New Superintendent for Irving ISD

During a special called meeting March 12, the Irving ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved the employment contract with Dr. Dana T. Bedden.

During the meeting, Bedden accepted and signed the contract that will take effect July 1. He will replace Dr. Neil Dugger, who has served as interim superintendent since April 20, 2009.

Accompanied by the IISD Board of Trustees, President Jerry Christian (left), Secretary Nancy L. Jones, and Dr. Dana T. Bedden (center) sign Bedden’s employment contract during a special called meeting March 12.

Bedden was announced as lone finalist for the position of IISD superintendent February 18. He currently serves as superintendent of Richmond County School System in Augusta, Georgia. A native of Florida, Bedden earned a Bachelor of Science degree from University of Florida and Master of Education degree from Pennsylvania State University. He earned a Doctor of Education in educational leadership and policy studies from Virginia Tech University.

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Science Collaborative Honors Teachers

Chandra Maxey and Maria Martinez, science teachers at Cardwell Career Preparatory Center, and Athena Bivens, special education teacher at Schulze Elementary School, were honored February 18 by the Regional Collaborative for Excellence in Science Teaching (RCEST).

Athena Bivens, special education teacher at Schulze Elementary School, is congratulated by Schulze Principal Steven Wurtz for her participation in the Regional Collaborative for Excellence in Science Teaching.

Hosted at University of North Texas, the mission of the organization is “to provide the North Texas area with a cadre of teachers who can make science activities a meaningful learning experience for students through a hands-on, minds-on approach.” Maxey, Martinez and Bivens were honored for their years of participation in the collaborative, and for the volume of professional development hours accrued through the program. Maxey has participated for four years, accruing 600 hours; Martinez has participated for two years and has accrued 180 hours; and Bivens has participated for five years and has accrued approximately 600 hours.

As participants in the program, Maxey, Martinez and Bivens attend professional development classes on Saturdays and three weeks during the summer. These classes include hands-on curriculum knowledge and working with peers to improve instructional strategies in the classroom. Teachers also present workshops at the Conference for the Advancement of Science Teachers and at the Regional Collaborative in Austin. Through RCEST participation, teachers become campus mentors and work with Ready-Set-Teach high school students who visit elementary schools to work with younger children.

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Sims Named McDonalds All-American

Odyssey Sims, senior at MacArthur High School, has been selected to participate in the 2010 McDonald’s All-American High School Basketball Games.

Sims will attend a send-off celebration at 7 p.m. March 23 at the McDonald’s located at 5722 West Lovers Lane in Dallas. Selected to play on the Girls West Team, Sims will be joined locally by two other high school seniors. Tiffany Moore, senior at Frisco High School, will also play on the Girls West Team. Selected to play on the Boys East Team is Perry Jones III, senior at Duncanville High School. Cathy Self-Morgan, girls’ basketball head coach at Duncanville High School, will serve as co-head coach the Girls West Team. Elesha Walker, Duncanville junior-varsity girls’ basketball coach and varsity assistant, will serve as Girls West assistant head coach.

Sims was named 2010 State Farm/WBCA High School Player of the Year by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, and was featured on the cover of the December 2009 issue of ESPN’s RISE Magazine. She was named 2009-2010 UIL District 7-5A Most Valuable Player and has earned Texas Association of Basketball Coaches and Texas Girls Coaches Association all-state recognitions. Sims has signed a national letter of intent to attend Baylor University and play basketball.

The McDonalds All-American High School Basketball Games will be played March 31 at the Value Center Arena in Columbus, Ohio. McDonalds All-American participants represent the top 48 high school basketball players in the nation and are selected from 2,150 nominees. For more information about the McDonalds All-American games, access www.mcdonaldsallamerican.com.

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Census Poster Winners

Students from Irving ISD won in the City of Irving 2010 Census Poster Contest and will be recognized at the city council meeting at 7 p.m. April 1.

First, second and third place winners were selected from more than 2,300 entries from 27 Irving ISD schools and the Irving Public Library system. Additionally students will win trophies, cash prizes and class pizza parties as a result of participation. For the complete list of students winning a top award in the city’s 2010 Census Poster Contest, access www.irvingisd.net/articles/census2010.htm.

The U.S. Census makes an effort to count every resident in the United States, and is required by the Constitution to take place every 10 years. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the 2010 Census will help communities receive more than $400 billion in federal funds each year for things such as schools, hospitals, job training centers, senior centers, emergency services, bridges, tunnels, and other public works projects. The data collected by the census also help determine the number of seats Texas has in the U.S. House of Representatives. Forms will be mailed to every residence in the United States during March. If households do not return the completed form, a census taker will make a personal visit to the address. To learn more about the 2010 census, access http://2010.census.gov.

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Wizard of Oz

Singley Academy Choir will present The Wizard of Oz at 7 p.m. April 8, 9 and 10 in the auditorium at Singley Academy.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for students and seniors, and $5 for children 10 and under. Singley Academy is located at 4601 N. MacArthur. For more information, call 972-600-5986.

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School Climate Survey for Staff

Irving ISD is cooperating with the National Center for School Leadership in conducting an online School Climate & Culture Survey of professional and paraprofessional staff members at all IISD schools and central support offices.

The survey marks the first time in several years that a district-wide survey of school climate and culture has been conducted in Irving ISD. The participation of all professional and paraprofessional staff members is encouraged, and survey responses are anonymous.

The survey will be available until April 2, is administered online, and should take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. Irving ISD staff and faculty are encouraged to access the School Climate & Culture Survey at www.ncfsl.org/survey/index.php?sid=91895&lang=en.

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Application Deadline April 19 for IISD Credit By Examination

April 19 is the application deadline for the Irving ISD summer administration of Credit By Examination (CBE) for advancement in grades kindergarten through 12. CBE evaluates mastery of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for a particular subject or grade level.

At the elementary level (K-5), options include acceleration from kindergarten to first grade and skipping a grade level in grades 1-5. At the secondary level (6-12), the following options are available:

Without Prior Instruction

CBE is offered to students as an opportunity to receive credit for a course in which the student has received no prior instruction. A student may advance one grade level (6-8) or one course per subject area (9-12) in each testing period. Scores of 85 percent or above on an approved exam is required to receive credit.

With Prior Instruction

Students may earn CBE if they have received prior instruction in the subject for which the exam is taken. Scores of 70 percent or above on the course examination and/or completion of applicable projects is required.

Applications and information are available from the student’s school counselor. Testing dates will be June 7-9 at Johnston Elementary School, 2801 Rutgers in Irving. For additional information, see attached files regarding the application process, or access www.irvingisd.net/ppage/credit_by_exam.htm.

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