Publications

Campus Best Practices Overview: Academic Gains and Improvement
This report examines campus-level contributors to student academic gains. Using student factors, curriculum and programming indicators, and campus features (e.g., staff retention and support programs) as inputs, the results indicate that changes in campus and teacher leadership scores are important and significant predictors of improvements in campus-level student performance, but data modeling alone does not offer enough information.

Austin Partners in Education Annual Report, 2019-2020
This report includes results for Austin Partners in Education (APIE) programs in 2019-2020 including math classroom coaching, GEAR UP tutoring, college readiness, and mentoring. It highlights continued academic programs serving students in middle and high school and describes APIE support provided to teachers' instruction. As classroom instruction transitioned to remote format due to the pandemic, APIE staff transitioned services to assist in the development of online curriculum, communication with students, and facilitation of instruction in a virtual format.

Seed Model Campus Cohort Program Evaluation: Early signs of campus improvement in social and emotional learning
This report looks at the impact of the Seed Model Campus Cohort Program in its first 3 years of implementation. Evidence put forth in the report suggests that by deliberately focusing on inclusive program design and peer-to-peer sharing with a focus on growth, the program already positively contributes to SEL implementation, particularly through increased coordination of SEL leadership efforts and through increased adult SEL skills.

New Discoveries in High School Arts Participation and the Implications for Equity
In this report, we grouped students into three distinct categories, based on patterns that emerged in arts participation during high school, which we named spartans, explorers, and deep divers. The patterns in arts participation represent not just the students, but also the opportunities and barriers they encountered. We found that these patterns are strongly associated with student characteristics and postsecondary outcomes. Our hope is that understanding these patterns in arts participation will inform how we strategize for more equitable access to the arts during high school.

Early College High School Program Summary Report, 2019-2020
Early College High School (ECHS) provides students with the opportunity to earn a high school diploma and 60 college hours, which lead to an associate’s degree. This report describes demographic characteristics and academic outcomes of the students served by ECHS and highlights emerging topics from the program coordinator survey.

Pathways in Technology Early College High School Program Summary Report, 2019-2020
Pathways in Technology (P-TECH) provides a 6-year, career-focused program that combines high school and college coursework with real-world work experience. This report includes findings regarding demographic characteristics and academic outcomes of the students served by the program and highlights emerging topics from P-TECH coordinators survey.

Student Climate Survey, Spring 2020
The AISD Student Climate Survey provides insight into student engagement, the behavioral environment, academic persistence, adult relationships, safety, respect, personal development skills, and college intentions. The survey is used to monitor a variety of key initiatives and policies, including Campus Improvement Plans and the Superintendent's Scorecard. To view results, click on the link below, then select "Student Climate Survey" from the drop down menu at the top left of the page.

CARES Front Office Staff Focus Group: Summary of Results 2019-2020
The CARES (customer-focused, action-oriented, responsive, empathetic, and service-driven) initiative was launched in AISD in 2018-2019 to bring about a culture of respect and inclusiveness throughout the district. The initiative puts an emphasis on positive customer experiences for families, students and staff members. In the spring of 2020, the Department of Research and Evaluation conducted focus groups with front office staff members from a variety of schools in AISD to discover the perceptions and responses to this initiative and any barriers to full implementation.

Professional Pathways for Teachers (PPfT) Perception Survey Results
This report answers questions about teacher and administrator perceptions of Professional Pathways for Teachers (PPfT) program implementation. PPfT is a multi-measure appraisal and compensation system designed to empower teachers and improve the quality of teaching in Austin Independent School District. PPfT is in its third year, and stakeholders were interested in, among other things, teachers' perceptions of new program components like professional learning opportunities and compensation. Perceptions of teachers and administrators are a valuable part of the implementation process.

Afterschool Centers on Education Foundation Communities Cycle 9 Final Report, 2019-2020
The Afterschool Centers on Education (ACE) is the program administered through the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for the federally funded 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) grants. The ACE Foundation Communities’ Cycle 9 program provides intentional afterschool program experiences that are high quality, challenging, and inspiring. Across activities and centers, the afterschool program focuses on three primary objectives: decrease school-day absences, decrease discipline referrals, and increase academic achievement. This report examines outcomes for participants.