Resources

Choosing A District

You have lots of choices for schooling in the Dallas area: public, public charter, private or parochial, or home schooling. Should you want to send your kids to public school, rest assured that the Dallas Region has many fine public schools.

In Texas, public school districts operate independently and are governed by locally elected school boards that locally implement state guidelines through a selection of instructional programs, curriculum and local expectations that often exceed state minimums.

Local districts are governed by an independently elected school board of trustees that hires a superintendent as CEO; sets a district philosophy (vision and mission) and local policies; selects a curriculum within the state guidelines; and sets the local ISD tax rate, budget, and district boundaries. Here’s what you need to consider in finding the right school district for you:

District and school’s philosophy vs. your family’s interests and needs

• Vision, mission, goals
• Size of school and class size
• Grade level alignment (i.e., K-4, K-5, K-6)
• Curriculum variations
• Parent engagement

Student achievement and performance (including staff and teacher performance)

The Dallas County area education collaboration (The Commit! Partnership) and its partners offer a way of best assessing student achievement within schools and districts. Find it online at commit2dallas.org

Program offerings and compatibility with your child’s interests and needs

• Athletics
• Career and technical education
• Dual credit
• Extracurricular activities
• Fine arts
• Gifted and talented
• Performing arts
• Special education

District Characteristics

Each district has a unique profile. Visiting district websites will reveal their distinct features and offerings. You can start your research here on this site, where many school districts have provided comprehensive information about themselves.

Pick Your Path

Students in Texas select one of five career-related pathways at the end of the eighth grade.  Pick Your Path is a step-by-step guide designed to identify the requirements and track milestones for an endorsement in one of five areas of study.  Learn More.

Follow Your Pipeline

Follow Your Pipeline is a unique and creative collateral piece to guide students in planning their education and career pathway as they pursue STEAM — Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math — careers. Students who focus on STEAM have more opportunities and earn more money after graduation. Learn More.