State Support Team Network (SSTN)

The State Support Team Network (SSTN) was launched in 2002 through funding from the US Department of Education. It is housed within the Division of State Services and Technical Assistance (SSTA) at the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). It provides states committed to strengthening their systems of school support with access to technical assistance to aid them in this endeavor. The goal of the network is to equip state staff with the skills and knowledge necessary to develop effective systems to provide high-quality support to low-performing schools and districts, particularly high-poverty schools. Additionally, the SSTN focuses on identifying and scaling up effective practices among key state and local stakeholders. Representatives from 42 states plus the District of Columbia are included within the network. For ongoing support to members of the SSTN, CCSSO has initiated a community of practice focused on establishing statewide systems of support for low-performing schools and districts. Members actively engage in a forum to discuss promising strategies and share resources designed to support districts in meeting academic outcomes for its students. Some of the information recently shared through this forum included a sharing of various state plans developed for providing support to low-performing districts, district templates for improvement, and various other resources shared by state departments of education through their school improvement webpage. The annual meeting for the State Support Team Network is designed around topics as identified by the states through a needs assessment. For our conference this year, states asked that we allow opportunities for them to learn more about state school improvement plans and focus on the following: state systems of support leadership and teacher capacity research-based strategies deemed promising to closing the achievement gap for subgroups of children: students with disabilities, English language learners, minority and high poverty Additionally, members receive an electronic copy of the monthly newsletter, Support for School Improvement. This e-newsletter focuses on school improvement efforts at the state and district level. Project Staff Julia L. Lara, Deputy Executive Director, julial@ccsso.org

Council of Chief State School Officers
One Massachusetts Avenue, NW · Suite 700
Washington, DC 20001-1431
voice: 202.336.7000 · fax: 202.408.8072

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document last updated 8/21/2009