Center on Communities and Education at SMU

The CCE is focused on closing the education gap in low-income, urban communities by leveraging the power of collaborative partnerships and using data to drive evidence-based decision making.

The CCE leads The School Zone (TSZ), a collective impact partnership within the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development. TSZ is comprised of 25 nonprofits, 16 public, private and charter schools, and the Dallas Independent School District (Dallas ISD). Our initial focus is the L.G. Pinkston High School feeder pattern in West Dallas. The CCE is also developing TSZ as a scalable model for other communities.