Ashley Pierson

Strengthening Supports for Early Career Teachers (SECT), Louisiana
(503) 275-9591

About

Supporting Early Career and Aspiring Teachers (SECAT), Louisiana
Ashley Pierson, PhD, a senior researcher at AIR, co-leads the Supporting Early Career and Aspiring Teachers (SECAT) partnership. Pierson is skilled in leading research-practice partnerships and translating research into actionable materials for policymakers and practitioners. She has worked closely with partners at state and local levels to use data and evidence to advance educational equity. She brings more than 15 years of experience conducting applied research and managing projects in early learning, K–12, and postsecondary settings. She has led multiple REL projects, including training, coaching, and technical support and applied research projects, and authored multiple REL research reports. Pierson holds a doctorate in policy analysis from the Pardee RAND Graduate School, with an emphasis in quantitative methods and education policy. She is a certified reviewer for the What Works Clearinghouse Group Design Standards (Version 4.1).

Associated IES Content

report Impact Study

Encouraging Families to Visit a Literacy Website: A Randomized Study of the Impact of Email and Text Message Communications

The Arkansas Department of Education partnered with the Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest to study the feasibility and effectiveness of using brief email and text message communications (called nudges) to increase the number of parent and guardian visits to the Reading Initiative for Student Excellence (R.I.S.E.) state literacy website. In November 2021, the department sent test messages to families to determine the percentage of households with children in kindergarten to grade 6 in ...
Dec 07, 2022
Publication number:
REL 2023-143
Blog

How Have Texas English Learner Students Fared During the Pandemic?

After the first school closures and shift to virtual instruction began in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, education experts began to worry that the learning opportunities students had in the new virtual formats might not be enough to support their continued academic progress. Many of these concerns were about foundational skills like reading and math (Kuhfeld et al., 2020), and research over the last two years has validated those concerns (Dawson, 2021).
Date published:
Nov 03, 2022
report Descriptive Study

English Proficiency and the Pandemic: How Texas English Learner Students Fared During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study examined levels of English proficiency before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among English learner students in grades 3-12 in Texas. In 2020/21, nearly 750,000 students in grades 3-12--approximately one in five Texas students--were English learner students. In accordance with Texas state law and the Every Student Succeeds Act, English proficiency is measured annually using a statewide assessment, the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS), which assesses En...
Nov 02, 2022
Publication number:
REL 2023-144
report Impact Study

Examining the implementation and impact of full-day kindergarten in Oregon

Many states and districts offer full-day kindergarten with the hope that additional learning time will improve student outcomes. In 2015/16, Oregon shifted its funding structure for kindergarten enrollment, which created incentives for districts to offer full-day kindergarten. In partnership with the Oregon Department of Education, REL Northwest conducted a study to understand which districts offered full-day kindergarten before the shift and how those programs were structured, the impact of ...
Dec 27, 2021
resource Training Material

State-Funded Preschool in the Last Frontier: Alaska's Pre-Elementary Grant Program

Alaska's Pre-Elementary Grants provide funding for school districts to design, develop, and expand preschool programs in their communities. This study examined how districts implemented preschool programs as well as the characteristics and outcomes of participating preschool students. We provided coaching to Alaska partnership members and REL Northwest Governing Board members on the study to increase their capacity to understand the study findings and make them actionable.
Dec 13, 2021
resource Training Material

Professional Development Incentives for Oregon's Early Childhood Education Workforce: A Randomized Study

REL Northwest conducted randomized trials to test whether emails and differing financial incentives encouraged early childhood education workforce members to participate in Oregon's early childhood education career lattice--a system that promotes continued professional development. We provided coaching to Oregon partnership members and REL Northwest Governing Board members on the study to increase their capacity to understand the study findings and make them actionable.
Dec 13, 2021
resource Other Resource

Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence-based Resources for Facilitators on Remote Learning & Social and Emotional Learning

REL Northwest has created customizable professional development modules that school district facilitators can use to prepare middle and high school teachers in using remote learning resources and building social and emotional learning skills in a hybrid or in-person learning environment. These modules draw on evidence-based resources about teaching and learning in a remote environment that were produced by researchers from a network of 10 Regional Educational Laboratories (RELs) funded by the...
Dec 13, 2021
Blog

