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RELs work in partnership with states and districts to 1) conduct original high quality research, 2) provide training, coaching, and technical support, and 3) disseminate high quality research findings to better understand how to measure and support effective teachers and principals. A selected list of resources developed by the REL Program appears below.

Publications

• Evaluation of the impact of structured relationship-building teacher home visiting on student and teacher outcomes (REL Mid-Atlantic, November 2021). This study will evaluate the impacts of structured teacher home visits conducted as part of the District of Columbia Public Schools' (DCPS) Family Engagement Partnership (FEP) and Family Engagement Collaborative (FEC) programs. The study will provide information to help DCPS and other districts across the country determine the best ways to use their resources to improve parent engagement.
• Initial Findings on a Culturally Responsive Practices Professional Development Training Program in Wisconsin (REL Midwest, November 2020). Improving educational outcomes among Black students in Wisconsin is a state priority for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Midwest, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, and members of other key stakeholder groups have formed a research-practice partnership called the Midwest Achievement Gap Research Alliance to address it. One of the primary research topics that alliance members have prioritized is understanding culturally responsive practices—specifically, how culturally responsive practices are related to student and school outcomes. To address this research topic, this project will examine a formal program—the culturally responsive practices professional development training program that is supported by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction—to determine whether completing this program is related to school outcomes.
• Alternative Student Growth Measures for Teacher Evaluation: Implementation Experiences of Early-Adopting Districts (REL Mid-Atlantic, July 2015). State requirements to include student achievement growth in teacher evaluations are prompting the development of alternative ways to measure growth in grades and subjects not covered by state assessments. These alternative growth measures use two primary approaches: (1) value-added models (VAMs) applied to end-of-course and commercial assessments; and (2) student learning objectives (SLOs) selected by teachers with the approval of their principals.
• Alternative Student growth Measures for Teacher Evaluation: Profiles of Early Adopting Districts (REL Mid-Atlantic, April 2014).For this report, administrators in eight districts that were early adopters of alternative measures of student growth were interviewed about how they used these measures to evaluate teacher performance.
• Analysis of the Stability of Teacher-Level Growth Scores from the Student Growth Percentile Model (REL West, January 2016). This study, undertaken at the request of the Nevada Department of Education, examined the stability over years of teacher-level growth scores from the Student Growth Percentile (SGP) model, which many states and districts have selected as a measure of effectiveness in their teacher evaluation systems. The authors conducted a generalizability study using three years of data in mathematics and reading for nearly 370 elementary and middle school teachers from Washoe County School District in Reno, Nevada's second-largest district.
• Associations between the Qualifications of Middle School Algebra I Teachers and Student Math Achievement (REL Central, October 2019). This report describes the associations between middle school teacher qualifications and student achievement in Algebra I. Results suggest that the teacher qualification most strongly associated with middle school student achievement in Algebra I was performance on mathematics certification exams, followed by years of experience teaching mathematics. Teacher performance on mathematics certification exams and years of experience teaching mathematics were also strongly associated with achievement in Algebra I for under-represented and disadvantaged student subgroups.
• Connections Between Teacher Perceptions of School Effectiveness and Student Outcomes in Idaho's Low-Achieving Schools (REL Northwest, March 2014). This study found that teachers' perceptions of school improvement goals, processes, and supports measured by the Educational Effectiveness Survey were not generally related to three student outcomes in Idaho schools: proficiency in reading, proficiency in math, and attendance.
• The Content, Predictive Power, and Potential Bias in Five Widely Used Teacher Observation Instruments (REL Mid-Atlantic, November 2016) Many states and districts are considering adopting observation instruments to evaluate teacher performance and measure teacher quality. However, little information is available that would help districts and states choose among available instruments. To fill this gap, REL Mid-Atlantic will compare information on six widely used observation instruments.
• Examining the Validity of Ratings from a Classroom Observation Instrument for Use in a District's Teacher Evaluation System (REL West, May 2016). The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of teacher evaluation scores that are derived from an observation tool, adapted from Danielson's Framework for Teaching, designed to assess 22 teaching components from four teaching domains. The study analyzed principals' observations of 713 elementary, middle, and high school teachers in Washoe County School District (Reno, NV).
• A Guide for Monitoring District Implementation of Educator Evaluation Systems (REL Central, April 2015). This guide was developed to provide guidance to states or districts wishing to monitor implementation of educator evaluation systems. It describes a three-step process: develop state guidelines for educator evaluation systems; develop data collection methods; and determine adherence criteria and review data against criteria.
