Superintendent Rodney Watson presents Every Child 2020 at Fallbrook Church on May 21.[/caption]
As Spring ISD recovers from incorrect data management practices that resulted in hundreds of transcript irregularities this school year, the district laid out a path for improvement with its five-year plan May 21.
The plan, Every Child 2020, was presented before community members at Fallbrook Church. Watson said the plan strives to reach every student while emphasizing excellence in every school, a high standard of performance from every employee, opportunities for every family and engaging stakeholders from every community.
“The time is ripe to put forth this strong action plan,” SISD Superintendent Rodney Watson. “It is our expectation that Every Child 2020 strikes the appropriate balance of being true to the roots of this community while also pushing us forward to stronger student achievement.”
Planning Every Child 2020 began last July following the hiring of Watson as the new superintendent. The process included working with more than 1,000 stakeholders, including 150 one-on-one discussions between Watson and various local groups as well as 145 campus visits and more than 200 workgroup session hours.
“We wanted a strong action plan that would increase student achievement, engage the community and re-energize our district,” SISD board President Rhonda Faust said.
Challenging first year
In the first year of the plan Watson said the district plans to implement improved data management and data governance processes. SISD Chief Communications Officer Tiffany Davila-Dunne said the district hired data firm iSphere in March to help manage eSchool, SISD’s student information system, as well as evaluate the flow of data across the district.
“To propel this plan forward, we know we need trustworthy data that provides clear and consistent information for our students and for our schools,” Watson said.
Other planned changes in 2015-16 include a new website, mobile application, community advisory board and a communications tool called Elevate that will provide stakeholders access to Watson and other administrators.
Funding for improvements will come from the district’s existing operating budget, Davila-Dunne said. The improvement plan has been at the forefront of much of the discussion for the 2015-16 budget, which will be presented at a board meeting June 30.
“The implementation of a zero-based, priority-focused approach [forced] the district to evaluate the effectiveness of all current expenditures and to more efficiently reallocate funds to support the priorities of the strategic plan,” Davila-Dunne said.
Long-term goals
Some stakeholder suggestions, such as new schools and early childhood education centers, may require funding beyond the scope of the district’s existing budget, Davila-Dunne said.
“We understand that every decision is not going to be popular. But I promise you we will make thoughtful, educated decisions. And if those decisions don’t work, we promise you we won’t stop. We won’t be afraid to change direction.”
- Spring ISD Superintendent Rodney Watson
“The district has begun a careful process to thoroughly evaluate these recommendations,” she said. “This work will help the district determine if and when it might be appropriate for the community to consider the passage of a bond.”
District officials previously stated any new bond package would feature at least one middle school and one elementary school. Land is available for an elementary school within Springwoods Village and a middle school next to Northgate Crossing Elementary School.
It is unknown whether a bond would feature a high school, but the district will need a fourth comprehensive high school before it reaches completion, district officials said. Enrollment at all three high schools is anticipated to exceed each school’s respective campus capacity in 2015-16, according to data from Every Child 2020.
SISD hopes to see other significant long-term changes across the district in the next five years. By the third year of the plan, Watson said the district hopes to have provided students expanded opportunities for career pathways through more Advanced Placement, dual-credit and dual language courses.
The final year of the plan, 2019-20, will require the district to study its progress through performance indicators across different aspects of the plan, ranging from test scores to employee retention rates to student career readiness.
“We understand that every decision is not going to be popular,” Watson said. “But I promise you we will make thoughtful, educated decisions. And if those decisions don’t work, we promise you we won’t stop. We won’t be afraid to change direction.”
