Events
REL Northwest hosts or participates in a range of live events, webinars, and presentations at conferences. These events are designed to engage stakeholders in opportunities to bridge research, policy and practice and to support evidence-based decision making across the region. Archived event pages contain resources such as video recordings, handouts, and slides from previously held events. For REL events nationwide, visit the IES Calendar of Events. Don't miss an event. Sign up for our newsletter.
No upcoming events at this time.
REL Northwest 2021 Study Sessions
October 29—December 2, 2021 | Virtual
Summary: REL Northwest held a series of sessions about six studies published in 2021. The goal of the series is to increase the capacity of alliance members and the REL Northwest Governing Board to understand the study findings and learn how to use them to inform policy and practice.
Lessons From the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence-Based Resources for Professional Development Facilitators
November 30, 2021 | Virtual
Summary: REL Northwest has created customizable professional development modules that school district facilitators can use to prepare middle and high school teachers in using remote learning resources and building social and emotional learning skills in a hybrid or in-person learning environment.
Oregon Graduation and Postsecondary Success Alliance 2021 Annual Convening
November 8, 2021 | Virtual
Summary: The Oregon Graduation and Postsecondary Success Alliance is a partnership between practitioners and researchers working to increase high school graduation and postsecondary education completion rates for all Oregon students.
Supporting American Indian and Alaskan Native Migratory Students
November 10, 2021 3:00-4:30 PM PST | Virtual
Summary: An event by the Northwest Tribal Educators Alliance where participants learned evidence-based strategies to support American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) migratory students.
Evidence-Based Tools to Support Program Implementation and Monitoring
October 15 and 29, 2021 | Virtual
Summary: In collaboration with the Alaska State Policy Research Alliance (ASPRA), REL Northwest trained Alaska university faculty on designing logic models and theories of action to support program implementation and monitoring.
Alaska English Learner, Early Education, and Educator Turnover Research and Implications
October 1, 2021 | Virtual
Summary: REL Northwest researchers presented findings from three studies at the 2021 Alaska Superintendents Association conference in October.
Current Topics and Resources in Postsecondary Education
June 8, 11, and 15, 2021 | Virtual
Summary: This REL-only cross-REL event consisted of a series of three webinars held in early June 2021. The topics for these webinars were selected by REL Northwest staff members with input from the cross-REL Postsecondary Readiness and Success working group.
Supporting Postsecondary Access and Success for Montana Students
December 10, 2020, and May 20, 2021
Summary: REL Northwest held two trainings focused on improving systems alignment between Tribal colleges and universities and the Montana University System and on creating and/or improving policies that support postsecondary access and success for Native students.
Can Grow-Your-Own Programs Help Diversify the Teacher Workforce?
May 4, 2021 | Virtual
Summary: Higher education, district, and state stakeholders are invited to explore the current research on grow-your-own teacher programs and how they can bring racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity and skills into the educator workforce.
Promoting Equity in School Discipline: What Does the Research Say?
April 29, 2021 | Virtual
Summary: How have exclusionary discipline practices in Oregon schools changed after implementation of state school discipline policy reforms? Join us and the Northwest PBIS Network for a free presentation to find out.
Observing Online Teaching in Alaska
March 18, 2021 | Virtual
Summary: REL Northwest provided training for Alaska school and district staff members focused on observing online teaching.
Career and Technical Education (CTE) Data in Oregon
February 26—May 8, 2021 | Virtual Training
Summary: REL Northwest is holding a series of trainings to support district leaders and CTE instructors in Oregon by increasing their understanding of CTE participation, concentration, and persistence rates of students in their districts.
Increasing Equity in Access to Accelerated Learning in Oregon
October 21, 2020—May 24, 2021 | Virtual Session
Summary: REL Northwest is conducting a series of trainings to increase Oregon high school and postsecondary stakeholders' capacity to address equity gaps in accelerated learning course enrollment. Meeting materials are now available for the first two sessions.
What Is Social and Emotional Learning, and What Does It Have to Do with Response to Intervention?
