The Austin Independent School District is making great strides academically but must better equip students to cope with future technology. That's the assessment Superintendent Meria Carstarphen gave in her "State of the District" speech on the University of Texas campus this morning. While noting that AISD schools have improved in meeting TAKS standards, the superintendent also said the problems are mounting for students and teachers.
"This is our challenge and our opportunity in AISD: To prepare students for future jobs that may not yet exist, using technologies that haven't been invented to solve problems that we may not even know are problems yet," Carstarphen said.
Superintendent Carstarphen compared the challenges facing educators today with those facing teachers at the beginning of the Space Age, when the race to the Moon spurred innovation in education and technology.
Over the past year, she reported that 62 percent of the district's schools were ranked "recognized" or "exemplary" by state standards. Seven of the eight "academically unacceptable" schools from 2009 improved, and no new schools were added to that list in 2010.
Read AISD's Annual Report
