REL Midwest Training and Coaching Resources
REL Midwest offers training and coaching to build individual and organizational capacity to understand and use research in education policy and practice. These efforts have resulted in the following resources for educators, policymakers, and other interested stakeholders.
Data Use in the Continuous Improvement Cycle Training
January 2021
In this training series, REL Midwest worked with afterschool mentors and educational support staff at Change Inc. in St. Paul, Minnesota, to improve their data literacy skills in the context of continuous improvement and equity. The slides from each session are available online.
Running Records for Early Literacy Assessment Training
October 2020
REL Midwest developed a training for teachers, literacy coaches, and academic interventionists that outlines how to use running records for formative assessment and then use the data to make changes in classroom practices. The slides from each session are available online.
A Toolkit for Assessing Learning Changes After Spring 2020 COVID-19 School Closures
December 2020
REL Midwest created this resource to help public school districts better understand how their students are faring after widespread school closures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In-Depth ESSA Tiers of Evidence Training for the Michigan Data Hub
July 2020
REL Midwest hosted a four-part training series about the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) tiers of evidence. The slides and handouts from each session are available online.
District 191 Competency-Based Education Training
June 2020
In this training series, REL Midwest is working with staff from Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191 in Minnesota to help them better understand competency-based education (CBE) strategies, identify appropriate strategies for their context, and develop plans to implement strategies and monitor their implementation. Participants receive support as they undertake rapid cycles of development, implementation, measurement, and assessment of CBE strategies during the 2020/21 school year. The materials from the first training session are available online.
March 2020
Designed for prekindergarten teachers and providers in Illinois, this REL Midwest workshop introduced the Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS) instrument and how it relates to other common early childhood assessments. Workshop participants reviewed KIDS readiness indicators and learned how to use KIDS data to drive their instructional planning. A handout summarizing the ideas for KIDS data use generated during the training is available online.
Supporting Students’ Social and Emotional Learning
March 2020
REL Midwest and the Indiana Department of Education co-hosted two webinars with districts and schools in Indiana that were interested in incorporating social and emotional learning into their schoolwide practices. The recording and slides from each webinar are available online.
Kindergarten Individual Development Survey: Ins and Outs of Observation Training
October 2019
This virtual workshop shared research-driven best practices for conducting Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS) observations. Designed for kindergarten teachers and administrators, it focused on practical strategies to incorporate KIDS observations into daily instruction. The recording, slide deck, and handouts are available online.
Environmental Scan of Minnesota Credit-Recovery Programs
September 2019
REL Midwest coached the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) through the process of conducting an environmental scan that identified the practices and programs used by Minnesota public school districts to support students’ credit-recovery efforts. The slide decks and a summary infographic are available online.
Madison Metropolitan School District Environmental Scan of Literacy Interventions
July 2019
REL Midwest provided a four-part coaching series to support the Madison Metropolitan School District’s environmental scan of programs and interventions to support K–12 literacy development. The slides from each session are available online.
Continuous Improvement Through Networked Improvement Communities
July 2019
REL Midwest provided in-depth coaching and consultation in Iowa to help stakeholders identify programs and practices that support the integration of technology into classroom instruction. Materials, including slide decks and facilitation guides, are available online.
School Boards and Educational Equity: Bridging Research, Policy, and Practice
July 2019
This virtual training for school board members and district superintendents raised awareness about opportunity and achievement gaps experienced by Wisconsin’s Black students and helped identify resources and strategies to increase their educational opportunities. The recording and slide deck are available online.
Wisconsin Technical College System Research Methods Training
May 2019
REL Midwest provided two training sessions for the Wisconsin Technical College System to build participants’ data literacy, knowledge of research methods, and capacity to use data and research to improve their programs. The slide decks and handouts are available online.
Evidence-Based Practices Training for the Michigan Data Hub
May 2019
REL Midwest facilitated a training session to help Michigan Data Hub staff learn about the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) tiers of evidence, the What Works Clearinghouse and other clearinghouses, and how the clearinghouses’ evidence ratings align with ESSA. The slide deck and handout are available online.
World’s Best Workforce 2018 Summary Scan Training for District Staff
May 2019
In this virtual training, REL Midwest and the Minnesota Department of Education provided district staff with information about emerging practices that have supported progress on Minnesota World’s Best Workforce goals related to equity, and successes and challenges in implementing these practices at the local level. The recording and slide deck are available online.