February 17, 2021 | Virtual Session
Summary: In this recorded presentation, REL Northwest's Vicki Nishioka suggests how to teach social and emotional learning (SEL) in a response to intervention (RTI) framework.
Helping Young English Learners at Home: Simple and Fun Activities to Strengthen Language Development
February 3, 2021 | Webinar
Summary: As many school buildings remain closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is even more important to engage families and caregivers to support learning outside the classroom. This webinar, developed by RELs West, Northwest, and Northeast & Islands, is designed for district and school staff working with English learner students in grades K-5 and their families.
Student Engagement in Three Rural Northwest Districts
July 23, 2020—January 12, 2021
Summary: REL Northwest held a series of coaching events for members of the Northwest Rural Innovation and Student Engagement Network—a professional network for teachers and leaders from some of the most rural and remote areas of the region.
Informing Improvements to Career and Technical Education Programs: Analytic and Applied Research Strategies for State and District Staff
December 1, 2020 | Webinar
Summary: This webinar will focus on the potential benefits of examining program and participant data to support the creation of exceptional career and technical education (CTE) programs that prepare students for high-demand careers. Presenters will share real-world examples from three Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) studies (including one from REL Northwest) that used participant data to inform CTE program improvements that align with the needs of the 21st century workforce.
Oregon Graduation and Postsecondary Success Alliance 2020 Annual Convening
December 4, 2020 | Webinar
Summary: Register today for the OR GPS Alliance annual convening. This year's keynote will be Kali Thorne Ladd, who will speak about pressing challenges facing Oregon students and how we can support more equitable outcomes. Following Ladd's keynote, participants will attend one breakout session of their choice.
Evidence-Based Strategies for Mentoring Preservice Teachers
September 3, October 8, and November 5, 2020
Summary: REL Northwest held a three-part training series designed to improve the quality of preservice teachers' practicum experiences by strengthening the expertise of mentor teachers.
Using Data to Guide Instruction
July 17, 2020 | Webinar
Summary: In collaboration with the Oregon Graduation and Postsecondary Success Alliance, REL Northwest is partnering with the Malheur Education Service District to support increasing teachers' ability to use data to inform classroom practices.
Washington Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Capacity Building Series
March 6, 2020—May 20, 2021 | Webinar
Summary: REL Northwest, in collaboration with the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, has developed a series of trainings to strengthen SEL planning and implementation in districts and schools across Washington state.
Educator Retention and Turnover Under the Midnight Sun
March 18, 2020 | Juneau, AK
Summary: This presentation to the Alaska Legislature will share trends based on recent research in teacher, principal, and superintendent turnover across the state.
Using Data to Promote Educator Recruitment and Retention in Alaska
February 4, 2020 | Virtual
Summary: REL Northwest held this training event for school, district, and state education agency staff members focused on identifying and using teacher recruitment and retention data to better understand and address those issues in local contexts.
Oregon Graduation and Postsecondary Success Alliance Annual Convening
December 4, 2019 | Salem, OR
Summary: Our third annual convening with keynote speaker, Oregon Supreme Court Justice Adrienne Nelson. Choose from breakout sessions on topics including accelerated learning, school discipline, and social and emotional learning.
Bright Spots in Educator Retention: Promising Strategies to Attract and Retain Educators
November 6, 2019 | Coeur d'Alene, ID
Summary: In this session at the Idaho School Boards Association Convention, members of the Idaho Educator Pipeline Alliance will present their work on identifying promising practices to retain educators.
Educator Retention and Turnover Under the Midnight Sun
October 27, 2019 | Anchorage, AK
Summary: This presentation, part of the Alaska Principals' Conference, explored recent research on teacher, principal, and superintendent turnover in Alaska.
Building a Math Environment That Promotes Positive Math Attitudes
October 11, 2019 | Tacoma, WA
Summary: The Northwest Math Conference explored evidence-based strategies that can help improve students' math attitudes.
