The Latest News from REL Mid-Atlantic

An update from another one of the RELs – again with no specific K-12 distance, online, and/or blended learning items included.

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Fall 2022

NEWSLETTER

From the Director | RELevant Blog | New Partnerships | REL Publications and Presentations | Out and About | Department of Education Publications

Latest News from the Director

Photo: Rich Clement Two and a half years after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools across the country, evidence of the impact of the pandemic on students is sobering. Achievement is down, attendance has plummeted, graduation rates have declined, and mental health challenges are abundant. Moreover, many of the harms of the pandemic have been borne disproportionately by students who were already underserved. The challenge facing educators seeking to promote excellence and equity is even greater than usual.

Here at REL Mid-Atlantic, we are aiming to use research and analysis to support educators across the region in their efforts to produce an equitable pandemic recovery that involves both academic and social-emotional learning for all students. The partnerships we are developing with states and districts will provide this analytic support in various ways, across a range of different topics that our local partners identified as high priorities. In this newsletter you can learn about a few of our partnerships and projects, including work in support of the School District of Philadelphia’s comprehensive initiative to promote racial equity; a partnership to improve the measurement of classroom instruction and the corresponding feedback provided to teachers in Delaware; and an infographic guiding states and districts on better use of measures of school performance. We look forward to telling you about additional partnerships and projects in future newsletters. In the meantime, we wish you the best at the beginning of another challenging school year—and we thank you for your service to the students of the Mid-Atlantic region.   Brian Gill Director, REL Mid-Atlantic

On the RELevant Blog

Strategies to Address Equity How can we know if we’re helping to improve educational equity? What needs to be in place for the work to be successful? A new blog post written in partnership with staff from REL Central explores these topics, focusing on our work with the School District of Philadelphia on racial equity (see more below) and REL Central’s work with Denver Public Schools.

New Partnerships: Coming Together for Success

Addressing Equity in the School District of Philadelphia REL Mid-Atlantic is helping the School District of Philadelphia address inequitable practices. In 2021, after the district acknowledged persistent disparities in student outcomes and a history of structural racism, it launched an effort to examine and disrupt inequitable practices. We’re helping the district use evidence to inform, monitor, and refine its equity initiatives to enable more equitable opportunities and outcomes for all students.

Evidence to Refine a Teacher Evaluation System in Delaware The Delaware Department of Education learned that school leaders and staff feel the current teacher evaluation system needs strengthening to help teachers improve their instructional practice and raise student achievement. We are working with the department to refine a revised teacher evaluation system, focused particularly on improving the rubric used for observing teacher practice so that it provides better feedback. The partnership includes technical support and applied research to refine evaluation tools and inform a statewide rollout of the revised system. Latest REL Publications and Presentations

Interpreting and Using School Accountability Data: Dos and Don’ts for 2022 and Beyond School accountability provisions are in effect for the first time since the pandemic shut down schools and halted annual student assessments in 2020. But disruptions of the pandemic may affect the measures used in accountability systems in ways that could lead decision makers astray. State agencies and school districts need to know what data they can trust in understanding school performance. When considering options for intervening in low-performing schools, keep in mind these dos and don’ts.

Out and About Check out the slides on measuring school performance from our presentation with partners at the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) at the National Center for Education Statistics summer data conference. In the presentation, we explain how we are partnering with NJDOE to refine and improve the state’s measures of school performance, with the aim of enhancing their reliability and validity so they can usefully inform school improvement. Latest Department of Education Publications

New Guide for Preschool Educators Ensuring that all children are prepared for elementary school is a priority for parents, caregivers, guardians, and policymakers. The What Works Clearinghouse distilled recent research into recommendations for preschool educators to help prepare children for school. Read the guide, which includes sample lessons, activities, and other resources. The authors also presented a series of webinars for educators to learn more about the recommendations. And check out some other early childhood resources from REL Mid-Atlantic.

New Digest of Education Statistics Released The National Center for Education Statistics recently released the latest Digest of Education Statistics. Check out this treasure trove of data on American education, from early childhood through adult ed. The publication includes data on the number of schools and colleges, teachers, enrollments, and graduates, in addition to data on educational attainment, finances, federal funds for education, libraries, international comparisons, and more.

