Public input needed on strategic plan

Spring Branch ISD to decide whether to keep or change wording of T-2-4’s goal

Spring Branch school district will present a draft of a new strategic plan that will serve as guide for the future at a series of four meetings to be held in the coming weeks.

Ina quest to explore the pos- sibility of becoming a District of Innovation under a new state legislative initiative — House Bill 1842 — Superintendent Scott Muri wants to know what the community thinks.

House Bill 1842 provides for the establishment of an “Innovation District, which allows school districts more freedom and flexibility for teaching and learning. The district is in the midst of developing a comprehensive plan — an assessment of everything from the curriculum and instruction to community participation and parental involvement, which will require board approval.

The meetings are all set for 7 p.m.

They include March 29 at Stratford High School, 14555 Fern Drive; March 31 at Memorial High School, 935 Echo Lane; April 5 at Spring Woods High School, 2045 Gessner Road; and April 14 at Northbrook High School, 1 Raider Circle North.

The strategic plan and the tie-in to T-2-4, the district’s goal set four years ago to double the number of students to

72 percent who complete a two or four-year college degree, technical certification or do a stint in the military by 2017, was at the center of discussion at the recent school boardworkshop.

Faced with the probability the district won’t meet the goal by next year, administrators and trustees discussed how to measure the success of and move forward withT-2-4.

The district has had a difficult time gathering accurate data on the number of students who go in to the military or pursue technical certification.

However it has been able to obtain data on the number of students who enroll in a two or four year college which has remained flat at around 63 percent during the last decade.

“What jumps out, I think, is just its flatness,” said David Sablatura, assistant to the superintendent and board of trustees. “We haven’t seen a lot of movement.”

In addition, some indicators for college readiness among district students have not improved, a marker for the success of T-2-4.

For instance, the number of students completing advanced course work has been trending down, as has the number of students taking the SATorACT.

Questioned whether they wanted to change the wording of T-2-4 to a more visionary statement, trustees were mixed.

On the one hand the goal might be too singular, but on the other it created a sense of urgency about doing a better job of preparing district students for success after they graduate.

“I loved the urgency we were able to create, but the time has come for us to open up the language,” trustee PamGoodson said.

Goodson said having invested so much time educating the community about T-2-4, it should remain more or less intact. But she said she would be willing to entertain it as a vision if there were strong goals for the community to get behind.

“There is a desired result behind a goal,” she said.

Board president Chris Vierra said putting numbers to a goal is a powerful motivator.

“If you say ‘vision,’ it softens it,” Vierra said. “I’m not sure it’s as powerful if wedon’t call it a goal.”

Trustee Chris Gonzalez said it was the right goal at the time, but she sees T-2-4 more as a vision to aspire to. Trustees and administrators agreedT-2-4 should remain at the center of the district’s strategic plan, which continues to be developed.

Muri said his takeaway from the discussion was that T-2-4 is the most important component in the system.

“That is ourNorth Star,” he said. “You believe our job is to prepare every child for maximum choice as they leave us. And you want multiple measures to ensure every child attains T-2-4.”

March 25 marks the beginning of the 30-day public comment period on the strategic planning document required under House Bill 1842. The community can also comment online. For information

The plan will be posted on the district’s website at www. springbranchisd. com for public review and comment.

For more information on T-2-4, go to https://cms. springbranchisd.com/ plan2012/ .