How Oregon helps early educators access professional development

Even though higher educational attainment among early childhood education (ECE) workforce members has been linked to improved classroom quality,1 just under half of all preschool teachers over age 25 have a bachelor's degree.2 ECE workforce members face various systemic barriers to developing their skills through higher education and professional development, including low wages,3,4 limited training opportunities in languages other than English, and ECE workforce members' need to balance f...
Date published:
Dec 01, 2021
resource Fact Sheet/Infographic/FAQ

Alaska's Pre-Elementary Grant Program: Who It Serves, How It Works, and How It Connects to Student Outcomes

Alaska's Pre-Elementary Grant (PEG) program aims to develop and expand preschool programs by providing flexible funding to school districts to increase preschool access and improve kindergarten readiness. This infographic highlights who it serves, how it works, and how it connects to student outcomes.
Sep 01, 2021
resource Fact Sheet/Infographic/FAQ

Can emails and financial incentives increase early childhood education workforce members' participation in professional development?

Randomized controlled trials tested whether sending emails and offering different financial incentives to Oregon's early childhood education workforce members led to increased education and training levels-- an outcome linked to improved quality of care for children. This infographic highlights key findings from the study.
Aug 31, 2021
report Impact Study

Professional Development Incentives for Oregon's Early Childhood Education Workforce: A Randomized Study

Many states seek to increase the education levels of their early childhood education (ECE) workforce to improve the quality of care for children. Oregon encourages all ECE workforce members to sign up for a career lattice, a career pathway system that helps them determine goals related to increasing their education. The state also offers incentives for reaching specific steps in the career lattice and scholarships for college credit and community-based training. This study used two randomized...
Aug 01, 2021
Publication number:
REL 2021-111
report Descriptive Study

State-Funded Preschool in the Last Frontier: Alaska's Pre-Elementary Grant Program

Created in 2016, Alaska's Pre-Elementary Grants (PEGs) allow school districts to design, develop, and expand affordable and accessible preschool in their communities. PEGs aim, in particular, to serve historically disadvantaged students. This study aimed to help Alaska stakeholders better understand how districts implemented the grants and what were the characteristics and outcomes of children who participated in PEG programs. Based on analyses of documents, interviews, and administrative dat...
Aug 01, 2021
Publication number:
REL 2021-093
resource Fact Sheet/Infographic/FAQ

Understanding the Needs and Experiences of Alaska Native English Learner Students

This infographic presents information from the study that may guide future policy and research to ensure that Alaska Native EL students receive culturally sustaining, high-quality education to support their academic progress, as well as the development of both their heritage and English language skills.
May 01, 2021
report Descriptive Study

Alaska Native Students as English Learner Students: Examining Patterns in Identification, Classification, Service Provision, and Reclassification

This report examines the population of Alaska Native students who are classified as English learner (EL) students and how EL policies function for these students, focusing on EL identification, classification, service provision, and reclassification as fluent English proficient. Alaska is one of several states where Indigenous students make up a large segment of the EL population. Drawing on Alaska state data from 2011/12 to 2018/19, this study found that roughly a quarter of Alaska Native ki...
May 01, 2021
Publication number:
REL 2021-088
resource Fact Sheet/Infographic/FAQ

How Educators in Alaska Can Build Students' Early Literacy Skills

To support Alaska educators, REL Northwest and the Region 16 Comprehensive Center provided training on evidence-based strategies for teaching early literacy. This infographic summarizes the information in those trainings.
Feb 01, 2021
resource Fact Sheet/Infographic/FAQ

Educator Retention and Turnover in Alaska: 2021 Update

Educator turnover is associated with a broad range of negative outcomes for students. Alaska continues to experience high rates of educator turnover, as measured by the number of teachers and administrators who do not return to a position or school in a given year. This issue is particularly acute in rural areas of the state. This infographic provides updated data that supplements a 2019 REL Northwest report on educator turnover in Alaska.
Jan 01, 2021
resource Fact Sheet/Infographic/FAQ

Teacher Turnover and Suggestions for Improving Retention: A Landscape Scan of Four Northwest States

