Watson Technology Center
Encyclopedia
Watson Technology Center is an elementary magnet school
located in Garland
, Texas
(USA
). Watson Technology Center enrolls students in grades K
-5
and is a part of the Garland Independent School District
.
In 2009, the school was rated "exemplary
" by the Texas Education Agency
.
that hosts the MST (Math, Science, and Technology) program. The program is designed to attract students highly interested in math, science, and technology. Heavy emphasis is placed on the use of technology and hands-on problem solving during classroom instruction. Learning opportunities introduced in class includes: greenhouse
, weather forecasting
using a weather station
, and astronomy
in the portable planetarium
.
The ethnic makeup of the school is 49% Hispanic
, 26% White
, non-Hispanic, 19% African American
, 5% Asian
/Pacific Islander
, and 1% Native American
.
The average class sizes at Watson are 20 students for kindergarten, 25 students for first grade, 22 students for second grade, 17 students for third grade, 21 students for fourth grade, and 24 students for fifth grade.
Teachers at the school carry, on average, 9 years of teaching experience and 19% of the teachers on staff are first-year teachers.
Watson Technology Center and Beaver Technology Center
feeds into Jackson Technology Center
for students continuing on the MST Program, and ultimately into North Garland High School
.
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
located in Garland
Garland, Texas
-Climate:* The average warmest month is July.* The highest recorded temperature was in 2000.* On average, the coolest month is January.* The lowest recorded temperature was in 1989.* The maximum average precipitation occurs in May....
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
(USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
). Watson Technology Center enrolls students in grades K
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
-5
Fifth grade
Fifth grade is a year of education in the United States and many other nations. The fifth grade is the fifth school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 10 – 11 years old, and are preteens...
and is a part of the Garland Independent School District
Garland Independent School District
Garland Independent School District is a public school district with its headquarters in the Harris Hill Administration Building in Garland, Texas ....
.
In 2009, the school was rated "exemplary
Texas Education Agency accountability ratings system
The Texas Education Agency accountability ratings system rates all public schools, charter schools, and school districts in the State of Texas.The criteria are the same for schools and districts, and are discussed below...
" by the Texas Education Agency
Texas Education Agency
The Texas Education Agency is a branch of the state government of Texas in the United States responsible for public education. The agency is headquartered in the William B...
.
History
Watson Elementary School opened in 1956 under the direction of principal Clayborne Glaze and superintendent Dr. Glen Couch. The land was donated to the school from Walter and Hayward Watson. In 1997, the school was renovated and reopened as Watson Technology Center for Math & Science.Curriculum
Watson Technology Center is known as a magnet schoolMagnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
that hosts the MST (Math, Science, and Technology) program. The program is designed to attract students highly interested in math, science, and technology. Heavy emphasis is placed on the use of technology and hands-on problem solving during classroom instruction. Learning opportunities introduced in class includes: greenhouse
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
, weather forecasting
Weather forecasting
Weather forecasting is the application of science and technology to predict the state of the atmosphere for a given location. Human beings have attempted to predict the weather informally for millennia, and formally since the nineteenth century...
using a weather station
Weather station
A weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for observing atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasts and to study the weather and climate. The measurements taken include temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, wind speed, wind...
, and astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
in the portable planetarium
Planetarium
A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation...
.
Statistics (per 2006)
The attendance rate for students at the school is 98%, compared with a state average of 96%. 54% of the students at Watson are economically disadvantaged, 5% enroll in special education, 23% enroll in gifted and talent programs, and 31% are considered "limited English proficient."The ethnic makeup of the school is 49% Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
, 26% White
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
, non-Hispanic, 19% African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 5% Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
/Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander , is a geographic term to describe the indigenous inhabitants of any of the three major sub-regions of Oceania: Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia.According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, these three regions, together with their islands consist of:Polynesia:...
, and 1% Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
.
The average class sizes at Watson are 20 students for kindergarten, 25 students for first grade, 22 students for second grade, 17 students for third grade, 21 students for fourth grade, and 24 students for fifth grade.
Teachers at the school carry, on average, 9 years of teaching experience and 19% of the teachers on staff are first-year teachers.
Feeder Patterns
Garland ISD is a Free Choice school district, which allows the parent to choose which school his or her children want to attend within the district.Watson Technology Center and Beaver Technology Center
Beaver Technology Center
-History:Beaver Technology Center, formerly Beaver Elementary, is named after Mrs. Edith Beaver. Mrs. Beaver and her husband, James Beaver, farmed the land where the school stands. Luke Abbett, the first principal of this school opened the doors to Edith Beaver Elementary in 1960 for 279 students...
feeds into Jackson Technology Center
Jackson Technology Center
Jackson Technology Center is a public middle school located in Garland, Texas . Jackson Technology Center enrolls students in grades 6-8 and is a part of the Garland Independent School District....
for students continuing on the MST Program, and ultimately into North Garland High School
North Garland High School
North Garland High School is a public secondary school located in Garland, Texas . North Garland High School enrolls students in grades 9-12 and is a part of the Garland Independent School District...
.