Edvance Research, Inc., Awarded Early Childhood Contract By Texas Education Agency

Leading educational research company Edvance Research, Inc. today announced that it has been awarded a contract by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to conduct an evaluation of School Readiness Integration (SRI), an early childhood model currently being implemented in selected Texas communities, under the Texas Early Education Model (TEEM) grants. Edvance Research will determine short-term and projected long-term cost benefits of the TEEM program and will present research findings to TEA in late summer, 2007.

“We are pleased that the Texas Education Agency has selected Edvance Research to conduct this important research that will examine School Readiness, one of the most important issues surrounding student achievement,” said Dr. Dean Nafziger, chief executive officer of Edvance Research. “There is an increasing demand to evaluate education programs through rigorous research. Our organization provides rigorous research that moves the decision making from opinion to evidence, resulting in reliable insights that can be trusted,” continued Nafziger.

The goals of SRI are to prepare all children to enter kindergarten on or above grade level and to remain on this level through access to the full array of public education services and to develop and implement an SRI model that is community-based and individualized to best serve each community.

The contract, awarded through TEA’s competitive bidding process, commenced January 15, 2007 and will extend through August 31, 2007. The contract provides funding up to $374,556.