Across the country, many states--including Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Washington--are working to lower teacher turnover and improve retention. Each state has its own unique context, but potential strategies to mitigate teacher turnover that increase retention may be relevant for multiple states.
Sep 01, 2020
report Descriptive Study

Educator Retention and Turnover under the Midnight Sun: Examining Trends and Relationships in Teacher, Principal, and Superintendent Movement in Alaska

This study examines trends in educator turnover and retention, and the relationships of those trends to educator and school characteristics, during a six-year period (2012/13 to 2017/18, with 2011/12 as the base year) in Alaska. Turnover refers to educators leaving their positions, while retention refers to educators staying in their positions at schools and districts. The study also summarizes the retention strategies used by eight school districts from across the state. Regional Educational...
Sep 01, 2019
resource Fact Sheet/Infographic/FAQ

Educator Retention and Turnover in Alaska

Like many other states, Alaska is finding it difficult to retain educators. Turnover--defined as not returning to a position or school in a given year--among Alaska educators is higher in rural areas and among educators not prepared in the state. Alaska's struggle to retain educators is concerning because educator turnover at the teacher, principal, or superintendent level is associated with negative student outcomes.
Jan 01, 2019
report Descriptive Study

Supporting the Transition to College: Accelerated Learning Access, Outcomes, and Credit Transfer in Oregon

Oregon has invested resources to expand access to accelerated learning programs (i.e., educational experiences that allow students to earn college credit in high school), and education leaders are committed to ensuring they are sustainable, equitable, and effective. Conducted in partnership with practitioners from secondary and postsecondary systems and institutions, this REL Northwest study is intended to guide policy and practice focused on improving accelerated learning programs in Oregon....
Nov 01, 2018
Blog

Exploring State-by-state Definitions of Kindergarten Readiness to Support Informed Policymaking

What does it mean to be kindergarten ready? It's an important question—and the answer can vary, depending on where you live. More than half of states have a definition for kindergarten readiness, and at least 25 states require kindergarten entry assessments (KEAs) to help educators better understand what students know upon entering kindergarten. Other states are gradually phasing in KEAs and/or making them optional. However, nationwide, there is no common understanding or definition ...
Date published:
Jan 29, 2018
Blog

Expanding Underrepresented Students' Access to and Enrollment in Dual-Credit Courses

Students who participate in dual-credit courses earn college credit for classes they take in high school, allowing them to get a head start on their postsecondary education. For the past four years, Oregon has been investing in ways to expand access to these courses--and better understand gaps in access--in an effort to increase the number of adults in the state who have earned a college credential (certificate or degree) by 2025. Our recent REL Northwest study takes a closer look at th...
Date published:
Oct 09, 2017
report Descriptive Study

Earning College Credits in High School: Options, Participation, and Outcomes for Oregon Students

Oregon's postsecondary attainment goal for 2025, adopted in 2011, calls for 40 percent of Oregon adults to have a bachelor's degree or higher, 40 percent to have an associate's degree or postsecondary certificate, and the remaining 20 percent to have a high school diploma or equivalent (S. 253, Or. 2011). As in other states a central strategy for increasing postsecondary attainment in Oregon is to promote accelerated college credit options--such as Advanced Placement, International Baccalaure...
Mar 01, 2017
report Descriptive Study

Alaska students' pathways from high school to postsecondary education and employment

Approximately 10,000 students leave Alaska high schools each year, with or without a diploma. In pursuit of their career and life goals, they chart courses across college enrollment, employment, and other opportunities. Until recently, policymakers and educators had little information about the pathways students took into their early careers. To obtain this information, Regional Educational Laboratory Northwest examined data through 2012 from multiple national and state education and labor so...
Mar 01, 2016
report Descriptive Study

Comparing postsecondary enrollment and persistence among rural and nonrural students in Oregon

This REL Northwest study examined whether rural students at all achievement levels were less likely than their nonrural counterparts to enroll in college and persist to the second year. The researchers analyzed college enrollment patterns and persistence among rural and nonrural Oregon high school students, as well as variations among different types of students. The study found that rural students were less likely than nonrural students to enroll in college at any time after high school. In ...
Mar 01, 2015