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.
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.
Understanding Teacher Turnover in Early Childhood Education
Mon Jun 21 2021 by
Dr. Meg Caven, Senior Research Associate, REL Northeast & Islands
Why is teacher turnover so high in some early childcare centers and so low in others? Learn about a study that examined factors associated with turnover in the early childhood educator workforce.
Teacher Induction Program Holds Promise for Retaining Beginning Teachers
Fri May 07 2021 by
Georgia Bock, Research Associate
Read about a new study that investigated the relationship between participation in Connecticut’s teacher induction program and beginning teacher retention.
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.
Leveraging the Benefits of Collaboration for Collective Impact
Fri Jan 01 2021 by
Dr. Meg Caven, Senior Research Associate, REL Northeast & Islands
and Nicole Breslow, Project Director
REL Northeast & Islands and the Region 2 Comprehensive Center are collaborating to provide coordinated support to states and districts in our region. Learn about the early benefits they are seeing.
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.
Early Childhood Education Research Alliance Members Share Strategies in Response to COVID-19 Crisis
Mon Jun 01 2020 by
Dr. Clare Waterman, Research Scientist, REL Northeast & Islands
and Audrey Gallo, Research Associate, REL Northeast & Islands
Learn how states in the Northeast & Islands region are engaging families and their children from birth to age 5, supporting their ECE workforce, and making plans to reopen ECE centers in the fall.
Bringing Professional Development Research to Light
Sun Mar 01 2020 by
Kellie Kim, Researcher, REL Northeast & Islands
Professional development for educators is a key means of improving classroom instruction and students’ learning. Find out how REL Northeast & Islands conducted a review of research on professional development topics, culminating in an infographic on instructional coaching.
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.
Supporting Districts’ Efforts to Evaluate Professional Development
Sat Jun 01 2019 by
Dr. Candice Bocala, Senior Research Associate, REL Northeast & Islands
Two REL Northeast & Islands projects are building the capacity of district leaders to evaluate their own teacher professional development (PD) efforts, whether they decide to hire an external evaluator or conduct PD evaluations internally.
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.
Research Study Examines Relationship Between Teacher Induction Program and Teacher Retention
Sat Sep 01 2018 by
Dr. Candice Bocala, Senior Research Associate, REL Northeast & Islands
Teacher turnover is a problem across the United States, with about 17 percent of teachers leaving within the first five years in the profession. This turnover rate costs states and districts money and time, and negatively affects student outcomes.
Bridge Event Explores Research on Teacher Preparation for Equity and Diversity
Wed Aug 01 2018 by
Pradipti Bhatta, Project Coordinator, REL Northeast & Islands
Racial diversity has been increasing for decades in U.S. public schools, and students of color now account for 52 percent of total enrollment.
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.
Research Partnership Looks at Universal PreK Enrollment Patterns in Vermont
Sun Apr 01 2018 by
Dr. Clare Waterman, Research Scientist, REL Northeast & Islands
Decades of research have shown that participation in high-quality prekindergarten (preK) is associated with better outcomes for young children. Supported by the evidence base, overall state funding for preK programs increased by 47 percent nationwide over the last five years.
Research Agenda Workshops Help Alliances and Partnerships Zero In on Research Needs and Questions
Thu Mar 01 2018 by
Dr. Candice Bocala, Senior Research Associate, REL Northeast & Islands
REL Northeast & Islands is coordinating 10 research partnerships and alliances, each focused on one of four high-priority areas: (1) early childhood education and school readiness; (2) college and career readiness; (3) professional development and teacher preparation for effective instruction; and (4) educational equity for access and attainment.
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.