Please reach out anytime at RELmidatlantic@mathematica-mpr.com to share your ideas about important issues the REL Mid-Atlantic could address, request free technical assistance, or ask questions about how we can help you in your work.

Connect With Us For more frequent updates from us and our nine REL partners across the country and to receive the latest research updates from the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences, please follow us on Twitter @RELMidAtlantic! Follow Us on Twitter for Latest Updates This work was funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES) under contract 91990022C0012, with REL Mid-Atlantic. The content of the newsletter does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of IES or the U.S. Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. government.

Changing Schools | September newsletter

Some of these items may be of interest to readers.

September 2022 Fostering Family Relations for Learning Success During these past few challenging years, school leaders have been caught in a catch 22 of sorts. Nearly every necessary decision, be it masks or no masks, learning remotely or in person, focusing on social-emotional learning or addressing gaps, was bound to be unpopular. Being a school administrator has never been about winning a popularity contest, but as every leader knows, unhappy families can derail a school’s best laid plans. Given the pandemic-related disruptions to school routines, some parents and caregivers may be feeling disconnected or dissatisfied with their child’s education. So, what can educators do to build—and if necessary, restore—caregiver satisfaction with their schools? I think it breaks down to three steps. First, the number one universal question for families: “Is my child safe at school?” Focusing on consistent use of schoolwide policies for disruptive behavior, bullying, and other concerns can help assure parents that their children attend safe schools that prioritize their health and well-being. Second to safety, families’ perception of teaching quality drives how they rate their schools. Implementing good instructional practices by every teacher, in every classroom, every day assures families that their children will have good learning experiences no matter who teaches them. Establishing this level of instructional consistency takes time, effort, and a lot of practice, but it’s certainly worth the investment. In fact, studies show that students with highly effective teachers can gain up to 1.5 years of learning for each year in the classroom, while those with ineffective teachers often gain only six months of learning in that same time. The third and final driver of school satisfaction is choice. Specifically, providing students with meaningful educational choices that are both relevant to their interests and goals and aligned with their families’ cultures and values. The combination of extracurricular activities, electives, clubs, and classroom-based opportunities to pursue individual interests, all contribute to more independent learning. This can assure families that their child is being recognized and afforded opportunities to develop their unique talents, abilities, and interests. Perhaps it’s best to frame these drivers of satisfaction as a form of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: Safety first, followed by teachers who create a sense of belonging for students and families, supported by opportunities to achieve one’s full potential. If you’re interested in more ideas and strategies for best first instruction, creating more equitable outcomes for students, or for helping them recover from  interrupted learning, check out these resources: Making Families Happy — Free ASCD article with best practices for keeping families satisfied with their children’s school and school culture. The “Silent Epidemic” Finds Its Voice: Demystifying How Students View Engagement in Their Learning — Free white paper that provides a deeper level of understanding about what may be shaping students’ engagement in the school community. Classroom Walkthroughs: Where Data-Gathering and Relationship-Building Meet for School Improvement — Free white paper with tips and tools for using classroom walkthroughs to achieve improvement and instructional goals. Bryan Goodwin, CEO, McREL International New & Noteworthy Competency-Based Education (CBE): Assessing Your School’s Readiness for ChangeStudent-centered learning has shown great potential for increasing student interest and engagement in school.In this blog postMcREL consultant Katie Allen explores competency-based education frameworks that support student-centered learning. Read more Research Participation Opportunity: Help Shape the Future of Interim Assessments McREL is seeking schools and districts serving students in grades 3-8 to pilot test a new interim assessment for reading and math developed by Pearson, and participate in a study of the assessment’s functionality and outcomes. Interested schools and districts can fill out this brief interest formand McREL will reach out to you with more information. This assessment tool provides data on student progress, predicts how well they’ll perform on state assessments, and provides insights about students’ strengths and areas of needed support. Participating schools/districts will receive: Free professional