
Frequently Asked Questions
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How does the Theory of Action work if my school is in a special program (i.e. ACE, or OTI)?
Strategic district initiatives such as ACE or OTI have a managed structure in that they provide schools with expectations on how they should operate. Even so, programs like ACE and OTI have integrated their expectations within the district's Theory of Action and have specific managed instruction and autonomy components.
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Do I have to utilize all autonomies?
No, a principal may select any number of autonomies that are granted based on their LAS rating. There is no requirement that you have to select specific earned autonomies.
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Are there exceptions where I can request an autonomy that my LAS rating doesn't quality for?
No, there are no exceptions where you can request an autonomy for which your school did not qualify. Note, this will differ slightly for special program schools in ACE, OTI, etc.
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If my current year LAS rating is lower than my previous year, how long will it take for me to lose my previous year's autonomies?
Autonomies available for selection will be determined each year based on the most recent Local Accountability System rating. If a campus' LAS rating goes down from the previous year, the available autonomies for selection will be based on the new, lower rating.
Campuses receiving a lower LAS rating than the previous year will still be able to implement lag autonomies (selected in one year and implemented the next) that were selected at the time of the previous, higher LAS rating. -
How is access to autonomies affected if I am a new or transfer principal?
See the chart below that explains how access of autonomies are affected if you are a new or transfer principals.
Type
Description
School Autonomies
New Principal
(new to the district)
Previous principal from another district; new to Dallas ISD
Has access to School Autonomies (with ED approval)
New Principal
(new to the profession)
Never been a principal before in any district
Has access to School Autonomies (with ED approval)
Transfer Principal
Existing principal in Dallas ISD transferred to another Dallas ISD school
Has full access to School Autonomies
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Who on my campus should be involved in the autonomy selection process?
Be sure to include your CILT and campus leaders in your decision-making process in selecting autonomies.
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Do I get access to my autonomies instantly, and if not, when and how do I know how to activate my autonomies.
Although the selection window for autonomies is in early fall, some autonomies have a delay on when they are activated based on the nature of the autonomy? For instance, if you select to roll-over your budget, that autonomy wouldn’t be available until the appropriate budget period ends/begins, etc.
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If I choose autonomies but then do not use them, can I have the option to chose it next year?
Each year, the autonomy selection window opens with a "clean slate" and you may choose new autonomies based on your most current LAS rating. If your rating changes in the new year, you only have access to the autonomies related to that rating.
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The Parent Survey currently takes up 5% of the overall LAS rating, but what happens when a campus does not meet the minimum threshhold to have parent surveys included in their results?
When a campus does not meet the minimum sample size for parent surveys to be included in their LAS rating, then the entire section of parent surveys is removed from the calculation. In that case, instead of using 100 as the total points, 95 (subtract 5 points for survey) will be the new total; hence 95 will be used at the total denominator when calculating the overall LAS.
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If you choose all of your autonomies, can you then go back later in the year and still use autonomies you didn't select (e.g. creating own common assessments in the 4th six weeks)?
No, once the selection window closes, the general rule is that you can no longer activate autonomies for which you did not select. That's why it's imperative that you carefully consider with your campus leadership team which autonomies you feel your campus would like to have access to for the school year.
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How does the SEI impact my LAS rating?
The School Effectiveness Index (SEI) is an essential component of the Local Accountability System (LAS). The School Effectiveness Index will make up 30% of the Local Accountability System rating.
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What school year of data is used for my LAS rating? Is all the data the most current or is there a year data lag?
The LAS ratings contain primarily data from the most recently completed school year, with the exception of SEI. The SEI scores typically come out in the fall past the deadline when final ratings should be shared with the state. Therefore, for SEI the data will always be from the previous year. see the table below for the data used in the ratings.
LAS (to be released fall 2019)
SPF Component
SPF 3.0 data (release fall 2018)
State Accountability
2018-2019 Accountability Data
School Effectiveness Index*
2017-2018 SEI rating
Staff Climate Survey
2018-2019 Staff Climate Survey
Parent / Guardian Survey
2018-2019 Parent / Guardian Survey
Student Survey
2018-2019 Student Survey
Extracurricular Participation
2018-2019 Extracurricular Participation
* SEI rating will have a year data lag
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Can a school opt in to an autonomy, but still use part of the district services? (Ex. Opt out of common assessment but decide you still want to do English I)
Yes, a school may choose an autonomy but still decide not to fully activate that autonomy during the school year.