The Education Systems Support (ESS) unit at SEDL consists of the Southeast Comprehensive Center and the Texas Comprehensive Center. These regional comprehensive centers work closely with state education agency staff in their respective regions to build capacity and to address the federal requirements and priorities of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Below are events that have been hosted by the centers.

Past Events

Promoting Equitable Access at the State and Local Levels

On November 3–5, 2015, the SECC and TXCC at SEDL, an affiliate of American Institutes for Research, hosted their annual regional institute in Atlanta. During the institute, attendees convened with national experts and other professionals, examined issues related to equitable access, shared opportunities and challenges, and explored methods for improving equity at the state and local levels. State education agency teams from Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas participated in this interactive event.

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Regional Institute on Supporting High-Quality Rural Education

In November 2014, the Texas and Southeast Comprehensive Centers at SEDL hosted a Regional Institute on Supporting High-Quality Rural Education. The Institute took place on November 5–7 in Austin, Texas, where staff members from participating states met with their counterparts in the area of rural education and learned from experts in the field from the U.S. Department of Education and other organizations. The Institute included Discussion Circles that covered topics like Executive Leadership, School Improvement, Educator Quality, and Distance/Professional Learning; Deep-Dive Conversations that covered state-specific topics like parental involvement and data-driven decision making; and general sessions led by experts and leaders involved with rural education.

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Supporting Sustainability Efforts in School Turnaround

Building the capacity of state staff to sustain school turnaround efforts was the focus of this regional institute hosted by the Southeast Comprehensive Center and the Texas Comprehensive Center at SEDL. The institute took place November 6–7, 2013, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Staff members from states in the Southeast Region met with their counterparts in the area of school turnaround and learned from experts in the field from the U.S. Department of Education and other organizations. Participants explored key topics, such as recruiting and maintaining turnaround leaders, monitoring and evaluating turnaround efforts, creating healthy learning environments, and planning and implementing extended learning time.

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Designing and Implementing
Teacher Evaluation Systems

Nearly 50 state education leaders convened in New Orleans, Louisiana, on July 27–28, 2011 to learn more about teacher evaluation systems. SEDL’s Southeast and Texas Comprehensive Centers sponsored the institute, which included participants from Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas.

Participants engaged in sessions led by experts in the field, learned about the progress and challenges of other states, and discussed with their colleagues the steps their respective states need to take to implement a comprehensive teacher evaluation system. They also had the opportunity to meet with nationally recognized educators and researchers—Charlotte Danielson, Laura Goe, and Lynn Holdheide—to learn about best practices and current work in the area of teacher evaluation systems.

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