development to discuss student growth patterns and an analysis of your district/ school/ classroom data. In-depth reporting providing overall score, performance level, and growth, plus domain-level strengths and areas of support. The opportunity to impact new feature development within the Growth road map. Free access to the assessment for three additional years beyond the pilot project. Curiosity for Better Learning Podcast How does curiosity connect to learning, and how can teachers use curiosity to craft lessons that drive deeper learning for their students? What is a guaranteed and viable curriculum, and how do you know if your school has it? How can you really engage students in the classroom? Get ideas and tips on these and other topics in our Curiosity for Better Learning podcast. In each 10-20 minute episode, you’ll hear from fellow educators and McREL researchers and professional learning leaders about top-of-mind topics in K-12 education. Visit our podcast page to listen to episodes and get access to free related resources. McREL Books Our books for teachers and school leaders blend the what, the why, and the how of effective, rewarding professional practice. Check out the books shown below and other popular titles for inspiration and practical ideas you can use in your classroom or school today: Visit the McREL Bookstore Upcoming Conferences If you’re attending these upcoming conferences, be sure to visit with McREL’s expert educators, researchers, and evaluators at these sessions. NRTRC 2022 Telehealth Conference, Salt Lake City, Sept. 26-28 Along with the Wyoming Department of Education, Susan Shebby will present a session about the state’s Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education) efforts to increase awareness of and access to school-based mental health and substance abuse services for students. Hawaii-Pacific Evaluation Association Conference, online, Oct. 11-13  Christina Tydeman and Bradley Rentz from REL Pacific, operated by McREL, will host an online session at the H-PEA Conference titled “Audience-Friendly Approaches to Sharing Research Findings,” sharing how their team incorporates cultural feedback and contextualization when preparing research reports, briefs, and infographics. Schools of the Future Conference, Honolulu, Oct. 20-21  Ben Cronkright will present a session on how REL Pacific is partnering with a group of Hawaii charter schools to refine best practices for place-based and culturally grounded education. And Marisa Crowder will join leaders from the Hawaii Department of Education and the University of Hawaii speaking about ways to strengthen HĀ foundations for schoolwide social-emotional learning implementation. Texas ASCD Annual Conference, Houston, Oct. 23–25  Kris Rouleau will deliver an interactive keynote address emphasizing the importance of curiosity in teaching, leading, and learning, and how it can transform schools. She’ll also deliver a session on brain-based learning that emphasizes instructional planning for learning based on how students learn, remember, and apply  knowledge.    Research Roundup NCES Releases the Back-to-School Fast Fact for the 2022-23 School Year Each year, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) compiles back-to-school facts and figures that provide a snapshot of schools and colleges in the United States. Read More Parents Unconcerned; The Learning Loss Disconnect  A recent Education Next national survey found that only 9% of parents of K-12 students were very or somewhat concerned their child would ever catch up to where they should be. Meanwhile, 43% of parents said their kids experienced no learning losses at all. However, experts are saying that students would need “at least three years” to catch up. The 74 Million explores the disconnect. Catching Up and Moving Forward A new, national study powered by two years of math learning data offers promising evidence that learning acceleration, which involves formative practices to improve students’ access to and mastery of grade-level standards, can work at scale. Read More Grant Opportunities McREL can be a strategic thought partner for your district or agency on these grants, helping you develop a high-quality application. We can also often serve as your grant’s external evaluator.Contact us for more information about our grant partnership services. Common Abbreviations: institutions of higher education (IHEs); local education agencies (LEAs); and state education agencies (SEAs) Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education) Grants This grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will support projects to develop a sustainable infrastructure for school-based mental health programs and services. The goals for this program are two-fold: (1) support promotion, awareness, prevention, and intervention activities to ensure students have access and are connected to appropriate and effective services for healthy social and emotional development and (2) prevent youth violence in school settings. Each grant will be awarded to a collaborative partnership of the SEA, LEAs, a state’s mental health agency, community-based providers of behavioral health care services, school personnel, community organizations, families, and school-aged youth; it is anticipated that there will be 10 awards for up to $1.8M per year for up to