Project Description

REL Southwest serves the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The high-priority needs that were identified for this service region were charter school effectiveness, closing the achievement gap, early childhood education, effective teachers and principals, English learners, Hispanic achievement in STEM, and rural school performance.

To address those needs, REL Southwest collaborated with education practitioners, policymakers, and researchers connected with eight research alliances to gather, organize, and use data and research evidence.

The critical first steps in delivering useful and high-quality technical assistance and products were to support needs-sensing activities that inform the annual planning of this REL’s activities and to recommend efficient and effective formats to address those needs. DIR systematically synthesized relevant data to provide an accurate picture of the nature and extent of the needs of REL Southwest and its stakeholders. We also responded to requests from the Ask-a-REL reference desk, submitted through a public electronic submission system.

Administered stakeholder feedback surveys and analyzed and developed reports of the results to determine the usefulness of technical assistance activities and workshops, bridge events, and general participation in research alliances.

Developed a Research Alignment Matrix to assist each research alliance in prioritizing research projects and prevent duplication of research efforts already conducted through the REL program and other IES funded programs.