2015–2016 Creative Learning Initiative Annual Report Executive Brief
Key Findings
AISD is approximately halfway to its goal of 100% creative campuses.
Students at CLI campuses had more access to the arts than did students at non-CLI campuses. This is reflected in school-time instruction and through access to arts partnerships. However, students at the secondary schools continued to have less access to arts opportunities through arts partnerships than did students at the elementary schools. CLI Title I campuses built multiple arts partners in more grade levels than did non-CLI Title I campuses.
Eighty-five percent of CLI teachers reported positive changes in their teaching practices that resulted in positive student outcomes. Teachers reported positive experiences with professional development activities and increased skills. The vast majority of teachers reported the changes in their teaching practice helped them actively engage students (92%), positively affect students’ achievement (88%), and positively affect students’ behavior (85%).
Student engagement and attendance rates were better at campuses with better creative campus scores than at campuses with low creative campus scores. The creative campus scores at CLI campuses were significantly positively correlated with the student engagement scale of the Climate Survey and student attendance rates.
Students had better academic and SEL outcomes when their teachers were more competent in implementing creative teaching than when their teachers were less competent in implementing creative teaching. Students whose teachers were highly competent in creative teaching were more likely to meet the STAAR passing standard in reading, and more likely to meet the advanced passing standard in reading and math than were students whose teachers were less competent in implementing creative teaching. They also had better SEL skills (e.g., respect for self and others, interaction with adults and peers, and responsibility for their own actions).