FBISD is dedicated to inspiring and equipping its students for futures they could only dream of, which is why it provides innovative programming at all levels of education.
FBISD Skyward currently boasts 82 campuses, comprising 11 high schools, 15 middle schools and 51 elementary schools. Additionally, five specialty schools exist that address academic and vocational interests.
Whole Child Health Initiative
Whole child health refers to a district’s ability to meet all mental, behavioral, physical health, safety, nutrition and wellness needs of students in its school district. This framework expands a school’s focus beyond academics in order to address needs that are crucial for intellectual and social development as well as learning.
Education and public health share an interest in improving children’s lives, yet their contrasting structures, environments and scopes of work often result in siloed investments and uncoordinated efforts. The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSWC) model offers a framework for aligning investments to achieve improved student outcomes.
FBISD’s Whole Student Wellbeing Coalition approach (WSWC) is driven by its vision that all students will be healthy, safe and engaged in their educational experience. To this end, this initiative employs a multi-tier system of supports and services designed to equip and inspire them towards creating futures they can imagine for themselves. Each Tier supports important pillars of student well-being including social-emotional learning, nutrition, safety concerns, physical wellbeing concerns as well as more.
Student Recruitment
Student recruitment is an integral component of any educational institution, serving to boost enrollment and ensure sufficient students enroll at colleges or universities. Without an effective student recruitment strategy in place, schools risk going about recruiting without knowing exactly who their targets will be.
Showing prospective students what life is like at your school rather than simply telling them about it can be the most effective method of recruitment. Videos showing students studying for exams or social media campaigns showcasing normal daily lives among your college’s students is the ideal way to draw potential applicants in. By humanizing your institution and giving it a human face, attracting more students becomes much simpler.
Be sure to respond swiftly when receiving inquiries from prospective students. Set a policy within your department regarding how quickly responses should come back – this will show prospective students that your school cares about their experience and is responsive. Also encourage prospective students to visit campus and meet a faculty member or student ambassador.
Extended Day Program
The Extended Day Program allows parents to drop off their child(ren) at school for before and after-school care in a safe environment, where students complete homework or participate in educationally enriched activities. It also offers care on days the school is closed for teacher planning sessions, vacations or intersessions.
District staff, first responders, essential workers and active military personnel have opened 13 learning centers at elementary schools for their children to attend during spring break. EDP is providing full-day service at each campus during this period.
Extended Day group leaders are an integral component of this team. They ensure the safety and oversight of students as they engage in daily activities in a supervised setting, such as homework completion or indoor/outdoor play with supervision. Students will have the chance to do their homework and play indoor/outdoor with supervision as well as participating in curriculum-based projects that inspire them to “pursue futures beyond what they can imagine”. Teachers and students alike will take feedback surveys via Survey Monkey for this evaluation process.
Career and Technical Education
Career and Technical Education (CTE) equips students of all ages with the academic, technical and real world knowledge and skills necessary for postsecondary success. CTE may take form of classes, career-oriented courses, internships or apprenticeships, internship tours or apprenticeships, job shadowing opportunities or guest speakers – among others.
FBISD offers 14 Career Technical Education (CTE) programs of study designed to meet high school graduation endorsement requirements, with rigorous courses that lead to industry-recognized certificates or licenses at their conclusion. Some are taught exclusively at specific high schools while others take place district-wide community learning centers with students from multiple high schools enrolled.
Ryan Watassek has an insatiable passion for cars and is in the midst of rebuilding his own 1997 Ford F-250 pickup with assistance from classmates at Fort Bend ISD’s TEC (Technical Education Center) Academy. CTE has helped him understand hard work, time management and teamwork skills – qualities which will prepare him for future endeavors beyond his wildest imaginings.