• How are Teacher Evaluation Data used in Five Arizona Districts? (REL West, May 2016). Recent teacher evaluation reforms instituted across the country have sought to yield richer information about educators' strengths and limitations and guide decisions about targeted opportunities for professional growth. This study describes how results from new multiple-measure teacher evaluations were being used in 2014/15 in five school districts in Arizona (according to interviews with district leaders and instructional coaches and surveys of school principals and teachers), with each district administering its own local evaluation system developed to align with the overarching state evaluation regulations passed in 2011.
• How States Use Student Learning Objectives in Teacher Evaluation Systems: A Review of State Websites (REL Northeast and Islands, March 2014). This report provides an overview of how states define and apply student learning objectives (SLOs) in evaluation systems. The research team conducted a systematic scan of state policies by searching state education agency websites of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. to identify tools, guidance, policies, regulations, and other documents related to the use of SLOs in teacher evaluation systems.
• Impact of a Checklist on Principal-Teacher Feedback Conferences Following Classroom Observations (REL Southwest, January 2018). Teacher performance feedback, when done well, can pinpoint professional development needs, boost teacher morale and retention, and improve instructional practice. This study, conducted by REL Southwest in partnership with the New Mexico Public Education Department, examined whether a low-cost checklist could improve the quality and value of the feedback that New Mexico principals provide teachers after formal classroom observations.
• Indicators of Successful Teacher Recruitment and Retention in Oklahoma Rural School Districts (REL Southwest, October 2017). Oklahoma is facing a historic teacher shortage, particularly in rural areas. This REL Southwest study examined 10 years of data to identify teacher, district, and community characteristics associated with successful teacher recruitment and retention in Oklahoma's rural school districts. The findings indicate the need to develop specific recruitment and retention policies for rural districts and also provide points for rural districts to consider in their teacher recruitment and retention initiatives.
• Opportunities for Teacher Professional Development in Oklahoma Rural and Nonrural Schools (REL Southwest, September 2017). This study examined data from the 2016 Oklahoma Teacher Professional Development survey. The findings provide an overall picture of teachers' professional development opportunities and practices in Oklahoma public schools, with a focus on rural settings.
• Principal and Teacher Perceptions of Implementation of Multiple-Measure Teacher Evaluation Systems in Arizona (REL West, November 2014). This study describes how multiple-measure teacher evaluations were put into practice in a set of ten volunteering local education agencies (LEAs) in Arizona. After a key shift in state policy, five "pilot" LEAs implemented the new Arizona Department of Education teacher evaluation model in the 2012/13 school year, while five other "partner" school districts developed their own local models aligned with the new state requirements.
• Professional Practice, Student Surveys, and Value-Added: Multiple Measures of Teacher Effectiveness in the Pittsburgh Public Schools (REL Mid-Atlantic, July 2014). In partnership with Pittsburgh Public Schools, REL Mid-Atlantic collected data from Pittsburgh on three different types of teacher performance measures: professional practice measures derived from the Danielson Framework for Teaching; Tripod student survey measures; and value-added measures designed to assess each teacher's contribution to student achievement growth.
• Properties of the Multiple Measures in Arizona's Teacher Evaluation Model. (REL West, November 2014). This study explored the relationships among the components of the Arizona Department of Education's new teacher evaluation model, with a particular focus on the extent to which ratings from the state model's teacher observation instrument differentiated higher and lower performance.
• Redesigning Teacher Evaluation: Lessons from a Pilot Implementation (REL Northeast and Islands, January 2015). REL Northeast & Islands, in collaboration with the Northeast Educator Effectiveness Research Alliance and the New Hampshire Department of Education, conducted a study of the implementation of new teacher evaluation systems in New Hampshire's School Improvement Grant (SIG) schools.
• Relationship between School Professional Climate and Teachers' Satisfaction with the Evaluation Process (REL Northeast and Islands, May 2016). This study, conducted by the Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast and Islands in collaboration with the Northeast Educator Effectiveness Research Alliance, reports on the relationship between teachers' perceptions of school professional climate and their satisfaction with their formal evaluation process using the responses of a nationally representative sample of teachers from the Schools and Staffing Surveys.
• Review of International Research on Factors Underlying Teacher Absenteeism (REL Pacific, April 2015). Throughout the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Region, teacher absenteeism has posed a long-standing challenge. This report draws on research literature from international contexts and case studies to identify the underlying factors that may relate to teacher absenteeism.
• Teacher Characteristics and Educator Evaluation: A Descriptive Study in a Large, Urban District. (REL Northeast and Islands, October 2016). This study explores how evaluation outcomes vary among teachers in a large urban district in the Northeast on the basis of years of experience and demographic characteristics such as age, race, and gender. Researchers will compare the characteristics of teachers who received a rating of less than proficient on their evaluation with teachers who received a rating of at least proficient.
