Dear Sienna Crossing Elementary Parents and Guardians,

Welcome back to the 2018-19 school year.  We are excited for what the new school year will bring.  We are committed to student success and look forward to collaborating with you as we celebrate Sienna Crossing’s 20^th year of academic excellence. 

I am writing today to make you aware of our continuing efforts to improve instruction for all students. As we begin the school year, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) is releasing accountability results regarding student performance in the 2017-18 school year, and for many public school districts in Texas, this will mean A-F letter grades. However, because Fort Bend ISD is one of more than 100 school districts severely affected by Hurricane Harvey, our district may not receive an official letter grade. Additionally, campuses will not be rated “Improvement Required,” even if they did not meet standards. The destruction caused by Hurricane Harvey affected countless families in Fort Bend ISD – including those of our students and staff who experienced extreme hardship. In many ways, these impacts are immeasurable and we continue to recover. Together as an FBISD community, we worked to support one another and keep the focus on learning. In many cases, this was difficult, especially for our students who are already facing numerous challenges inside and outside of the classroom.

As FBISD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Charles Dupre recently communicated in his video message, Fort Bend ISD is committed to continuous improvement. With this in mind, we use the results of standardized tests as a single data source that allows us, as campus and district administrators, to review patterns and trends and develop plans to improve instruction, and when necessary, disrupt patterns with targeted interventions. Each year, regardless of whether a campus receives a “met standard” or “improvement required” rating, we know there is always an opportunity to improve and help our students achieve success. Every campus in Fort Bend ISD, including Sienna Crossing Elementary, develops a campus improvement plan each year so that we can provide the very best opportunities for our students, and allow each child to reach their full potential.  

With that in mind, I would like to share more about our continuous improvement efforts at Sienna Crossing Elementary, as well as the achievements that are not included in state accountability ratings.

• Over 90% of our students met standards on the STAAR assessment in 3^rd – 5^th grade Math and Reading.
• Over 50% of our students mastered the STAAR assessment in 3^rd – 4^th grade Math and Reading.
• Over 95% of our students are in attendance each day.  Great attendance!
• SCE will introduce a new STEM class where we will focus Science and Technology.
• SCE will continue to focus on writing across the curriculum.
• SCE will continue to focus building strong character.

 In accordance with the FBISD Profile of a Graduate, we are working to develop students who have a strong academic foundation, and who are well-rounded and equipped with skills for life. In the future, you can expect to hear more about Fort Bend ISD’s development of a community-based accountability system that will measure our success with the community’s goals and expectations in mind, and go beyond high-stakes testing. As Dr. Dupre has shared, our district is working collaboratively with more than 60 other public school districts in the state to develop this system, which will give a full account of what schools do to educate all students.

In closing, I want to thank you for entrusting us with your child’s education, and your continued partnership.

Sincerely,

Ida Ford