Dallas ISD ADSY schools start early Tuesday under extended school year plan

If you're starting to feel like summer is "flying by," hold on to your wings: students at several Dallas ISD campuses start the new school year on Tuesday.

It's part of a district plan called Additional Days School Year, or ADSY. Students at 13 elementary schools – and sixth graders at select middle schools – will follow an extended calendar that includes additional instructional days, some of which fall on Saturdays.

Participating campuses include:

• Elementaries: John Q. Adams; Lee McShan Jr.; Lida Hooe (Saturday school only); John Neely Bryan; J.N. Ervin; José "Joe" May; Julian T. Saldivar; Harrell Budd; Birdie Alexander; Frank Guzick; Ronald E. McNair; H.S. Thompson STEAM Academy; Marcus Leadership Academy.
• Middle schools: T.W. Browne; Hector P. Garcia; Sam Tasby; Harold Wendell Lang Sr.; Boude Storey; Royce West Leadership Academy; Young Men's Leadership Academy at Fred F. Florence.

"We're going to accelerate learning," said Roshonda Clayton-Brown, DISD assistant superintendent of School Leadership. "We're going to make learning fun. We're going to make sure that they have opportunities to engage in hands-on opportunities, things that we don't get a chance to do during the regular school year."

Clayton-Brown said excitement over the additional days extends from the superintendent's office to campus support staff, with everyone focused on making the effort successful. 

"Our goal is to, of course, make sure that every student is successful. No matter what ZIP code, no matter what campus," Clayton-Brown said. "Our goal is to be an 'A' rated district."

Some ADSY campuses are already seeing results – including John Q. Adams Elementary in Pleasant Grove. School leaders there said the extended calendar will build on recent momentum.

"By the end of this year, our goal is to be an A-rated campus," said Linda Kratzert, principal at John Q. Adams Elementary. "Two years ago, this campus was sitting at an F. In one year's time, we moved it to a B, and that was all the work of my students and my staff and the parents and community that poured into this campus."

The excitement is evident throughout the school, which reopened three years ago with updated facilities and new spaces.

"Okay, here is our library," said Jessica Torres, a sixth-grade reading teacher, showing off her warm and welcoming decor. "Before we wait for our morning announcements, they have a chance to come in, grab a book, sit down, and read just so they can get a little soft start to their morning."

Torres said she doesn't mind the shorter summer because she knows the early start benefits her students.

"So just getting back into routine, letting them know, `hey, we're going to work hard ... We're going to work hard. And at the end of the day, we're all going to be partners in this."

When asked whether the extra days would pay off academically, she didn't hesitate. "Oh, yeah. 100%."

District leaders said the additional time will help mitigate summer learning loss and strengthen relationships between students and teachers. Torres knows firsthand how much those relationships matter – she grew up in Pleasant Grove and learned from teachers who encouraged her potential.

"It is so important," said Torres. "I had really good people that I looked up to, and I knew what my potential was, right? And people would pour into me. My teachers would pour into me, telling me that I could do it."

One of those teachers was Kratzert – now her principal.

"Literally gives me goosebumps," said Kratzert. "When you say that ... It's just that reflection piece of `wow, like my words and my actions truly did make a difference in a student's life'"

From student to colleague, the two are now ready to pay it forward with the power of education once again — starting Tuesday.