Midwest Achievement Gap Research Alliance
Download the alliance’s research agenda [456 KB 
]
Partnership Facilitator
Kyle Fagan
kfagan@air.org
Research Liaison
Jameela Conway-Turner
jconway-turner@air.org
Partnership Objective
The Midwest Achievement Gap Research Alliance leverages data from state education agencies and other key stakeholders for two purposes:
- To increase the region's capacity to access, conduct, interpret, and make sense of achievement gap research.
- To support the use of achievement gap research in decision making at the state and local levels.
Members
- Tony Chambers, Wisconsin Collaborative Education Research Network, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Andreal Davis, Culturally Responsive Practices Coordinator, Wisconsin Rtl Center
- Allison DeGraaf, Principal, Kennedy Elementary School
- Carl Frederick, Research Analyst, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
- Eric Grodsky, Professor of Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Madeline Hafner, Executive Director of the Minority Student Achievement Network, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Julia Hartwig, Assistant Director of Special Education and Learning Support, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
- Frank Humphrey, President, Wisconsin NAACP
- Jerlando Jackson, Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Jack Jorgensen, The Wisconsin Collaborative Education Research Network, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Kurt Kiefer, Assistant State Superintendent, Division for Libraries and Technology, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
- John Odom, State Education Chairman, Wisconsin NAACP
- Brad Saron, Superintendent, Sun Prairie Area School District
- Seena Makeeba Skelton, Director, Great Lakes Equity Center
- Brianna Stenson, Teacher, Kennedy Elementary School
- Chrishirella Sutton, Manager, Office of Family & Community Engagement, Racine Unified School District
- Karen Wendorf-Heldt , Agency Administrator, CESA 9
- Kate Womack, Teacher, Kennedy Elementary School
- Jonas Zuckerman, Director of Title I and School Support Staff, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Training, Coaching, and Technical Support Projects
Environmental Scan on Closing the Black-White Achievement Gap
REL Midwest provided in-depth coaching and consultation to support the Wisconsin
Department of Public Instruction’s continued efforts to close the achievement
gap between the state’s Black and White students. REL Midwest’s environmental
scan included state and district profiles outlining existing policies, programs,
and practices aimed at closing the achievement gap. REL Midwest also is creating
an infographic that details the process for completing an environmental scan.
Publications
Evidence-Supported Interventions
Associated with Black Students’ Education Outcomes: Findings from a Systematic
Review of Research
REL Midwest conducted a systematic review of research on interventions that may
improve academic outcomes for Black students.
Blog Posts
- Research alliances: Structures for collaboration
- Culturally responsive practices bring educators together
- Resource roundup: Improving outcomes for students of color
- A year of work toward closing the achievement gap
- Culturally responsive instruction: Best practices and supports
- Cultural awareness in the classroom: Kennedy Elementary
- How will MAGRA tackle the achievement gap?
- Task force asks successful educators to share insights about closing the achievement gap
- Meet the alliance member: Chrishirella Warthen-Sutton, Ph.D.
Events
- Working in Partnership to Improve Educational Outcomes Among Black Students: Closing the Achievement Gap Consortium
- What Matters for District Learning? Exploring the Conditions that Lead to Greater Use of Research in Two Research-Practice Partnerships
- Working in Partnership to Improve Educational Outcomes among Black Students: Wisconsin State Education Convention
- Culturally Responsive Practices to Close the Achievement Gap