In the ever-evolving landscape of education, data-driven decision-making has become a cornerstone for achieving excellence. Teach Us Texas, an educational preparation program offering over 35 certifications, has embraced this approach by integrating the Insight to Impact (I2I) Dashboards into its regular meetings. This strategic move has not only fostered a culture of continuous improvement but also yielded significant insights and programmatic changes that have positively impacted student outcomes.
Melanie Alcorta, one of Teach Us Texas’s Managers of Candidate Success & Accountability, serves on the Texas Education Agency’s Insight to Impact Dashboard Governance Committee and credits that experience with bringing the dashboards into her EPP’s practice. Alcorta added that consistent dashboard use was the driving force behind data-focused meetings, with each session centering on a new area of data most relevant at the time.
Alcorta introduced the dashboards to Dr. Lecia Eubanks, Executive Director of Academic Programs, who oversees testing accountability for Teach Us Texas. In August 2024, Teach Us Texas expanded through an acquisition that established north–south coverage across the state. This growth created the space and capacity for the EPP’s staff to comprehensively invest in utilizing the I2I Dashboards.
Teach Us Texas’s Melanie Alcorta (left) and Lecia Eubanks (right).
Eubanks described their use of the I2I Dashboards, saying:
“The dashboards provide a clear, visual tool to monitor our progress against state averages. We want to see how our candidates compare to those across the state, which makes our data more actionable. This shift ensures that our decisions are guided by broader trends rather than isolated results. Our goal is to move beyond single-year snapshots and track whether we are improving year after year.”
At the latest meeting, the team focused on a zoomed-out perspective of the data and decided to prioritize long-term changes that were supported by their findings.
“It’s easy to feel discouraged when a few candidates struggle,” Eubanks explained, “but the dashboards shift our perspective. They reveal the bigger picture and remind us that one story doesn’t define the whole. By looking at the data, we’re able to keep a broader focus on what’s happening across the organization and statewide.”
Teach Us Texas’s first step in using the dashboards during its meetings was to explore exam pass rates and identify areas that might benefit from additional support or targeted intervention. Reviewing the data regularly, rather than waiting for annual results, allowed the EPP to stay proactive and responsive to emerging trends.
At the beginning of 2025, Teach Us Texas identified opportunities to strengthen its EC–6 outcomes and introduced three targeted interventions to drive continuous improvement. The team provided candidates with free access to on-demand webinars, launched a content-specific course, and created tailored personalized learning plans. The impact was significant with EC–6 scores showing measurable growth across every subject area, demonstrating how thoughtful, strategic supports can lead to transformative results.
Teach Us Texas’s use of the I2I Dashboards illustrates how data can be converted into actionable insights that drive meaningful program improvements and directly benefit candidates. The EPP’s commitment to continuous improvement sets a powerful benchmark for organizations seeking to strengthen their educational offerings.
The work doesn’t stop there, though. Next on the horizon: leveraging the new teacher and principal perception surveys dashboard to refine program quality and impact further.