About Us
Company Background
The Student-Centered Institute for Educational Improvement (SCIEI) is responsible for developing and implementing the Learner-Centered Framework (LCF). The LCF is a system that schools use to align their curriculum, assessment, and student-tracking tools to leverage teaching and learning potential across the organization. Once in play, the schools have a high-function evidence-based, data-driven system that impacts every student, teacher, administrator, and parent within an organization.
Our organization is made up of a team of highly skilled educational researchers and system developers who have the ability to create an individualized program that will meet the needs of your school and/or district. We are poised to work with you and your staff to enhance the academic opportunities of the students that you serve. Our company is focused on supporting school organizations to adopt competency-based practices. This program is designed to assist school districts utilizing traditional systems to modify their practice in order to adopt a competency-based model. The work focuses on both Leadership Development and Data-Base Decision Making.
SCIEI has been recognized as an approved service provider by the Nevada Department of Education in the areas of Data-Base Decision Making and Leadership Development since 2018.
SCIEI Director: Steven Pradere Ph.D.
- Experience: I have thirty-four years of educational experience ranging from classroom teacher to district office executive. For the last twenty-four years, I have worked specifically in the area of school reform.
- Most Notable: Served as one of the primary developers of the Learner-Centered Framework. Additionally, I authored and facilitated the 2012-2017 Carson City School District "Race to the Top Grant," which raised 10 million to develop and implement a learner-centered competency-based system. As a result of the great work of the implementation team, the district experienced significant improvements in graduation rates, credit accrual rates, and improvements on standardized assessments.
- Roles: • SCI-Director • Transformation Office Director • Educational Researcher • Administrator and Teacher Mentor • Professional Development Provider • Data Analyst • University Instructor
- Awards: 2016 Nevada Association of School Boards - "Special Recognition - District Level Administrator Impacting Student Achievement"
Student Centered Institute Team
- Creators of the Learner-Centered Framework
- Highly Skilled Research Team: The Student-Centered Institute team is made up of highly skilled educational researchers who have extensive experience in the process of building and implementing highly successful educational reform programs.
- Research Driven: Our organization is research-driven and our work is created and implemented within a research framework. This process supports the development, implementation, and reporting of progress both locally and nationally.
- Data-Driven Decision-Making Practices: At the heart of competency-based education is the development and use of data. Our team works closely with schools to create a systemic data-driven approach to educational improvement.
- Leadership Development: Our organization takes a systemic approach to leadership development, working closely with school leaders to first build organizational teams and then apply competency-based practices to shift and improve the performance of all stakeholders.
Services
Consultation Services
Learner-Centered/Competency-Based Education
Program Evaluation Grant Development Leadership Development Data-Based Decision Making
School and District Improvement Planning Professional Learning Communities
Data System Development Classroom Observation/Coaching/Feedback
Individualized Support
Our organization recognizes that each educational setting is unique. Our method of service is to build a unique model or system of services to support each client in a way that will allow them to identify and build their own Learner-Centered Organization. This individualized methodology builds on the strengths of each organization allowing them to grow as an organization in a way that supports every learner that they serve.
Data Driven Systems
Our team has identified and developed a wide variety of systems tools that can be used by educational leaders and classroom teachers to help monitor student progress. We also have the ability to support districts and schools to build individualized data systems that can be used by stakeholders to measure progress in real-time. Our expertise is both in developing the system and training staff members on how to use the system to support individual students.