The Fact Page

Looking for facts about McKinney ISD? Click on the "Submit a Question" link below to ask for factual information about the district. McKinney ISD will respond to frequently asked questions regarding schools, policies, school board decisions and other district information. The district will not respond to questions regarding students or personnel.

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Top Questions Recently Submitted to The Fact Page

1. Where are the two new elementary schools and the new middle school going to be built?

Answer: McKinney ISD is in the process of constructing two new elementary schools (McGowen Elementary and Press Elementary) that will open in August of 2007. The district is scheduled to open a new middle school in the fall of 2008. The new elementary school zones have not been determined. The McKinney ISD Board of Trustees is scheduled to receive the final two elementary rezoning recommendations at the February Work Study Session scheduled for Feb. 20 and a final presentation of the rezoning plans at the regular board meeting on Feb. 26. A public hearing on the rezoning will be held on Monday, March 19 and the board is scheduled to vote on the rezoning at the March Regular Board meeting scheduled for March 26.

New school zones for middle school students will not be reviewed until after January 1, 2008.

Below are the locations of the new schools:

Elementary Schools

Jesse McGowen School
4300 Columbus Drive
McKinney, TX 75070

Jesse McGowen Elementary School is scheduled to open in the fall of 2007, and will be located off of Columbus Drive between Hardin Blvd. and Lake Forest Drive.

Press Elementary School
4101 Shawnee Drive
McKinney, TX 75071

Naomi Press Elementary School is also scheduled to open in the fall of 2007. The school is located north of Bloomdale and West of Highway 5.

Click here for the approved elementary school zones for the 2007-2008 school year.

Middle School

Jack Cockrill Middle School
Jack Cockrill Middle School will be constructed near the intersection of Hardin Blvd. and White Ave., just south of Highway 380.

2. Will the rezoning process impact the middle schools or high schools?

Answer: No. The current rezoning will only impact elementary schools. Middle schools will be rezoned in 2008 to accommodate the District's newest middle school, Dr. Jack Cockrill Middle School. There are no current projections on future rezoning at the high school level.

Middle School Pre-Advanced Placement Program - Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are Pre-Advanced Placement (Pre-AP) courses?
Pre-AP courses are on-grade level academically advanced courses designed to challenge motivated students to understand rigorous content. The coursework requires students to engage in independent and analytical assignments and to complete a substantial amount of work outside of class. McKinney ISD offers Pre-AP courses in English, math, science, and social studies. The curricula for the courses are built on the core academic curriculum following the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) expectations for each course.

Pre-AP middle school courses are designed to prepare students for high school Pre-AP and Advanced Placement (AP) courses. AP courses are college-level courses taught in a high school setting. At the end of each AP course an AP Exam is given. Qualifying scores on the AP exams can enable students to receive college credit and/or advanced standing at a university or college.

2. What Pre-AP courses are available in MISD for the 2007-2008 school year?
6th grade: Math only
7th and 8th grades: English, math, science and social studies

3. Why is math the only Pre-AP course offered for 6th grade students?
Sixth grade students are at an age level where their thinking is still primarily concrete rather than at the abstract, analytical level needed for advanced courses. Inappropriate placement of many sixth grade students in Pre-AP classes has led to their remaining in the Pre-AP program throughout middle school where they were less successful in mastering critical foundational skills because of the depth or pace of the classes. These students often were unsuccessful in high school Pre-AP classes.
The decision to continue to offer a 6th grade Pre-AP math course came about because of necessity, not because it is easier to identify students. The content of each Pre-AP math course is actually different than the content in the on-grade-level math course. In other words, in order to accelerate through the curriculum to take an AP math course in high school, Pre-AP math students must learn more content in middle school. English, science, and social studies courses do not require accelerated (or different) curriculum. Acceleration of content in middle school Pre-AP courses also allows for better correlation of high school science courses with their required math courses.

The committee investigating and proposing the middle school changes also looked at the Pre-AP programs in surrounding districts. Some of those programs are listed below.

Frisco: Only math and ELAR Pre-AP in 6th grade, Math, ELAR and science in 7th and 8th grades
Plano: Only Honors math in 6th grade Math, ELAR, and science in 7th and 8th grades
Allen: 6th grade is still in elementary school—no Pre-AP courses Math, ELAR, science, and social studies in 7th and 8th grades

Richardson: 6th grade is still in elementary school—no Pre-AP courses Math, ELAR, science, and social studies in 7th and 8th grades

4. What provision will be in place for more advanced learners in 6th grade English, science, and social studies courses?
Heterogeneously grouped 6th grade classrooms will allow teachers to develop and implement a rigorous differentiated curriculum for all students. Classroom instruction will concentrate on developing essential foundational skills and concepts. The 6th grade teachers will receive professional development training in differentiation strategies beginning in the spring and summer of 2007.

5. Will the lack of 6th grade Pre-AP English, science, and social studies courses affect students’ preparation for high school AP courses in these areas?
There will be no negative impact on students’ high school coursework. A strong focus on content skills and concepts will help ensure that all 6th students have the critical foundation for advanced classes in middle school and high school.

6. Are there entry criteria for enrolling in Pre-AP courses?
McKinney ISD offers open enrollment for Pre-AP courses. Students who experience success in Pre-AP courses typically exhibit the following personal and academic characteristics.

Personal Characteristics:
· Reading on or above grade level
· Strong study skills and self-motivation
· Proficient oral and written communications skills
· Self-discipline to plan, organize, and carry out tasks to completion
· Interest and self-directedness in a particular subject

Academic Characteristics:
· Successful completion of prerequisite coursework
o Grade of 90 or higher in an academic class
o Grade of 80 or higher in a Pre-AP class
o Report card scores of 3’s or 4’s for entering 6th grade students
· Successful performance in related content area courses (Example: math and science or English and social studies)
· Teacher recommendation
· Scores at the commended level on the most recent TAKS test closely related to the Pre-AP course being considered

7. How many Pre-AP courses should a student take?
Students are encouraged to take Pre-AP courses that are appropriate to their interests and academic strengths. The number of Pre-AP courses also varies with students’ motivation, self-discipline, and available time outside of class. Students are not expected to enroll in Pre-AP courses in all core subject areas.

8. Must a student take Pre-AP courses in order to be prepared for college?
All academic courses in MISD offer appropriate instruction to prepare students for college or university work. Many MISD students without Pre-AP and AP coursework, successfully complete college educations.

9. What is the purpose of the contracts for Pre-AP courses?
The contracts describe general course expectations and the entrance and exit guidelines for Pre-AP courses. Signatures of parents and students on the contracts are verification that they are familiar with and agree to follow the standards and general expectations for Pre-AP courses.

10. What are the exit and probation guidelines for Pre-AP courses?
If a student has a class average below 80, he/she is placed on probation for a three-week period, during which time the grade must be brought back up to 80 or the student will be exited from the course. A student whose grade average remains below 80 in a Pre-AP class will benefit more from the academic class in that subject than from the Pre-AP class where the student is falling behind because of the pace or depth of the course content.

Additional information on the middle school Pre-AP program is available from the middle school counselors and administrators.

Note: Questions submitted without a name or functional e-mail will not receive a response. The district will respond by e-mail to the individual submitting the question. The district will respond only to questions relating to actual "facts" about the district.

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