held to review the projected budgets for both RYSS and Community Program Services. TEA requires that the Fund 420 and Fund 240 be approved by the Education Code. All other funds are approved when submitted and accepted by the Granting Agency - (i.e., HHS, ESSA grants, and others).  
 

Description:  June 2023 Monthly Financial Statements are presented for review and approval.

Description:  Contractor will provide the following services:
Work with schools for school improvement, TEA reports, data conferences with teachers, and other school related program oversight.
 

Description:  Services from contractor will include the following:
 

• Provide on-going guidance, support, expertise, and project management to the District on the Teacher Incentive Allotment.
• Analyze and interpret 2023 and 2024 STAAR/EOC data as results are released to the district.  Provide data as needed to district leadership.
• Provide guidance and expertise in data and accountability interpretation to district leadership and professional development in this area to campuses and district leadership.
• As the school year progresses and project needs occur for the client that are within the expertise and skills of the service provider, TCCC/RYSS staff will contact service provider to ascertain availability of service provider to undertake the project.

Description:  Cecilia Vasquez has a background in K-12 education best practices and in bilingual and ESL education. Cecilia Borg Vigil specializes in providing technical assistance to schools in the areas of professional development, data analysis, and in-class coaching to enhance student academic achievement and is willing to provide services to the Client based on this background. Schools participating include P Stem, High SChool, Castillo and BRYSS.
 

Description:  Services from Nora Benny, a School Psychologist, will be used to identify students with disabilities through a full and individualized evaluation. Dr. Benny will also provide psychological services as determined by a student’s IEP.  Services from Dr. Benny will allow Raul Yzaguirre Schools for Success to identify and provide appropriate individualized services to students as mandated by state and federal law.
 

Description: 

Services from Esmeralda Lopez, School Psychologist, will be used to identify students with disabilities through a full and individualized evaluation. Services from Dr. Lopez will allow Raul Yzaguirre Schools for Success to identify and provide appropriate individualized services to students as mandated by state and federal law.

Description:  Abilities Therapy and Consulting currently employs speech-language pathologists, bilingual speech-language pathologists, speech-language pathology assistants, diagnosticians, dyslexia specialists, occupational therapists, licensed specialists in school psychology, orientation and mobility providers, teachers for students with auditory and visual impairments and ABA-certified providers. Abilities Therapy and Consulting, LLC is a Houston-based company providing special education services to school districts. Our company employs 67 team members servicing 56 schools in Houston and surrounding areas.
 

Description: 

Texas A+ Challenge works with schools to strengthen instruction and leadership through consulting, on-campus coaching, leadership academies, professional development workshops, and more. Attached are the services contract for the services to be provided.

Description:  WHEREAS, Section 37.0814(c) of the Texas Education Code provides that if the board of trustees of a school district is unable to comply with this section, the board may claim a good cause exception if the district's noncompliance is due to the availability of funding or qualified personnel;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Trustees of Raul Yzaguirre Schools for Success District hereby determines that the School District is unable to ensure that at least one armed security officer, as defined by law, is present during regular school hours at each district campus;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Trustees determines that:
 
It is hereby resolved that the Board of Trustees, having claimed a good cause exception, will develop and document an alternative standard with which the district is able to comply, in accordance with Sections 37.0814(d) and (e) of the Texas Education Code.
                                                                         

Description:  As per client’s request, HI-TEC security service will provide one armed officer whose duties will be to conduct foot patrols of the parking lot in an attempt to deter theft or vandalism. The security officer will also conduct foot patrols of the interior and exterior of the school to ensure the points of entrance are secure.
 

Description:  Untapped Genius offers essential services that have greatly benefited ELAR/SLA teachers in their instruction of English/Spanish Language Arts, Early Childhood, and Math. Their comprehensive support includes pedagogy, strategies, planning, and data disaggregation. By addressing the learning gaps exacerbated by the COVID pandemic, teachers have learned and implemented best practices, utilized data trackers to guide their instruction, and developed effective lesson plans that have cultivated authentic and engaging classroom learning experiences. Through the analysis of STAAR data, teacher observations, and student campus assessments, PSTEM Academy has achieved significant improvements in both student achievement and teacher capacity. To further enhance the professional development of PSTEM Academy teachers, Untapped Genius will continue to provide increased coaching support throughout the 2023-2024 school year (September 1, 2023 - August 31, 2024).
Untapped Genius will also extend the scope of services to support the district as content experts and key stakeholders in the development and build out of the district’s literacy and numeracy frameworks. The frameworks will ground all initiatives and decisions within the scope of these two core content areas.
 

Description:  Tejano Center for Community Concerns created its 5-year Strategic Plan in 2019 as COVID-19 was developing.  The impacts of the pandemic delayed some intended timelines, but the organization has made strides, nonetheless.  It continues to expand the impact it has on communities across the Greater Houston area and Brownsville.  The leadership maintains a close pulse on the progress of strategies, and the Chief Strategy and External Affairs Officer works closely with internal and external partners to upkeep the Strategic Plan based on current trends and opportunities for the organization.

In Fiscal Year 2023-2024, the organization with establish and maintain a cadence for monthly check points and board updates, on the proposed revision of the 2019-2025 Strategic Plan.
 

Description:  The following events and activities are the focus of our work at Project GRAD:

Relationship & Community Building GRADcafé continues to build brand presence in the community. GRADcafé will be participating in numerous Back to School outreach events next month in Baytown, the Houston area, and Channelview.

College & Career Services Virtual and In-Person the GRADcafé by Project GRAD Service Report - July 2023 which includes service numbers, event numbers, service topics, and target populations served is attached. Page one of the report covers July 2023.

GRADcafé Park Place kicked off Unidos US Latinos in Automotive program. In this four-week program, students and adult learners had the opportunity to learn about job readiness training, career coaching and customer service skill while preparing to enroll in the Toyota Technician Training and Education automotive program at San Jacinto College.  
 

Description:  Housing department provides homebuyer education, one-on-one individual counseling to both, homeowners and homebuyers, and home repairs to eligible homeowners.

Homebuyer Education Workshops: Eight-Hour Homebuyer Education classes held twice per month in English & Spanish.  

Homebuyer Counseling: Individual Housing Counseling to assess mortgage readiness and/or obstacles/barriers in order to apply & qualify for a mortgage loan, identify program eligibility and close on a home.

Homeowner Counseling: Individual Housing Counseling for existing homeowners. Services can assist with applying for property tax discounts, understanding escrow analysis, and weatherization program, to name a few. This is also the entry point for homeowners requesting home repairs to their primary home.
 

Description:  La Tiendita is a holistic food access program that incorporates case management, resource navigation, and nutrition and health education classes. The aim of La Tiendita is to empower individuals to improve their health and move towards more secure lives.
In order to keep the board informed about La Tiendita’s initiatives, events, and activities, the La Tiendita July 2023 Report is attached.
The report covers the following topics:
· Families, individuals, and children served
· Pounds of food distributed to our community
· Referrals Completed (Internal Programs & External Organizations)
· Activities
 

Description:  In order to keep the board informed about Tejano Center’s Resolve Program, the attached Resolve Program Monthly Status Report is provided. The report reflects the status update of the Resolve program and updated data since the July 25, 2023, board meeting.