English learners benefit from the same approach to reading and writing as their peers but need additional supports. Find out what language arts teachers can do to support their English learners.

The density and complexity of social science textbooks and other texts can be particularly challenging for English learners. What principles and strategies can social studies teachers employ?

Learn about the five key principles that all teachers should know about second-language acquisition and the academic challenges English learners face.

What does a high-performing education network look like, and what steps can emerging networks take to get there?

Our librarians compiled this list of readily available, recent studies and articles that leaders can draw from when forming new collaboratives or enhancing existing ones.

Our librarians recently compiled this list of the latest studies and resources that states, districts and schools can draw from to create and improve CTE programs.

Think through important decisions on why to measure SEL, how to use SEL data and which skills, mindsets and capacities are appropriate to measure with this informative two-page guide.

To help achieve Oregon’s high school and postsecondary education completion goals, the state has been expanding its investment in accelerated learning options that give high school students the...

What difference does a teacher-mentoring program make on early career teachers in Alaska in terms of teacher retention, instructional practice and the academic performance of their students?

This report is the first external evaluation of Future Connect. It examines the program’s impact on college performance, progression, persistence, transfer, and completion.

This brief shares key findings from a case study of how Highline Public Schools and its community partners have contributed to the Road Map Project.

Want to learn the basics of social and emotional learning? Download this primer to learn concepts you can use to help students develop “nonacademic skills” and reach their full potential.

This white paper provides research-backed recommendations for how principals and administrators ensure their schools offer smooth transitions for all incoming kindergarteners and their families.

Find out about the progress community colleges in Oregon are making to support students who are traditionally required to take developmental education courses and face a high risk for not graduating from college.

This REL Northwest report provides a portrait of dual-credit participation rates and trends in Idaho between the 2011–12 and 2014–15 school years.

Spearheaded by GEAR UP Hawai'i, the Step Up Scholars program was a statewide campaign and program that encouraged Hawai'i public school students in the graduating Classes of 2013, 2014, and 2015 to...

Registration Open October 17–18, 2016 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Education Northwest, Portland, Oregon Want to learn how to set the conditions required for effective discussion and collaboration focused on...

Addressing the unique needs of students from diverse backgrounds is one of the major challenges facing public education today because many teachers are inadequately prepared with the relevant content...

Findings and recommendations from a 10-state study Community colleges are the first point of access to higher education for millions of students looking for an affordable path to a bachelor’s degree...

Good Instruction for All (Webinar 1) April 19, 2016 Presenter: Jacob Williams In this webinar we’ll look at teaching practices that promote high-quality and equitable instruction for all students,...

From Familiar to Unfamiliar: Pre-reading Scaffolds That Connect Students From What They Know to What They Don't Know Yet May 9 , 2016 Presenter: Tim Blackburn Pre-reading tasks provide scaffolded...

This professional development opportunity is offered through a partnership between the Oregon Leadership Network (OLN) and the National Equity Project . The event is hosted by Northwest Regional ESD...

The Institute for Youth Success (IYS) has been supporting youth programs since our inception as the Oregon Mentoring Initiative in 2002. Today, as part of Education Northwest, we work with more than...

This professional development opportunity is offered through a partnership between the Oregon Leadership Network (OLN) and the National Equity Project . The role of the instructional coach goes...

A Case Study of Dual-Credit Programs GEAR UP Hawai‘i is committed to improving low-income high school students’ access to college courses and, as a result, requested that Education Northwest, the...

Helping Students Plan Through Personalized Learning Education Northwest's Rhonda Barton, Michelle Hodara , and Nora Ostler contributed this article on Oregon's online Personal Education Plan (PEP) to...

Idaho Association of School Administrators (IASA) Summer Leadership Conference is taking place place in Boise, Idaho on August 5–7, 2015. Researchers from Education Northwest are presenting two...

You can have the professional staff at Education Northwest assess your students' writing using 6+1 Trait® Writing. Education Northwest's writing assessors will provide writing assessment scores you...

Education Northwest’s work in equity, English learner instruction, postsecondary and career readiness, and school improvement were highlighted at the annual conference of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), April 16–20 in Chicago.

Findings from two large community college systems show that completing developmental education courses in reading and writing leads to an increase in earnings, suggesting that developmental education...

This guide from REL Northwest provides implementation strategies based on the experiences and recommendations of early warning systems practitioners throughout the United States.

Our schools exist because of our students. As educators we have the awesome responsibility and unique opportunity to reach, teach and prepare our students for tomorrow. To make sure we are doing the...

One approach to improve the college and career readiness of American students is to increase the rigor of the high school diploma requirements so that they align with the knowledge and skills...

This study addresses the impact of the Road Map World Language Credit Program on students’ attitudes toward bilingualism and school.

