Learning beyond the district

Class is officially in session and our students aren’t the only ones sitting in on the lessons.

Del Valle ISD is excited to announce that two school leaders in our district have been accepted into prestigious programs to help advance their leadership skills.

Special Education director Nicole Roberts has been accepted into the SMU Institute for Leadership Development - District Leadership Fellows Program. Roberts will be working alongside other leaders from districts across the state. 27 education leaders from 23 school districts are embarking on a year-long leadership development journey, taking time to step back from their day-to-day work, reflect on their leadership, and work on a meaningful district challenge while building a strong, lasting network of peers.

Roberts says she's excited to start this journey and “hopes to refine my leadership skills, to improve systems and support for students receiving special education services,” says Nicole Roberts, Special Education Director at Del Valle ISD.

Gilbert Elementary School Principal Nicole Brown has been accepted into Deeper Learning Institute at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The program will help leaders redesign systems in ways that are more relational and purpose-driven. Over the course of the year, participants gather for nine virtual sessions designed to analyze project outcomes and drive implementation forward. To evaluate progress effectively, members collect and share baseline, interim, and final data using surveys, interviews, artifacts, and quantitative metrics.

Brown says she's excited to connect with other leaders and help overcome barriers. “In my first year with the Deeper Learning Institute, I want to lead my team in redesigning our campus progress-monitoring and assessment systems into a Student-Led Data and Goal Showcase initiative,” Nicole Brown, Gilbert Elementary School Principal.