SAN ANTONIO 5/2/2010 3:48:38 AM
Texas School Districts Network to Manage Performance
Online community facilitates innovative approaches to helping at-risk youth
Edvance Research testified before the Texas Senate Education Committee on April 21st during a special hearing on serving the needs of middle grade students. Dixie Knight, Project Director and Stacy Daugherty, Development Manager discussed the use of early warning indicators to inform teachers and schools of students at risk of dropping out and the identification of research-based interventions that can successfully address student needs. Specifically, the groundbreaking work with Texas districts on the Statewide Tools for Teaching Excellence (STTE), a Michael & Susan Dell Foundation initiative, managed by Edvance was reviewed.
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 and Daugherty provided an overview of the innovative STTE project, which brings together five progressive Texas districts including Beaumont, Conroe, Galena Park, Lubbock and Northside (San 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.
For more information about the project, visit PM Village at www.pmvillage.org, Edvance Research at www.edvanceresearch.com, and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation at www.msdf.org.
To read more reports on working with at-risk youth, visit School Safety Partners at www.SchoolSafetyPartners.org.
