System of Great Schools Application Process

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Date:	December 9, 2021
Subject:	System of Great Schools Application Process
Category:	System of Great Schools
Next Steps:	Attend informational webinar and submit application by March 4, 2022

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is excited to announce the application process for Texas school districts to join the System of Great Schools (SGS) Network in Spring 2022. The application is available here.

SGS Theory of Action and Network Overview:

The SGS Strategy is a district-level problem solving approach that seeks to dramatically improve student access to great schools by understanding school performance and community demands and using that information to deliver the high-quality, best fit schools families want.

Districts that join the SGS Network are ready to engage in bold and transformational change aligned to the following Strategy:

Set the right goal of providing all students access to a high-quality school that best fits their educational goals and individual needs
Conduct an annual portfolio planning process that analyzes school performance, community needs, and parent and family feedback to inform action plans for all schools.
Take bold action driven by the annual planning process, including at least one school action per year.
Empower families by communicating each child’s options, enrolling them in their desired program, and helping them overcome logistical barriers to attendance.
Create organizational structures to drive new policies and practices that accelerate the success, efficiency, and sustainability of the SGS Strategy.

SGS Network districts choose to participate in a 4-year program that provides district leaders with strategic advising, professional learning opportunities, and tools and resources to drive this work forward.

Eligible Applicants:

All Texas districts interested in pursuing the goals listed above are eligible to apply to join the SGS Network. Ideal districts have over 7,500 students, 10 or more schools, and the desire to pursue system transformation in service of creating high-quality best fit schools.

Network Benefits:

The SGS Network is a dynamic professional learning community of like-minded district leaders throughout the state. Districts selected to join the SGS Network are provided:

Strategic Advising: Each SGS district is matched with a TEA-vetted Executive Advisor (EA) firm that has deep expertise to support districts in implementing the SGS Strategy.
Professional Learning Opportunities: The TEA requires district participation in regular workshops and professional development opportunities for superintendents, chief innovation officers, and other cabinet members.
Tools and Resources: The TEA provides districts with templates, exemplars, and reference materials developed by leading districts and national experts to help you operationalize the processes above and design and launch school actions.

SGS Application Process and Timeline:

Date	Event
Dec 9, 2021	Applications Released: The application will be available on the SGS website.
January-February 2022	Informational Webinars: Interested districts may learn more by attending a webinar and Q&A: 1. Thursday, January 27: 1-2pm (register here) 2. Thursday, February 10: 1-2pm (register here) 3. Friday, February 25: 2-3pm (register here)
March 4, 2022	Application due: Please submit applications to SGS@tea.texas.gov.
March 21-25, 2022	Phone Interviews: TEA staff will conduct phone interviews with district leaders to add context to the written application and make an acceptance decision.
March 30, 2022	Acceptance: Accepted applicants will be invited to join the 4-year program.
March 30-April 7, 2022	EA Firm Matching: New Network districts interview and select an EA firm that will support implementation of the SGS Strategy from a pre-vetted list (updated March 2022.)
April 25-March 25, 2022	Baseline Site Visit: TEA staff and executive advisors will visit the district and select campuses to determine baseline ratings on the SGS implementation rubric and help district leaders identify the key priorities as the district begins to implement the SGS Strategy.

For more information, please visit the SGS webpage or email SGS@tea.texas.gov.