Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District

Innovating Education and Growing Giants

Leading the Educational Direction Driven by Student and Community Goals

Goose Creek CISD is a district that upholds its responsibility not only to students, but to families and the community it serves. The mission to ‘develop the whole child,’ is reflected in every initiative from early education to high school graduation.

Deputy Superintendent, Susan Jackson summarizes, “We really want to make sure they are career, technical, college ready, their social, emotional needs are met. We want to ensure that we offer something for every student, and we leave no one behind.” That philosophy is visible in every program the district has built, blending academics with student wellness, workforce readiness, and community partnership.

Spanning close to 134 square miles, and serving 24,000 students, Goose Creek’s scale is large, but its culture is close knit. “The majority of our employees live in this community,” Jackson describes.

“A lot of our teachers have students that are also in school here or they have grandkids here. I always tell people, it’s the largest small school district I’ve ever worked in, because even though we have thousands of students, we operate like a small town.”

The community surrounding Goose Creek CISD is heavily influenced by major employers such as Houston Methodist, ExxonMobil, Covestro, and Chevron Phillips Chemical. The community is a strong supporter of the school district and families are deeply invested in education, understanding the credentials that are required by today’s workforce.

“A child just can’t graduate and go to the plants and make the same money that their parents are making,” Jackson acknowledges. “It’s different than it used to be. It’s not just a skill, it’s a credential that they have to have with it.”

 A Commitment to Wellness

The district’s holistic approach is evident through the focus on student and staff wellness. Goose Creek CISD has hired Social Wellness Interventionists who prioritize the emotional and social needs of students. “These are predominantly licensed private counselors or social workers who have a different function than our traditional school counselors,” Jackson explains.

“Our school counselors really focus on the academic component of the student, and the SWI really focuses on social wellness.” From group sessions to “therapy on the go,” students are connected with community resources, and taught healthy coping strategies.

Understanding the benefits of recharging, Goose Creek has also invested in calming spaces on every campus. For students, these rooms include sensory tools and soft lighting. For adults, the spaces have massage chairs, lamps, aroma diffusers, even tea and coffee stations. “It’s a space where they can get away from the hustle and bustle that goes on in a school and kind of calm down on their conference period or their lunch,” says Jackson. Private therapy options are also integrated into staff insurance plans, making sure that teachers have access to professional support when needed.

Innovations in Technology

As a one-to-one district, Goose Creek CISD is supported by a nationally recognized assistant superintendent of technology and a director of educational technology who oversees a full team of instructional specialists. Jackson explains, “They actually go out to the campuses and do workshops to show teachers how to use the technology to teach better and to engage the students more in the classroom.”

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is another example of Goose Creek’s innovative approach, and training is built into the district’s GiantCon professional development conference, where teachers learn how to use platforms in lesson planning, assessment development, grading, and classroom management.

“In the Goose, we grow giants. That’s our motto,” Jackson asserts. “There’s a lot of training that we’ve popped into our Giant Con to ensure AI is being done correctly in a way to enhance student achievement.”

Preparing Students for High Demand Careers

When it comes to CTE, Goose Creek CISD has a reputation for excellence. Stuart Career Tech High School offers six of the district’s ten career academies, which are aligned with high wage, high demand industries in the Gulf Coast region. CTE Director Leia Miller  emphasizes, “We are unique in that we have a district steering advisory board with our community partners, but we also have individual advisory boards for all 10 of our career academies. We meet with them four times a year. They’re involved in our goal making, our mission and vision of our academies. They’re very active within our pathways and programs.”

These pathways include manufacturing and industrial maintenance, advanced automotive, digital communications, information technology, agriculture, and culinary arts. Miller notes that many of these lead to college credentials through partnerships with Lee College, Houston City College, Lamar Institute of Technology, and San Jacinto College.

Hands-on-learning is at the heart of each pathway. “We’re trying to incorporate a practicum experience for every single program,” Miller conveys. “In culinary, we have our own restaurant called Titan Table. It’s there at Stuart Career Tech High School, and it’s open to the community. Every week they have a new menu that they try out, and the community can buy tickets and come and eat with us on Wednesdays. They’re putting into practice all the skills that they’re learning over those four years.”

It Takes a Community

Partnerships are crucial to the success of these programs, and through the efforts of the Baytown Chamber of Commerce the district has a network of support that ranges from mentoring and enrichment to scholarships and workforce opportunities. “All of our campuses have a Partner in Education,” details Miller. “Whether it’s our credit union or an industry within logistics, every single one of our campuses are attached to a business as a partner in education, and many of our large campuses have multiple partners.”

Goose Creek Memorial High School’s Global Business Academy exemplifies the strength of these collaborations. Chick-fil-A works directly with students on leadership development, Chevron Phillips Chemical supports the school as a whole, Exxon partners with the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination)  program to strengthen student outcomes and Aramark collaborates with students to operate a campus based coffee shop.

Beacon Federal Credit Union helps students gain workplace training and paid internship opportunities, and many return after college to work at Beacon full time. The credit union provides scholarships, hosts financial literacy sessions, and even steps in during times of crisis. “They also partner with the teachers,” Jackson says. “When Hurricane Harvey happened, they offered low interest rates for houses, low interest rates for cars that were flooded, home improvement services, and they did it on site at the campus for that staff.”

Investing in the Future

The district’s capital investments are guided by a commitment to student outcomes and industry needs. Jackson emphasizes, “We’re always looking at how we can put money back into something that produces a quality student that the business community wants.” One recent project involved consolidating three underutilized elementary campuses into one and working with transforming a former dropout prevention center into a hub known as Empower Academy in partnership with Harris County Department of Education.

The facility now houses a virtual school, a dropout prevention program with hybrid scheduling options, a large childcare center for staff, expanded ESL and citizenship classes, and partnerships with the Houston Food Bank to support community needs. “We are using the infrastructure we’ve had to modernize it, to change the whole philosophy, and make it something that’s open and available for our community and our older adult students that need to learn, maybe in a different setting,” highlights Jackson. “We’ve got several businesses that are really supporting these endeavors.”

Looking ahead, Goose Creek CISD plans to expand its maritime program through San Jacinto College, offering students a Level 1 certificate and U.S. Coast Guard credentials before graduation. “That is a goal, not only for our district and our community, but for Port Houston. There’s a definite need for that,” remarks Jackson. Port Houston actually donated close to $10,000 to help support our campus that’s involved in that.” The district is also exploring new process technology and logistics programs to meet the needs of major employers. “That’s a huge industry in our area. We want to increase work and options for that,” Miller says.

Another focus is growing the Future Teacher Academy. The district is partnering with University of Houston Clear Lake, Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin State, Lamar University, and Lee College to create a pathway for students who want to teach. Graduates of the academy will finish high school with 42 college hours and receive a guaranteed interview in the district once they complete their bachelor’s degree.

Goose Creek CISD is a district that understands its community and is enriching lives while providing them the tools to succeed. Through innovation, collaboration, and intention, the district continues to prepare students for meaningful futures in a changing world.

AT A GLANCE

Who: Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District

What: A vibrant district with a holistic and forward thinking approach to education

Where: Baytown, Texas

Website: www.gccisd.net