Practitioners + State Education Agencies + Researchers = Student-Centered Continuous Improvement
October 14, 2019 | Salt Lake City, UT
Summary: This presentation at the 2019 National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) Conference will describe efforts to align concurrent enrollment state investments, policies, and research.
A Snapshot of Educator Mobility in Montana: Understanding Issues of Educator Shortages and Turnover
October 18, 2019 | Billings, MT
Summary: This presentation at the Montana Conference of Education Leadership will explore recent research on educator recruitment and retention challenges in Montana.
Promoting Positive Math Attitudes: A Training for Secondary Teachers
August 13-14, 2019
Summary: REL Northwest held a training event at the Idaho Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference. This training focused on evidence-based strategies to improve middle and high school students' math attitudes. The training included four separate modules and the materials from each module are provided below. REL Northwest partnered with math experts at the Idaho State Department of Education and the Idaho Regional Mathematics Centers to develop these materials.
Middle School Career and Technical Education: A Training for State Leaders on Gathering Stakeholder Feedback for Design Purposes
April 8 and May 1, 2019 | Virtual
Summary: REL Northwest held two virtual trainings in spring 2019 with Idaho Career and Technical Education (ICTE) personnel focused on designing a statewide career exploration program for grades 7 and 8.
Increasing Equity Through Perspective-Taking, Empathy, and High Expectations
February 28, 2019 | Portland, OR
Summary: Are you attending this year's NWPBIS Network Conference? Join REL Northwest's Vicki Nishioka at 1:45 p.m. on February 28 for an interactive session on how educators can use perspective-taking and empathy to help students succeed.
Connecting for Impact: Supporting Idaho Youth Success Beyond High School
December 10, 2018 | Boise, ID
Summary: In partnership with Idaho's Treasure Valley Education Partnership' REL Northwest is convening stakeholders to examine what's happening nationally in career and technical education, work-based learning, and career readiness. Participants will explore ways to use research to improve local programs and develop action plans. Contact Aurora Moore for more information.
Testing Barriers for Teacher Candidates of Color
December 6, 2018 | Seattle, WA
Summary: Attending the WERA/OSPI 2018 Annual Conference? Join REL Northwest for a presentation on new research which finds that testing is a greater barrier to becoming a teacher for candidates of color than for White candidates, as well as recommendations for removing this barrier.
Soaring to College: Accelerated Learning in Oregon
November 27, 2018 | Salem, OR
Summary: Join REL Northwest and the Oregon Graduation and Postsecondary Success Alliance (OR GPS) for our annual convening from 1 to 4 p.m. on November 27 at Chemeketa Eola in Salem. At the convening, we will share findings from our soon-to-be-released research report on accelerated learning in Oregon, which explores accelerated learning participation, the relationship between accelerated learning and high school graduation and postsecondary success, and accelerated learning credit transfer. The report is intended to inform policy and practice focused on improving accelerated learning programs in Oregon. Convening participants will also have a chance to learn more about the work of OR GPS and help shape our future work.
Creating Caring and Culturally Responsive Classrooms for Students in Prekindergarten to Grade 3
Webinar | April 24, 2018
Summary: The early elementary years lay the foundation for school and life outcomes. Join us at 11 a.m. PDT on April 24 for a free webinar exploring strategies to create culturally responsive and emotionally supportive pre-K-3 classrooms for children from diverse racial and cultural backgrounds. Featuring Dr. Sharon Ritchie, national researcher and principal investigator for the FirstSchool initiative, the webinar will offer practical advice for using data and evidence to improve early school experiences and set all students up for success. Teachers, administrators, equity directors, state and local education agency staff members, and anyone else interested in optimizing the pre-K-3 experiences of children--particularly Black students, Hispanic students, and students from low-income families--are encouraged to attend.
Resources: Presentation | Video
Building Positive Math Attitudes Training Series
Webinar | April 17, 2018
Summary:The goal of this training series is to build the capacity of Washington educators to improve student attitudes and beliefs about math. Specifically, the series will use a train-the-trainer model to support Washington STEM instructional coaches and teacher leaders. Participants will learn how to conduct activities with upper-elementary math teachers that will help them implement strategies and interventions designed to improve students' attitudes about math.
