To place four elementary schools on a course of enhanced achievement for all students, a root cause analysis of the challenges that inhibit student achievement was conducted.

Dr. Gwendolyn Webb-Hasan and other representatives from The College of Education and Human Development have teamed up with local law enforcement officials to bring an event aimed at engaging members in the community.

ELRC staff are experienced in the design of program evaluations of any size. ELRC can assist you with evaluation design and execution for multiple program types including, for example, whole school reform programs, professional development programs, and classroom instruction programs. Our work ranges from small scale pilot studies to experimental efficacy studies, including complex sampling designs. ELRC also has deep experience with mixed (quantitative and qualitative) methods designs. ELRC researchers are nationally recognized professionals in leadership, social psychology, policy analysis, and program evaluation.

ELRC staff have the ability to communicate results in an accessible way to a broad range of audiences including school board members, teachers, parents, local media, and the general public.

ELRC staff can assist or can write for a school, district or community organization. ELRC staff can also serve in the external evaluation for grants.

About the program: 2024 marked the ninth year of TAMU MU, or TAMU Mentoring Up. The mission is to undertake mentoring and engagement activities focusing on lifting at-promise Bryan ISD learners to successfully reach their post-secondary potential. TAMU MU serves as an each one, reach one program. One professor or graduate student is assigned to one promising high school student who is of color, economically challenged, or first generation college-going. Sometimes mentors will mentor a small group of students.

What is the significance of TAMU MU?  MU is the 12th letter of the Greek alphabet. How much more befitting for the TAMU-Bryan ISD Mentoring Program to be based on the 12th Greek letter—just as the 12th Man is the one who stands ready for duty in the event the team needs assistance. It is the role of the mentor to stand ready and provide assistance to those students who need help to successfully navigate the college process. That is the spirit of readiness for service, desire to support, and enthusiasm that we, as mentors, can bring to TAMU MU.

This year, we collaborated with 24 mentees from Rudder High School, including sophomores, juniors, and seniors. We recruited 9 mentors amongst TAMU graduate students and faculty from across the university who were then matched in small groups with the mentees. The program includes weekly small group mentoring sessions where the mentors visit the highs chool for an hour to facilitate the small groups. We also organize larger presentations to the entire class. This year, we had presentations from Financial Aid, the Byrne Student Success Center, and Campus Dining. A field trip to Texas A&M campus marks the end of the program for the semester, where the students participate in a campus tour, engage in a science and teaching demonstration, and enjoy lunch at Sbisa Dining Hall.