five years. Applications are due Oct. 13, 2022.Learn more here. Strengthening Community Colleges (SCC) Training Grants The SCC program seeks to (1) increase the capacity and responsiveness of community colleges to address identified equity gaps, and (2) rapidly meet employers’ skill development needs in in-demand industries and career pathways, as well as the skill development needs of underserved and underrepresented workers. Ultimately, these efforts will yield sustainable systems-level changes in education and training through collaboration between community colleges, employers, and the public workforce development system that align education and training, work experiences, and industry-recognized credentials that lead to career growth. These grants can range from $1M-5M. A second round of applications are due Oct. 14, 2022.Learn more here. Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (INCLUDES) The INCLUDES program seeks collaborative efforts to enhance preparation of, increase participation in, and ensure contributions from historically underrepresented and underserved groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), which will lead to new STEM talent and leadership to secure our nation’s future and long-term economic competitiveness. NSF offers support for five types of projects that connect and contribute to the National Network: (1) Network Connectors, a one-year grant, with applications due Oct. 25, 2022; (2) Design and Development Launch Pilots and (3) Collaborative Change Consortia, multiyear grants, with applications due Oct. 25, 2022; (4) Alliances, a multiyear grant with applications due Oct. 24, 2023; and (5) Conferences, a one-year grant, with applications accepted from Oct. 31, 2022–Oct. 30, 2023. These grants will range in value based on the availability of funds, numbers of awards, etc.Learn more here. Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT) Grants This grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will support projects that (1) train individuals (such as school personnel) to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental disorders, particularly serious mental illness and/or serious emotional disturbances; (2) establish links with school- and/or community-based mental health agencies for referrals of individuals with the signs or symptoms of mental illness to appropriate services; (3) train emergency services personnel, law enforcement, fire department personnel, veterans, and others to identify persons with a mental disorder and employ crisis de-escalation techniques; and (4) educate individuals about resources available in the community for individuals with a mental disorder. Each grant will be awarded to either state governments and territories; governmental units within a state (such as counties, cities, or towns); federally recognized tribes or tribal organizations; community and faith-based organizations; and IHEs. It is anticipated that there will be eight awards for up to $125,000 per year for up to five years. This is a forecasted opportunity; the request for applications (RFA) is anticipated to be released on Dec. 30, 2022.Learn more here. Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) NSF’s AISL program is committed to funding research and practice, with a continued focus on investigating a range of informal STEM learning experiences and environments that make lifelong learning a reality. This program seeks proposals that center on equity and belonging, and further the well-being of individuals and communities who have historically been and continue to be excluded, underserved, or underrepresented due to gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability status, neurodiversity, geographic location, and economic status, among others, as well as their intersections. NSF encourages proposals that specifically focus on public engagement with and understanding of STEM, including community STEM; public participation in scientific research; science communication; intergenerational STEM engagement; and STEM media. The program supports five types of projects with varying grant values and durations: (1) Synthesis ($100K–$500K across two years); (2) Conferences ($75K–$250K across two years); (3) Partnership Development and Planning ($50K–$150K across 1–1 ½ years); (4) Integrating Research and Practice ($250K–$2M across 2–5 years); and (5) Research in Support of Wide-reaching Public Engagement with STEM ($1M–$3.5M across 2–5 years). Applications are due Jan. 11, 2023.Learn more here. We’re Hiring! As a growing organization, we’re expanding our team of educators, researchers, project managers, and communicators to provide supports and services to more schools, districts, and education agencies. Interested in joining our team? Check out these current openings on the McREL careers page: Associate Program Director (Honolulu) Mixed Methods Research Associate (Denver, Honolulu) Contact Us Today Learn more about how our coaching, professional learning, and analysis services can help your school or system reach its goals. Contact us today to start a conversation with our development team. Bookstore | News | Careers | Learn Online | Free Resources follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend Copyright © 2022, All rights reserved.Our mailing address is: 4601 DTC Blvd., Suite 500 Denver, CO 80237

