Sylvia Pirtle
Program Associate
Sylvia Pirtle is a Program Associate with SEDL's Improving School Performance (ISP) work group. Her work centers on the Texas Comprehensive Center (TXCC). The TXCC’s purpose is to provide technical assistance and support to the Texas Education Agency to ensure that Texas has an education system with the capacity and commitment to eliminate achievement gaps and enable all students to achieve at high levels.
Contact Information
You may contact Sylvia Pirtle at 512-391-6545
Ms. Pirtle’s expertise includes instructional leadership and systemic reform;
data-driven decision making; capacity building of leadership at all levels; leadership structures for developing, implementing, and monitoring school improvement plans; and the strengthening of statewide systems of support. Recently, Ms. Pirtle provided technical assistance to the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development to guide the department in developing a profile of its statewide system of support (SSOS) and a plan for improving its delivery of services to districts and schools in need of improving student achievement.
- Leadership: Ms. Pirtle’s current work includes providing state education agencies and regional educational service centers with capacity-building assistance and a model for working systemically to increase student achievement.
- Turning Around Schools: Ms. Pirtle’s experience in this area includes providing technical assistance and recommendations for increasing and sustaining student outcomes. This technical assistance includes building the capacity of leaders to facilitate change in how schools and classrooms operate to increase and sustain student achievement.
Prior to joining SEDL in 2007, Ms. Pirtle served for 31 years in urban and Title I schools as a principal, assistant principal, and teacher. She has served as a principal in both a high-performing school and an underperforming school in need of a quick turnaround. In addition, Ms. Pirtle was selected to mentor principals of underperforming Title I schools. Education
Ms. Pirtle holds a BS in elementary education and administrative certification from Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. She also holds a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Texas at Austin. SEDL Publications
- Rapid Response: School Restructuring (2009)
- Rapid Response: Strategies for Improving Achievement in High-Needs Schools (2008)
- Pirtle, S. S., Schoenberger, J., Williams, H., McCann, E. (2009, June–August). Alaska Department of Education & early development statewide systems of support. Series of sessions presented to Alaska Department of Education staff to support and plan for system improvement. Lead facilitator for process.
- Pirtle, S. S., Brown, D., Davis, M., McCann, E., Tennebaum, I., & Tobia, E. (2008, August–2009, September). Mississippi Department of Education statewide systems of support. Series of sessions presented to Mississippi Department of Education staff to support and plan for system improvement. Lead facilitator for process.
- Pirtle, S. S., & Meibaum, D. (2008, July). Mentoring school leaders: Comprehensive needs assessment & data analysis. Training conducted for Mississippi school leadership mentors and state department staff.
- McCann, E., & Pirtle, S. S. (2008, June/July). Part 1: Program evaluation; Part 2: Implementing programs with fidelity. Session presented at the Annual Conference of the Mississippi Association of Federal Education Program Directors, Biloxi, MS.
- Meibaum, D., & Pirtle, S. S. (2008, May). No Child Left Behind: An overview. Workshop for support staff, mentors and Mississippi Department of Education staff, Jackson, Mississippi.
- Pirtle, S. S., McCann, E., & Tobia, E. (2008, April). School support team: Mentoring instructional leaders. Training for Mississippi School Support Team members and state staff, Jackson, Mississippi.
- McCann, E., Pirtle, S. S., & Tobia, E. (2008, January). School support team: Mississippi dropout prevention program. Training for Mississippi School Support Team members and state staff, Jackson, Mississippi.
- Pirtle, S. S., Davis, M., & Yanez, M. (2009, February–March). English Language Learner parent focus group. Focus groups of parents of English language learners about linguistic accommodations.
- Pirtle, S. S., Joyner, S., & Haidee, W. (2009, January–February). English language learner focus group for rural and urban school administrators and staff. Focus groups of administrators and school staff about linguistic accommodations.
