Our Work
Driven by the needs of our region
Throughout the Northwest, teachers, school administrators, and other education stakeholders seek to address inequities and improve outcomes for all students. To that end, they are asking important questions, such as:
- How can we make sure young children have a successful start in school?
- How do we best serve our growing population of English learner students?
- How can we help students graduate from high school and achieve postsecondary success?
- What do states and districts need to do to ensure all students have effective teachers?
These are some of the questions that guide the work of REL Northwest—we are driven by the needs of our region.
Specifically, in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington, we work alongside practitioners and policymakers at all levels of the education system. The goal: Use data and evidence to address educational challenges that impede students' success.
Through research-practice partnerships and other collaborative efforts, we:
- Conduct rigorous research studies and produce relevant, objective, peer-reviewed reports
- Provide customized training, coaching, and technical support that advance data-informed decision-making
- Manage the region's Ask A REL service, which provides references and referrals in response to stakeholders' research questions
- Share actionable, up-to-date research evidence via blog posts, events, social media, newsletters, and other resources
Latest
Where Did Students Go During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
Concerned that the shift away from in-person learning would lead more students to unenroll from school, education leaders in Alaska and Washington asked REL Northwest to analyze their enrollment data and explore whether student enrollment in public schools changed during the 2020/21 school year compared to the two previous academic years.
Grow-Your-Own Programs for American Indian Teachers in Montana
Schools located in rural areas and on Indian reservations in Montana face ongoing teacher shortages. This infographic shows how grow-your-own programs have emerged as one solution that draws on the strengths of Native communities to better serve Native children and youth.
Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic
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 (SEL) skills in a hybrid or in-person learning environment.
Infographics, Videos, and Special Features Sorted by Topic
- Grow-Your-Own Programs for American Indian Teachers in Montana (infographic)
- Understanding the Needs and Experiences of Alaska Native English Learner Students (infographic)
- The First Migratory Learners: Identifying and Supporting American Indian and Alaska Native Migratory Students (infographic)
- Strategies for Improving the Accuracy of Native Student Identification (video)
- Native Youth Count (infographic)
- Practicing Native Culture, Building Identity, Fostering Achievement (special feature)
- Improving High School Graduation Rates for All (evidence blast)
- Adding It Up: The Value of Education and Work Experience in Alaska (video)
- Adding It Up: The Value of Education and Work Experience in Alaska (infographic)
- Starting School in the United States: A Guide for Newcomer Students' Families (infographic)
- Understanding the Needs and Experiences of Alaska Native English Learner Students (infographic)
- Helping Newcomer Immigrant and Refugee Students Register for Secondary School (infographic)
- Supporting Young English Learners at Home: Family and Caregiver Activities (resource)
- Improving the Identification of English Learners Students for Talented and Gifted Programs (infographic)
- Teaching Newcomer English Learners: Four Powerful Vocabulary Practices (video)
- Improving High School Graduation Rates for All (evidence blast)
- The Right Fit: Selecting an English Learning Program for Your Students (infographic)
- Improving Language Acquisition Among English Learners: Four Powerful Evidence-Based Activities (video)
- Finding the Right Starting Point: Obtaining, Interpreting, and Evaluating International Transcripts (infographic)
- Oregon's Promise to Cover the Cost of Community College Tuition (infographic)
- First-Year Effects of Early Indicator and Intervention Systems (EIIS) in Oregon (infographic)
- Addressing Basic Needs Insecurity Among College Students (infographic)
- Helping Newcomer Immigrant and Refugee Students Register for Secondary School (infographic)
- Ensuring Students are Prepared for Postsecondary Opportunities (infographic)
- Career and Technical Education at Oregon High Schools (infographic)
- Preventing High School Dropout Across Vulnerable Student Groups in Oregon (infographic)
- Increasing Equity in Access to Accelerated Learning in Oregon (infographic)
- Soaring to College: Accelerated Learning Access, Outcomes, and Credit Transfer in Oregon (infographic)
- How Equity Has Helped Close the Graduation Gap for Latino Students in One Oregon District (special feature)
- Preparing for What's Next: Career and Technical Education (evidence blast)
- Improving High School Graduation Rates for All (evidence blast)
- Obtaining, Interpreting, and Evaluating International Transcripts (infographic)
- The Power of High School GPA to Predict College Readiness (video)
- Adding It Up: The Value of Education and Work Experience in Alaska (video)
- Adding It Up: The Value of Education and Work Experience in Alaska (infographic)
- How Educators in Alaska Can Build Students' Early Literacy Skills (infographic)
- Building Positive Math Attitudes Training Series (resource)
- Promoting Positive Math Attitudes: A Training for Secondary Teachers (resource)
- Teaching Math to Young Children for Families and Caregivers (resource)
- How to Boost Your Middle Schooler's Math Confidence and Success (video)
- Two Strategies to Help Your Child Learn to Love Math (video)
- Two Classroom Strategies to Reduce Students' Math Anxiety (video)
- Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic (resources)
- Sent to the Office (infographic)
- Are State Policy Reforms in Oregon Associated with Fewer School Suspensions and Expulsions? (infographic)
- Strengthening Relationships with Students from Diverse Backgrounds (video)
- School Safety for Students (infographic)
- School Safety for Educators (infographic)
- School Safety for Parents and Caregivers (infographic)
- Shifting the Current School Climate: Sense of Belonging and Social and Emotional Learning (infographic)
- Grow-Your-Own Programs for American Indian Teachers in Montana (infographic)
- Professional Development Incentives for Oregon's Early Childhood Education Workforce (infographic)
- Teacher Diversity and Testing in Washington State (infographic)
- Creating Positive Practicum Experiences (video)
- Educator Retention and Turnover in Alaska: 2021 Update (infographic)
- Teacher Turnover and Suggestions for Improving Retention: A Landscape Scan of Four Northwest States (infographic)
- 9 Strategies for Recruiting and Retaining Diverse Teachers (infographic)
- Educator Retention and Turnover in Alaska (infographic)
- Educator Mobility and Shortages in Montana (infographic)
- Educator Recruitment and Retention (evidence blast)
- If You Want to Make a Difference, Come Here (special feature)
- Gaining Focus: Identifying Gaps in Idaho's Teaching Workforce (infographic)
National Leadership Area: Postsecondary Readiness and Success
In addition to regional priorities, REL Northwest leads the national, cross-REL working group on Postsecondary
Readiness and Success. This entails collaborating with other RELs across the country to learn about REL work in
the area of postsecondary readiness and success and plan professional development, joint research, and
dissemination activities that are mutually beneficial to each region's stakeholders and to the field.