REL Southeast meets annually with the Chief State School Officer and/or the designated representative in each of the southeastern states to explore the needs of the state. In addition, we meet with key education stakeholder groups to explore needs of their clients and to identify additional groups that could offer input. These meetings provide information about priorities and current educational initiatives in each of the southeastern states. By reviewing sources of stakeholder information, recent state data, reports by the regional educational laboratories, and reports by the Southern Regional Educational Board, we are able to identify common needs across states. This information guides the research REL Southeast conducts and also guides the methods of how to provide information about the research to education and public stakeholders in the southeast.
Needs:
While the primary need in all states is to improve student achievement toward meeting high academic standards and preparation for college and careers, the following topics represent compelling and ongoing regional needs that also have national significance:
- Improving Low-Performing Schools
- Implementing Rigorous Academic Standards
- Assessing and Improving the Quality of Charter Schools
- Improving Literacy