• Teacher demographics and evaluation: A descriptive study in a large urban district (REL Northeast and Islands, October 2016) This descriptive study analyzed teacher characteristics, such as age, race, and gender and teachers' evaluation outcomes in a large, urban district in the Northeast. Results indicate that a disproportionate percentage of teachers age 50 and older, black teachers, and male teachers were rated below proficient compared to their representation in the total population of teachers.
• Teacher Evaluation and Professional Learning: Lessons from Early Implementation in a Large Urban District (REL Northeast and Islands, March 2016). REL Northeast and Islands, in collaboration with the Northeast Educator Effectiveness Research Alliance, examined the alignment of teacher evaluation and professional learning in a large urban district in the Northeast. REL researchers examined the types of professional learning activities teachers reported they participated in, the alignment of the reported activities with what evaluators prescribed, and whether evaluation ratings improved from one academic year to the next.
• Teachers' Responses to Feedback from Evaluators: What Feedback Characteristics Matter? (REL Central, November 2016). States and districts in the Central Region are developing teacher evaluation systems and are seeking information about how their administrators can best use evaluation findings to provide individualized feedback to improve teaching and learning. This proposed study will describe teacher experiences with feedback as part of a teacher evaluation system and will identify factors that may influence teachers' use of feedback and their performance.
• The Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System rubric: Properties and association with school characteristics (REL Southwest, October 2017). The purpose of this study was to examine the data from the 2014/15 pilot implementation of the Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS) in order to understand certain properties of the T-TESS rubric, which consists of 16 dimensions classified within 4 domains of teacher effectiveness.
• Trends in Teacher Mobility In Texas and Associations with Teacher, Student, and School Characteristics (REL Southwest, December 2017). This study examined and identified factors that may influence teacher mobility in Texas. The findings provide a deeper understanding of teacher mobility in the state so that Texas educators and policymakers can make data-driven decisions.
• Using Alternative Student Growth Measures for Evaluating Teacher Performance: What the Literature Says (REL Mid-Atlantic, September 2013). States increasingly are interested in incorporating measures of student achievement growth in teacher evaluations. But the typical measure of student growth—progress on state assessments from one school year to the next—usually covers only reading and math and only in grades 4–8.

Videos

• An Introduction to the Instructional Improvement Cycle: A Teacher's Toolkit. (REL Central). REL Central's new toolkit developed in collaboration with York Public Schools in Nebraska, provides teachers with a process and tools to deliberately study a single classroom teaching strategy. The toolkit includes a preprogrammed spreadsheet that determines the significance of test results between classes taught with and without a new instructional strategy.
• Data Coaching to Advance Teacher Mentoring in Boston Public Schools (REL Northeast and Islands) REL Northeast & Islands and Boston Public Schools partnered to develop a logic model and improve data collection to advance the effectiveness of a district-led mentoring program for beginning teachers.
• Examining Evaluator Feedback Survey Tool (REL Central). The Examining Evaluator Feedback Survey is a tool for administrators to gather information on teachers' perceptions of the feedback they receive from their evaluator and on teachers' self-reported responses to that feedback.
• A Guide for Monitoring District Implementation of Educator Evaluation Systems (REL Central). A new guide developed by REL Central provides a three-step process for state departments of education to monitor district implementation of state- or district-developed educator evaluation systems.
• Implementing the Instructional Improvement Cycle Toolkit. (REL Central). Teachers reflect on their action research. The Instructional Improvement Cycle Toolkit guides teachers through the process of selecting, testing, and adjusting instructional strategies. The toolkit was created in collaboration with teachers from York Public Schools in York, Nebraska.
• Jill Conrad, Boston Public Schools, on the Northeast Educator Effectiveness Research Alliance. (REL Northeast and Islands). Jill Conrad, Senior Advisor for Human Capital Strategy, talks about the usefulness of the Northeast Educator Effectiveness Research Alliance for Boston Public Schools.
• Making Meaningful Use of Teacher Effectiveness Data. Making Meaningful Use of Teacher Effectiveness Data. (REL West). Changes in federal policy have sparked a change in focus from teacher qualifications to teacher effectiveness. To respond to this change, states and districts have developed new systems for teacher evaluation comprised of multiple measures. REL West has developed a resource that school and district leaders can use to help consider various approaches.
• PDE Data Summit: Using Data to Provide Feedback and Support to Teaching Staff. (REL Mid-Atlantic) During the 2015 Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Data Summit, panelist David Christopher, Superintendent, Juniata Valley School District, describes how his school district uses data to provide feedback and support to its teaching staff.
