Since this was Arlington Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Marcelo Cavazos delivering the 2013 State of the District Address to a packed ballroom Monday afternoon, it wasn't necessarily shocking that the 30-minute presentation came with a pop quiz attached.

Utilizing iPads on the table, guests from Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck and City Council members to Carter Junior High Seventh Grade English Teacher LeKeshia Walker put their heads together to answer this: What unique student learning experiences should AISD provide in order to meet its mission?

A few minutes later, scores of answers scrolled along a pair of giant monitors ("more hands-on technology" was one. "Study abroad" was another) and were read off by AISD Communications Director Leslie Johnston.

Cavazos is known as an energetic and innovative superintendent, which might explain why this luncheon held at the Mac Bernd Professional Development Center was sold out for the second consecutive year. How a city goes often has a lot to do with how that city's school district goes, so the two are intricately linked, said Wes Jurey, President and CEO of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce.

"The quality of our public education system is tied to our overall economic sustainability," said Jurey, whose group sponsors this event each year. "As you heard the superintendent say, it really does take the entire community to create a quality public education system."

The State of the District Address included the usual array of numbers - graduation rates, state accountability numbers, standardized test results - with Cavazos painting a solid picture of overall district progress along with a new theme - "Tomorrow's Workforce Is In Today's Classroom" - for a tweetalong scheduled for the first day of school.

Cavazos laid out the good and not so good (high school freshmen test results) while touting the fact that the four-year graduation rate is at 84.3 percent, up from 81 percent two years ago, and under the Texas Education Agency's new accountability standards, all 12 junior high schools received at least one designation of academic distinction. A few received the maximum of three. Sixty-five of the 68 campuses were rated as having met standards.

Cavazos also announced two partnerships for the district, now at 65,000 students. At Tarrant Community College, eligible students can, beginning next year, enroll in a fast-track academic program where in four years they could earn an associate degree along with a high school diploma.

At UT Arlington, AISD students could be admitted by their junior years, "eliminating that senior worry," Cavazos said.
Meanwhile, the number of career and technical education programs will continue to expand.

"We have over 65,000 students and over 60 percent are economically disadvantaged," Cavazos said. "While there are different ways out, I will tell you without a doubt that there's one guaranteed ticket out, and that's an outstanding quality education."

Jurey agreed. "We're living in what really is a globally competitive, knowledge-based, information driven economy," he said. "Those students' education is critical to our success as a community."