REL Quarterly E-letter (April 2024)

Hello REL Governing Board Members!

It is hard to believe that the end of the school year is just around the corner for many, and that planning for Summer and Fall 2024 is already in high gear. During this busy time, I wanted to share a few updates with you from the Department's Institute of Education Sciences and its REL Program.

Warmest regards,

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

Around the REL Program

One of the best ways to keep abreast of the latest happenings in the REL Program is by regularly reading each region's blog site. If you haven't been on the REL website in a while, check it out at https://ies.ed.gov/rels. While you're there, consider spending a few minutes learning more about ...

• Strengthening the educator workforce in Louisiana, and a Q&A between REL Southwest Governing Board members Dr. Kelli Joseph and Dr. Don Schillinger;
• REL Northeast and Islands' blog on bringing joyful learning to early childhood classrooms in the U.S. Virgin Islands;
• The Utah State Board of Education's work to confront early career teacher attrition, done in partnership with REL West;
• REL Appalachia's work to support kinship caregivers and grandfamilies; and
• Using students' home language knowledge in equitable early literacy instruction, as part of a partnership with REL Midwest and educators and school leaders in Michigan.

Something catch your eye as being potentially beneficial for your state, district, or community? Reach out to the Director of your REL to see how you can get connected!

The Latest in Education Statistics

IES's National Center for Education Statistics recently released its Digest State Dashboard, which provides state-level data on a range of indicators covering both public and private K-12 schools as well as postsecondary institutions. Just click on a state to learn more about:

• K-12 and postsecondary enrollment trends
• Characteristics of public school students
• Recent NAEP results in math and reading
• High school graduation rates
• Higher education costs

Once there, you can also easily access NAEP State Profiles, the U.S. Skills Map of Adult Literacy and Numeracy, and more!

From the REL Archive: Webinars Worth Watching and Sharing

Got too busy to attend that webinar you had signed up for? We've all been there! Some of our most recent webinars are archived on YouTube, and can be found below:

• Supporting Students' Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Through Individual Plans of Study (REL Central) ... describing how the REL is supporting Kansas in improving the postsecondary readiness of the state's students by increasing the implementation of, and student participation in, evidence-based individual plans of study practices.
• Improving Rural Teacher Retention: Developing Localized Strategies to Address Working Conditions (REL Northwest) ... focused on state and district leaders in rural settings, sharing research findings on teacher working conditions and a process for using research and local data to identify actionable strategies to improve working conditions in rural schools and districts.
• Using Data and Evidence to Strengthen Professional Learning Communities Around Math Instruction (REL West) ... discussing how to support educators in their use of data and evidence in developing professional learning communities to improve math instruction in grades K-5.

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.