Lawmakers press for independent evaluation of Solution Tree PLC contract amid rising spending

Members of the Senate Education Committee raised repeated concerns about the state's contract with Solution Tree, the provider of professional learning community (PLC) services, and asked staff for outcome data and contract details.

Senator Chesterfield and Representative McKenzie said they have seen formative reports but no summative evaluation showing how student achievement changed after PLC implementation. "I need to know how kids are doing as a result of this huge investment in PLCs," Chesterfield said, adding that prior reports emphasize perceptions rather than student progress.

Committee staff and the chair said staff would circulate reports and test‑score data and that a report from the Department (Desi) exists; the committee was told the amount paid to date is $32,084,923.94 and that the contract extends through the current biennium. Members asked for the contract term, total cumulative payments (several members referenced different totals in the record), and an independent summative evaluation before further funding decisions.

The committee directed staff to compile committee-requested documents and to provide them ahead of the next adequacy review so members can assess whether continued or increased funding is producing measurable student gains.