Early Warning Data Systems (EWDS)

The Early Warning System (EWS) was originally developed by the National High School Center at AIR to calculate automatically the high-yield indicators related to dropout. In collaboration with the Center, the Texas Comprehensive Center (TXCC) adapted the EWS to produce a customized database version called the Early Warning Data System (EWDS).

The EWDS consisted not only of the database, but also several imbedded component systems: working as a collaborative team; creating individual, group, and schoolwide data reports; designing successful interventions; and verifying student success based on implementation and impact data.

The TXCC first designed the EWDS to be used by districts participating in the Texas Ninth Grade Transition and Intervention Program, a pilot program of the Texas Education Agency. The program was intended to provide support for eighth-grade students who were transitioning to the ninth grade and who were at risk of low performance and/or failure.