Last week, the Texas Education Exchange joined education leaders, innovators, and practitioners from across the country at the 2025 Ed-Fi Alliance Summit in San Antonio. It was a powerful few days of shared learning, collaboration, and convergence around the essential idea that when data works together, educators can do more of what matters.
A Voice for Texas
Region 4 Executive Director Dr. Rodney Watson took the stage during the Summit’s opening panel, Unlocking Impact: The Strategic Case for Interoperability, to spotlight how the work in Texas is reshaping the way education data is used, not just at the state level, but in districts and charter schools across the state.
Dr. Watson emphasized the importance of moving from fragmented systems to connected, actionable insights that help educators identify needs early, support student success, and make decisions grounded in real-time information. He called attention to how this work directly supports ESCs and regional service centers, helping them better assist the districts and charter schools they serve.
District Collaboration in Action
Assistant Director Katie Favara presented alongside Hondo ISD, sharing what it looks like when a small, rural district gains access to tools that bring data into focus. With about 2,000 students, Hondo ISD demonstrated how the correct systems working together can give educators early warning signs, support timely interventions, and reduce the burden of disconnected platforms.
Their story reflects the broader mission of The Exchange, which is to make data more accessible, useful, and aligned to the real needs of Texas school systems.
The Exchange is Looking Ahead
The Exchange is grateful to the Ed-Fi Alliance for creating space for these conversations and for spotlighting the work happening across Texas. The key takeaway from the Summit is that the future lies in connected education data as a catalyst for better teaching, better leadership, and better student outcomes.
