Our Making Connections events are conducted in person, as webinars, or as screenings of documentary-style programs produced in partnership with public television stations. Learn about upcoming events and access archived videos, meeting materials, and related resources from past events.
Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS) Data Use Train-the-Trainer Workshops
These train-the-trainer workshops on October 22, October 24, and November 5, 2018, build the content knowledge, facilitation skills, and confidence of a cadre of trainers who present KIDS data use workshop materials to kindergarten teachers.
A Well-Prepared Teacher: Aligning K–12 and Higher Education Expectations
This in-person event, co-hosted by REL Midwest and the Michigan Department of Education, discusses aligning expectations for new teachers between K–12 and higher education.
Iowa Learning and Technology Networked Improvement Community
As part of a cross-REL panel at the National Forum to Advance Rural Education, REL Midwest describes the use of a networked improvement community to support education technology use in Iowa’s rural high schools.
Ready for the Future: Career Preparation in Rural Communities
REL Midwest is hosting a screening of a documentary about the unique challenges facing rural communities in Minnesota as students explore and prepare for careers.
Conducting Relevant Research through Networked Improvement Communities
This webinar addresses how researchers and practitioners can form networked improvement communities (NICs) to study high-priority questions about education practice.
Transforming Professional Learning: Meeting the Needs of Online and Blended Educators
This webinar, sponsored by the Wisconsin Digital Learning Collaborative, describes a survey tool to help align and improve professional development for online teachers.
Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS) Data Use Workshop: Session 5
In this workshop, teachers have the opportunity to analyze their classrooms’ KIDS data to set education goals and action steps.
Predicting Early College Success for Indiana’s High School Class of 2014
This REL Midwest session at the NCES STATS-DC Data Conference presents the findings of a study on early college success for Indiana’s high school class of 2014.
Rural Postsecondary Readiness and Success in REL Midwest States
This breakout session at the Appalachian Higher Education Network Conference highlights REL Midwest studies focused on postsecondary transitions and pathways and college readiness and success in rural Minnesota and Indiana.
The RELs: Bridging Research, Policy, and Practice
This panel at the Appalachian Higher Education Network Conference highlights the work of the regional educational laboratories (RELs), including REL Midwest studies focused on college and career readiness and success.
Strategies to Support Evidence Use in Education
This webinar discusses barriers that may prevent education practitioners from using evidence-based practices and shares actionable strategies that researchers and other stakeholders can employ to increase evidence use.
Dialogue on Difficult Conversations in Prevention Science
This roundtable discussion will explore ways researchers can engage in and facilitate respectful dialogue to improve the translation of science.
Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS) Data Use Workshop: Session 4
In this workshop, teachers have the opportunity to analyze their classrooms’ KIDS data to set education goals and action steps.
Comprehensive Supports for College-Bound Students
This webinar highlights the effects of various college readiness supports on student success, featuring research findings on supports that only provide financial aid compared to supports that combine financial aid with academic preparation.
This poster session provided an overview of the Iowa Learning and Technology Networked Improvement Community (NIC), as well as strategies and lessons learned for establishing regional NICs.
Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS) Data Use Webinar: Session 2
In this webinar, teachers had the opportunity to analyze their classrooms’ KIDS data to set education goals and action steps.
Establishing a Networked Improvement Community Focused on Personalized Learning Plans
This workshop increased participants’ knowledge of networked improvement communities (NICs) and their skills to establish a successful NIC related to personalized learning plans.
Kindergarten Individual Development Survey Data Use Workshop: Illinois ASCD Conference
In this workshop, teachers had the opportunity to analyze their classrooms’ Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS) data to set education goals and action steps.
Building Survey Methodology Rigor in Education Agencies
This Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness conference presentation shared lessons learned from a project that provided state education agency staff with capacity-building trainings to improve survey data quality.
This Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness conference panel explored ways to engage effectively with practitioners to facilitate evidence-based decisionmaking.
Researcher-Practitioner Partnerships and Kindergarten Entry Assessments
This Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness conference panel included presentations on three different researcher-practitioner partnerships that worked with state and local education agencies to build their capacity around using data from kindergarten entry assessments.
Strategies for Increasing the Utility of Research
This Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness conference presentation introduced the REL program and demonstrated how to apply strategies in four key stages of the research process to affect its utility.
This presentation described the current work of the Midwest Achievement Gap Research Alliance, offered perspectives from alliance members, and outlined the research and technical assistance support available to school boards through REL Midwest.
Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS) Data Use Workshop: Session 3
In this workshop, teachers had the opportunity to analyze their classrooms’ KIDS data to set education goals and action steps.
Navigating Beyond High School: College and Career Readiness Among English Learner Students
This Cleveland Metropolitan School District Multilingual Multicultural Education Conference presentation discussed college and career readiness with a specific focus on English learner students.
