archived information
Topic Areas
Cross-REL Working Group Focuses on English Learners
Mon Dec 13 2021 by
Heidi Larson, REL Northeast & Islands Cross-REL/TA Outreach Coordinator
Read about Rhode Island's efforts to improve college and career readiness in youth through accelerated college credit programs, which students participate, and how they benefit.
Data Coaching in Puerto Rico: Reflecting on and Celebrating the Work
Tue Nov 02 2021 by
Sheila Rodriguez, Research Associate, REL Northeast & Islands
Read about how data coaches in Puerto Rico have been helping to build a culture of data use across the island.
REL Northeast & Islands and Rhode Island Leaders Support High Quality Work-Based Learning
Fri Oct 22 2021 by
Ellen Cushing, Principal Technical Assistance Consultant
Learn how state and local leaders are investing in work-based learning to increase student access and participation throughout the Northeast region.
Virgin Islands Project Supports All Educators in Instructing English Learners
Thu Jul 29 2021 by
Dr. Carrie Parker, Principal Research Scientist, REL Northeast & Islands
Learn how REL Northeast & Islands has teamed up with the Virgin Islands Department of Education to ensure that all teachers use high-quality instructional practices with English learners.
New Report Finds Accelerated College Credit Programs Have Positive Outcomes for Students
Wed Jun 30 2021 by
Xinxin Zhang , Research Assistant II
and Dr. Katherine Shields, Research Scientist
Read about Rhode Island's efforts to improve college and career readiness in youth through accelerated college credit programs, which students participate, and how they benefit.
Innovative Data Analysis Helps Boston Learn from Teachers’ Early Pandemic Experiences
Thu Feb 25 2021 by
Joshua Cox, Senior Research Associate, REL Northeast & Islands
and Dr. Meg Caven, Senior Research Associate, REL Northeast & Islands
Read about how REL Northeast & Islands used an innovative method to analyze Boston Public School survey data to inform Boston's remote teaching in the fall.
Culturally Responsive Data Literacy: Transforming Data and Information into Action
Wed Feb 24 2021 by
Dr. Ellen Mandinach, Senior Research Scientist
Learn how Culturally Responsive Data Literacy can help educators support all students to continue to learn and be successful during this uniquely challenging time and into the future.
New Toolkit Helps Schools Use Continuous Processes to Solve Problems
Tue Dec 22 2020 by
Diana Wogan, REL Researcher
Read about our new toolkit to help schools and districts engage in continuous improvement processes.
Creating and Using Performance Assessments: An Online Course for Educators
Sun Nov 01 2020 by
Dr. Jessica Bailey, Senior Research Associate, REL Northeast & Islands
REL Northeast & Islands is excited to release a free online course that will guide teachers in developing, scoring, and using high-quality performance assessments within a comprehensive assessment system.
Rural Schools and Communities Pull Together During COVID-19
Sat Aug 01 2020 by
Dr. Pam Buffington, Rural Education Lead, REL Northeast & Islands
Learn how rural communities throughout the REL Northeast & Islands region and beyond are coping with connectivity and access issues that disadvantage rural students.
New Project Supports U.S. Virgin Islands’ English Learner Program to Ensure Equitable Access to High-Quality Instruction
Fri May 01 2020 by
Sheila Rodriguez, Research Associate, REL Northeast & Islands
The number of English learners in the Virgin Islands has almost doubled since 2011. Learn how REL Northeast & Islands has partnered with the Virgin Islands Department of Education to improve academic achievement and ensure equitable access to high-quality instruction for English Learners.
What We Have Learned from Our Work with Teachers
Sat Feb 01 2020 by
Dr. Karen Shakman, Research Scientist, REL Northeast & Islands
REL Northeast & Islands researchers work with educators to help them use data and evidence to arrive at the best instructional approaches for their students. This blog discusses some important lessons learned.
State Report Cards Go Digital in the Northeast
Fri Nov 01 2019 by
David Blumenthal, Researcher, REL Northeast & Islands
and David English, Senior Technical Assistance Consultant, REL Northeast & Islands
The state-issued school report card as we know it is transforming to a richer and more detailed picture of district- and school-level performance. Learn how REL Northeast & Islands is helping states use data from these online report cards for school improvement planning.
Supporting Dual Language Learners in the PreK Classroom
Thu Aug 01 2019 by
Heidi Larson, REL Northeast & Islands Cross-REL/TA Outreach Coordinator
and Dr. Carrie Parker, Principal Research Scientist, REL Northeast & Islands
Bilingualism carries a number of advantages to children—including social, linguistic, cognitive, and cultural benefits. Learn about strategies to help young dual language learners succeed.
Ask A REL Answers Your Important Research Questions
Mon Jul 01 2019 by
Diana Wogan, REL Researcher
Learn how one district leader, tasked with exploring the benefits and drawbacks of later school start times, used the REL Northeast & Islands Ask A REL service to inform her district’s decision.
Partnership Project Supports New Data Coaches in Puerto Rico
Fri Feb 01 2019 by
Sheila Rodriguez, Research Associate, REL Northeast & Islands
We partnered with the Puerto Rico Department of Education to provide training for new data coaches hired to work with school leaders and teachers to help build their capacity to analyze and use their own classroom data to plan lessons and differentiate instruction.
How Can We Better Translate Education Research into Action?
Mon Oct 01 2018 by
Jill Marcus, Research Assistant II, REL Northeast & Islands
Despite the growth in the number of education researcher-practitioner collaborations, gaps in knowledge remain about how to translate research into action effectively.
REL Reports Explore Calculating and Using Expenditure-to-Performance Ratios
Sun Jul 01 2018 by
Dr. Pam Buffington, Rural Education Lead, REL Northeast & Islands
Like many government-funded entities, public school districts are increasingly asked to “do more with less.”
Four Questions to Ask About Your Data: An Example from a Data Coaching Project with Boston Public Schools
Fri Jun 01 2018 by
Dr. Kyle DeMeo Cook, Research Associate, REL Northeast & Islands
and Dr. Karen Shakman, Research Scientist, REL Northeast & Islands
As part of our mission to advance the use of data in educational decision-making, REL Northeast & Islands provides customized training, coaching, and technical support to partners in the region seeking assistance with data use.
Researcher-Stakeholder Engagement Guides Development of Tool to Improve Identification of English Learner Students
Tue May 01 2018 by
Dan Mello, Researcher, REL Northeast & Islands
At REL Northeast & Islands, we are charged by the Institute of Education Sciences to work with educators, school leaders, policymakers, and others to use data and evidence to improve student outcomes. In doing this, we are encouraged—in fact, required—to work in close partnership with regional stakeholders to ensure the research we conduct and the training and technical support we offer are of use and relevant to practitioners in our communities.
Technical Working Group Helps Keep REL Research Rigorous and Relevant
Thu Feb 01 2018 by
Dr. Julie Riordan, Director of REL Northeast & Islands
At REL Northeast & Islands, one of our most important jobs is to ensure that the research we develop and use in partnership with our stakeholders is rigorous and relevant. Our applied research studies must be methodologically sound, and our training, coaching, and technical support projects must be informed by current and credible research. Additionally, we want our projects to meet local needs and contribute to broader conversations about critical challenges facing U.S. schools.
Collaborative Webinar Focuses on Managing Student Data in Times of Crisis
Mon Jan 01 2018 by
Ashley Gaddis, Dissemination Manager
On December 18, 2017, REL Northeast & Islands collaborated with three federally funded technical assistance programs to present a public webinar that explored how state education agencies (SEAs) and local school districts can manage student data in times of crisis.