Matthys Elementary School principal Karen Hickman and Sam Rayburn High School principal Troy McCarley have been named as Pasadena ISD’s new Executive Directors of Campus Performance and Academic Assistance.

The Pasadena ISD Board of Trustees approved the appointments at a special called meeting recently. Superintendent Kirk Lewis said the two were chosen because of their long history of leading their schools to academic success and being able to fuel new and innovative methods of student achievement.

State and federal accountability systems require intensive interventions processes for campuses that might fall under certain achievement levels. The executive director positions were designed to be proactive in providing support to designated campuses, as well as others.

In the positions, Hickman and McCarley will conduct instructional interventions with campuses and coach administrative teams on effective classroom observations and feedback. They will also lead campus technical assistance teams in developing and monitoring state and federal required school improvement plans related to accountability.

“Both (Karen and Troy) and are outstanding instructional leaders,” Lewis said. “They have a keen knowledge of methods and strategies that leads to success. They are dynamic when it comes to working with teachers and staff and I feel they will provide outstanding support and leadership in their new capacity.”

Hickman and McCarley will work with school campuses at their locations on a daily basis and lend their assistance to the principals with the identification and implementation of professional development, strategies and methods that have proven effective in addressing instructional needs. Additionally, they will ensure that campus resources are effectively allocated toward activities that are most likely to increase student achievement.

During Hickman’s eight years at Matthys, the school has been designated a Texas Exemplary and Recognized Campus many times. In addition, the campus was named numerous times to the TBEC/Just For the Kids Honor Roll. She was named Texas National Distinguished Principal by the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA) in 2005.

McCarley has served as principal at Sam Rayburn since 2004 and was recently honored as Pasadena ISD's Region 4 Secondary Principal of the Year. In his two years at the school, test scores have increased at Rayburn and McCarley has focused much of his energy on re-establishing traditions, creating new programs and building relationships among teachers and students. He is also a frequent presenter on high school reform at the Model Schools Conference in Washington, D.C. Before coming to Rayburn, McCarley served as the principal at Queens Intermediate School and guided the campus to state recognized status. He also was an assistant principal at Jackson Intermediate when the school was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2000.

The job of filling the principal spots at Matthys and Rayburn is under way and applications are being accepted through July 9, with hopes of filling positions by the start of the new school year in August.