World’s Best Workforce 2018 Summary Scan Training for State Staff
May 2019
This training session provided an overview of a scan of 200 World’s Best Workforce district submissions from 2018 for Minnesota Department of Education staff. The session highlighted findings about district strategies to ensure equitable access to a high-quality, diverse teacher workforce and to address student achievement gaps. The slide deck and handouts are available online.
Research Methods Training for the Illinois State Board of Education
April 2019
REL Midwest hosted a five-part training series about research methods for Illinois State Board of Education staff. The slides, activities, and handouts from each session are available online.
Lakes Country Service Cooperative Research Methods Training
November 2018
REL Midwest provided a three-hour training on research methods for Lakes Country Service Cooperative staff in Minnesota. The session aimed to improve participants’ understanding of research methods to inform their programmatic decisions. The slide deck and handouts are available online.
Kindergarten Individual Development Survey Data Use Train-the-Trainer Workshop
October 2018
This train-the-trainer workshop built the content knowledge, facilitation skills, and confidence of a cadre of trainers who present Kindergarten Individual Development Survey data use trainings to kindergarten teachers in Illinois. The facilitation guide and all materials needed to lead the data use training are available online.
Environmental Scan on Closing the Black-White Achievement Gap
July 2018
REL Midwest coached the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction through the process of completing an environmental scan of existing state and district policies, programs, and practices aimed at closing the achievement gap. An infographic is available online that details the process for completing an environmental scan, research review, and gap analysis.
Cleveland Research Agenda-Setting Train-the-Trainer Workshop
July 2018
This workshop trained leaders from Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s educational researcher-practitioner partnership, the Cleveland Alliance for Education Research, to conduct research agenda-setting workshops for schools throughout the district. The facilitation guide is available online.
Research Methods Training for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
May 2018
REL Midwest hosted a six-part training series about research methods for Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction staff. The slides, activities, and handouts from each session are available online.
Coaching for the Iowa Department of Education Postsecondary Readiness Indicators Workgroup
March 2018
REL Midwest provided coaching to inform the development of Iowa’s postsecondary readiness indicator using a literature review of measures and a scan of other states’ Every Student Succeeds Act plans. The slides from the coaching session are available online.
World’s Best Workforce 2016 Summary Scan Webinar
March 2018
In this virtual training, REL Midwest and the Minnesota Department of Education shared information with district staff to ensure a common understanding of the Minnesota World’s Best Workforce legislation and requirements for districts. The presenters also provided highlights from a review of World’s Best Workforce district summaries. The recording and handouts are available online.
Establishing a Networked Improvement Community Focused on Personalized Learning Plans
March 2018
REL Midwest facilitated a one-day, in-person training to help the Minnesota Department of Education and Minnesota schools and districts understand the purposes and principles of networked improvement communities. Participants explored the possibility of using networked improvement communities for continuous improvement efforts. The slide deck is available online.
Coherence: Reflection and Study Guide for State Education Agency Leaders
January 2018
REL Midwest developed a study guide to help state education agency leaders take the necessary actions to make their organization a more efficient, coherent support-based agency.
Aligning Evidence-Based Clearinghouses with the ESSA Tiers of Evidence
January 2018
This crosswalk tool can help practitioners and policymakers determine the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) tier of evidence attained by findings about a particular intervention, if the findings are also aligned with another clearinghouse’s evidence standard.
Kindergarten Individual Development Survey Data Use Webinar
November 2017
This virtual training helped Illinois teachers use Kindergarten Individual Development Survey results from their own classrooms to set education goals and action steps. The recording, slide deck, and handouts are available online.
Exploring the Potential of Clinically Oriented Teacher Preparation Programs for Michigan
October 2017
This two-part training explored the potential of clinically oriented teacher preparation programs, or teacher residencies, in Michigan. A training handout is available online that describes characteristics of successful clinically oriented teacher preparation programs, and profiles 10 of these programs throughout the United States.
Cleveland Research Agenda-Setting Workshop
May 2017
REL Midwest hosted a workshop to support the Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s development of a research agenda. The slides, meeting agenda, and the district’s resulting research agenda are available online.