REL Southeast Director’s Email—September, 2022

An update from one of the RELs – no K-12 distance, online, and/or blended learning items in this one.

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REL Southeast Director’s Email

September 2022 Greetings from the REL Southeast, According to the National Center for Education Statistics, English learners account for over 10 percent of the K–12 student population in the United States, and that number is growing. English learners are students for whom English is not their first or primary language spoken at home and who experience difficulty speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the English language. Many English learners are denied the opportunity to learn successfully in classrooms where the language of instruction is English. Like all students, English learners bring unique strengths to the classroom, with language and cultural differences playing critical roles in student success in school and in the larger U.S. society. This month, the REL Southeast would like to offer resources designed to help educators, families, and caregivers support English learners. We hope you find these materials useful, and as always, thank you for helping to improve educational outcomes for every student in our region. With gratitude, Dr. Nicole Patton Terry Director, REL Southeast Infographics Evidence-Based Instructional Strategies for Elementary English Learner Students This infographic provides a quick reference to these evidence-based instructional strategies that can be used daily by elementary classroom teachers to support effective instruction for their English learner students. Click here to explore the infographic. Identifying and Meeting the Needs of English Learner Students with Disabilities This infographic provides questions and evidence-based practices from research that can help schools, districts, and states develop effective procedures for identifying, assessing, and supporting English learner students who may have learning disabilities. Click here to explore the infographic. Translanguaging to Support Students’ Bilingual and Multilingual Development This infographic focuses on translanguaging, a theory that allows teachers to mobilize all of students’ linguistic skills to support and develop learning outcomes. Click here to explore the infographic. Additional Resources Multilingualism and Translanguaging in the Classroom This video provides an overview of the benefits of multilingualism and translanguaging in schooling, including how language abilities are interconnected, how these abilities are used in complex ways to create meaning, and how students are able to effectively communicate using all the linguistic resources available to them. Click here to watch the video. Multilingualism and Translanguaging in the Classroom Family and Caregiver Activities for Supporting Young English Learners at Home These family and caregiver activities are designed to provide simple, fun activities families and caregivers can use with young English learner children at home to leverage cultural and linguistic assets and knowledge to strengthen language development in either the home language or English. Click here to explore the website. Using Professional Learning Communities to Implement Evidence-Based Practices for English Learner Students in Alabama As Alabama’s EL students continue to grow their proficiency with English, Alabama’s educators are seeking ways to improve achievement outcomes and close the achievement gap between EL students and their peers. With support from the Region 7 Comprehensive Center, the State has been working to develop and implement a Framework for EL Success, improving systems and creating shifts in practice to better meet the needs of EL students and teachers who support them. Click here to read the blog.

You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website or provided your information at a REL Southeast sponsored event. Our mailing address is: REL Southeast at Florida State University 2010 Levy Avenue Suite 100 Tallahassee, FL 32310

Changing Schools | Best First Instruction

The second of two items from the folks at the MCREL.

