Recent legislation and local partnerships help strengthen career training options in Fort Bend ISD

In the always evolving Texas economy, school districts like Fort Bend ISD are tasked with finding ways to better prepare students to enter the workforce. Having been named Superintendent of Schools for FBISD in April 2013, Charles Dupre described the district as "in a state of transformation" with regard to the development of its workforce readiness and career and technology programs.

As FBISD begins rolling out changes associated with House Bill 5—passed in the 73rd legislative session earlier this year—career and technology programs will be expanded, Dupre said. HB5 calls on districts throughout the state to give students opportunities to tailor their curriculum based on certain fields referred to as endorsements—business and industry, arts and humanities, public service, multidisciplinary studies, and science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM.

"Over time we're going to have to have many more programs to allow students to engage in diploma endorsements," Dupre said. "[HB5] gives us even more of an impetus to expedite some of these changes, but we're at the beginning of that process now."

The requirements of HB5 line up well with the district's long-term community plan, which is going to be instituted over the next couple of years with a focus on CTE courses, Dupre said.

"The majority of students in this country work their own way through college," he said. "If they can earn a certification in high school and get a good job, they have the resources to

support themselves and go through whatever doors they want to open."

Program growth

FBISD also works to prepare students for careers with learning programs called academies.

The six academies offered at FBISD high schools mix academic and career-driven learning. A seventh academy—known as GT—is offered at middle schools for gifted and talented students.

"Our students need to have programs, knowledge, information and experiences that will help them prepare for the future," said Jeanette Spain, director of academy and GT programs. "Research shows if you can engage a student in something that interests them, they are much more likely to pursue that beyond high school."

When the academies were originally designed, the idea was to have each one accommodate 100 students per grade level from grades 9 through 12, Spain said. Many of the programs have not reached those limits yet, but the growth since they were introduced has been significant. For example, the Hightower Medical Science program, which started with less than 100 students in its first year, has grown to 574.

Partnerships

Academy programs involve students working outside of the classroom. Digital media students can intern with local media companies, business and marketing students visit businesses in the international and domestic commerce industries and medical science students take part in internships that allow them to explore local medical facilities.

The district also partners with colleges and universities, such as Houston Community College and Wharton County Junior College, to offer dual-credit courses. HCC Southwest and FBISD started a program called College Now to boost college readiness by allowing students at certain high schools to take college courses with no tuition.

"Our dual-credit core curriculum courses are transferable to any public college or university in Texas," said Fena Garza, president of HCC Southwest.