Dear HPISD Parents & Faculty, 

You are invited to join me for a public forum to address the state's testing and accountability system. The forum will be at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Highland Park High School cafeteria. 

This year, we have seen a major overhaul of the system, starting with the introduction of STAAR testing. The implications are significant for every student in Highland Park ISD. As parents, we want you to be informed about the increase in mandatory standardized testing and the dramatic effect it will have on instruction and graduation requirements.

It is our belief that as a school district we are accountable to you, our parents and community members. While we will comply with the state's testing and accountability mandates, our first commitment is to provide an excellent education for our students that reflects the vision of this community. During the forum, I will share the district's goal of a community-based assessment system that goes beyond the state's standardized testing approach.

In the meantime, the state is seeking feedback regarding its new testing and accountability mandates. Please make your voice heard by providing feedback directly to the Texas Education Agency. Comments are being accepted through Jan. 18.

Again, I sincerely hope you will be able to join me and other HPISD leaders at Thursday's public forum. We are facing a time of real change in our public schools, and we want you to be a part of the conversation. We will tape the public forum and will post it on HPISD's web site.

Sincerely,

Dr. Dawson Orr

Superintendent of Schools

Highland Park ISD