NEWTON, MA | May 11, 2010
The U.S. Department of Education will extend to 2012 its contract with Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), to operate the Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast and Islands (REL-NEI), one of 10 such labs across the country. Funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, REL-NEI is administered by EDC in partnership with Learning Innovations at WestEd and American Institutes for Research.
Now in its fifth year, REL-NEI brings rigorous education research to educators and policymakers in the region, the largest and most diverse in the country, which includes more than 5 million students, nearly 10,000 schools, and 2,000 districts in the six New England states, New York, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“We are enthusiastic about continuing our work for two more years, which will allow us to expand our robust program of original research, technical assistance, face-to-face and webinar events, and Reference Desk responses,” said REL-NEI director Jill Weber. “The sixth year gives us valuable time to fully disseminate the findings from our two long-term studies, Thinking Reader and Pathways to Math Achievement, expected later this year.”
REL-NEI provides pre-K–16 educators at the state, district, and school levels with the best available evidence to make decisions leading to improved student achievement and reduced performance gaps. The REL network also provides research to assist policymakers with their decision-making to make the best use of funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. In the past four years, REL-NEI has produced 18 original research reports requested by regional educators and policymakers, with four more slated for publication this year.
“EDC has a long history of education research and innovation, as well as working in close partnerships with schools, districts, and state departments of education,” said EDC vice president Robert Spielvogel. “We are very pleased to continue to be involved in this work, applying research to improve education for children throughout the region and across the country.”
The nation’s RELs serve as partners with state and local educators and policymakers to use research to tackle issues of education reform and improvement.
Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) is a global nonprofit organization that addresses some of the world’s most urgent challenges in education, health, and economic development. EDC manages 350 projects in 35 countries. Visit www.edc.org.
