During the 2023–24 academic year, Willowridge High School accomplished a noteworthy milestone: it formally departed from its federal identifying status as a school improvement.
Willowridge, which was once designated as a Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) campus under the Every Student Succeeds Act, struggled academically and was among the lowest-performing 5% of Texas’s Title I schools.
Initiatives to reduce academic disparities and boost student involvement were put into place on campus under the direction of Principal Dr. Jennifer Roberts and her administrative staff. These included bringing in support from Region IV and the district to collaborate with teachers and instructional coaches to enhance daily instruction in all areas, as well as putting in place educational tools that made learning enjoyable and competitive.
In order to establish and strengthen solid channels of communication and responsibility regarding kids’ academic success, campus administrators also organized parent nights, gave teachers professional development, and enhanced parent engagement through callouts.
“I’m really proud of our entire staff, students, and community for uniting around the objective of improving the school,” Roberts said. Over the past two years, the team, teachers, and students have worked hard to make sure that progress has been made.
Former professors and Willowridge alumni are also rejoicing in the news, albeit cautiously.
Regarding the three-year process, renowned former Willowridge teacher Betty Morgan remarked, “What an amazing job the administrators, staff, students, community leaders, parents, and Willowridge alumni have done in working together to exit the federal school improvement plan.” Yes, it is a significant milestone.
Morgan observed that positive outcomes occur when individuals involved in the school’s welfare collaborate for the benefit of all. However, she maintains that the task remains unfinished.
Although I am incredibly happy and proud of this achievement, I am cautiously optimistic. “We have to keep fighting so we don’t end up in another federal school improvement plan,” she continued.
This accomplishment, according to FBISD Superintendent Dr. Marc Smith, is a crucial first step.
According to Smith, the district officials, teachers, parents, students, and administrators at Willowridge put in a lot of work and long hours, and the results were noteworthy. This is only the start of the academic advancement we anticipate, and we will undoubtedly succeed with the cooperation of the district and campus as well as the amazing support of the Willowridge community.
There was no going back after their team accepted the challenge, according to one educator.
Andrew Terrell, a social studies teacher, said, “We determined what the state was expecting and we actually set our goals higher.” We decided not to waste time whining and instead concentrated on positivity and grit because we thought it was possible.