Measuring Equity Gaps in Program Participation
Seattle, WA | November 30, 2017
Summary: Attending the Washington Educational Research Association (WERA)/Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) annual conference? Join REL Northwest's Ashley Pierson for a hands-on session on why measuring equity gaps is important, and how to measure gaps in program participation and outcomes.
What the Research Says About College Access and Affordability
Live Stream | November 1, 2017
Summary: The high cost of college is leading many students to leave school with a high level of debt--and no degree. On November 1, Sara Goldrick-Rab, a national scholar on college access and affordability, addressed this issue in a live broadcast at a Regional Educational Laboratory Northwest event. She also discussed possible solutions for making college access and attainment a reality for low-income students.
Resources: Video
Supporting Newcomer Immigrants in High School and Beyond
Portland, OR | October 30, 2017
Summary: Attending the GEAR UP West Conference? Join us for a session focused on the policies, programs, and practices with the most promise for ensuring newcomers access the academic content and language skills necessary to succeed.
Improving Outcomes for Students in Rural Areas: The Promise and Challenge of Educator Networks
Webinar | October 24, 2017
Summary: This webinar spotlights networks that are helping connect geographically isolated educators and prepare students in rural areas for postsecondary success. Hear from leaders of three rural education networks--the Northwest Rural Innovation and Student Engagement Network, the Vermont Rural Partnership, and the Ohio Appalachian Collaborative--about their successes and challenges. Presenters share strategies to promote cross-district collaboration through job-alike groups; student engagement through place-based learning; and college and career preparation through personalized learning pathways.
Resources: Presentation | Video
Improving Graduation Rates for Newcomer English Learners
Palm Springs, CA | October 24, 2017
Summary: This session at the National Dropout Prevention Network Conference will present three research-based practices—foreign transcript evaluation, early warning systems, and proficiency-based credits—to help newcomers succeed in high school and beyond.
Understanding Trends in Alaska Educator Retention
Anchorage, AK | October 23, 2017
Summary: Going to the Alaska Principals' Conference? Join REL Northwest for a session exploring the retention patterns of Alaska superintendents, principals, and teachers over time and across different district and school characteristics. Participants will learn how retention and turnover vary across the state and will discuss strategies to mitigate the impact of turnover on students.
Strategies to Improve the Identification of American Indian/Alaska Native Students in Educational Systems
Orlando, FL | October 5, 2017
Summary: Guidelines for reporting American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) students can result in inaccurate counts and reporting at all levels of an educational system, often leading to dramatic fluctuations in AI/AN student counts. Join REL Northwest at the National Indian Education Association convention for an overview of the issue and strategies for improving accuracy at the state and local levels. The session will include an interactive discussion to help develop a unified agenda for addressing the issue on a national level.
Increasing First-Generation Students' College Success Through Virtual and In-Person Individualized Advising and Support
Webinar | October 4, 2017
Summary: Explore two comprehensive financial and advising programs that have made substantial gains in helping underrepresented students earn a degree. The webinar begins with a brief overview of the research evidence on such programs. Next, learn how the Dell Scholars Program's virtual support model and Portland Community College's Future Connect in-person coaching services have contributed to rising rates of college completion for many low-income and first-generation students. Engage with program experts and learn practical strategies you can use with high school and postsecondary students.
Resources: Presentation | Video
Strategies to Increase Access and Success for Underrepresented Students in CTE and STEM
June 2017
Summary: Get tools and strategies you can use to promote the participation, persistence, and completion of underrepresented students (by gender, race and ethnicity, and special population status) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and career and technical education (CTE) programs. In this webinar, Dr. Ben Williams from the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity introduced a practical framework for collecting and using data to identify equity gaps and root causes, as well as implementing strategies to address these gaps.