• Supporting Continuous Improvement with Teachers in Maine (REL Northeast and Islands) REL Northeast & Islands researchers helped teachers at a small, rural elementary school in Maine use the continuous improvement process to improve math discourse, particularly students' equitable participation in math talk in their classrooms.
• Teacher Effectiveness Data Use (REL West). This video-based workshop from the REL West and the Center for Great Teachers and Leaders builds the capacity of district and school leaders to better understand, analyze, and apply teacher effectiveness data to make strategic decisions regarding teacher assignment, leadership, and professional development, and also helps facilitate local planning around the use of these data.
• Teacher Effectiveness Data Use Workshop (REL West). This video-based workshop from REL West and the Center for Great Teachers and Leaders builds the capacity of district and school leaders to better understand, analyze, and apply teacher effectiveness data to make strategic decisions regarding teacher assignment, leadership, and professional development, and also helps facilitate local planning around the use of these data.
• Teacher Evaluation and Professional Learning: Lessons from Early Implementation (REL Northeast and Islands) In collaboration with the Northeast Educator Effectiveness Research Alliance, REL Northeast & Islands examined the alignment between teacher evaluation and professional learning in a large urban district in the Northeast. In this video, principal investigator Karen Shakman summarizes the study's findings.
• Teachers' Responses to Feedback from Evaluators: What Feedback Characteristics Matter? (REL Central). In response to initiatives to increase educator effectiveness as directed through flexibility waivers under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, many states are implementing new teacher evaluation systems.
• A Well-Prepared Teacher: Aligning K–12 and Higher Education Expectations (REL Midwest). This video discusses the in-person event, "A Well-Prepared Teacher: Aligning K–12 and Higher Education Expectations," co-hosted by Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Midwest and the Michigan Department of Education. The event covered existing research on new teacher competencies, information about high-leverage practices, and examples from educator preparation institutions and K–12 schools and districts in Michigan working together to prepare novice teachers for success.

Archived Webinars

• The Strength of Partnerships: Supporting Design and Implementation of Equity-Oriented, Cohesive, Evidence-Based Mathematics Professional Learning Models (REL Appalachia, October 5, 2021). The National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics Annual Conference focuses on important issues for leaders in mathematics education. This year's NCSM conference featured a virtual component, with a session presentation from REL Appalachia staff on the design and implementation of a coherent professional learning model (PLM), using interconnected, evidence-based learning experiences to enhance educators' mathematics instruction to support student achievement and success.
• Ideas Worth Keeping: Research-Based Strategies for Remote and Hybrid Instruction (REL Appalachia, August 5, 2021) This webinar supports educators in applying tried-and-true, evidence-based practices in remote and hybrid instruction to post-pandemic contexts. Based on partnership work in Tennessee, REL Appalachia staff introduce educators to resources and model strategies to support the delivery of high-quality remote or hybrid instruction, focused on promoting student engagement, monitoring student progress, and providing feedback to students.
• Implementing a Professional Learning Model (PLM) to Improve Mathematics Teaching Webinar Series (REL Appalachia Wednesday, April 14, 2021 and Wednesday, May 12, 2021) This two-part webinar series builds the capacity of mathematics instructional leaders, coaches, and school administrators to design and implement a coherent professional learning model (PLM) to improve mathematics teaching. In this webinar series, REL Appalachia (REL AP) staff share evidence-based strategies and resources for implementing school- or district-level PLMs and monitoring success of teacher professional development. Hear from math leaders in Virginia and REL AP staff who have partnered together to design and implement PLMs in their school divisions and dig in to a compendium of evidence-based resources, freely available for use to build a PLM to meet local needs.
• Addressing Trauma in Educational Settings, Module 3: School Systems, Policies, and Procedures to Support Students Experiencing Trauma (REL Appalachia, March 30, 2021). This is the final of three webinars on how educators and school leaders can support students experiencing trauma. REL AP staff discuss how school leaders can implement schoolwide changes in systems, policies, and procedures to support students experiencing trauma.
• Research-Based Strategies for Effective Remote Learning: Designing Instruction for a Hybrid Model (March 24, 2021). This is the final of three workshops on effective methods for delivering online instruction to students in grades K-12. REL AP staff present ways to design instruction for a hybrid model. They identify key features of two types of hybrid instruction: (1) when students spend part of the week attending class in person and part attending remotely and (2) when teachers are simultaneously instructing a group of in-person students and a group of remote students.
• Research-Based Strategies for Effective Remote Learning: Student Engagement (REL Appalachia, December 8, 2020). This is the first of three webinars in a train-the-trainer series on research-based strategies for effective remote learning. During this webinar, REL Appalachia staff shared how educators can support students' physical, emotional, and mental engagement in a virtual setting.
