AUSTIN – Commissioner of Education Mike Morath today announced that eight school districts will be part of the Texas Education Agency’s new System of Great Schools (SGS) Technical Assistance Network. The eight will be part of a two-year cohort designed to support districts in their exploration, design and implementation of an effective strategy for system-wide reform.

The System of Great Schools strategy is a locally designed system-level innovation and problem-solving approach that seeks to build district capacity for:

• Supporting educators to design and lead high-quality schools; 
• Empowering families with high-quality options and informed choices; and
• Focusing central offices on high leverage oversight, innovation and support activities. 

“Districts that pursue the System of Great Schools strategy will design and implement a continuous improvement process that annually evaluates school quality, parent demand and neighborhood needs,” said Commissioner Morath. “These districts will be positioned to take bold actions to improve schools and provide parents with the schools and programs they desire. The goal is to ensure every child has access to a high-quality learning environment.”

Following an application process earlier this year, the eight school districts invited to join the first System of Great Schools Technical Assistance Network cohort include: El Paso ISD, Fort Worth ISD, Galveston ISD, Manor ISD, Midland ISD, San Antonio ISD, South San Antonio ISD and Spring Branch ISD.

The Texas Education Agency hosted a June kick-off summit in Austin for the eight districts. The summit provided an opportunity for superintendents and district leaders to learn from each other, collaborate and embark on a transition toward implementing a System of Great Schools strategy. 

As a member of the SGS Network, school districts are provided: an executive advisor throughout planning and implementation; access to informational resources, case studies, toolkits and implementation guides; and possible access to technical advisors providing support for specific SGS-related initiatives. 

For more information regarding the System of Great Schools (or to express interest in applying to join a future cohort), please visit the Texas Education Agency website at www.tea.texas.gov/dssi or email DSSI@tea.texas.gov.

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