The 10 Regional Educational Laboratories (RELs), administered by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), partner with state and local education agencies to support the use of research evidence in improving educational outcomes. As part of this work, IES and the RELs have used surveys of their agency partners to assess REL performance and improve their products and services. To enhance data quality and strengthen the measures RELs can use to assess their services, IES commissioned a study during the 2022–27 REL cycle to develop valid and reliable survey measures that assess partners’ engagement with research evidence and their experiences with REL services and products.
The study focused on developing measures in three areas: REL partners’ use of information from a variety of sources, including research evidence, to make decisions; partners’ perceptions of their capacity to engage with and use research evidence; and partners’ perceived value of existing REL services and products. The study team identified key constructs within each area, selected survey items to represent them, and examined the reliability and validity of these items through an online survey of REL partners and follow-up interviews with a subset of survey respondents.
Key findings from the study include:
- The analysis confirmed sets of survey items that the RELs and other research partnerships can use to reliably measure 14 distinct constructs. The results showed that the items within each construct captured the same underlying dimension. Follow‑up interviews with 10 REL partners further supported that the items reflected what they were intended to measure.
- Findings based on these validated measures suggest that respondents draw on a mix of research evidence, professional experience, and local data when making professional decisions and addressing challenges.
- Although respondents expressed moderate confidence in their ability to use research evidence, they also noted opportunities to enhance its relevance and practical value for schools and districts.
- Respondents highlighted the need for stronger organizational infrastructure and support to integrate research more effectively into decisionmaking processes. They also reported valuing their engagement with the RELs and the evidence and services the RELs provide.
The study provides evidence that the RELs can use these measures to better understand how their partners perceive and use research evidence and to tailor professional learning, tools, and supports accordingly. These constructs may also be useful to other educators seeking to understand use of research evidence in their own contexts. Users may select and administer the individual constructs that are most relevant to their needs, rather than using the full set of measures.
