Awards
& Ratings
Plano
ISD achieved a "Recognized" state
accountability rating from the Texas Education
Agency in 2006. This rating is the result of dramatic gains
in student performance
in 2005-06, which resulted in greater numbers of "Exemplary"
school ratings district-wide.
 Twenty-four
Plano schools have captured the prestigious National
Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence honor, awarded by the U.S. Department
of Education. Twice honored have been Plano Senior
High School, Plano East Senior HIgh School, Clark High
School, and Mathews, Saigling
and Wells elementary schools. Awarded in 2006 were Beverly and
Skaggs elementary schools, represented at a national
ceremony by (l-r) Teacher Anne Molyneux and Principal
Mary Ann Bargmann, Skaggs; and Principal
Liz Kirby and Librarian Patty Stone,
Beverly.
All Plano ISD schools met AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) on all indicators
of the No Child Left Behind Act. The district also
received a rating of “Met AYP” for all 35 indicators. Statewide, several
hundred schools did not meet AYP, nor did several school
districts. Measures for each campus in the state are
posted on the Texas
Education Agency Web
site.
While in high school, the majority of all Plano ISD students take
at least one college entrance exam before graduating. Plano ISD continues
to boast one of the highest performances on college entrance exams
in the nation before graduation. The most recent statistics reflect
that 87% of high school students scored the equivalent of a "B" or
better in college level English, 74% in college algebra and 53% in
college biology.
Ninety-nine Plano ISD seniors were named
Semifinalists in the 2008 National Merit Scholarship
Program. They will continue in the competition
for Finalist standing and $33 million in
scholarships.
 The
Texas Business and Education Coalition (TBEC) named
eight Plano ISD schools, among 268 public schools across
the state, to the 2006 TBEC
Honor Roll. TBEC identifies the Honor Roll schools
by analyzing three years of performance data. Schools
must have a high percentage of
students meeting state standards on the TAKS tests
in all subjects for three consecutive years, with an
emphasis on how many students
score at the state’s highest standard – commended – on
all tests. Pictured at a school board recognition in
December, 2006, are (l-r) Michael Novotny, Jasper
High School; Jane
Ball, Mathews Elementary; Mary Ann Bargmann,
Skaggs Elementary; Susan Modisette, Frankford Middle
School; Liz Kirby, Beverly Elementary; Mike
Collinsworth, Renner Middle School; Sarah Watkins,
Plano Senior High School; and Gail Stelter, Rice
Middle School.
Every year since the award has been presented (1992-2006), Plano
ISD has been selected for a “What Parents Want Award” by SchoolMatch,
the nation’s largest school selection and consulting firm. Only
16 percent of the nation’s school systems have been designated
for this honor.
Plano ISD employees voted their school district among the top 70 “Best
Places to Work in 2006” in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex,
in a "Dallas Business Journal" survey. Plano ISD was profiled
as one of the “Good Guys” in the Journal’s May 5
issue.
The Plano ISD Education Foundation surpassed its $1 million annual
fundraising goal in 2007; and, as a result, gifted
Plano ISD more than $800,000 in important programs
and services during the 2006-2007
school year. The Foundation supports quality education
in Plano schools, raising funds through its
annual “Ski Plano” benefit gala, Plano ISD employee campaign,
parent fundraising drive and gifts from corporations,
foundations and individuals.
 Plano
ISD has maintained a high profile and level of involvement
to represent the local community of children and those
in the state to bring a more equitable finance plan
for all Texas school
children. Plano ISD leaders who met with elected officials,
including Senator
Florence Shapiro (center), during Collin County Day with
the Texas Legislature, included (l-r) Danny Modisette (retired '07), Richard
Matkin, Doug Otto, Duncan Webb, Mary Beth King and Missy
Bender.
For 23 years, Plano ISD has earned the prestigious
Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial
Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association
of the United States and
Canada. For three consecutive years,
Plano ISD has earned the highest rating of “Superior Achievement” in
the state’s
Schools FIRST (Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas)
program. In addition, Plano ISD's annual audit performed
by Deloitte & Touche,
LLP, delivered “an unqualified opinion.”
Plano ISD's administrative cost ratio is the lowest of all 1,040
school districts in the state of Texas and is reported
as 4.66% as compared to 11.05%, the state standard.
Several Plano schools earned a total of $300,000 in Advanced Placement
/ International Baccalaureate incentive
grants from the Texas Education
Agency in August, 2006. The grants were distributed
as school awards and teacher bonuses, based upon
student test scores.
Plano ISD was awarded as one of the "Best 100 Communities for
Music Education in America" in a 2006 survey conducted by several
national music and education organizations. In addition, the Organization
of American Kodály Educators announced the official endorsement
of the Plano ISD Kodály Teacher Training Program. This professional
development program is now in its fourth year in Plano and has provided
curriculum support to more than 65 music specialists from Plano and
surrounding areas.
Plano ISD is home to the 2006 Texas Secondary Teacher of the Year
Karen Shepherd, science department chair at Plano Senior High School.
Karen enjoyed a busy year of award ceremonies and speaking engagements,
including a visit to The White House to meet President
George Bush and First Lady Laura Bush during the National Teacher
of the Year awards ceremony.
Plano ISD was recognized in 2006 as being among the top school districts
in the nation for responses to an online survey conducted
by NetDay in a program entitled "America's Top 100
Schools for Supporting Student Voices in Technology."
Plano ISD's eSchool program,
launched in 2000 and one of the first and few remaining online instructional
programs, has served more than
7,000 high school students in six years, providing
an avenue for accelerated study and credit recovery. Student course
completion rates average
91%, and passing rates 98%. In 2005, the school district
launched a Campus Based Online Instruction program, which served 465
students
with online course offerings at their schools.
The school district's website and online instructional
center have captured several top state and national
awards for innovation in design and user-friendliness.
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