Ask A REL Reference Desk
Ask A REL is a collaborative reference desk service provided by the ten Regional Educational Laboratories (RELs) and functions much in the same way as a technical reference library. It provides references, referrals, and brief responses in the form of citations on research-based education questions.
Do you have research questions about education policies, programs, and practices? We're here to help. Submit your question and our reference librarian will conduct a literature search and send you a personalized response.
Featured Responses to Questions from the Region
Intellectual Disabilities and Language Learning (July 2019)
Heritage Language Loss (July 2019)
Rural Schools and English Learners (July 2019)
Responses Sorted by Topic
Below is a list of other readily available responses, sorted by topic, that we can email you upon request.
American Indians
Responses below are available upon request
- Chronic attendance and American Indian students
- Engagement of American Indian/Alaska Native Parents and Families
Beating the Odds
Responses below are available upon request
- Student mobility
Charter Schools
Responses below are available upon request
- School vouchers, charter schools, and federally-funded scholarships
College and Career Readiness
- Advisory Programs (May 2019)
- Summer Melt (April 2019)
- Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment (May 2018)
- Elementary School Career Development Programs (April 2018)
Responses below are available upon request
- College aspirations and the effect on achievement
- Grouping in high school science classes
- High school special education services
- College and career advisors and coaches
- Exit exams
- Mastery learning
- Grade promotion/acceleration
Curriculum and Instruction
- After-school Programs (April 2019)
- Teacher Feedback (March 2019)
- Character Education (April 2019)
- Physical Activity Breaks (May 2019)
- Homework and Student Outcomes (November 2018)
- Grouping for Reading Instruction (December 2018)
- Physical Activity in Elementary Classrooms (September 2017)
Responses below are available upon request
- Class size
- Integrating gifted programming in general education classes
- Character education
- Standards-based grading
- Looping
- Block schedules
- Combined classrooms
- Grade-span configuration
Data Use
Responses below are available upon request
- Elementary grading
- SAT and ACT exam data
- Assessment systems and practices
Discipline
- Classroom Management and Discipline (September 2018)
- Restorative Justice Practices in Schools (March 2018)
Responses below are available upon request
- Social skills interventions for students with autism spectrum disorders
- Drug and alcohol interventions
- Teen youth court
- Sexual harassment
Early Childhood
- State-funded Preschool/Prekindergarten (May 2019)
- Executive Functioning Skills (July 2018)
- Play in Kindergarten Classrooms (July 2018)
Responses below are available upon request
- Early childhood program evaluation tools
- Interdisciplinary integration in primary grades
- Effectiveness of preschool/prekindergarten programs
- Pre-first grade classes
- Social and emotional development in early childhood
Early Warning Systems
Responses below are available upon request
- High school credit requirements for graduation
- Chronic absenteeism
- Transition to high school
Educator Effectiveness
Responses below are available upon request
- Teacher induction
- Collective teacher efficacy
- Job-embedded professional development
English Learners
Literacy
Responses below are available upon request
- Fluency
- Sight word instruction
- Dual-credit writing courses
- Summer slide of reading skills
Math
Responses below are available upon request
- Middle school math
- Developmental math courses in college
- Increasing STEM Access for girls and students of color
- Girls-only STEM programs
Online Courses
Responses below are available upon request
- Factors for online learning success
- Online higher education instruction
Postsecondary
Responses below are available upon request
- Merging university programs
- Adult high school diploma programs
- Developmental mathematics courses in college
Principals
Responses below are available upon request
- School leadership and student achievement
Rural
Teacher Preparation
Responses below are available upon request
- Teacher certification
- "Grow Your Own" teachers
Teacher Workforce
Responses below are available upon request
- Bilingual and diverse teacher recruitment
- Parent-teacher conferences
Other
Responses below are available upon request
- Student agency
- Family/parent involvement
- School-based health centers
- Middle school start times
- Unsupervised time at home
- Superintendent turnover
- Learned helplessness
- Business partnerships