Senators press for data on Solution Tree PD program as contract renewal nears

A major line of questioning focused on the Solution Tree professional‑development program, a public–private partnership funded from the state professional‑development categorical.

Committee members pressed the bureau for concrete participation and outcome data before the contract renewal window. Representative McKenzie highlighted the scale of the contract, saying during the meeting that the full Solution Tree agreement is "a hundred million dollar contract" spanning 2017–2023. Members asked for the list of participating schools, the percentage of teachers who have accessed the program, and comparative outcome analysis (for example, reading‑readiness metrics) for participating versus non‑participating schools.

Bureau staff acknowledged Solution Tree has received substantial PD funds (the bureau reported cumulative Solution Tree payments of roughly $37.5 million from 2018 through 2021, about 31% of PD categorical funds over that period) and said they planned an analysis of student performance in PLC schools versus others. Staff agreed to provide the participant lists and to accelerate performance analysis in advance of any contract renewal decision.

Lawmakers said they supported PLC‑style, job‑embedded PD but stressed that stewardship of large contracts requires timely, transparent evidence of effectiveness. The bureau agreed to prioritize the requested data and to share participation lists with committee members.