August 2022 Unleashing the Power of Best First Instruction Over the years, policymakers and educators alike have attempted to reform schools in myriad ways. They’ve attempted to raise expectations for students with curriculum standards and high-stakes assessments, crafted complex teacher evaluation systems in an effort to raise teacher quality, and invested billions on technology to modernize classrooms. Yet, despite all of this, studies suggest these reforms have produced, at best, mixed results. That’s perhaps because, as education historian Larry Cuban has noted, these reform efforts often resemble a hurricane at sea—there’s lots of bluster “whipping up the waves on the surface,” yet “deep down on the ocean floor, life goes on, undisturbed by the roiling waters and huge waves on the surface.” That’s the bad news. Here’s the good news: Through a review of rigorous scientific studies of teaching strategies in classrooms with diverse learners, our research has discovered (or perhaps re-discovered) the power behind best first instruction. Best first instruction, defined as the intentional use of proven teaching techniques that are purposefully sequenced to help students translate new learning into long-term memory, is shown to have the equivalent impact of months or years of additional learning all while closing achievement gaps. In fact, our findings demonstrate that a relatively small number of teaching practices can have a tremendous impact on learning. We all learned back in math class that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. When it comes to improving student outcomes, the “straightest line” for educators would appear to be applying best first instruction consistently in every classroom, which would help us create more equitable outcomes for students and help them recover from the interrupted learning of the pandemic. If you’re interested in more ideas and strategies for best first instruction, creating more equitable outcomes for students, or for helping them recover from  interrupted learning, check out these resources: To Make Big Changes for Students, Teachers Should Think a Little Smaller – Free white paper with practical tips for adjustments every teacher can make immediately to create more engaging learning opportunities for students. Student Learning That Works – Free white paper on how brain science about memory formation and retention informs a new six-phase instructional model for student learning. How one district is helping principals recapture the focus on instructional consistency – Blog post on re-establishing instructional consistency with tweaks to technology, training, and policy. Making Learning Stick: A Teacher’s Guide to Student Memory – Part one in a three-part video series revealing how our brains store new information and how teachers can use this information to improve instruction and student learning. Bryan Goodwin, CEO, McREL International New & Noteworthy The First 5 Days of the School Year: The Key to Success Creating a “just right” classroom environment where all students feel they belong is key to a successful school year.  Cheryl Abla from McREL’s Learning Services team provides tips to make the start of the new school year go smoothly in this Edutopia article. Curiosity for Better Learning Podcast How does curiosity connect to learning, and how can teachers use curiosity to craft lessons that drive deeper learning for their students? What is a guaranteed and viable curriculum, and how do you know if your school has it? How can you really engage students in the classroom? Get ideas and tips on these and other topics in our Curiosity for Better Learning podcast. In each 10-20 minute episode, you’ll hear from fellow educators and McREL researchers and professional learning leaders about top-of-mind topics in K-12 education. Visit our podcast page to listen to episodes and get access to free related resources. Evidence-based Strategies for Increasing Students’ Math Performance This fact sheet from our colleagues at REL Pacific provides examples of evidence-based practices teachers in grades 5–6 can use to support their students’ math learning and also provides a process teachers and instructional coaches can use for effective professional learning. Developed to support a REL Pacific partnership project with the Guam Department of Education, this fact sheet is broadly applicable to teachers across the Pacific Region and U.S. states. Last Chance for Summer Savings on Our Books and Online PD! Known for blending the what, the why, and the how of effective practice, our books and quick guides covering the science of learning will remind you that teaching and leading, while always challenging, can also bring so much joy and success. This is the last month to save 25% by using code SUMMER25 when ordering books directly from McREL or when signing up for online PD. If ordering McREL books at Amazon, simply check the coupon box before checking out. Research Participation Opportunity: Help Shape the Future of Interim Assessments McREL is seeking schools and districts serving students in grades 3-8 to pilot test a new interim assessment for reading and math developed by Pearson, and participate in a study of the assessment’s functionality and outcomes. Interested schools and districts can fill out this brief interest form and McREL will reach out to you with more information. This assessment tool provides data on student progress, predicts how well they’ll perform on state assessments, and provides insights about students’ strengths and areas of needed support. Participating schools/districts will receive: Free professional development to discuss student growth patterns and an analysis of your district/ school/ classroom data. In-depth reporting providing overall score, performance level, and growth, plus domain-level strengths and areas of support. The opportunity to impact new feature development within the Growth road map. Free access to the assessment for three additional years beyond the pilot project. Research Participation Opportunity: Evaluating an Early Literacy Support Program McREL is seeking district and school partners who are interested in implementing Reading Horizons Discovery to help us discover the program’s impact on students’ reading and comprehension skills. The study will begin with K–2 classroom teachers this fall and will conclude in the spring of 2023. Participating schools will receive full access to RHD for the study year at no cost, plus: Access to a district/school dashboards that can be used to inform your data-driven instructional and assessment processes. Professional learning and coaching support throughout the year. A suite of digital tools, professional development, and other benefits with a total per school value of $25,000. If you’re interested in participating, please complete our brief interest form. Research Roundup New Practice Guide to Prepare Young Children for School The What Works Clearinghouse has released a new practice guide aimed at helping teachers prepare young children for school. The guide, developed in conjunction with an expert panel, distills research on early childhood and preschool education into seven easily comprehensible and practical recommendations. Action Needed to Close Dual-Enrollment Equity Gaps In their paper titled Research Priorities for Advancing Equitable Dual Enrollment Policy and Practice, a collaboration of education researchers and policy and practice leaders affirms that “dual enrollment is an evidence-based practice that has broad positive impacts on student outcomes, including college enrollment and completion. If implemented thoughtfully, intentionally, and equitably, the benefits to students’ college and career pathways can be significant.” The authors note however that equity gaps currently limit many students’ access to these programs. The paper calls for additional research that can advance policies and practices for increasing equity in the programs. Student Population Has Significantly Diversified, but Many Schools Remain Divided Along Racial, Ethnic, and Economic Lines A study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that many K-12 public schools remain divided along racial, ethnic, and economic lines throughout the country—even as the student population grows more diverse. During the 2020-21 school year, more than a third of students (about 18.5 million) attended schools where 75% or more students were of a single race or ethnicity. Because district boundaries often determine which school a student can attend, school district boundaries can contribute to continued division along racial/ethnic lines. The GAO also found that new school districts that seceded from existing districts usually had higher percentages of white and Asian students, and were generally wealthier, than the districts they left.See the study highlights and read the full report here. Grant Opportunities Strengthening Community Colleges (SCC) Training Grants The SCC program seeks to (1) increase the capacity and responsiveness of community colleges to address identified equity gaps, and (2) rapidly meet employers’ skill development needs in in-demand industries and career pathways, as well as the skill development needs of underserved and underrepresented workers. Ultimately, these efforts will yield sustainable systems-level changes in education and training through collaboration between community colleges, employers, and the public workforce development system that align education and training, work experiences, and industry-recognized credentials that lead to career growth. These grants can range from $1-5M. A second round of applications are due October 14, 2022. Learn more here. We’re Hiring! As a growing organization, we’re expanding our team of educators, researchers, project managers, and communicators to provide supports and services to more schools, districts, and education agencies. Interested in joining our team? Check out these current openings on the McREL careers page: Associate Program Director Mixed Methods Research Associate Contact Us Today Learn more about how our coaching, professional learning, and analysis services can help your school or system reach its goals. Contact us today to start a conversation with our development team. Bookstore | News | Careers | Learn Online | Free Resources follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend Copyright © 2022, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 4601 DTC Blvd., Suite 500 Denver, CO 80237

