Austin ISD is moving forward with its plans to implement House Bill 5 across the district for the 2014–15 school year. At its Feb. 3 dialogue, the AISD board of trustees discussed career and technical education, or CTE, endorsement pathways and new changes.

HB 5, which was signed into law earlier this year, replaces the state's Minimum, Recommended and Distinguished graduation plans with new Foundation High School Program plan options. The new graduation plans include a 22-credit Foundation diploma, which can be completed with endorsements—areas of concentration—for 26 credits. Students in AISD will be set on the path to earn a 26-credit diploma with a Distinguished Level of Achievement by participating in advanced courses.

AISD's staff is working to communicate to parents what is changing under the new law and answer their questions about how this will change their children's education, Superintendent Meria Carstarphen said.

"The State Board of Education finalized courses for each of the endorsements in late January, which means there's a seriously compressed timeline for us to get ready for the '14-15 school year," she said, adding: "We still need to find a way to find a sustained [financial] commitment and resources to be able to do all of these things."

Carstarphen said voters did not approve part of a 2013 bond proposition that would have helped pay for some of the changes.

Middle school counselors in AISD are working with eighth-grade students and families to prepare them for the changes, as students must choose their endorsements upon entering the ninth grade. Also as part of HB 5, AISD will work to help high school students get internships and gain experience.

At the board meeting, trustee Amber Elenz asked whether AISD is also planning to offer its own internships—for example, allowing auto mechanics students to work within the school district's transportation department.

AISD Chief Academic Officer Pauline Dow said yes.

"The opportunities are pretty endless," she said, adding: "The really exciting work will happen when we start partnering with businesses and institutions of higher education."

Trustee Lori Moya suggested the district work closely with organizations that are working with the district now, noting the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce already does some partnering with Cunningham Elementary School programs, for example.

Dow noted recent changes to endorsements include that journalism and yearbook classes were added under communication options, and computer science classes will be considered part of the endorsement for science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM. AISD does not have a pathway for computer science, she said, but if it wants to establish one, the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders would be in the best position to do so because of its existing offerings.

Dow said AISD has circulated forms at campuses for feedback on AISD's design for career and technical education pathways and received input from principals, counselors and CTE managers and department heads.

Chief Schools Officer Paul Cruz added all eighth graders in AISD will complete an interest survey to help parents get a better idea of what endorsement areas their children are most interested in and in what subjects they already excel. That will help families when they examine the classes that will be offered at the high school they plan to enroll in, he said.

In the coming months, trustees will help inform the community about the available CTE pathways and respond to questions from parents about HB 5 changes, board President Vincent Torres said.

"This is only the start of what we know is going to be huge and will continue to evolve over the next couple of years," he said.