REL Northwest, operated by Education Northwest, is part of the Regional Educational Laboratory Program funded by the Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences. Serving the states of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington, our purpose is to build stakeholders' capacity to identify, access, use, and apply data and research to meet their self-defined improvement goals. Along with the other nine RELs throughout the nation, REL Northwest seeks to build a national knowledge base of reliable, actionable evidence to help improve student outcomes.

During the current contract period (2012–2017), REL Northwest is facilitating the work of research alliances—groups in the region who have agreed to work together to learn more about specific educational concerns so they can make sound decisions. The alliances’ self-identified concerns reflect regional and national priorities, including turning around low-performing schools; increasing graduation rates and readiness for postsecondary education and careers; and achieving greater equity by improving outcomes for all students.

In addition to working with research alliances, REL Northwest continues to offer customized, research-based answers to educators’ questions through its free Reference Desk service. And, we will continue to inform education policy and practice in the Northwest by conducting and disseminating studies that address critical regional challenges.