Spring ISD has been featured in a series of case studies recently released by AASA, The School Superintendents Association, together with JASON Learning, an award-winning leader in STEM education. The case studies showcase members of the AASA/JASON STEM Consortia, a growing cadre of superintendents across the country, who are providing school systems and their local communities with the latest technology to bring real-life scientists and role models directly to their classrooms.
“STEM promotes equity. The AASA STEM Consortia and its strategic partner, JASON Learning, believe in STEM for all, which underscores the importance of the case studies we’re profiling,” said AASA Executive Director Daniel A. Domenech in a news release about the series. “There is no better time than now to strengthen STEM curriculum to inspire students, motivate teachers and engage entire communities. We applaud the work being done by the school districts participating in our case study series.”
Spring ISD is featured in a study titled “Spring ISD and JASON Bring STEM Education to Life: Texas district uses virtual content to engage students in new and unexpected ways.” The case study, which can be found online here, discusses ways in which Superintendent Dr. Rodney E. Watson and his administrative team partnered with JASON Learning to bring engaging STEM content into Spring ISD classrooms in order to address achievement gaps and open up new career ideas and possibilities for students.
“For us here in Spring ISD, this partnership has been all about reaching every child on every campus; preparing them for success; and giving them every opportunity to experience learning in different ways, and to get excited about the world around them,” Watson said. “JASON’s Argonaut program has helped our students envision themselves as members of the worldwide scientific community, and the JASON Learning classroom tools and other offerings have inspired both our students and our teachers to pursue their passion for STEM education to the next level.”
AASA and JASON Learning launched their nationwide partnership to support excellent teaching and improve access and overall learning outcomes in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The partnership seeks to benefit a diverse range of students, in part by utilizing technology to bring subject-matter experts from around the world right into students’ classrooms.
“Through our partnership with AASA, we are bolstering STEM literacy,” said Eleanor Smalley, JASON Learning’s president and chief executive officer and herself a former school superintendent. “Although JASON’s content is used by teachers and schools across the country, 50 districts utilize the JASON District Model, which gives access to staff development, superintendent’s leadership development in collaboration with AASA, and all content.”
Currently reaching approximately 5 million students nationwide, JASON’s resources supplement or, in some cases, even take the place of traditional textbooks through a combination of digital materials, hands-on activities and labs, videos and online games for students, as well as lesson plans, implementation tips, professional development and an integrated digital platform for educators. More about their offerings can be found on the JASON Learning website.