The purpose of the Committee hearing was to examine the state’s education policy and initiatives regarding middle grades, soliciting recommendations to ensure a comprehensive state strategy for preparing students at the these grades for high school retention and success. This review sought an examination of school-based strategies and best practices that encourage at-risk youth to finish school and that deter delinquency, drug abuse and violence.

Knight states, “STTE is more than a technology project. We strongly believe that the tools offered through STTE will have an impact on student achievement and facilitate a district culture for both data analysis and program and intervention evaluation.”

Knight and Daugherty provided an overview of the innovative STTE project, which brings together five progressive Texas districts including Beaumont, Conroe, Galena Park, Lubbock and Antonio), with the goal of helping districts build the capacity for using data to drive improvement. As part of the project, a unique community called PM∙Village™ was created to bring together school leaders, district administrators, teachers and education researchers to create a professional learning center about managing performance. PM∙Village™ is a “community of practice” which provides a venue for members to connect with colleagues, learn from each other, and share experiences. With a focus on evidence-based practice, the community was developed to facilitate innovative approaches to old problems.
 

As the project emerged, participating districts expressed the need for a tool that would identify potential solutions or interventions to specific problem areas. A featured tool in STTE’s PM∙Village™ is PM∙Pathways™, which addresses this need by enabling educators to use early warning indicators to easily identify areas needing improvement, select appropriate interventions and monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the interventions. This tool is intended to focus educators on high priority goals and outcomes and specific actions they can take to quickly intervene for success throughout a school year.
 

Founded in 2005, e Research, Inc. is a nationally known, women and minority, and employee owned business, specializing in rigorous product, policy and market research in the education market. Edvance Research is dedicated to improving outcomes by supporting organizations in learning about evidence-based practices and using that information to improve their work and results.
 

Edvance Research is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. www.edvanceresearch.com.
 

The STTE project is part of a larger scope of work at the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation aimed at improving student achievement by getting timely and historical information to the fingertips of administrators and teachers how and when they need it most. The foundation has committed more than $140 million in education initiatives in Texas to date. For further information about these projects, please visit www.msdf.org.