DTI Associates is a government contractor that provides services to the U.S. military and the U.S. Department of Education. It is owned by Kratos Defense and Security Solutions, a publicly-traded military technology company which develops and tests military-grade weapons. ^{1 2 3}

DTI Associates has received funding from left-of-center philanthropist George Soros to administer Policy to Performance, an educational program for low-skilled and previously incarcerated adults. ⁴

History

According to the Government Contracts and Bids (GOVCB) website, DTI Associates was founded in 1988. ⁵ Haverstick Consulting acquired the company in 2004 before it was bought by Kratos in 2007. ⁶

Policy to Performance

Policy to Performance is an educational public-private partnership project funded by the U.S. Department of Education and run by Kratos through DTI Associates from 2009 to 2012. Its objective is to provide tools for Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs to assist low-skilled and previously incarcerated adults in gaining literacy. ^{7 8} Left-of-center philanthropist George Soros’s Open Society Institute donated an ongoing grant of $3 million to DTI Associates between 2011 and 2013, as well as a one-time grant of $1.4 million in 2012. ⁹

Policy to Performance was linked to other public-private partnerships affiliated with prominent left-of-center foundations, such as the Accelerated Opportunity Initiative. This initiative was run by the U.S. Department of Education and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Joyce Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and Kresge Foundation. ¹⁰

A 2012 Policy to Performance report and toolkit authored by Kratos and Abt Associates, Inc. cited the Open Society Foundations-funded Points of Entry initiative as a program that showed the importance of education to “increasing adults’ self-sufficiency.” ¹¹ An Abt report about Points of Entry commissioned by Open Society Foundations described the program as focused on helping low-skilled and previously incarcerated adults improve career success. ¹² The U.S. Department of Education partnered with the Open Society Foundations for the program. ¹³

Leadership

Gil J. Sanchez works as DTI Associates’ managing director. Sanchez previously worked for the U.S. Department of Labor as chief of its program and planning support division from 1972 to 1994, and after that as executive director of the Alamo Workforce Development Council until 1996. ¹⁴

David Carter serves as the president of Kratos’ Defense and Rocket Support Services Division, which is run by DTI Associates. He has worked for DTI Associates since 1989, and previously served in the U.S. Navy. According to his biography on the Kratos website, Carter has also served as a senior advisor to the U.S. Department of Defense on weapons systems. ¹⁵

Financials

Between 2000 and 2020, DTI Associates was awarded more than $308 million in contracts for its rocket and missile support services. ¹⁶ DTI and Kratos have received Department of Education grants for various education initiatives, including several in 2010 and 2011 that totaled nearly $8 million. The 2010 and 2011 contracts cited the Policy to Performance initiative as evidence of successful partnerships with the Department. ^{17 18 19 20}

1. “Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Awarded $100 Million Contract to Provide Rocket Launch Services, Engineering Support and Cost Effective Rockets for the Department of Defense At White Sands Missile Range.” Global Newswire. March 28, 2008. Accessed September 18, 2022. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2008/03/28/375409/224/en/Kratos-Defense-Security-Solutions-Awarded-100-Million-Contract-to-Provide-Rocket-Launch-Services-Engineering-Support-and-Cost-Effective-Rockets-for-the-Department-of-Defense-At-Whi.html
2. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions. Accessed September 18, 2022. https://www.kratosdefense.com/
3. “Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. Common Stock.” Nasdaq. Accessed September 19, 2022. https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/stocks/ktos
4. Judith A. Alamprese and Chrys Limardo. “Policy to Performance Toolkit.” U.S. Department of Education. November 2012. Accessed September 18, 2022. https://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/Toolkit_final_November2012.pdf
5. Government Contracts and Bids. “DTI Associates Inc.” Accessed September 18, 2022. https://www.govcb.com/government-vendors/profile-SAM00000000001287996-dti-associates-inc-Washington-DC.htm
6. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions. “Leadership.” Accessed September 18, 2022. https://www.kratosdefense.com/about/about-kratos/leadership
7. Judith A. Alamprese and Chrys Limardo. “Policy to Performance Toolkit.” U.S. Department of Education. November 2012. Accessed September 18, 2022. https://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/Toolkit_final_November2012.pdf
8. “Evaluation of the Points of Entry Project for Guiding Adults to Education and Career Success.” Abt Associates. Accessed September 18, 2022. https://www.abtassociates.com/projects/evaluation-of-the-points-of-entry-project-for-guiding-adults-to-education-and-career
9. Open Society Institute. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990) 2012. Accessed September 18, 2022. http://990s.foundationcenter.org/990pf_pdf_archive/137/137029285/137029285_201212_990PF.pdf
10. Rachel Pleasants. “Building Integrated Pathways to Sustainable Careers.” Department of Education. August 2011. Accessed September 19, 2022. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED523103.pdf
11. Judith A. Alamprese and Chrys Limardo. “Policy to Performance Toolkit.” U.S. Department of Education. November 2012. Accessed September 18, 2022. https://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/Toolkit_final_November2012.pdf
12. “Evaluation of the Points of Entry Project for Guiding Adults to Education and Career Success.” Abt Associates. Accessed September 18, 2022. https://www.abtassociates.com/projects/evaluation-of-the-points-of-entry-project-for-guiding-adults-to-education-and-career
13. “Points of Entry pilot promotes career pathways with the workforce skills certification system.” CASAS. May 6, 2014. Accessed September 19, 2022. https://www.casas.org/social-media-newsroom/success-stories/transitions/2014/05/06/points-of-entry-pilot
14. “Gil J. Sanchez.” LinkedIn. Accessed September 18, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/gil-j-sanchez-35b3a65/
15. “Leadership.” Kratos Defense & Security Solutions. Accessed September 18, 2022. https://www.kratosdefense.com/about/about-kratos/leadership
16. ^[1] “DTI Associates Inc.” Government Contracts Won. Accessed September 18, 2022. https://www.governmentcontractswon.com/department/defense/dti_associates_inc_616811154.asp?yr=18
17. “Kratos awarded new $3.6 million Department of Education Task Order.” Kratos Defense & Security Solutions. September 20, 2010. Accessed September 19, 2022. https://ir.kratosdefense.com/news-releases/news-release-details/kratos-awarded-new-36-million-department-education-task-order
18. “U.S. Department of Education awards Kratos$1.7M contract to improve reading instructional practices and enhance teacher professional development.” Kratos Defense & Security Solutions. June 30, 2011. Accessed September 19, 2022. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2011/06/30/450394/224/en/U-S-Department-of-Education-Awards-Kratos-1-7M-Contract-to-Improve-Reading-Instructional-Practices-and-Enhance-Teacher-Professional-Development.html
19. “Kratos awarded $2.5 million literacy information and communications system (LINCS) resource collection contract.” Kratos Defense & Security Solutions. September 14, 2011. Accessed September 19, 2022. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2011/09/14/456327/232349/en/Kratos-Awarded-2-5-Million-Literacy-Information-and-Communication-System-LINCS-Resource-Collection-Contract.html
20. “Pathways to college access and success.” Digital Public Library of America. November 8, 2005. Accessed September 19, 2022. https://dp.la/item/b2d68ebe1be9b57416b0fa0125c880a7