Jackson Technology Center
Encyclopedia
Jackson Technology Center is a public middle school
located in Garland
, Texas
(USA
). Jackson Technology Center enrolls students in grades 6
-8
and is a part of the Garland Independent School District
.
In 2009, the school was rated "academically acceptable
" by the Texas Education Agency
.
through 9
. The school was later renamed Jackson Middle School with the current grade levels of 6
to 8
. In fall of 1998, Jackson Middle School changed its name to Jackson Technology Center featuring the MST program.
that hosts the MST (Math, Science, and Technology) program. The program implements honor level curriculum that utilizes computer technology and cooperative groups. The school technology lab exploration program features animation
, biotechnology
, computer graphic design, CAD
/CAM, automation
and robotics
, and flight instrumentation
.
The ethnic makeup of the school is 48% Hispanic
, 8% White
, non-Hispanic, 34% African American
, 11% Asian
/Pacific Islander
, and less than 1% Native American
.
The average class sizes at Jackson are 19 students for English
, 24 for foreign language
, 20 for math, 26 for science
, and 29 for social studies
.
Teachers at the school carry, on average, 10 years of teaching experience and 11% of the teachers on staff are first-year teachers.
Jackson Technology Center feeds into North Garland High School
for students continuing on the MST Program. Beaver Technology Center
and Watson Technology Center feed students continuing on the MST Program to Jackson Technology Center, and ultimately into North Garland High School.
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
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...
). Jackson Technology Center enrolls students in grades 6
Sixth grade
Sixth grade is a year of education in the United States and some other nations. The sixth grade is the sixth school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 11 – 12 years old...
-8
Eighth grade
Eighth grade is a year of education in the United States, Canada, Australia and other nations. Students are usually 13 - 14 years old. The eighth grade is typically the final grade before high school, and the ninth grade of public and private education, following kindergarten and subsequent grades...
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 "academically acceptable
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
The school was named after Ben C Jackson, a Garland civic leader. It opened in 1966 under the name of Jackson Junior High School with grades 7Seventh grade
Seventh grade is a year of education in the United States and many other nations. The seventh grade is the seventh school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 12–13 years old. Traditionally, seventh grade was the next-to-last year of elementary school...
through 9
Ninth grade
Ninth grade is the ninth post-kindergarten year of school education in some school systems. The students are 13 to 15 years of age, depending on when their birthday occurs. Depending on the school district, ninth grade is usually the first year of high school....
. The school was later renamed Jackson Middle School with the current grade levels of 6
Sixth grade
Sixth grade is a year of education in the United States and some other nations. The sixth grade is the sixth school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 11 – 12 years old...
to 8
Eighth grade
Eighth grade is a year of education in the United States, Canada, Australia and other nations. Students are usually 13 - 14 years old. The eighth grade is typically the final grade before high school, and the ninth grade of public and private education, following kindergarten and subsequent grades...
. In fall of 1998, Jackson Middle School changed its name to Jackson Technology Center featuring the MST program.
Curriculum
Jackson 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 implements honor level curriculum that utilizes computer technology and cooperative groups. The school technology lab exploration program features animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
, biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
, computer graphic design, CAD
Computer-aided design
Computer-aided design , also known as computer-aided design and drafting , is the use of computer technology for the process of design and design-documentation. Computer Aided Drafting describes the process of drafting with a computer...
/CAM, automation
Automation
Automation is the use of control systems and information technologies to reduce the need for human work in the production of goods and services. In the scope of industrialization, automation is a step beyond mechanization...
and robotics
Robotics
Robotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots...
, and flight instrumentation
Flight instruments
Flight instruments are the instruments in the cockpit of an aircraft that provide the pilot with information about the flight situation of that aircraft, such as height, speed and altitude...
.
Statistics (per 2006)
The attendance rate for students at the school is 97%, compared with a state average of 96%. 57% of the students at Jackson are economically disadvantaged, 7% enroll in special education, 7% enroll in gifted and talent programs, 21% are enrolled in career and technology programs, and 20% are considered "limited English proficient."The ethnic makeup of the school is 48% 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 ...
, 8% 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, 34% 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...
, 11% 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 less than 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 Jackson are 19 students for English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, 24 for foreign language
Foreign language
A foreign language is a language indigenous to another country. It is also a language not spoken in the native country of the person referred to, i.e. an English speaker living in Japan can say that Japanese is a foreign language to him or her...
, 20 for math, 26 for science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, and 29 for social studies
Social studies
Social studies is the "integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence," as defined by the American National Council for the Social Studies...
.
Teachers at the school carry, on average, 10 years of teaching experience and 11% 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.Jackson Technology Center feeds 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...
for students continuing on the MST Program. 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...
and Watson Technology Center feed students continuing on the MST Program to Jackson Technology Center, and ultimately into North Garland High School.