We do a lot of work for the Regional Educational Laboratories (RELs). We are currently partnered with AIR for the 2023-2027 REL Southwest round. Prior to this current round, we have been partnering on REL Southwest projects (along with five other RELs) since 2005. Below are examples of work we've done for REL Southwest, from conducting RCTs to developing and hosting workshops.
View the reports resulting from this research using the blue buttons below.
December 2022
We partnered with Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest and the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) to study the feasibility and effectiveness of using email and text message communications to increase parent/guardian visits to the Reading Initiative for Student Excellence state literacy website.
November 2022
We partnered with Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest and the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) to examine ADE's middle school and high school indicators of postsecondary readiness and success. Four key findings emerged.
October 2022
We partnered with Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest and the Texas Education Agency to examine the Grow Your Own (GYO) grant program, which aims to increase teacher recruitment, retention, and diversity in rural communities. The descriptive study analyzed data from 2015-16 through 2020-21 for districts that received GYO funding in the first two grant cycles. We also examined potential differences between districts in the same geographic locales and regions that did not receive GYO funding. Access our findings below.
Aug 2021 through the present
Louisiana’s Pre-Educator Pathway initiative addresses workforce needs related to the recruitment and retention of teachers of color and cultivates highly skilled educators by guiding young people, beginning in high school, on a path to becoming accomplished teachers. We trained Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) staff on conducting an evaluation of the initiative, including data collection, evaluation plan design, and preparation for and execution of an evaluation study.
May 2021
This study analyzed data for the three cohorts of pilot participants that were enrolled in a university-based teacher preparation program between 2014-15 and 2016-17.
Summer 2019
In 2019, REL Southwest provided training to LDOE staff on developing surveys to assess teacher and mentor perceptions of the Believe and Prepare program. The goals were to assist LDOE in taking actionable steps for survey administration and analysis to gain a better understanding of program successes and challenges, program improvement priorities, and training, coaching, and research support needs for educator preparation providers and local education agencies.
January 2019
This logic model workshop was aimed at helping statewide school improvement efforts. We helped to increase knowledge and understanding of the general concepts, purposes, and uses of logic models, as well as the components that make up a logic model. We built capacity in understanding the links between components of school improvement initiatives and provided hands-on opportunities for school administrators to develop logic models for local school improvement initiatives.
December 2017
This study provides updated information regarding teacher mobility—defined as teachers moving schools or leaving the public-school system—for Texas public schools during the 2011-12 through 2015-16 school years.
October 2017
This study was designed to identify factors associated with successful recruitment and retention of teachers in Oklahoma rural school districts, in order to highlight potential strategies to address Oklahoma’s teaching shortage.
October 2017
This study examined the data from the 2014-15 pilot implementation of the Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS) in order to understand certain properties of the T-TESS rubric, comprising 16 dimensions classified within 4 domains of teacher effectiveness.
April 2016
This study reviews research literature to identify malleable factors that can be measured in K–12 settings and that predict students’ postsecondary STEM success, particularly for Hispanic students.
