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November/December 2008
Knowing which tactics to use — and when to implement them — can be a difficult task, but for Kerrville ISD Superintendent Dan Troxell, Ph.D., it's all in a day's work. In actions both universal and individual, he continues to improve the academic experiences of Kerrville ISD schoolchildren. In the six years he has been with the district, Troxell has taken big steps, such as expanding early childhood education and introducing new math and science curricula, as well as small steps, such as personally mentoring at-risk kids. For his balanced approach to problem solving and so much more, Troxell has earned the title of 2008 Superintendent of the Year from the Texas Association of School Boards. He received the honor at this year's TASA/TASB Convention in Dallas in September. How it all began Troxell can tell you the moment he decided to become an educator. In the mid-1980s while a government major at The University of Texas at Austin, he took a class focusing on issues in public education. The course put him on the front lines of some of the biggest education problems facing the state. As part of his studies, Troxell became a classroom observer and eventually a mentor to students at East Austin's Dobie Middle School, which, at the time, served a low-income neighborhood. "What I found was an exciting group of children eager to learn," Troxell says. "I felt this could be a purposeful career. It was inspiring working with kids — and I could see how I could make an impact on their lives." Troxell's first job out of college was teaching science at a middle school in Round Rock ISD. More than 20 years later, Troxell still mentors kids; his current mentees are two teenagers, one in high school and one in middle school. "As an administrator, I miss that connection with students," he says. "Kids need meaningful relationships with adults in their lives, and it's extremely gratifying to me." As superintendent of a district with nearly 5,000 students, Troxell has expanded the district's mentoring program to reach all grade levels. Today, 500 community members volunteer to mentor children — enough to reach at least one in 10 students. "We are fortunate to have such great human resources in Kerrville, including retired doctors, engineers and teachers," says Troxell, explaining that 60 percent of Kerrville residents are retired, and the district has focused its mentor recruitment efforts on this population. Additionally, an under-utilized school was repurposed to create a community center where mentors can meet with students after school. "He has a tremendous amount of respect among administrators and teachers here," says Deb Wells, associate superintendent for curriculum and instruction. "Much of that comes from the fact that every decision he makes is what's best for the kids." It's the reasoning Troxell used when he implemented a student evaluation tool called INOVA, which measures a student's progress in response to various tactics. "The system identifies which strategies and interventions we've utilized and determines which ones are effective," says Troxell. "It then creates an instructional plan that teachers can follow. It's smart financially because we're spending our money on the kinds of interventions that really get results." Troxell says INOVA has played a role in increasing the district's TAKS scores. From 2004 to 2008, the number of students who met state standards for math achievement rose from 78 percent to 85 percent. Likewise, the number of students who met state standards in science rose from 69 percent in 2004 to 84 percent this year. "We are not just looking for how many of our students are passing; we are looking at how many students are succeeding beyond their predicted performance levels," Troxell says. "As long as they are moving toward success year after year, they will achieve it." One of Troxell's boldest moves to date as Kerrville ISD's superintendent was to consolidate the district's early childhood education program on one campus and expand it to serve 3-year-olds. It was a decision rooted in practical reasons that resulted in widespread success. "These students use all the same age-appropriate playground equipment; those kinds of practical things don't need to be duplicated all around the district," says Wells, offering one example. She also notes that staff development is unique to this population's needs, so the consolidation has brought about more focus to the early childhood group. The campus now serves nearly 200 students, ages 3 and 4. The district has plans to expand the campus significantly next year. Already, there is a waiting list of 50 families. "The feedback from the parents has been overwhelmingly positive," says Wells, noting that the center serves a large portion of the district's economically disadvantaged students. Kerrville ISD's economically disadvantaged student population has nearly doubled in the past six years, increasing from 38 percent in 2002 to 54 percent this year. "We know that early childhood programs can increase readiness skills and school success for those kids," says Troxell. "We're keeping track of who comes through the program and we're finding that the program successfully prepares students for the primary grades." Beyond graduation Equally important to early childhood education is ensuring the success of Kerrville ISD graduates who have not pursued higher education. This year, the district joined the Kerrville Economic Development Foundation to bring workforce training and continuing education classes from nearby Alamo Community College to Kerrville. The program offers five classes and has attracted an enrollment of 130 students in the Kerrville area. "Forty percent of the students who graduate from Kerrville ISD do not go on to higher education," says Guy Overby, president of the Kerrville Economic Development Foundation. "Our community needs trained plumbers, electricians and other tradespeople; Alamo Community College brings that training to our community, and Dan Troxell took the lead in making that happen." Troxell serves as vice chairman for the Kerrville Economic Development Foundation. He also serves on other community boards, including the Kerrville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Kerrville Little League. He is the founder of the Greater Hill Country-San Antonio Consortium of Districts. During his leadership, Troxell has brought an orchestra program to middle school students, junior ROTC programs to local campuses and "challenge labs" for gifted and talented students. Moreover, Troxell has been able to roll out all these programs — both large and small — and still roll back the tax rate in Kerrville ISD two years in a row, maintaining $1.03 per $100 valuation. "It's so easy to let the day-to-day problems consume you, to get bogged down in the financial or instructional issues," Troxell says. "But we have a commitment to put students first, and to make sure they get the best education regardless of their backgrounds. Schools can be the vehicle of success for every child." MICHELLE MOON REINHARDT is a writer and video producer in Austin. Besides writing, she also creates online training modules and videos for private companies. |
When faced with the many challenges of running a public school district, administrative leaders basically have two choices: They can enact big, sweeping reforms or introduce more-targeted initiatives to bring about positive change.