REL Quarterly E-letter (January 2024)

Hello REL Governing Board Members!

I hope your 2024 has gotten off to a safe, healthy, and productive start. As we look forward to a new year and the opportunities it brings, I wanted to share a few updates with you from the Department's Institute of Education Sciences and its REL Program.

I also wanted to remind you that we'll hold our Spring All-REL Governing Board Meeting on Monday, March 18 at 4 PM Eastern Standard Time. An invitation is attached. (Login information is also below.)

Warmest regards,

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

REL Spotlight

In the third in our series, REL Program Officer Nicassia Belton highlights work with three states to support data-driven decision-making. It highlights:

• REL Mid-Atlantic, which worked with the Pennsylvania Department of Education to increase the reliability of data used to inform school performance measures;
• REL Appalachia, which partnered with districts in northeastern Tennessee to explore data on students' college and career preparation to strengthen local programs and services; and
• REL Northwest, which collaborated with Laurel (MT) Public Schools to leverage data to improve its implementation of multi-tiered systems of support in reading and bolster students' literacy outcomes.

Missed the first two blogs? Access them both here!

All-REL Governing Board Meeting

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

DATE: Monday, March 18, 2024
TIME: 4 PM to 5 PM Eastern Standard Time
JOIN VIA:

• Microsoft Teams
• Audio Only: +1 202-991-0393,,89961683#

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

ICYMI: REL Midwest-Detroit Public Television Documentary

In Supporting Michigan Learners Toward Excellence in Reading, REL Midwest highlights work in two Michigan districts designed to accelerate early literacy. It chronicles the efforts of Detroit Public Schools Community District to provide high-quality professional development to teachers focused on the science of reading, and in Chippewa Hills to implement multi-tiered systems of support and data-based individualization. The 30-minute documentary, and accompanying viewing guide, can be found here.

Around IES: Risk and Resilience in Children Experiencing Homelessness

This past November was National Homeless Youth Awareness Month. In her blog from "Inside IES Research," Dr. Ann Masten (University of Minnesota) reflects upon her career and highlights "the power of a resilience lens for research with high-risk families and the vital role of research-practice partnerships." Read more about Dr. Masten and her important work here. More information about the Department's Homeless Children and Youth Program can be found at the National Center for Homeless Education.

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.