This presentation described the current work of the Midwest Achievement Gap Research Alliance, offered perspectives from alliance members, and outlined the research and technical assistance support available to school boards through REL Midwest.
Navigating Evidence-Based Clearinghouses
This Ohio Department of Education Literacy Academy session provided an overview of the Every Student Succeeds Act tiers of evidence and how they align with three existing evidence-based clearinghouses.
Selecting Evidence-Based Practices
This Ohio Department of Education Literacy Academy session highlighted the Every Student Succeeds Act tiers of evidence, the criteria that make up each tier, and how they align with the standards of evidence from two evidence-based clearinghouses.
The goal of this training was to help participants gain an understanding of the most up-to-date methods used to determine how much it costs to provide an adequate education to students.
Kindergarten Individual Development Survey Data Use Workshop: Mastering KIDS Summit
In this workshop, teachers had the opportunity to analyze their classrooms’ Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS) data to set education goals and action steps.
Power of Translating Data to Improve Classroom Outcomes
This panel at the Mastering KIDS Summit discussed how research can advance outcomes for kids from the perspectives of a state agency, applied research, and an advocacy/policy organization.
Supporting STEM in Rural Contexts
This webinar covers strategies to support science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning opportunities in rural contexts.
Learning Upgrade: Technology in Iowa Schools
REL Midwest produced an informational video with Iowa Public Television that covers research-based strategies for the successful use of education technology.
Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS) Data Use Webinar: Session 1
In this webinar, teachers have the opportunity to analyze their classrooms’ KIDS data to set education goals and action steps.
Research Methods Session 3: Interviews and Focus Groups
REL Midwest is providing a six-part training series for staff at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. This session covered interviews and focus groups.
State of Teacher Preparation: Research and Stories from Early Years in the Classroom
In partnership with Detroit Public Television, REL Midwest created a 30-minute, documentary-style public television program that covers evidence-based best practices for new teacher preparation and support.
Acceleration Programs in Minnesota: Characteristics and College Pathways of Students Who Participate
This Illinois Education Research Council Annual Symposium presentation shared results and implications of a REL Midwest study on acceleration programs in Minnesota.
Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS) Data Use Workshop: Session 2
In this workshop, teachers had the opportunity to analyze their KIDS data to set education goals and action steps.
Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS) Data Use Workshop: Session 1
In this workshop, teachers had the opportunity to analyze their KIDS data to set education goals and action steps.
Training for Minnesota Department of Education Staff on World’s Best Workforce
REL Midwest is working with the Minnesota Department of Education to better understand how state-level staff can support districts in implementing their World’s Best Workforce plans.
Research Methods Session 2: Surveys
REL Midwest is providing a six-part training series for staff at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. This session covered surveys.
Exploring the Potential of Clinically Oriented Teacher Preparation Programs for Michigan: Session 2
The Michigan Department of Education and REL Midwest conducted a two-part training to explore the potential of clinically oriented teacher preparation programs, or teacher residencies, in Michigan.
Culturally Responsive Practices to Close the Achievement Gap
This in-person event focused on culturally responsive practices that show promise in closing achievement gaps and the research that supports these practices.
Exploring Educator Movement Between Districts
This webinar focuses on research addressing the teacher pipeline and the mobility of teachers between schools and districts.
Research Methods Session 1: Overview
REL Midwest is providing a six-part training series for staff at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. This session overviewed the fundamentals of research and evidence.
Learning English: Diverse Students in American Classrooms
In partnership with WVIZ/PBS ideastream, REL Midwest created a 30-minute, documentary-style public television program that presents the research on academic supports for English learner students.
Preparing American Indian Students for College and Careers
This webinar shares information and resources on culturally responsive strategies to promote college and career readiness for American Indian students.
Exploring the Potential of Clinically Oriented Teacher Preparation Programs for Michigan: Session 1
The Michigan Department of Education and REL Midwest conducted a two-part training to explore the potential of clinically oriented teacher preparation programs, or teacher residencies, in Michigan.
Real-Life Research: The Value of Partnerships to Inform Quality Improvement in QRIS
This session at the Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) National Meeting described two research partnerships in Iowa and Minnesota and shared real-life tips and tools for developing partnerships and conducting research with a focus on quality improvement.
Impacts of the Early Warning Intervention and Monitoring System after One Year
This Society for Prevention Research Annual Meeting session covered REL Midwest’s examination of the impact and implementation of one early warning system—the Early Warning Intervention and Monitoring System.
Equipping Parents to Support Kindergarten Readiness
This webinar explores the non-academic components of school readiness and addresses how childcare providers can help parents prepare children for the non-academic components of kindergarten.
