In a start-up enterprise, some days feel like you are moving at lightning speed, while others feel like you are stuck in the mud. While there is some truth in both observations, taking stock of our progress can give us the inspiration needed to propel us through the tougher tasks. So, lest we judge ourselves too harshly on all there is still to do, let’s appreciate the great strides we have made together.
Two simple pictures taken at LONESTARP3 events just one year apart tell a compelling story. Take a look at that small, intrepid group of early adopters who led us through our design phase and showed up to transition us into action in June 2023. Fast forward to June 2024 and you’ll see we needed a drone camera to fit everyone in the frame – and there seems to be a boost in enthusiasm as well!
June 2023
June 2024
The point of these pictures isn’t just to signal “more warm bodies” but to reveal a deeply engaged membership, the formation of strong and trusting relationships, and the presence of a welcoming and inclusive community—all core ingredients for generating a shared research agenda that reflects the diversity of our members and the diversity of Texas.
Did someone say shared research agenda?! Powered by a set of structured protocols, countless Google documents, and some hardworking graduate students, we got agreement from over 150 contributors on our first shared research agenda focused on Pathways – and two thumbs up for the broader statewide community at our inaugural Success Summit in September 2024. In a time when it can be hard to get a family of four to agree on what to have for dinner – this is no small feat!
This Spotlight story showcases the progress we have made since releasing that agenda—launching four Research Collaboratives that include more than 30 researchers across 11 institutions to design investigations that will provide the insights district leaders and policymakers want.
As our Research Collaboratives began their investigations, LONESTARP3 continued to build a statewide community committed to translating research into practice in timely and actionable ways. We convened near-monthly through CONNECT Virtual events that regularly garnered more than 100 registrants. Our LONESTARP3 LIVE! series is taking YouTube by storm (well, maybe not yet…but it’s coming). This series takes us out of PowerPoint presentations and into real talk in real-time with Texas education leaders – see more in the Of Interest story. And we created a statewide Data Council — a community of some of the most dedicated data hounds in Texas. Their charge is to develop resources to support our many Texas data systems and to shine a light on publications and tools that use that data to tell meaningful stories about our students.
Highlights of these milestones and others can be found in this Great Strides recap (download pdf). Let this recap affirm that together, we can achieve great things. I hope you’ll continue to engage with us to be a part of all that is still ahead and that you’ll invite others to join you. All are welcome.