• Implementing a Professional Learning Model to Improve Mathematics Teaching Webinar 1 (REL Appalachia, April 14, 2021). This is the first of two webinars on building the capacity of mathematics instructional leaders, coaches, and school administrators to design and implement a professional learning model (PLM) to improve mathematics teaching. REL Appalachia staff introduce free, evidence-based resources to mathematics teacher leaders, coaches, and school administrators for use in planning their school- or district-level PLM, including resources relevant to remote or blended settings.
• Addressing Trauma in Educational Settings, Module 1: Impacts and Symptoms of Trauma and Relevant Strategies to Support Students (REL Appalachia, November 20, 2020). This is the first of three webinars on how educators and school leaders can support students experiencing trauma. REL Appalachia staff share research and resources to build participants' knowledge of the impacts and symptoms of trauma, as well as relevant strategies to support students who exhibit such symptoms.
• Performance Assessments in Use Webinar (REL Appalachia, August 11, 2020). This is the second of two REL Appalachia webinars on selecting, enhancing, and implementing performance assessments in science. Facilitators review example performance assessments and highlight exemplar instructional materials that support their implementation. They also disseminate exemplars for improving performance assessments using the Virginia Quality Criteria Review Tool for Performance Assessments and REL Appalachia supplementary materials. Virginia science teachers share insights and best practices from administering their own performance assessments through individual presentations and a Q&A session.
• Introduction to Performance Assessments Webinar (REL Appalachia, August 4, 2020). This webinar is the first of two REL Appalachia webinars on selecting, enhancing, and implementing performance assessments in science. Facilitators summarize evidence-based research related to using performance assessments and introduce participants to the Virginia Quality Criteria Review Tool for Performance Assessments. Participants will hear about the materials developed by REL Appalachia to use the Criteria Review Tool to support Virginia science teachers who administered their own performance assessments in the fall of 2019.
• Improving Educational Equity through Cultural Responsiveness in Schools and Educator Preparation Programs (REL Mid-Atlantic, October 2019). This webinar is the fourth in a series of four webinars that focuses on improving educational equity through cultural responsiveness in schools and educator preparation programs. This webinar explores how best to prepare educators to implement culturally responsive pedagogy, including and exploration of how programs train future teachers and school administrators and what changes programs may need to consider to effectively prepare these educators. It also considers core implementation considerations and challenges that programs will need to address.
• Implementing District and School Policies and Practices to Support Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (REL Mid-Atlantic, October 2019). This webinar is the third in a series of four webinars that focuses on improving educational equity through cultural responsiveness in schools and educator preparation programs. This webinar explores how a school and district have approached the challenge of implementing culturally responsive practice. It elaborates on programs, policies, and practices that were implemented to support efforts to achieve equity and use culturally responsive pedagogy. It also discusses core implementation considerations and challenges that may need to be addressed.
• Research and Practice in Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and How to Sustain Systemic Changes (REL Mid-Atlantic, October 2019). This webinar is the second in a series of four webinars that focuses on improving educational equity through cultural responsiveness in schools and educator preparation programs. This webinar explores research on culturally responsive pedagogy and what is known about its effectiveness. It also explores what implementation of culturally responsive pedagogy looks like in practice as well as exploring the roles of educators, schools, districts, and states in implementing it.
• A Framework for Educational Equity and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (REL Mid-Atlantic, September 2019). This webinar is the first in a series of four webinars that focuses on improving educational equity through cultural responsiveness in schools and educator preparation programs. This webinar defines educational inequity and discuss its implications. It includes a brief introduction to culturally responsive pedagogy and what broader systemic changes may be necessary to implement equity and culturally responsive pedagogy.
• Micro-credentialing and Teacher Professional Learning (REL Northeast and Islands, October 17, 2018) As district leaders seek new and improved ways to advance educator professional development, many are considering incorporating micro-credentials into their districts' professional learning systems or are in the early stages of piloting them. This webinar provides evidence-based information on micro-credentials and how best to use them to support teacher learning. The webinar also presents lessons learned from early adopters about the design and implementation of micro-credentialing programs.
• Planning for High-Quality Evaluation of Professional Learning, Session 3 (REL Northeast and Islands, January 25, 2018) Drs. Katrina Bledsoe and Candice Bocala explore how districts can use the results of an evaluation to inform decisions around professional learning and development (PLD). They also provide guidance for selecting evidence-based PLD and working with external evaluators.
• Using Cost Analysis to Inform Decisions about Professional Learning (REL Northeast and Islands, January 11, 2018) Drawing from resources such as the REL report, "The Critical Importance of Costs for Education Decisions," and CostOut, an online toolkit developed by Columbia University and funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, Dr. Fiona Hollands discusses why cost analysis is important, the types of cost metrics that are useful for decision making, and four methods for cost analysis.
