Projects
Project ELITE and ELITE2
ELITE and ELITE2 are model demonstration projects focused on optimizing a multitiered system of supports (MTSS) for English learners (ELs) in the elementary grades. Through two cooperative agreements sponsored by the Office of Special Education Programs in the U.S. Department of Education (2011–2021), we partnered with Del Valle Independent School district to develop, implement, and evaluate MTSS for ELs.
MTSS for ELs
In September 2016, OSEP funded three projects focusing on tiered approaches to improving reading and language outcomes for ELs. These projects are developing and implementing culturally and linguistically responsive models for an MTSS framework for ELs, including those with or at risk of having a disability.
Project ELEVATE (Ensuring Learning for ELs by Valuing Family Engagement And Teacher Effectiveness)
Project ELEVATE is a capacity-building initiative funded by the Office of English Language Acquisition, U.S. Department of Education, to improve the effectiveness of educators who serve multilingual learners (MLs) in prekindergarten to grade 3. Through a research-to-practice partnership with Hays Consolidated School District (HCISD), we work collaboratively with in-service educators to develop, refine, and evaluate an instructional model for MLs focused on language and literacy development.
Project C2 (Collective Capacity: Professional Learning to Improve the Quality of Language and Literacy Instruction for ELs)
Project C2 is a Development and Innovation project funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, under the topic of Effective Instruction. The purpose of this 4-year project is to develop, refine, and pilot a job-embedded professional learning model for fourth- and fifth-grade teachers focused on increasing the quality of language and literacy instruction for ELs. The end purpose is to develop effective teachers who skillfully implement high-quality instruction that increases positive achievement gains for ELs in the upper-elementary grades (grades 4–5).
Permian Basin Literacy Initiative
The Project ELITE team and The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk are working in collaboration with the Permian Strategic Partnership on a new initiative supporting early literacy in grades K-2. The project team is partnering with five elementary schools in Midland ISD and five elementary schools in Odessa ISD. The goal of the research-practice partnership is to work collaboratively with in-service educators and instructional leaders to develop, refine, and evaluate an instructional model focused on early language and literacy development.