Year in Review
June 12, 2024
The 2023-24 school year has come to an end, and it is time to reflect on all of the accomplishments our students and staff have achieved over the year. I am proud of the work our Midland ISD team does and will continue to do as we implement and execute initiatives that have been put in place with our strategic plan with the end goal of improving student outcomes.
First, we celebrated 1,624 seniors who graduated in the Class of 2024 from our four high schools. Early College High School at Midland College had 64 seniors graduate while Dr. Viola M. Coleman High School had a record-breaking number of graduates with 116. Legacy High School saw 726 seniors graduate, and Midland High School had 718 graduates. We are so proud of these talented seniors who have big plans for the future including going to college, starting in the workforce, or heading to the military. I appreciate all of our staff who poured into these students during their K-12 journey and appreciate all of their families for choosing Midland ISD.
We are wrapping up year one of the Strategic Plan that was created in the spring and summer of 2023. Midland ISD's Strategic Plan is based on three pillars: Student Experience, Grow and Develop Staff, and Engage and Act. The goals and initiatives of each pillar are reported each month by an initiative owner, and each initiative owner has committed to follow through and hold fast to actionable steps needed to ensure these goals are met and metrics are accomplished as a result of the work. The Strategic Plan will continue to guide our work as we plan for the 2024-25 school year and beyond.
As we have worked to enhance the Student Experience, I am excited to share some key highlights of our efforts. We successfully implemented a consistent Reading Language Arts (RLA) curriculum across the district, providing uniformity that benefits professional learning and helps students who transfer mid-year. Our literacy approach has been strengthened with the addition of phonics instruction for kindergarten through second grade students. Utilizing data from mCLASS, an all-in-one system for Science of Reading-based universal screening, dyslexia screening, and progress monitoring, we have seen notable improvements in reading levels.
Kindergarten students reading at grade level increased from 59% last year to 64% this year. First graders also saw a rise from 57% to 64%, marking a 7% improvement. Overall, students from kindergarten through second grade improved from 56% to 60% in on-grade level reading. To build on this consistency, we look forward to utilizing a consistent math curriculum next year.
Another focus under Student Experience is our Advanced Academics program, where our students achieved remarkable successes this year. We had four National Merit Commended Scholars, doubling our number from last year, and have expectations for continued growth in the coming school year. Additionally, MISD students performed well at the 6A UIL Academic State competition. Midland High School students earned a total of six medals while Legacy High School had a student place sixth in Persuasive Speaking. The students from Young Women’s Leadership Academy competed in the 3A UIL Academic State competition, earning three bronze medals. With Advanced Academics as a focal point of our Strategic Plan, we anticipate even greater achievements in the coming months and years.
MISD Career and Technical Education (CTE) students achieved remarkable success this year, as well. More CTE students completed industry-based certifications (IBCs) than ever before with over 900 certifications earned. Notably, this included students completing Animal Science and Vet Med certifications for the first time in MISD. Our Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs) had an outstanding year, with 104 students from Business Professionals of America, DECA, Future Farmers of America, SkillsUSA, and Texas Association of Future Educators earning spots at state and national competitions. Additionally, the most significant achievement was the Level I completion rate for students in our dual credit programs. A total of 190 seniors from the Legacy High and Midland High Class of 2024 completed 238 Level I College Certifications, earning over 4,300 college hours in CTE alone!
Our athletic achievements this year were particularly noteworthy. Highlights include a state championship in track and field and setting a UIL record for the longest baseball game in Texas history with a 23-inning victory. We proudly announce that 35 Midland ISD students qualified for state competitions across various sports, and 45 student-athletes signed to play at the collegiate level. Impressively, we advanced to the UIL state playoffs in all twelve sports offered, securing a total of 15 district, bi-district, and area team championships.
Additionally, the number of Academic All-State honorees increased from 20 students to 67 for the 2023-2024 academic year. Our coaches also garnered special recognition and awards across different sports.
Looking ahead, sixth-grade students will participate in pre-athletics as part of our efforts to expand athletic programs in MISD and prepare for grade reconfiguration. We are immensely proud of all our accomplishments in athletics this school year and are eager to see what the coming year will bring.
Students participating in fine arts also achieved remarkable success this school year. The Legacy High School band and Midland High School band earned a Superior Rating at the UIL Region 6 Marching competition. Both Legacy High School and Midland High School received UIL Area Marching Band invitations with Midland High School advancing to the 6A State Marching Band competition. Our orchestras also excelled with all high school ensembles from Legacy and Midland high schools receiving Sweepstakes awards. In choir, Midland High’s Varsity Treble Choir won Sweepstakes, and the Varsity Mixed Choir earned a Superior Concert rating. Both Midland High and Legacy High had strong showings at the UIL Solo and Ensemble contests, with multiple students advancing to state levels.
The Legacy High Dolls dance team traveled to Hawaii this year to compete for a national title. The Dolls were awarded the HTEDance Hawaii National Grand Champion team for 2024. The Midland High School Starz dance team traveled to the metroplex for the 2024 Dance Showcase USA bringing home a first-place trophy in senior hip-hop and first place in senior large group overall. In theater, both Midland High School and Legacy High’s Varsity One Act Play advanced to the Area Level, placing them among the top 48 6A schools in Texas. Numerous students earned individual awards and advanced to national competitions. Midland High’s productions and actors won several awards at various UIL and thespian contests, with students achieving regional and state recognition. Visual arts students from both
Midland High and Legacy High also received numerous accolades, including regional and state medals in the VASE competition and multiple awards in various contests.