• Planning for High-Quality Evaluation of Professional Learning, Session 2 (REL Northeast and Islands, November 16, 2017) Drs. Katrina Bledsoe and Dr. Candice Bocala discuss the connection between evaluation questions and data collection methods and offer an overview of data quality, credibility, validity, and reliability.
• Student Learning Objectives: Lessons Learned and Next Steps (REL Southwest and the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders, October 19, 2016). This webinar presents national, state, and district perspectives on the use of student learning objectives. The webinar is in four parts:
• Part 1: Introduction
• Part 2: National Perspective
• Part 3: State Perspective
• Part 4: District Perspective
• Planning for High-Quality Evaluation of Professional Learning, Session 1 (REL Northeast and Islands, October 11, 2017) This webinar is the first in a three-part training series on how to plan and execute high-quality evaluations of educator professional learning and development (PLD). Drs. Katrina Bledsoe and Candice Bocala discuss the basics necessary to plan a good program evaluation. They introduce logic models as a way of clearly articulating the central components of the PLD and its outcomes, and they discuss how to develop appropriate evaluation questions.
• NEERA Research and Practice in Educator Evaluation: Teacher Demographics and Evaluation (REL Northeast and Islands, December 6, 2016). Jessica Bailey presents key findings from a NEERA study that examined the role of teacher characteristics in educator evaluation. Using teacher demographic and evaluation data from one large urban district over three years, the research team explored how evaluation outcomes varied among teachers by their race/ethnicity, age, and gender.
• Research in Brief Series: Teacher Evaluation and Professional Learning (REL Northeast and Islands, November 29, 2016). Drs. Karen Shakman and Jacqueline Zweig presented key findings from a NEERA study that examined the alignment between teacher evaluation results and teachers' professional learning in a large urban district in the Northeast & Islands Region.
• Educator Effectiveness and the Regional Educational Laboratories (Cross-REL, September 2016) This presentation highlights the work of the research alliances of the Regional Educational Laboratories (RELs) in supporting educator effectiveness through technical assistance and research evaluation projects.
• Examining Evaluator Feedback in Teacher Evaluation Systems (REL Central, November 3, 2016). This webinar provided data and information contained in REL Central's report The Examining Evaluator Feedback Survey. Presenters provided an overview of the iterative process used to develop the survey. Included was a description of the contents of the survey and how states and districts can use the survey.
• School Professional Climate and Teachers' Satisfaction with the Evaluation Process (REL Northeast and Islands, November 1, 2016). Dr. Natalie Lacerino-Paquet presented key findings from a NEERA study that examined the relationship between school professional climate and teachers' satisfaction with their evaluation process.
• Equitable Access to Excellent Educators: State Planning Resources (REL Midwest, REL Southwest, REL West, Center on Great Teachers and Leaders) September 30, 2015). This webinar provides support for developing State Educator Equity Plans, including lessons learned, strategies, and resources available to help with planning.
• Increasing Educator Effectiveness With Culturally Responsive Teaching Effective School Leaders (REL Northwest, November 17, 2015). A 90-minute webinar providing evidence on the benefits of integrating cultural standards/culturally responsive education into teaching and school leadership practices, as well as advice from state and local leaders who have incorporated cultural components into an educator evaluation system.
• Educator Evaluation System Data: What Exists and How Do We Use It? (REL Midwest, October 29, 2015).Educator Effectiveness Research Alliance hosted a webinar intended to address different designs of educator evaluation systems and how data from these systems are used to inform teacher and district practice.
• Reporting on Teacher Preparation Program Performance: A Look at State Approaches (REL Central, October 13, 2015) States in the Central Region are making changes to how they report and share data in efforts to evaluate and continually improve teacher preparation programs. This webinar helped attendees understand issues related to the reporting and use of teacher preparation program evaluation results.
• Practical Strategies To Communicate About Educator Effectiveness: A REL Northwest Webinar (REL Northwest, September 2015). In recent years, teaching quality has been recognized as the most significant in-school factor in student success. Principals also play a key role in teacher and student success.
• Teacher Evaluation Systems: Lessons from New Implementations in New Hampshire and Pittsburgh (REL Northeast and Islands, June 3, 2015). The focus of this webinar is two new studies supported by the Northeast Educator Effectiveness Research Alliance at REL Northeast & Islands and the Teacher Evaluation Research Alliance at REL Mid-Atlantic.
