INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION/REVIEWS

This September, the Board of Trustees approved draft updates to policies EFA Local- Instructional Materials and EFB Local- Library Materials. These policies will be official following review and approval by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB). The approved drafts reflect the policy changes and additions. Each policy allows individuals to request an informal or formal reconsideration of materials. In alignment with those policies, the District is soliciting parent committee members to be randomly drawn and assigned to five different rotating Reconsideration Committees that will be charged with reading and reviewing challenged materials. The District is in need of 20 parent volunteers at this time. Each committee will be comprised of four (4) parents, alongside District assigned instructional personnel. If you are a parent and wish to be considered to serve on a future committee, please complete the Reconsideration Committee Application Form.  The request form to serve on a Reconsideration Committee will close on Friday, October 14, 2022. 

More information can be found on the Instructional Resources Information webpage.  

LIBRARY BOOK NOTIFICATIONS

In alignment with the approved draft update to Board policy EFB Local- Library Materials, beginning November 7, the District will begin emailing all parents/guardians on file each time their student checks out a library book. On November 7, parents/guardians will also be able to log into MyKaty Cloud to access the opt out tile for notifications, should they wish to do so. Books are also available for secondary students to check out through their English Language Arts (ELA) classroom libraries. Beginning November 7, secondary parents or guardians must provide authorization for their secondary student to access ELA classroom library books. The Classroom Library Authorization tile will be available on the via MyKaty Cloud on that same day. 

CREDIT BY EXAM INFORMATION  

Katy ISD offers Credit by Examination for acceleration at every grade level and subject area offered in accordance with the Texas State Board of Education rules. A student is allowed to advance one grade level or one course per subject per academic year. Katy ISD offers four Credit by Examination testing windows throughout the year. For more information about Credit by Examination (CBE) testing dates and course offering, visit Department of Research, Assessment, and Accountability website.   If you are interested in CBE testing, please contact your child’s campus counselor. 

SECURITY DEVICES AT KATY ISD LARGE EVENT VENUES 

Katy ISD, in its continued efforts to ensure student, staff, and patron safety, has purchased security devices to be staged at our four large event venues. These devices are already installed at the entrances of the Leonard Merrell Center (LMC). The devices are non-intrusive narrow towers that seamlessly screen visitors for objects prohibited within large event venues. They do not require removal of any personal effects prior to walking through them. Please take a moment to review the District’s guidelines for Clear Bags and Prohibited Items at large event venues. It is anticipated that the security devices will be available for installation at Legacy and Rhodes stadiums and the Agricultural Sciences Center, within the coming weeks.

CAMPUS EXTERIOR DOORS SAFETY SIGNAGE 

All campus exterior doors will include updated safety signage within the coming weeks that emphasizes that exterior doors must remain closed and locked.  The purpose of the signage is to reinforce and remind all staff and students to take the extra precaution of ensuring that doors are closed and locked at all times, and to not open a door for anyone trying to enter. 

All campus exterior doors already have signage directing visitors to utilize the main entrance for access to campuses and not side entrances.  These stickers should be left in place, with the new yellow sticker above placed inside over this sticker, allowing the external message to remain outward.  All staff and students should avoid allowing anyone without a District identification badge from “tailgating” or following them into a District facility.