UT institutions partner with the Texas Education Agency to improve local schools

AUSTIN—Five University of Texas colleges and programs of education have responded to a call to action from the Texas Education Agency to help low-performing schools in their region improve student outcomes and achievement.

UT Austin, UT Dallas, UT Rio Grande Valley, UT San Antonio and UT Tyler have all joined the UT System PreK-12 School Turnaround Partnership, which connects colleges of education with “improvement required” (IR) public schools across the state. The goal is to transform low-performing schools into successful and sustainable learning environments for all students.

The UT System Board of Regents is providing funding to support the participation of the five UT institutions.

“While the gains to the PreK-12 schools are obvious, the Turnaround Partnership also benefits UT colleges of education through stronger, collaborative relationships with local school districts, increased opportunity to expand research and better training for student teachers,” said Dr. Nichole Prescott, UT System assistant vice chancellor for P16 initiatives.

Through this collaboration, education specialists at UT institutions will assist some of the state’s lowest-performing schools in areas such as evaluating curricula, instructional planning and delivery, assessment, student success and access, grant writing and leadership and board governance.

“I commend the leadership of Chancellor McRaven and The University of Texas System for dedicating time, resources, and expertise to strengthen student outcomes in our Texas public schools,” said Commissioner of Education Mike Morath. “Through this work, I look forward to expanding these best practices to other colleges of education and scale this initiative across our state.”

The UT System PreK-12 School Turnaround Partnership is a project within the Texas Prospect Initiative, part of the UT System’s strategic framework to strengthen the PreK-12 student pipeline and college readiness.

“All students in Texas should have access to quality teachers and schools, and all schools should have access to the resources they need to effectively serve students,” UT System Chancellor William McRaven said. “I’m delighted UT institutions are teaming up with the Texas Education Agency and PreK-12 schools to put more students on the path to success.”

About The University of Texas System
Educating students, providing care for patients, conducting groundbreaking basic, applied and clinical research, and serving the needs of Texans and the nation for more than 130 years, The University of Texas System is one of the largest public university systems in the United States. With 14 institutions and a projected enrollment of more than 234,000 students, the UT System confers more than one-third of the state’s undergraduate degrees, educates approximately two-thirds of the state’s health care professionals annually and accounts for almost 70 percent of all research funds awarded to public institutions in Texas. The UT System’s operating budget for FY 2018 is $18.3 billion, funded in part by $3.6 billion in sponsored programs from federal, state, local and private sources. With more than 20,000 faculty – including Nobel laureates and members of the National Academies – and nearly 80,000 health care professionals, researchers, student advisors and support staff, the UT System is one of the largest employers in the state.