TowNewest Elementary Demographic study Crystal Robinson EDSP 6315-Practicum in Diagnosis Spring 2015 March 26, 2015

Historical Background

Historical Background Sugar Land was originally owned by the Mexican government and was granted to Samuel May Williams through Stephen F. Austin. Williams called the land “Oakland Plantation” because there was a variety of oaks on the land. The land passed through a succession of owners. Cotton and corn were grown on the plantation. Around 1879, Sugar Land was developed around a sugar-refining plant. The main crop , sugar cane, gave the area its name.

Historical background I.H. “Ike” Kempner and William T. Eldridge are pioneers of Sugar Land. In 1908, these pioneers partnered to acquire the sugar refinery and mill. They became co-owners of the Cunningham Sugar Company. It was later remained the Imperial Sugar Company after the building in New York.

Historical Background Fifty years before Sugar Land became incorporated, it was a “company town”. All aspects of business was run by the Imperial Sugar Company. Sugar Land began to move toward incorporation after the deaths of Kempner and Eldridge. Sugar Land was “born” as a master planned community.

Historical Background

Historical Background Townewest Elementary is located in Sugar Land, Texas in the Fort Bend Independent School District. It opened August of 1978. At that time, many residents did not realize their was a school in the community.

campus governance Townewest Elementary is governed by the federal government. It is a Title 1 school and receives funding from the government.

Campus Compliance Coordinator Campus governance Principal Assistant Principal Counselor Campus Compliance Coordinator Specialists

Campus governance The Campus Based Leadership Team at TWE consists of staff and parents. Additionally, there should be business professionals from the community. The purpose of the CBLT is to serve as an advisory committee to review and adjust programs, curriculum, staff development, and school activities to best meet the needs of ALL students. Members of the committee volunteer and are elected.

Enrollment and Growth There are 74 schools in Fort Bend ISD. Of these schools, there are 45 elementary schools, 14 middle schools, 11 high schools, and 4 unique programs. Fort Bend ISD has a total enrollment of about 71,222 students. The district is diverse in demographics. Townewest Elementary has a total enrollment of 745 students. As compared to the district, TWE has more Hispanic students than any other ethnicity.

Enrollment and Growth

Enrollment and Growth

Enrollment and growth Grades/Programs Number of Students Pre-Kindergarten (AM and PM) 60 Kindergarten 115 1st Grade 108 2nd Grade 123 3rd Grade 112 4th Grade 5th Grade 111 Bilingual/ESL 50% GT 4% Special Education 5.2%

achievement In 2014, Townewest Elementary had an overall passing score of 82% in Reading and Math on the STAAR. The campus scored 69% on the Writing STAAR test and 85% in Science. The weakness of the campus is in Writing. This can be attributed to the large population of ELLs on the campus. The strength of the campus is in Science. This can be attributed to the additional science instruction provided during Science Lab that students participate in weekly.

Socio-economic Status Townewest Elementary is a Title 1 campus. There are 606 students that are economically disadvantaged. About 80% of the student body receives free or reduced lunches.

Parent involvement Parents at TWE are not very active. Parent attendance at school events has declined over several years. TWE does not have an active PTA. Nonetheless, there is a Parent Resource Coordinator who serves as a parent educator. Her purpose is to educate parents on how to support their children. The parent center is a place for volunteers in the community to fellowship and help teachers and students of Townewest.

Professional staff In Fort Bend ISD, 64% of the district is comprised of professional staff. Half of the district is minority. Females also make up ¾ of the district and males make up ¼ . At Townewest Elementary, 87% of the campus is comprised of professional staff. Half of the campus staff is minority. Females make up 92% of the campus and males make up 7.4%.

Professional staff

Professional staff Years of Experience Fort Bend Townewest First Year 5.8% 3.7% 1-5 years 22.4% 11.1% 6-10 years 26.6% 36.6% 11-20 years 30.1% 37.5% > 20 years 15.1%

TownEWest Elementary