Supports to help you reach your goals

The first of two items from the folks at the MCREL.

Dear Michael, The start of a new school year brings a mix of excitement and challenges. Having the right strategies and tools to support your goals can help you get a great start to a successful school year. McREL can help you and your team accomplish your goals with our research-based strategies, activities, and best practices for best first instruction in every classroom, instructional leadership that moves student learning outcomes, and tools for sparking and sustaining students’ curiosity to learn. Which area best aligns with your school’s interests and improvement plans? Let us know which topic is most relevant to your goals this year with this super brief, one-question form: Tools & Resources for Sparking Students’ Curiosity to Learn When it comes to student achievement, curiosity is just as important as intelligence and persistence. It drives the impulse to learn. We’ve all experienced it: those sudden jolts of curiosity tugging at the sleeves of our intellect and piquing our imagination. However, in the pursuit of academic excellence, we often overlook the power of curiosity as a natural driver of achievement. Support for Best First Instruction Creating a path for better student learning involves challenging, engaging, and intentional instruction that encourages curiosity and promotes meaningful classroom interactions. Great instruction involves more than just knowing what classroom strategies work, but also how, when, and why to adapt these strategies to meet their classroom goals. Strategies & Insights Around Effective School Leadership Effective school leadership is focused on student learning as well as developing and supporting staff in order to achieve equitable outcomes for learners. School leadership is strengthened through shared leadership and system support and intentional investment based on the needs of their organization. As a thank you, we’ll send you a coupon for 30% off any of our professional practice books, quick guides, and online professional learning courses. And we’ll let you know when we have new resources that match your selected area(s) of interest. follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend Copyright © 2022, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 4601 DTC Blvd., Suite 500 Denver, CO 80237