October 2001 — Features
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Collaborative Technology Planning
The Impact of Technology Plans on Students' and Teachers' Learning
Technology is an integral part of Spring Branch School of Choice, an academic alternative to traditional high schools in Houston, Texas. Since we created our first Campus Improvement Plan, a detailed report identifying goals and activities for the following school year, back in 1995, technology has made a significant impact on our curriculum, teacher instruction and student learning. Our plan is more than a means to implement technology on campus. It is a vital tool for collaboration among teachers, principals and district administrators. It is an investment by the school and the district to enhance teachers' professional development and students' learning. It is also a way to provide alternative paths to success for our students. But like any good plan, a technology plan is a living, breathing document. It provides a clear vision and goals, yet allows room to grow and change as your staff and students do. To successfully plan for and integrate technology into the curriculum, both school administrators and teachers must be willing to look ahead, to let go of the way things have always been done and, most importantly, to learn.
An Academic Alternative
School of Choice provides curriculum programs to meet the educational needs of students who have not progressed or succeeded in their middle or high schools, and who are at risk of not completing the requirements for a high school diploma. The school is not a behavioral or disciplinary alternative education program; it is an academic alternative education program. It is one of six high schools in the Spring Branch Independent School District (SBISD) that serves a total of 31,599 students across 40 K-12 schools. A Title I school, School of Choice enrolls an average of 230 students in grades 9-12 at any given time and serves approximately 400 students during the year. Currently, the student population is 2.2 percent Asian, 12.7 percent black, 61 percent Hispanic and 34 percent white. Fifty-five percent of our students are female and 45 percent are male, while 20 percent are school-age parents (pregnant or parenting).
School of Choice also participates in the Alternative Accountability System, which provides a framework for instruction and accountability. This framework charges alternative schools to scrutinize traditional educational settings and find methodologies that work for students who are not succeeding in traditional schools and classrooms. The school enlists multiple instructional methodologies and tools, including many that involve the use of technology, to provide a full array of alternatives to prevent, intervene and recover dropouts.
Spring Branch School of Choice Eligibility Requirements
To apply for attendance at School of Choice, al students must meet the at-risk eligibility criteria for the state of Texas, receive a referral from their home school's principal, and attend an interview accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. The following criteria determine a student's eligibility:
