District to receive financial, technical support from Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation
Texas Border Business
The Socorro Independent School District is the first in the El Paso region and among 20 school districts selected as a blended learning demonstration site in the second cohort of Raising Blended Learners. SISD will receive up to $300,000 in grant funding plus additional in-kind technical assistance to implement a personalized learning program within their district.
Team SISD was selected for the highly sought grant based on its successful blended learning strategies that ensure all students are receiving a high-quality education to prepare them for future success in college, careers, and life. Blended learning integrates traditional classroom teaching with online technology and digital learning so that students can excel with personalized instruction and more ownership of their learning.
“We have long recognized the importance of technology in curriculum and doing everything we can to increase blended learning in all of our schools. I am proud and humbled that our teachers, students, and administrators are being rewarded for embracing digital teaching and learning in all of our classrooms,” said SISD Superintendent Jose Espinoza, Ed.D. “This prestigious grant will enable us to strengthen our already successful Operation College Bound and Operation Future Ready efforts to ensure our students are ready for success in post-secondary education and our fast-paced, technology-driven society.”
The 2020 cohort of blended learning demonstration sites reflect the vast diversity within Texas’ public schools including suburban, rural, and urban districts with student populations ranging from 550 to more than 150,000 students.
Blended learning combines the best of in-person classroom teaching with online technology so educators are able to utilize data to personalize instruction while students are able to gain more ownership over their learning. One testament to the promise of blended learning was the 2019 passage by the Texas Legislature to fund a $12 million blended learning grant over the biennium.
Raising Blended Learners was originally scheduled to launch work during the 2020-21 school year. However, due to the school closures caused by COVID-19, the program will begin implementation during the 2021-22 school year.
“The Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation recognizes this announcement comes at a challenging time for education across the state,” said Jennifer Jendrzey, vice president of strategy and evaluation for the Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation. “In light of the trauma and chaos surrounding COVID-19, we know that ‘business as usual’ will not be possible for many districts as they head into the 2020-21 school year and, therefore, made the difficult decision to delay the launch of Raising Blended Learners by one full calendar year.”
During the interim, the Foundation will support the second cohort of Raising Blended Learning demonstration sites with readiness support to help the districts revisit and revise, if necessary, their blended learning plans.
“Even with a delay, Raise Your Hand is committed to helping districts maintain the momentum generated through the past year of the application and planning process, and supporting them in addressing the new teaching and learning reality of COVID-19,” Jendrzey said.
The first cohort of Raising Blended Learners selected in 2015, included five demonstration districts that received grant funding and implementation support. Another 15 districts received implementation support without grant funding. To date, Raising Blended Learners has impacted more than 50 schools, 600 teachers, and 35,000 students.
“The first cohort of Raising Blended Learners has taught not only Raise Your Hand so much about blended learning but also the entire state of Texas. This second cohort will continue to build on that momentum,” said Jendrzey. “We are excited to continue scaling the impact of blended learning across the state of Texas with the 20 districts in our second cohort.”
All Raising Blended Learners materials are free and available to any district interested in piloting blended learning approaches in their schools. Those resources and more information about the initiative are available at RaisingBlendedLearners.org.
ABOUT THE SOCORRO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
The Socorro Independent School District is a Texas Education Agency A-rated and postsecondary readiness distinguished public school district that serves more than 47,000 students in 49 campuses located in east El Paso, Horizon City and the City of Socorro, Texas. Team SISD is nationally recognized for its innovative instruction, highly qualified, effective faculty and staff, and preparing its students for college, careers and life. For more information, visit www.sisd.net.
ABOUT THE RAISE YOUR HAND TEXAS FOUNDATION
The Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation develops and strengthens school leaders and teachers, engages families in the educational experience, and advances classroom learning with innovative instructional practices to benefit all students. For more information, visit RYHTFoundation.org.
