DoDEA Information

Burkburnett ISD received a $750,000 grant from the Department of Defense Education Activities (DoDEA). The grant was awarded July 2016 and will cover a 5-year period. Goals of the grant include increasing Science achievement at elementary and middle school grades and increasing Career and Technical Education class enrollments and completions at the high school level. Though the grant targets our military-dependent students, all of BISD can benefit from the grant.

A Professional Development Committee with six representatives from each campus was formed in September 2016 and worked tirelessly throughout the fall semester. Selection for the committee was inclusive of all content areas, Fine Arts, PE, Special Education, and electives. The first task for the group was to envision the ideal classroom for BISD students. The group unanimously envisioned Project/Problem Based classrooms in which students are problem solvers and creators of solutions.

Through a 3-month process, the committee vetted companies who could provide systemic professional development to our district over the course of the grant period. After listening to vendor presentations, visiting other schools utilizing their training, and a great deal of dialogue and deliberation, the committee voted to utilize the Buck Institute for Education to partner with the district in providing systemic training in project/problem based learning. The initial training is called PBL 101.

All teachers, administrators, librarians, technology specialists, counselors, and Special Education personnel will take PBL 101 over the course of the next year.