• Using Student Surveys to Monitor Teacher Effectiveness (REL Mid-Atlantic, December 9, 2014). In this online chat, part of the REL Mid-Atlantic Ask an Expert series, Kim Marshall, former teacher and principal and publisher of The Marshall Memo, led the discussion of the use of student surveys to help teachers improve their instructional techniques. Participants explored some of the challenges and benefits of survey use for teacher evaluation versus using a survey to give teachers feedback they can immediately use to make improvements.
• Using Instructionally Sensitive Assessments to Measure Teacher Effectiveness (REL Mid-Atlantic, November 13, 2014). In this REL Mid-Atlantic Teacher Effectiveness Webinar, participants learned about the importance of the instructional sensitivity of assessments and discussed how the use of results from instructionally sensitive assessments can promote teacher effectiveness. This webinar featured W. James Popham, Ed.D., Professor Emeritus at UCLA. Dr. Popham is a nationally recognized expert on educational assessment, a prolific author, and a long-time educator of teachers.
• Pathways into Teaching (REL Mid-Atlantic, November 11, 2014). In this Ask an Expert online chat, participants shared insights about various teacher preparation methods and the attributes that make them effective, regardless of whether they take a traditional or an alternative approach. Ana Menezes of The New Teacher Project summarized the research, described the work of The New Teacher Project, and offered strategies for effective teacher preparation.
• Educator Evaluation: The Key to School Policies That Recognize the Differences Among Teachers (REL Southwest, November 3, 2014). This bridge event webinar, "Educator Evaluation: The Key to School Policies That Recognize the Differences Among Teachers," was led by Dan Goldhaber, PhD, the director of the Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (CALDER) with the American Institutes for Research. Dr. Goldhaber is also the director of the Center for Education Data & Research (CEDR) at the University of Washington Bothell.
• Overview of Ohio's Evaluation System (REL Southwest, November 3, 2014). This bridge event webinar, Implementation of New Educator Evaluation Systems: Lessons Learned, was led by Carolyn Everidge-Frey, director of the Office of Educator Effectiveness, and Matthew J. Lutz, EdD, director of the Office of Educator Equity and Talent, Ohio Department of Education.
• Implementation of New Educator Evaluation Systems: Lessons Learned (REL Southwest, November 2, 2014). This event "Educator Evaluation: The Key to School Policies That Recognize the Differences Among Teachers," was led by Dan Goldhaber, PhD, the director of the Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (CALDER) with the American Institutes for Research. Dr. Goldhaber is also the director of the Center for Education Data & Research (CEDR) at the University of Washington Bothell.
• Bridge Event Overview: Implementation of Educator Evaluation Systems (REL Northeast and Islands, October 3, 2014).Co-hosted by the Northeast Educator Effectiveness Research Alliance at REL Northeast & Islands and the National Center for Teacher Effectiveness at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, this daylong event examined the successes and challenges related to the implementation of teacher evaluation systems.
• Common Core State Standards and Teacher Effectiveness (Ask An Expert Online Chat) (REL Mid-Atlantic, September 16, 2014). In this online chat, part of the REL Mid-Atlantic Ask an Expert series, Ross Wiener of the Aspen Institute led a discussion of the Common Core State Standards and what they mean for teacher effectiveness.
• Using Student Surveys to Monitor Teacher Effectiveness (REL Mid-Atlantic, June 27, 2013). In this Teacher Effectiveness Webinar, participants learned how student surveys can give insight into teaching effectiveness and classroom life, including student engagement, and considered ways to use student surveys in their practice. Dr. Ronald Ferguson, creator of the Tripod Project and Senior Lecturer at Harvard University Graduate School of Education, presented his work on the Tripod Project, a research-based, classroom-level data collection, analysis, and reporting system.
• Science Education and Teacher Effectiveness: Next Generation Science Standards-Aligned Instruction (REL Mid-Atlantic, September 4, 2014) The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are a new set of standards designed to ensure consistent K–12 science education with an emphasis on engineering and technology. In this REL Mid-Atlantic Teacher Effectiveness webinar, participants explored how these new standards provide an instructional framework to support professional growth and inform teacher evaluation systems for science instruction.
• Formative Assessment as the Key to Effective Instructional Practice (REL Mid-Atlantic, June 19, 2014). Increasingly, teachers see formative assessment as a way to improve student achievement and related student progress indicators. In this REL Mid-Atlantic Teacher Effectiveness webinar, participants discussed the systematic process of formative assessment and the evidence it provides to help teachers inform instruction and students inform learning.
• Implementing Educator Evaluation and Support Systems- A REL Northwest Webinar (REL Northwest, May 28, 2014). In this one-hour webinar, presenters Dr. Dan Goldhaber of the Center for Education Data & Research at University of Washington Bothell, and Michelle Hudacsko of the District of Columbia Public Schools' IMPACT performance assessment system, discuss key elements of educator effectiveness evaluation and support systems, as well as how educator evaluations can be used to improve the performance of current and future teachers.