Resources: Agenda | Video | Presentation
Eliminating Disparities in School Discipline: Strengthening Teacher-Student Relationships in Diverse Classrooms
November 2016
Summary: How can teachers and schools address racial and gender disparities in school discipline and build trusting relationships with students? This live event featured Dr. Anne Gregory of Rutgers University presenting research-based practices to strengthen relationships with diverse students and introducing a professional development program that has proven effective in reducing racial disparities in school discipline. In addition, a panel of students and their teacher shared their experiences building positive relationships in the classroom.
Resources: Agenda | Presentation 1 | Students of Color Panel | Presentation 2
Effective Components of Successful Early Learning-to-Kindergarten Transitions
October 2016
Summary: In this webinar, Dr. Shannon Riley-Ayers of the Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes (CEELO) and the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) presented three components that support a child's successful transition to school: leadership, effective instruction, and family and community engagement. Principal Ericka Guynes and Superintendent Andy Boe, school leaders involved in urban and rural demonstration sites of the Early Works program of the Children's Institute in Oregon, shared practical experiences with successful family engagement and school readiness efforts.
The Role of Technical Assistance in Turning Around Rural Schools: Lessons for ESSA Implementation
October 2016
Summary: This webinar recording explores how the experiences of rural schools who received School Improvement Grant (SIG) funding may inform state and local preparations for meeting the demands of school improvement efforts under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Dr. Caitlin Scott, principal investigator of a 2016 study that surveyed principals of rural schools nationwide that were designated as in need of improvement and implemented the transformation model, explains the role of technical assistance in rural school turnaround efforts. She is joined by a panel of rural practitioners who share their experiences with technical assistance under SIG implementation.
EWS 401: Customizing Early Warning System Indicators and Interventions to Support English Learner Students
September 2016
Summary: Explore the research and promising practices on using Early Warning Systems (EWS) to prevent dropout and increase the graduation rate of English learner students in this webinar video. National experts shared ways to recognize differences among subgroups of high school English learners and identify potential early warning indicators for English learners. Practitioners discussed how their districts have customized their EWS to meet the unique needs of their student populations.
Resources: Video
Changing Developmental Math from a Gatekeeper to a Bridge: The Promise of New Math Pathways
May 2016
Summary: Few students who take postsecondary remedial or developmental math courses progress to college math and achieve their educational goals. Hear about innovative strategies and policies community colleges are implementing across the country to create new developmental math pathways that use engaging content aligned to students' fields of study and reduce barriers to college success. This webinar is intended to help educators make connections between this new community college reform and efforts at the high school level to ensure students graduate with the math skills necessary for college and careers.
EWS 201: Systems and Structures That Support Early Warning System Implementation
March 2016
Summary: This webinar video is designed for school and district staff members who have begun to establish an EWS team, but would like more information on how to incorporate EWS into everyday practices. It covers how to build an effective team, align the EWS with tiered frameworks, and match interventions to indicators and evaluate whether there are enough interventions to support the number of identified struggling students. In addition, two practitioners share their journey of using data to increase the success of their students.
Resources: Video
We Belong in School: Interventions to Promote Social Belonging for Educational Equity and Student Success
March 2016
Summary: Can a sense of belonging influence a young person's engagement, motivation, and persistence in school? In this webinar recording, Dr. Karyn Lewis of Education Northwest and the Strategic Data Project at Harvard's Center for Education Policy Research highlights the research linking social belonging to a range of academic outcomes. Dr. Dave Paunesku, Executive Director of the Stanford University Project for Education Research That Scales (PERTS), discusses how empirically supported interventions can be practically applied in the classroom and in one-on-one interactions with students. He also shares how learning mindsets and belonging can work together as interventions to improve academic achievement.
EWS 101: Introduction to the 5 Core Components of Early Warning Systems
February 2016
Summary: This first webinar of the REL Early Warning Systems Learning Series focused on five key components of an effective EWS: 1. Building a team, 2. identifying appropriate indicators, 3. creating data reports, 4. mapping interventions to indicators, and 5. evaluating interventions.