Overall, the 2023-24 season saw a significant increase in the number of students advancing to higher levels of competition across all Fine Arts programs. We had 125 regional qualifiers, 40 area qualifiers, and 31 state qualifiers. We also held our first district-wide in-person Student Art Exhibition since the pandemic. Our student participation and success continue to grow, marking a year of outstanding achievement with room for even more progress in the future.
In line with the Grow and Develop pillar of our Strategic Plan, our staff had many reasons to celebrate. Two hundred twenty-seven teachers met the standards for the Teacher Incentive Allotment to earn additional compensation for their outstanding accomplishments in the classroom, which is an increase of 46 teachers from last year. Three Midland ISD teachers earned National Board Certification: Laura Aguero from Ben Milam International Academy, Reagan Smith from Greathouse Elementary, and Halston McCalla from Young Women’s Leadership Academy. National Board Certification is considered the gold standard of professional learning for teachers and is only held by the nation’s top three percent of teachers. The Office of Financial Services earned the TASBO Award of Merit for the fourth consecutive year and the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting.
Our teachers and staff were recognized regionally and statewide for their efforts in the classroom, on the field, and throughout the district. Amanda Byars was named the H-E-B Excellence in Education Rising Star - Secondary Teacher of the Year. George H. W. Bush Elementary's Jessica Murphy earned the CREST Counseling Award. Viola M. Coleman High School was named Campus of the Year by the United Way’s Excellence in Education awards, and Bowie Fine Arts Academy’s Catlin Merrill was named Elementary Teacher of the Year. Dakota Lindsey was named the Crime Stoppers of Midland Officer of the Year, and Henderson Elementary Principal Maxine Gonzales was named the 2024 Region 18 Principal of the Year by the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA).
Legacy High School coach Clint Hartman was named Texas High School Coaches Association’s (THSCA) Coaching Beyond the Game Award winner, and Legacy High’s diving head coach Steve Flato was selected as the Region I-6A Girls Coach of the Meet at the Region I-6A Swim & Dive Meet and the THSCA Region 4 Coach of the Year. Boomer Warren was recognized in the 2024 R.O.C.K Mentoring Program, and Fransico Maldonado was named THSCA Region 4 Assistant Coach of the Year.
In our year-end celebrations, our Human Capital team proudly recognized outstanding employees across various job categories throughout the district. These honors included titles such as elementary and secondary assistant principals of the year, elementary and secondary principals of the year, campus-based and non-campus professional employee of the year, and clerical employee of the year. Additionally, we celebrated exemplary individuals from specific departments, including the instructional support employee of the year and outstanding employees from the transportation, custodial, child nutrition, maintenance/facilities, police, and technology departments.
Our teachers, staff, coaches, sponsors, and directors provide countless hours of dedication to our students to offer opportunities for them to succeed in various activities. Our educators are focused on giving top-notch teaching and learning experiences, as well as offering opportunities for students to excel in clubs and extracurricular activities.
Although the school year has concluded, many students have joined summer learning opportunities and camps and are involved in strength and conditioning programs led by our teachers, coaches, sponsors, and directors. At the same time, many of our staff members are taking part in summer professional development learning opportunities to prepare for the upcoming year. An educator's job is so important and impactful, and I am honored to be a part of a team that strives to Educate the Future with Excellence.
With our Engage and Act pillar of the Strategic Plan, it has been our goal to provide transparent communication to grow the trust of the Midland community. The community has seen increased interaction and engagement with our communication efforts through an increase in press release distributions and social media posts. MISD has many great stories to tell to uplift the dedication and achievements of our students and team. We have held advisory committee meetings this year to hear feedback from many different groups involved with MISD such as our business and community group, our pastors, and our parents and PTA’s. With improvement in mind, we have also added to these advisories by creating a Special Education Advisory Committee, and a Bilingual advisory committee is being formed for the coming year. We will continue to seek ways we can improve to help better serve the community, our students, and help support our staff.
We would not be able to achieve this level of growth and success without supportive and involved parents. Midland ISD has a rich tradition of working closely with our Parent Teacher Associations. Currently, 95% of our campuses have active PTAs, and we are well on our way to reaching our goal of 100%. I want to thank all of those who participate on their child’s campus and all of the work you do to contribute to the success of creating engaging student experiences. Thank you to all members of our booster clubs for their support and dedication as well. Your contributions have significantly enhanced the educational experience of our students.
Finally, I would like to express my appreciation for the vote of confidence given to Bond 2023. The approval of Bond 2023 is a testament to the Midland community’s investment in the future of our students and their education. This bond gives a much-needed boost to the confidence of employees knowing the community supports the work they do each day. This bond will allow us to build two new high schools and a new elementary to accommodate our growing community, reconfigure our four junior highs to six middle schools, provide our aging facilities with much-needed improvements, and update safety and security across the district. We officially broke ground on our first construction project, the new elementary school, on June 4th, which will house over 800 students and serve the growing community in northeast Midland. Our team has worked diligently to ensure the efficient use of these funds by providing monthly updates to the board and community to maintain transparency throughout the Bond 2023 process. As always, any information about the bond and all updates can be found on MidlandBond2023.com.
Reflecting on this school year, it is clear that achieving such high levels of success requires a team effort. I am fortunate to have a dedicated School Board to work with that allows me to lead the district, along with a committed faculty and staff who strive to Educate the Future with Excellence. Our team works to prepare our students each day and every year for college, career, or military when they graduate from one of our schools. I also appreciate our engaged parents and supportive community members for their contributions. Serving as the superintendent of schools for Midland ISD is an honor, and I am proud to be a part of
Midland ISD.
Sincerely,
Stephanie D. Howard, Ed.D.
Midland ISD Superintendent
