Administrators topped off plans to boost student science scores at Fort Bend Independent School District with a proposal for a major science facility including a planetarium, “Sci-Max” theater, interactive labs and a giant globe rotating in the lobby.
The plans were unveiled for the FBISD board of trustees Monday night during a presentation that ended with a video by Houston’s PBK Architects showing a 3-D rendering of the “Global Center for Science and Technology” while rock music blared in the board room.
Presented by FBISD Chief Academic Officer Dr. John Frossard, Chief Accountability Officer Olwen Herron and Secondary Science Coordinator Melissa Stadfeld, proposal offered the science center as a method of “bridging the divide between theory and practice.”
Accompanying construction of the facility would be a “standards-based” science program for elementary and middle school students whose components would dovetail with interactive labs that could be used throughout the school year on a classroom by classroom basis.
Laying the foundation for a new emphasis on science instruction would be a three-year program of professional development for science teachers, which in the third year would include lessons on teaching in an “interactive environment.”
If the proposal becomes reality, the district could see a major two-story science center as soon as fall of 2011, attached to the district administration building at Lexington Boulevard and Austin Parkway in Sugar Land
“This is absolutely brilliant. You had me floored,” Board President Sonal Bhuchar told the team of presenters.
“Wow, it makes me wish I were a science teacher,” Trustee Laurie Caldwell said.
“That presentation was absolutely fantastic,” said Board Vice President Steve Smelley. “I was blown away.”
FBISD Superintendent Dr. Timothy Jenney told board members “it’s too early to know what the price tag will be.” Funding for the science center could come through one or a number of partnerships with outside entities.
“It could be anywhere from funding it all” from FBISD money, “to not funding any of it at all,” Jenney said.
The superintendent recommended organizing a “community feasibility committee” to conduct due diligence and, if the project is found to be feasible, begin a discussion of how to finance it.
In a prepared statement, the administration said the Global Center for Science and Technology could, among other things:
→ “Involve the community through guest lecturers, university partnerships and extended relationships with community clubs and organizations;
→ “Extend the instructional program beyond the regular school year through summer enrichment programs and science mini-camps during the winter and spring breaks;
→ Provide opportunities for teacher groups…to meet for specialized professional development;
→ “Provide the district with a centralized location for special presentations and events such as science expos, awards presentations, recognition programs and banquets.”
Monday’s proposal was set up last month, when the same team of presenters told board members Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills science results weren’t as good as teachers and administrators believed they should be.
The administration conducted an evaluation of its elementary science program and, according to the presenters, found the district needed significant professional development for science teachers, and “enhanced resources for science instruction.”
While science scores have been poor at several of the district’s schools, TAKS math scores arguably have been worse.
For instance, last fall, preliminary so-called Adequate Yearly Progress data released by the Texas Education Agency showed Christa McAuliffe Middle School students failed to pass AYP math standards for the second year in a row.
And students at both Willowridge High School and Missouri City Middle School failed, for the fourth consecutive year, to achieve minimum AYP standards in math.
This is not something for the kids. It’s a shrine to the big dogs at FBISD. Let’s be honest, a field trip or two to this place will not significantly raise TAKS scores. The district already has implemented enough ways to teach to that test.
Isn’t the Natural Science Museum opening a satellite center in Telfair? Perhaps FBISD could form some sort of partnership there.
“This is absolutely brilliant. You had me floored,” Board President Sonal Bhuchar told the team of presenters.
“Wow, it makes me wish I were a science teacher,” Trustee Laurie Caldwell said.
“That presentation was absolutely fantastic,” said Board Vice President Steve Smelley. “I was blown away.”
Do you feel the love? “Global Science Center… you complete me!”
You had me from hello Board of Trustees!
Imagine a school district where the money and resources that would be used for this project were dedicated directly to the classroom…
Exactly and ditto, realscience:
Excellent teachers and relative updated training matched to appropriate strategies/materials with appropriate administrative support is a go. In fact, there are examples in the educational world whereby children of all backgrounds and economic levels have reached high levels in science achievement without the fancy and grandiose.
I have seen increased intensified , small group instruction, with one teacher on the team specializing in science instruction, only; while simultaneously working and teaming collaboratively with the other teachers on the team as well as all teachers on the team working conjunctively and collaborativley with an additional science lab teacher; so in essence the students are double and tripled dosed with science in their respective classrooms as well as in rotation with the grade level teacher who specializes in science only; in addition to engagement of lab experiences with an additional teacher who serves in the capacity of a science lab teacher in an appropriately equipped science lab per campus. I have seen this type set-up work extremely well to achieve the additional improved, targeted instruction enriched by engaged, science lab experiences to improve and reach the high levels in science growth and achievement thus translating to high science scores.
Hmmmmm – somehow the term “boondoggle” comes to mind when I read the proposal. Sounds absolutely fantastic – amazing – complex – almost like “Star Wars”. But what ever happened to “keep it simple is smart”???
Do the students and teachers of Fort Bend really need a “pie in the sky” construction project to improve science scores? Or do teachers instead need smaller class size, better equipment, less paper work, more administrative support and then you would see science test scores improve. Many of Fort Bend science teachers have 30+ students in a science class. This is not conducive to producing good test score results.
The project sounds fantastic – almost like a Mecca for science – but has anyone put pencil to paper and actually projected what the increase in test scores potentially will be for every tax dollar that is spent? Or is there a simpler more cost effective method to improve test scores? Is the purpose of the project simply to impress with a grandiose construction project or to get at the root cause of low test scores?
Think of all the teachers that could be hired for this amount of money so that more individual attention could be given to a student from a teacher.
I can not help but be impressed with what I read – but then I wonder – could the same result be achieved by simply giving teachers more time and support to the do they want to do????
If we public taxpayers wonder or have ideas how, when or where our tax dollars spending should take place, by FBISD BOT? Please step forward an lets attend these public board meeting schedules to get our english word out, tobe heard by FBISD BOT.
Never in my 20 years in Fort Bend County have I seen a board so anxious to spend our tax dollars…..aren’t they running a deficit budget? weren’t they just bemoaning the fact that money they don’t have any money?
What are they thinking?