An Update on:
AVATAR Advisory Committee
Education Service Center Region 10
October 9, 2012
M. Jean Keller
University of North Texas
AVATAR Co-Director
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What is AVATAR?
Academic Vertical Alignment Training And Renewal
AVATAR is a statewide network, comprised of regional
efforts, focused on vertical alignment to support
students’ college and career readiness and success.
AVATAR is a Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
(THECB) funded project which is implemented by the
North Texas Regional P-16 Council and the University of
North Texas.
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Why is AVATAR Needed?
• Too many secondary and postsecondary leaders
and educators do not have shared and accurate
information and understanding of what a
student needs to know and do to be successful in
postsecondary education and career;
• Too many students enter postsecondary
education and do not complete in a timely
fashion; and
• Too many students take developmental
education at the postsecondary level.
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Who is AVATAR?
Scaffolding
Student
Success
A Partnership of Regional Leaders to
Scaffold Student Success
What is the AVATAR Process?
• Creates and builds relationships with ongoing critical
conversations
• Uses regional data to make alignment decisions
• Develops shared understanding of college and career
readiness and success for students
• Reviews course information and expectations at each
level
• Identifies and implements intentional interventions
• Evaluates, sustains, and shares vertical alignment
work
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Secondary
Graduate College/Career Ready
Student Success Assessments
Dual Credit, Early College High Schools
Student Support Services
Educational Policies and Practices
Classroom Instruction, Textbooks,
Grading, etc.
Discipline Specific Course
Curriculum
Texas Essential Knowledge
and Skills
Post-Secondary
Graduate Career Ready
Impact of Developmental Education and
Texas Success Initiative
Dual Credit, Early College High Schools
Student Support Services
Educational Policies and Practices
Classroom Instruction, Textbooks
Grading, etc.
Discipline Reference Course
Profiles
College & Career Readiness
Standards
The AVATAR Process Development
AVATAR
Facilitators
AVATAR Planning and Oversight Committee
Phase One:
Planning and Designing
Curriculum Alignment Process
(August 2011-December 2011)
AVATAR Pilot Testing Teams
ESC Region 7
ESC Region 10
ESC Region XI
AVATAR Training of Trainers (TOT) Team
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AVATAR Evaluation Team
Phase Two:
Pilot Testing the Curriculum
Alignment Training Process
(January-May 2012)
Phase Three:
Curriculum Alignment
Statewide Training, Technical
Assistance, and Support
(August 2012-August 2013)
AVATAR Pilot Phase: Dallas & Fort Worth
Through presentations
made by the pilot project
participants and AVATAR
staff, over 2,400
individuals learned about
vertical alignment, college
and career readiness, and
the need for shared
understanding between
the secondary and
postsecondary leaders.
Region 10 Partnership:
Education Service Center 10
Dallas Independent School District
Dallas County Community College
District
University of North Texas
Region XI Partnership:
Education Service Center XI
Fort Worth Independent School
District
Tarrant County Colleges
University of North Texas
Phase Three: The Statewide Network
• At the Training of Trainers
Meeting on August 13th, 96
regional partners from 12
regions across the state
were trained to implement
the AVATAR process
throughout Texas.
• As of late August/early
September, 13
partnerships (2 in Region
XI) are conducting their
regional meetings and
drafting their action plans.
What Are the Outcomes for AVATAR?
After a “regional pipeline” of key leaders and educators are
identified in each of the 12 participating regions, each
partnership will:
1. Establish shared regional college and career readiness
foundation/understandings
2. Use regional data to guide decision-making
3. Design and implement a vertical alignment action plan which
will include critical conversations
4. Design and implement a sustainability plan
5. Prepare students for college and career success
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