• Using Teacher Evaluation to Change Teaching (REL Mid-Atlantic, May 15, 2014). In this REL Mid-Atlantic Teacher Effectiveness webinar, participants became familiar with the research related to the use of teacher evaluations and they learned how various measures might be used to improve teaching. This webinar featured Courtney Bell, Ph.D., a former teacher and now a Senior Research Scientist at Educational Testing Service and the Understanding Teacher Quality Center.
• Instructional Coaching and the Effective Teacher (REL Mid-Atlantic, April 17, 2014). This webinar featured Jim Knight, Ph.D., a Research Associate at the University of Kansas, who has been studying and writing about professional learning for nearly two decades and is a popular presenter at professional development events. Dr. Knight is also the host of Talking About Teaching on the Teaching Channel.
• Teacher Effectiveness and Students with Disabilities (REL Mid-Atlantic, March 27, 2014). In this webinar, Dr. Eric Hanushek of Stanford University described his ongoing research on principal effectiveness. As part of the Texas Schools Project, Dr. Hanushek and his colleagues are using a value-added model to examine principal effectiveness and quality in terms of how much an individual principal adds or subtracts from students' learning gains.
• The Teacher's Role in Quality Classroom Interactions (REL Mid-Atlantic, November 21, 2013). This webinar featured Jacqui Kearns, Ed.D., Director of the National Alternate Assessment Center and an expert in the area of alternate assessment, curriculum, and instruction for students with disabilities. Dr. Kearns led participants in a discussion of factors important in developing a fair and useful system for the evaluation of special education teachers.
• Using Classroom Observations to Measure Teacher Effectiveness (REL Mid-Atlantic, October 24, 2013). In this Ask an Expert online chat, participants explored the key elements in effective classroom observation as part of a teacher evaluation system. Christy McGinnis of Cambridge Education led the discussion of practical suggestions for using classroom observations to provide helpful, timely feedback for teachers, with the end goal of improving student learning.
• Common Core State Standards and Teacher Effectiveness (REL Mid-Atlantic, October 10, 2013). In this Teacher Effectiveness webinar from REL Mid-Atlantic, Dr. Ross Wiener, Vice President and Executive Director of the Education and Society Program of the Aspen Institute, discussed strategies for integrating the Common Core State Standards into teacher effectiveness systems.
• Professional Development: What Works? (REL Mid-Atlantic, May 23, 2013). In this online chat, part of the REL Mid-Atlantic Ask an Expert series, Dr. Hilda Borko of Stanford University led a discussion of the use of the Problem-Solving Cycle model for professional development and the use of videos as tools for teacher learning. Participants shared successes and challenges in implementing professional development programs.
• Performance-Based Teacher Evaluation in Five States: Implications for the NEI Region (REL Northeast and Islands, April 23, 2012). The Northeast Educator Effectiveness Research Alliance at REL Northeast & Islands hosted this Bridge Event Webinar—which was cosponsored by the New England Comprehensive Center—exploring characteristics of performance-based teacher evaluation (PBTE) systems and challenges to successfully developing and implementing them.

Infographics

• Adapting Educator Professional Learning to a Virtual Environment (REL Pacific)
• Career Readiness: Preparing the Student (REL Southeast)
• Evidence-based teaching practices (REL Southeast)
• FACT Sheet: Teaching Diverse Learners Using Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (REL Mid-Atlantic)
• FACTSheet: What are teacher residency programs? (REL Mid-Atlantic)
• Fostering Excellent Teaching and Learning Practices Through Networked Improvement Communities (REL Southwest)
• Helping Newcomer Immigrant and Refugee Students Register for Secondary School (REL Northwest)
• How do professional development opportunities differ for rural and nonrural teachers in Oklahoma? (REL Southwest)
• How has Pittsburgh Implemented Multiple Measures of Teacher Effectiveness? (REL Mid-Atlantic)
• Instructional Coaching for English Language Arts: Practice and Outcomes (REL Northeast & Islands)
• Leveraging Technology to Provide Feedback on Student Work (REL Appalachia)
• Six Steps to Build Research into Cohesive Math Professional Learning (REL Appalachia)
• The Sum Is Greater Than the Parts: Engaging Community to Promote Math Learning (REL Appalachia)
• Teacher Evaluation and Professional Learning (REL Northeast and Islands)
• Using Professional Learning Standards to Increase Educators' Capacity (REL Pacific)

For more resources in ERIC on the topic of Educator Effectiveness, click here.

For more resources in the What Works Clearinghouse on the topic of Educator Effectiveness, click here.