Ruiz said TAAS scores now show little variance from campus to campus. Greater parent involvement has also played an important role in the schools success, Ruiz said. Each school was required to hold parent fairs at the beginning of the school year. Some campuses have a keynote speaker who talks to parents about a topic such as working with their children on responsibility. Others address social concerns, such as children and gangs.
Statistics show the success of the efforts to involve parents.
Attendance at some campuses Parent Academic conferences runs as high as 98 percent. Ruiz said improving attendance was another element in the district s plan. Last year district-wide attendance averaged 96.2 percent. Ruiz also credits teacher planning and teamwork with the Los Fresnos turn-around. At the secondary level, teachers use it for department meetings or interdisciplinary work.