West: Arizona, California, Nevada, & Utah
Regional Needs
To target and ensure the relevance of its work, REL West analyzes needs by regularly reaching out to education stakeholders in each state. Information gleaned helps determine both the research REL West undertakes and the dissemination strategies it employs.
The educational needs of the region are varied, reflecting the great diversity — linguistic, cultural, economic — within and across the four states. At its core, the work of REL West addresses the region's most pressing goal: closing the achievement gap. To support that, the lab addresses issues including:
- Special populations: Identifying appropriate and effective instruction and assessments for English language learners and students with disabilities.
- Readiness and community: Addressing systemic barriers to improvement by identifying evidence-based practices that focus on infant and preschool education, risk factors, community engagement, and transitions into K-12 and beyond.
- District and school improvement: Implementing system-wide, evidence-based improvement strategies in order to raise the achievement of all students.
- Teacher and administrator quality: Increasing teacher and administrator quality and effectiveness through preparation, induction, retention, and fiscal incentives linked to school outcomes.
- Secondary school: Implementing high school reform strategies by increasing the rigor of coursework, implementing appropriate standards, and reducing dropouts.
