DIR will again work in partnership with American Institutes for Research (AIR) to provide services in support of the 2017–2022 REL Southwest contract, funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute for Educational Sciences. The REL Southwest region serves the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

This is the second time that DIR has served as a key partner with AIR, most recently conducting more than 200 in-depth needs sensing interviews with key stakeholders, performing monthly policy scans of online education media, leading focus groups with the REL Southwest Governing Board, and responding to more than 70 Ask-A-REL reference desk requests. Under the newly awarded REL Southwest contract DIR will provide

• Services to support the development of a rubric to assess the health of the REL Southwest’s partnerships
• Methodological and analytical support on training, coaching and technical assistance
• Support to the What Works Clearinghouse for evidence guidance related to Every Student Succeeds (ESSA)
• Implementation of the Ask-A-REL service
• Administration, analysis, and summaries of stakeholder feedback surveys.

AIR and DIR will work as close partners in all activities for all five years of the contract.