Region 10 Education Service Center (Region 10 ESC) is a K-12 service organization that was established, along with 19 other regional service centers, by the Texas State Legislature in 1967. These regional ESCs provide technical assistance, training opportunities and consultative services for schools within designated geographic areas. Region 10 is the second largest ESC in Texas, impacting 53,000 teachers and 810,000 students at over 120 schools. School participation is voluntary and includes public schools, independent school districts, charter schools and private schools.
The stated mission of Region 10 ESC is to be a “trusted, student-focused partner that serves the learning community through responsive, innovative educational solutions.” We are beyond proud that Torsh TALENT, our proprietary teacher professional development platform, is one of the “innovative educational solutions” that Region 10 relies upon.
Our relationship with Region 10 ESC began in September of 2016. While based in Richardson, TX, they were helping train and mentor teachers and school administrators across a broad geographic area. They needed a tool that would facilitate virtual coaching, and that would allow their team to interact with educators in various locations within the region. Torsh TALENT met their needs, and then some. Through TALENT they could, among other things, deliver impactful training programs and connect educators with ESC consultants who are not co-located.
The organization continues to use TALENT in a myriad of ways. Teachers in a Region 10 training program can upload videos to the platform based on specific goals, and receive real-time feedback from ESC’s consultants. Teachers also use TALENT to submit “reflection forms” for each coaching cycle. Examples of of excellent instructional practice are uploaded, stored and shared within TALENT’s exemplar library feature, which was recently enhanced with new functionality.
The Region 10 and Torsh partnership has empowered the organization to “model a growing body of contemporary research that highlights the profound impact skilled and supported coaching has on schools.“ Moving forward, Region 10 ESC plans to launch even more innovative learning opportunities for teachers, rooted in real world insight and research-based strategies.
Kristin Hebert, Assistant Director of Teaching and Learning for Region 10 ESC, says that “TORSH’s virtual platform offers both simplicity and sophistication. It allows all teachers, regardless of their experience and skill level, access to video repositories that demonstrate excellent teaching and to receive personalized, timely feedback. We are excited about this partnership and the positive impact it will have on student achievement”.
The overarching goal of Region 10 ESC is to deliver services to teachers that ultimately enhance student achievement and improve student outcomes. This is an ideal that we wholeheartedly support. We are proud that Region 10 ESC relies on TALENT to deliver high-quality training and coaching services for the teachers in their region. Learn more about the educational services that Region 10 ESC delivers for Texas educators here.
