Although the first year of Spring ISD’s five-year improvement plan, Every Child 2020, featured a heavy emphasis on literacy, Superintendent Rodney Watson said the district will shift more attention toward becoming a district residents choose rather than accept in the plan’s second year.

He said SISD is finalizing more partnerships with business and community college entities that could help students become more college- and career-ready and creating programs that benefit the district’s residents.

“We have really talked about becoming a district of choice,” Watson said. “That [means] people are choosing to come to [SISD] because they want to be here, but also choice meaning the type of programs and services that are unique to Spring.”

SISD expects to roll out a dual-
language program beginning with Spanish at three elementary schools in the fall. The three schools are still being determined, Watson said. Students will begin learning Spanish in pre-K and continue taking classes throughout elementary school.

In addition, the district plans to expand its partnership with the Lone Star College System. The district’s Early College Academy at Southridge allows students to earn an associate degree of science or art and up to 60 collegiate credit hours. Watson said the program could be offered at the district’s four other high schools in the fall.

SISD will also continue to make literacy a priority in the 2016-17 school year, Watson said. In August the board of trustees approved a three-year literacy development plan as part of a partnership with nonprofit organization Neuhaus Education Center.

The district first outlined a need for a long-term improvement program when it rolled out Every Child 2020 in May. The five-year plan sets expectations for SISD to focus on early literacy and create a culture that values reading. In year two of Every Child 2020, Watson hopes to begin instilling a love for non-mandatory reading.