This article examines how important an explicit mission and values framework can be for community-based arts education organizations in times of crises. This argument draws on interview data from early and later points in the COVID-19 pandemic with three community-based arts organizations whose work is deeply rooted in creative youth development…

The problem was the decline in executive functioning skills of Grade 5 students in a consolidated independent school district in suburban Austin, Texas since the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this qualitative critical instance case study was to better understand the perceptions of teachers regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the executive…

Schools often experience rapid turnover among teachers of color. Yet research and practice highlight the importance of teachers of color in the K--12 education system. As such, school and district-level administrators, educational leaders, and students need to conceptualize and develop new approaches aimed at sustaining Indigenous and Latinx…

This one-page document illustrates highlights of Austin Independent School District's (AISD's) CARES program activities and achievements. CARES, now in its second year of implementation, was able to maintain high quality of service standards, while experiencing a dramatic increase in volume. Further, CARES team members served vital functions…

The Creative Learning Initiative (CLI) is a city-wide collaboration between MINDPOP, the City of Austin, Austin Independent School District (AISD), and more than 100 art and cultural organizations dedicated to equitable access to creative learning and the arts for every student in Austin. The CLI model is grounded in research showing that arts…

The "2021 Society for Marketing Advances Annual Conference," in Orlando, Florida, offered thirty-four "Teaching Moments" from marketing educators around the globe. The purpose of the "Teaching Moments" sessions was to quickly advance innovative teaching techniques, ideas and assignments allowing other educators to…

In 2020-2021, APIE aimed to align programs and resources to help AISD students navigate the new educational landscape brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and school closures. While APIE's goals continued to focus on supporting ECHS students in acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to enroll, persist, and succeed in postsecondary education,…

This report contains descriptions of implementation and impact data related to CARES's effect on students, families and staff in 2020-2021. Responses to CARES-related survey items showed the majority of respondents were impacted positively. Further, the CARES team increased employee recognition efforts, the number of RAVEs given increased to…

Capital investment on community college campuses had grown increasingly tricky to calculate correctly even before the coronavirus pandemic, as enrollment fluctuated, more students took online courses and employer needs continuously changed. To date, COVID-19 hasn't radically altered anyone's planning. But with that added factor thrown into the…

The purpose of the 2018-2019 CARES evaluation was to (a) help program staff conceptualize the CARES implementation work and goals; (b) define measurable indicators of implementation, outputs, and outcomes; and (c) provide summative data on the first year of program implementation. Results of the 2018-2019 CARES program evaluation activities were…

The purpose of this report is to provide information about the academic performance of emergent bilingual students in the Austin Independent School District (AISD). This document summarizes performance on the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) tests, end-of-course (EOC) tests, the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment…

This report describes the activities and accomplishments of Austin Independent School District's (AISD's) CARES team during the second year of implementation, school year 2019-2020. Highlights include how CARES team members were able to: maintain and in many cases exceed high-quality standards, continue progress monitoring, and provide support and…

The Afterschool Centers on Education (ACE) is the program administered through the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for the federally funded 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) grants. The ACE Foundation Communities' Cycle 9 program provides intentional afterschool program experiences that are high quality, challenging, and inspiring. Across…

This report includes findings regarding demographic characteristics and academic outcomes of Twilight students; highlights emerging topics from the student, teacher, and staff surveys; and provides recommendations for future program implementation.

This brief report summarizes some of the family engagement services provided by Austin Independent School District's (AISD) parent support specialists to families during the 2019-2020 school year. The supplemental report, a separate publication, summarizes services provided during the 2020 calendar year.