E3 Alliance

E3 Alliance, started in 2006, is an organization working to effect school reform.  It is based in Austin, Texas and is attempting to use education as a means to achieve economic prosperity.  The group’s name is the proof:  E3 Alliance stands for Education Equals Economics—E3.

E3 Alliance works to change education for the better by breaking down old structures to make room for the new.  Their approach is to work from the ground up and from “cradle to career” for students.  They believe that students who achieve academic success and will create a foundation for future generations of students.  That will, in turn, create economic prosperity for Central Texas.  E3 Alliance hopes to achieve a high quality of life for all residents in the community.

The group is data-driven, student-centered and results-oriented.  Their approach is collaborative and scalable for any situation.  They seek a more aligned, robust educational system while maintaining some agility.  This is all built on a public-private partnership.

Specifically, E3 Alliance works with a wide range of businesses, nonprofits, policy leaders, universities, school districts and community representatives.  They call their approach “collective impact.”  The fact that they have so many people pulled together in the right way allows them to create real change in the community.  Due to its success, the model has been replicated in other states around the country.

An example of their success was when they quadrupled the number of students in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) pipeline.  They improved practices related to ELLs (English Language Learners).  They also developed a plan to keep students in college.

In their own words, “We work to impact lives by preparing students, educating families, saving taxpayer money, and developing a stronger, more qualified workforce to drive our economic future.”