If you live in the Katy-Fulshear Area and your kids attend school in the Katy ISD you really should read this article.
As reported by the Katy Times:
March 3, 2010 1:04 pmHelen Eriksen wrote:
A district committee is hammering out the final details of what it will take to implement the rigorous International baccalaureate program in Katy ISD in terms of construction costs, transportation services and delivery of instruction.
The board approved a proposal in September authorizing the steering group to proceed with designing a plan to convert the aging Wolfe Elementary School, located at 502 Addicks-Howell Road, into an institution with the internationally-renowned curriculum.
“We are still making progress towards the April recommendation,” Marcy Canady, Assistant Superintendent for School and Community Engagement, told trustees during a Feb. 22 board meeting.
“We definitely want to bring a solid recommendation to the board that is cutting edge but doable,” she said.
Canady said the program design committee anticipates completing a final report at the end of March. The report would include data on enrollment and admission criteria, transportation services, curriculum alignment, staffing needs, timelines, facility design and cost estimates, she said.
The group has been meeting twice a week in lengthy sessions running from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. to develop a recommendation, Canady said. The committee has made progress but a lot of work remains to be done, she said.
“Transportation service has been a huge topic for this committee,” Canady said. “We are now on our third round of looking at transportation options.”
The group weighed several factors to narrow down potential options in creating a concrete transportation plan. To help determine what level of services to provide for the facility’s ridership, the committee looked at bell schedule options, equity considerations and costs.
Allowing classes to start at 9 a.m. is one alternative being considered. Another potential component of a plan would involve central pick-up and drop-off sites, similar to the Metro park-and-ride services. School officials say this would lower the number of buses transporting students to the facility.
Trustees responded enthusiastically to the plans praising Canady and the committee for their hard work. But several members of the board had questions about how the transportation glitches can be worked out.
For example, Trustee Robert Shaw said the pick-up and drop off concept causes a concern for student safety. Trustee Joe Adams wanted to find out how other institutions are solving the issue.
Canady said the committee is not if sure the central pick-up would work out and that it was only being considered at this time. She said in researching what others are doing, the district learned that some IB institutions do not provide any transportation at all.
Plans for the instructional program are also shaping up, Canady said. District officials attended an International Baccalaureate Diploma training program from Feb. 28 to Mar. 2 to learn more about the challenges.
The program would include core academic programs, fine arts as well as instruction in a choice of several foreign languages including Spanish, French, Mandarin Chinese, and German.
“Spanish is the language of choice and will be offered from kindergarten through 12th grade,” Canady said.
The other languages would only be available at the secondary level, she said. Art and music will round out the curriculum.
Staffing the program with instructors that have expertise in IB instruction is another issue the district will have to contend with. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, the IB program serves more than 2,000 schools in about 125 countries worldwide, school officials said.
At this time, the cost estimates for operation of the program are projected to be about $7.3 million per year at the secondary level. In comparison, a traditional high school costs about $10.2 million per year to operate and a junior high runs about $4.5 million, Canady said.
The price is lower because of factors such as the omission of extracurricular programs such as athletics and band, she said.
The committee has two more meetings on March 9 and March 10 before finalizing its recommendation to present during the board’s April workstudy meeting.
How do you feel about Katy ISD moving forward with implementing an IB program? If you have children, will you seek to gain admittance to the program?
For more information on the Katy-Fulshear Area click links below.
Katy-Fulshear Area
Cross Creek Ranch Fulshear