DALLAS — While you can’t make up for lost time, Dallas Independent School District hopes by adding optional instructional time, it can make up for learning losses exacerbated by COVID-19.
On Thursday, district administration pitched its plan to the school board to approve three academic calendars for the next two school years.
Two of those calendars, would add 23 days of instructional time, pushing the start of school back to early August with an end date in late June.
Derek Little is the chief deputy chief academic officer for Dallas ISD. He has seen the data on learning loss. From pre-COVID spring 2020 to the fall, 30% of Dallas ISD students lost progress in reading and over half slipped in math.
“The pandemic really brought this front and center for us,” said Little.
A longer calendar would add up to four weeks, called “intersessional” weeks, allowing students an opportunity for more individualized instruction with teachers.
The proposed traditional calendar for Dallas ISD would start Aug. 16 and run through May 27, 2022.
The proposed intersessional calendar would start one week earlier on Aug. 9 and run through June 23, 2022.
Little said a majority of schools would stay on the traditional calendar, but the proposal for an intersessional calendar would reach up to one-third of students through 8th grade.
Dallas ISD said it is ready to invest $100 million in the alternative school calendar model to help provide additional resources to students, by compensating teachers at their daily rate if they choose to opt-in to the program.
Right now, high schools are not included in the intersessional proposal.
On Thursday, board members expressed support for the concept but concern about the proposed timeline to approve the calendars at the next board meeting on Jan. 28.
Superintendent Dr. Michael Hinojosa hinted the administration may wait a bit longer before asking the board of trustees to approve academic calendars, but cautioned against long term inaction.
“We know that this is a difficult decision, but what is the purpose of this decision? What if we do nothing because we get push back?” said Hinojosa.
