As districts begin the 2013-14 school year, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) is pleased to remind all Texas public educators that the Project Share learning management system (LMS) and online resources continue to be available at no cost to all Texas public school districts. Since our last correspondence, Project Share has continued to grow and now offers over 100 online courses within a password-protected environment (Epsilen LMS); open-source, TEKS-aligned resources on the Project Share Gateway (www.projectsharetexas.org); algebra-readiness screeners for students in grades 2-4 and 5-8 (ESTAR and MSTAR Universal Screeners); an algebra-readiness diagnostic for students in grades 5-8 (MSTAR Diagnostic Assessment); a math and science formative assessment system for students in grades 3-8 (TxAIR); and student lessons designed to supplement classroom instruction in foundation secondary subjects (OnTRACK Lessons).

With the list of online resources continuing to grow, the TEA has also begun work on providing faster, easier access to all resources and on integrating statewide applications with locally-managed technology solutions. This integration will be a process that first begins with a single sign-on (SSO) for statewide applications. It is exciting to imagine an online world in which educators and students can move across applications without the cumbersome task of remembering multiple user names and passwords and can instantly be linked to resources designed to enhance learning. We are very excited about the SSO and the new opportunities it brings to Project Share. We will provide more information about the SSO in the coming months.

As we begin the new school year, please know that the TEA, the 20 regional education service centers (ESCs), and, now, the statewide support centers are ready to share information and to assist in enrollment in one or all of the resources listed above.  We look forward to working with districts in determining which resources best meet educator and student needs and in implementing Project Share at the local level. We have already seen successful implementation in many districts and are ready to assist others as they join the Project Share online learning environment. For examples of local implementation, watch these videos posted on the Project Share Gateway.

The attached documents provide an overview of the new Project Share statewide support structure, a list of the courses available through Project Share, and ESC Project Share Contacts. The TEA welcomes your questions and comments and is happy to provide additional information about Project Share. You can send questions to the Project Share mailbox at projectshare@tea.state.tx.us. You can also contact Kerry Ballast, Director of Special Projects, at (512) 463-9087 or via e-mail at kerry.ballast@tea.state.tx.us.

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