REL E-letter (July 2024)

Hello REL Governing Board Members!

It's hard to believe that it's already the first week in July. For most, planning for the Fall is already well underway and, before we know it, we'll be welcoming students, families, and educators to the 2024–25 academic year.

In this last installment of the REL eLetter for the 2023-24 academic year, I'm sharing information about Spring and early Summer REL happenings and resources for the Fall.

I also wanted to send along a "Save the Date" for our annual Fall All-REL Governing Board Meeting on Monday, October 7 at 4 PM Eastern Standard Time. An invitation is attached. (Login information is also below.)

Warmest regards,

Matt Soldner
Acting Director, Institute of Education Sciences and
Commissioner, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance
U.S. Department of Education

REL Spotlight

In May, REL Midwest partnered with Ball State (Indiana) Public Broadcasting to develop From Classroom to Career: Work-Based Learning for Indiana's Students. It highlights the benefits of work-based learning for students and employers. Through the stories of learners, educators, and leaders, the documentary spotlights three models of work-based learning in Indiana districts--two rural and one urban--as well as practices the districts are using to strengthen their programs and student outcomes.

The documentary features the following work-based learning programs:

• Engineering internship at Perry Central Community Schools, offered in partnership with Thermwood Corporation
• Accounting apprenticeship at Indianapolis Public Schools, offered through EmployIndy's Modern Apprenticeship Program
• Bulldog Manufacturing and Design school-based enterprise with the Collaboration of Shoals, Mitchell, and Orleans Schools (COSMOS)

I'd encourage you to share it with any partners interested in work-based learning!

Resources to Share: Addressing Foundational Academic Skills During the Summer Months

Research continues to point to the need to support the development of foundational skills among the nation's youngest learners, particularly in math. To that end, I'd encourage you to share the following resources from our RELs:

• Teaching Math to Young Children for Families and Caregivers--This resource provides practical guidance and strategies to engage children in math learning activities at home.
• Supporting Your Child's Reading at Home--This resource offers tips and suggestions to foster a love for reading and support literacy development in children.

If you are involved in implementing summer learning opportunities for students who may be struggling academically, I recommend exploring the following resources:

• What Works Clearinghouse | Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics: Intervention in the Elementary Grades--This practice guide provides evidence-based practices that can help teachers tailor their instructional approaches and mathematics intervention programs to meet the needs of their students.
• What Works Clearinghouse | Providing Reading Interventions for Students in Grades 4-9--This practice guide provides four evidence-based recommendations that teachers can use to deliver reading interventions to meet the needs of their students.
• Additional resources include self-study guides for implementing Literacy Interventions in Grades 3-8, Early Literacy Interventions, and High School Academic Interventions.

All-REL Governing Board Meeting

Please join us for the Fall, 2024 All-REL Governing Board Meeting.

DATE: Monday, October 7, 2024
TIME: 4 PM to 5 PM Eastern Standard Time
JOIN VIA:

• Microsoft Teams
• Audio Only: +1 202-991-0393,,853483256#  

If you'd like to propose an agenda item, please let me know!

Let's Connect!

Well, that's a wrap on this installment of the REL newsletter. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, I can be reached at matthew.soldner@ed.gov. For even more IES content, sign up for our NewsFlash to get periodic updates about the RELs and other IES programs.