Creating and enforcing a clear and equitable discipline policy plays an important role in ensuring that all students are afforded the opportunity to reach their full potential. For more than three...

This document is organized to provide training and basic information for use of the Indigenous Culture-Based Education Rubrics, which were originally developed to measure culture-based education (CBE...

This publication features profiles of eight education-based collective impact efforts across the Northwest. It also describes lessons learned and identifies ongoing areas of need.

Evidence on the importance of writing Writing skills are important for an increasing number of jobs (National Commission on Writing 2004; Executive Office of the President 2009). Poor writing skills...

Last fall, our regional educational laboratory, REL Northwest, joined with REL Central and REL Pacific to organize a convening of tribal representatives from across the country to examine how our education system can incorporate indigenous language and culture and what research can increase and improve those efforts.

The use of research and data in decision making has become a popular mantra in education circles, but putting it into practice presents some real challenges. Often, educators and policymakers may not...

School leadership is complex and requires wisdom, informed judgment, and choosing among multiple options. Should leaders push for fast results or incremental improvements over time? Do they focus on...

According to data compiled by the Education Commission of the States (link is external) (ECS), only 11 states and the District of Columbia currently require districts to provide publicly funded full-day kindergarten.

This July 2013 NASSP Principal’s Research Review , written by Education Northwest’s Sarah Frazelle and Rhonda Barton, looks at the research on Early Warning Systems (EWS)

This April 2013 article in Principal Leadership , written by Rob Larson and Rhonda Barton, looks at lessons for school leaders on improving educational equity. It provides examples from OLN member...

This April 2013 article in Principal Leadership, written by OLN alliance researcher Vicki Nishioka, examines the research on disparities in exclusionary discipline policies and practices.

Bullying presents one of the greatest health risks to children, youth, and young adults in U.S. society. It is pernicious in its impact even if often less visible and less readily identifiable than...

The following resources, developed by our National Mentoring Center project (1998-2012) can help school administrators and staff, as well as their community partners, design and implement effective...

There’s growing recognition that communities of practice—peer-to-peer learning groups—offer an effective way to work together on a common problem, share strategies, and deepen members’ knowledge...

The 6+1 Trait® Writing Model of Instruction & Assessment comprises 6+1 key qualities that define quality writing. These are: Ideas —the main message Organization —the internal structure of the...

The following resources for planning, designing, and implementing a youth mentoring program were developed by our National Mentoring Center project. All are free to download. Please contact us if you...

In this report, Education Northwest researchers describe how it is possible to make a statistically significant difference in struggling readers’ achievement in just a single year.

Issues and Answers is an ongoing series of reports from short-term Fast Response Projects conducted by the regional educational laboratories on current education issues of importance at local, state...

This March 2012 NASSP Principal’s Research Review , written by Education Northwest’s Rhonda Barton and Rob Larson, looks at strategies for improving educational equity. With racial and economic...

State education agencies (SEAs) are required by federal policy to provide a statewide system of intensive and sustained support to Title I schools and districts identified as in need of improvement...

A series published by Education Northwest to keep regional stakeholders informed about the Common Core initiative.

In a search of evidence-based materials from research organizations, we found several resources that are written for teachers and other practitioners. These resources have the following strategies in...

Data-driven decision making has become a national education priority. But do educators have the capacity to understand the data and use them appropriately to make instructional improvements? What can...

In the Northwest region, 39 percent of schools are rural, compared to 31 percent nationally. While rural schools face many of the same challenges as those in urban settings, they also have unique...

School-based mentoring (SBM) is becoming increasingly popular as a way to help students in a number of academic and psychosocial domains. In this model, a K–12 student is paired with an adult from...

What can district leaders do to create schools that support success for English learners?

Small learning community and small school reform efforts have begun to falter in light of evaluations showing stalled implementation and limited impacts. However, this Lessons Learned brief gives...

When collaboration is embedded in teachers’ work and supported by leadership, meaningful professional learning and improved teaching follow. School redesign demands that practitioners make...

In response to the challenges of collecting data on post secondary outcomes, this guide helps high schools identify efficient and cost-effective strategies to find out what happens to their students...

Program evaluation is an increasingly important area of operations for all youth mentoring programs. These resources, developed by our National Mentoring Center project (1998-2012), can help youth...

The following resources on recruiting and screening volunteer mentors were been developed by our National Mentoring Center project (1998-2012). These resources can help any mentoring program recruit...

Building Inquiry Skills in Afterschool STEM and Beyond This webinar offers tips and examples for implementing youth-led inquiry, an approach to designing school-day instruction and afterschool...

The following resources, developed by our National Mentoring Center project (1998-2012), can help youth mentoring programs in both school and community settings plan for a sustainable future. These...