Hot off the Presses: Updates on

Outcomes Bonuses

Last month, we covered the basics of college, career, and military readiness (CCMR) outcomes bonuses: their purpose, distribution method, and award amounts. We also looked at how districts can use those funds. 

Here, we’ll cover the CCMR bonus thresholds, what’s behind the calculations, and updates on military data for graduates submitted through PEIMS (Public Education Information Management System). TEA’s Performance Reporting Division released much of this information just last week.

CCMR Outcomes Bonus Thresholds

In order to qualify for an outcomes bonus, schools and districts must exceed minimum thresholds for college, career, and military readiness, as follows: 

• 11% of annual graduates who are economically disadvantaged demonstrate readiness
• 24% of annual graduates who are not economically disadvantaged demonstrate readiness
• There is no minimum threshold for graduates enrolled in a special education program, regardless of whether they are economically disadvantaged

TEA just released these thresholds last week. Please note that, due to the administrative rulemaking process, they are not yet final. The public comment period on the proposed CCMR outcomes bonus rule opens on January 1, 2021, and closes on February 1, 2021. Public comments may be made through the TEA website. Educators are encouraged to share feedback.

How Are CCMR Outcomes Bonuses Calculated?

The definition of CCMR used for outcomes bonuses is significantly more rigorous than the CCMR indicators used in the A–F system. It is important for administrators to share this information with key staff members and stakeholders. 

For the purposes of outcomes bonus distribution, an annual graduate demonstrates college readiness if the graduate:

1. achieves college readiness standards used for accountability purposes on the ACT, the SAT, or the Texas Success Initiative assessment (TSIA); and
2. earns an associate degree by August 31 immediately following high school graduation or enrolls at a postsecondary educational institution by the tenth instructional day of the fall semester immediately following high school graduation. 

Postsecondary enrollment data is pulled from the National Student Clearinghouse. 

Also for outcomes bonuses, an annual graduate demonstrates career readiness if the graduate: 

1. achieves college readiness standards used for accountability purposes on the ACT, the SAT, or the TSIA; and
2. earns an industry-based certification or a level I or level II certificate by August 31 immediately following high school graduation. 

TEA will exclude military enlistment data for both CCMR accountability calculations and CCMR outcomes bonuses until such data can be obtained directly from the US armed forces. This is due to discrepancies between data from PEIMS and data released by the Department of Defense. Once this data is available, an annual graduate demonstrates military readiness if the graduate enlists in the armed forces of the United States by December 31 immediately following high school graduation. 

This information is from the Region 13 A–F Accountability Update by Jonathan Delgado, outreach coordinator at TEA, on November 12, 2020.

District Strategies and Practice: College and Career Readiness in Dallas ISD

Texas OnCourse works closely with the Dallas Independent School District (DISD). We asked leadership from their Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department how they are tackling college and career readiness goals using the College and Career Readiness Curriculum in middle schools.  Janel Humphries, CTE manager, and Marcus Nickerson, CTE coordinator for middle schools, spoke with us about how they are implementing this instruction this year. 

What are your district goals for middle school college and career readiness in Dallas ISD? Over the last few years, DISD has focused on meeting House Bill 18 (2015) requirements for seventh and eighth grade college and career instruction. We’ve also worked to streamline our resources and curriculum used for two middle school courses, College and Career Readiness and Investigating Careers. Our additional district goals are to: 

• Provide career inventories to students 
• Ensure that students create a personal graduation plan in middle school 
• Ensure that students understand endorsements and career pathways  
• Provide this information to parents 

The CTE Department has made great gains collaborating with the Counseling Services Department. We made intentional program decisions to provide professional development and ensure that counselors have all the information they need on CTE programs and initiatives. 

In Dallas ISD, how are you covering college and career readiness topics in middle school? Our primary method is by using the Texas OnCourse College and Career Readiness Curriculum in the courses we mentioned: College and Career Readiness and Investigating Careers. We also do outreach for our Career Institutes and P-Tech programs, as well as training and collaboration with our AVID staff. These courses have different TEKS, and our Investigating Careers course focuses more on career clusters. MiddleGalaxy is a great career exploration activity used in both of these courses by our middle schoolers. 

Why did Dallas ISD choose a districtwide approach to implementing this curriculum? 

Before we started using the Texas OnCourse curriculum, our offerings were all over the place from campus to campus. Outdated materials, binders on the shelf, unused workbooks, or no coherent resources at all. We chose to implement Texas OnCourse at 12–14 of our middle schools in 2020–2021 through the middle school pilot program, and our teachers are supplementing their teaching by using the Academy. 

What advice do you have for other district administrators as they create middle school college and career readiness goals for this year and next? 

Make time to review the Texas OnCourse College and Career Readiness Curriculum and additional middle school resources. There is SO much out there and it will meet all your core needs and is a great foundation. It is a free resource that is not only endorsed by TEA but aligns and covers all the TEKS.

Texas OnCourse Solutions

This year, we are working with a number of districts on a pilot project to implement, evaluate, and improve the College and Career Readiness Curriculum. Districts participating in the pilot received an exclusive professional development guide, which we would like to offer to you. The guide aligns the content and units of the College and Career Curriculum with modules in the Texas OnCourse Academy, as well as additional free webinar and online resources.

We know many of you are planning for the spring semester. The Texas OnCourse College and Career Readiness Curriculum includes a scope and sequence for implementing the curriculum in a semester-long course, within a core content area, or in advisory periods. With the curriculum, your students will receive comprehensive and engaging instruction aligned with the requirements of HB 18. 

The Middle School Academy Guide will equip your instructional and counseling staff with the up-to-date information, resources, and content knowledge they need to support student learning. Your middle school students will be better prepared for high school, college, and career. And your district will be supported on CCMR outcomes.

Additional Resources for School Leaders, Educators, and Students

Webinar: Essential Skills for Middle School Students. In this webinar, we discuss how to tackle teaching and counseling middle schoolers about important topics including financial literacy, building resumes, acquiring and practicing soft skills, enhancing student awareness of postsecondary opportunities, and knowledge that builds success in high school and beyond. (November 2020)

CCMR Handout. This chart explains how lesson plans from our middle school curriculum and modules from our professional development platform align with accountability components related to CCMR.

Texas College Bridge. The Texas Education Agency has moved their math and English college preparation courses online. Students can learn at their own pace with a teacher facilitator to help them meet their goals. We’ve already heard from a few of you that this program has helped you reach a number of students who wouldn’t have attained college readiness otherwise. 

The Texas OnCourse College and Career Support Guide. This is our educator’s companion guide for use with Texas College Bridge. It outlines the topics and objectives students will learn from the College and Career Support resource. We link these topics and objectives to our free professional development resource, the Texas OnCourse Academy.

The College and Career Strategist is written by Texas OnCourse staff.