What happened: The Midland ISD Board of Trustees reviewed targeted improvement plans for four campuses on Tuesday, Dec. 16, including Abel Junior High, Long Elementary, South Elementary, and IDEA Travis. During the discussion, Board President Brandon Hodges pressed campus leaders to explain, in plain language, how the proposed plans would actually help struggling students.

Why it matters: The state requires targeted improvement plans when schools fall below state accountability standards or show inconsistent academic results.

The big picture: Campuses under targeted improvement plans:

  • Abel Junior High: Abel improved from an F rating in 2024 to a D rating in 2025, increasing its score from 62 to 69. The improvement plan emphasizes more consistent classroom instruction, clearer lesson planning, and closer use of student data in reading and math.
  • Long Elementary: Long moved from an F rating in 2023 to a C rating in 2025. The principal attributed the improvement to sustained curriculum work, closer monitoring of instruction, and increased teacher collaboration. The plan focuses on maintaining consistency to prevent performance swings.
  • South Elementary: South Elementary remains rated an F and is working toward a C rating. The principal said the plan centers on strengthening core reading and math instruction and improving intervention cycles so they can identify students who fall behind earlier.
  • IDEA Travis: IDEA Travis continues to hold a D rating since 2023. The principal cited challenges in upper-grade reading and math performance, as well as attendance consistency. The plan references daily academic blocks, staff adjustments, and closer monitoring of attendance and student progress.

Go deeper: After leadership presented the IDEA Travis improvement plan, Hodges asked the principal to explain what would actually change for students. In response, the principal cited “strengthening the systems,” including coaching systems for teachers and leaders, as well as data-driven systems to respond to student needs.

Hodges then pressed further, asking whether the plan involved curriculum changes, one-on-one interventions, or small-group instruction. The principal said the campus has an embedded daily academic block, an hour-long period built into the schedule for students to receive additional educational support.

The bottom line: Although the board only pressed IDEA Travis for specifics, all four targeted improvement plans emphasized systems, staff training, and data monitoring rather than identifying specific curriculum or classroom-level instructional method changes.