Webinar Archives

Policy Challenges Webinar: Bridging Research and Practice: Developing Effective Fractions Instruction for Kindergarten Through 8th Grade

December 2010
A high percentage of U.S. students lack conceptual understanding of fractions—even after studying fractions for several years—which limits their ability to solve problems with fractions and to learn and apply computational procedures involving fractions. This interactive webinar introduced math teachers and educators in the Northeast and Islands Region to a new Institute of Education Sciences (IES) Practice Guide on effective fractions instruction. Co-author Dr. Francis “Skip” Fennell presented the Guide’s five evidence-based recommendations to improve students’ learning of fractions. Attendees were encouraged to participate in an online Q&A session with Dr. Fennell. For more information and additional materials, visit the webinar overview page.

Postsecondary Access and Success for Rural Students

November 2010
Nearly 20 percent of America’s young people attend public high school in a rural area, yet these students are less likely than their urban and suburban counterparts to attend and complete college. This webinar hosted by the Regional Educational Laboratory Rural Working Group targeted educators and policymakers across the country who are concerned about postsecondary access and success for rural students. Dr. William Tierney, director of the Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis at the University of Southern California, presented five evidence-based recommendations from an Institute of Education Sciences (IES) Practice Guide on helping students prepare for college, and Dr. Judith Meece of the National Research Center on Rural Education Support discussed her research on rural students’ academic experience and preparation for college. For more information and additional materials, visit the webinar overview page.

When Is Bullying More Likely to Be Reported to School Officials?

September 2010
Bullying often goes unreported in U.S. schools, making the problem difficult for school officials to identify and manage. In this webinar, REL-NEI researchers shared findings from a newly released study that analyzed data from a national crime victimization survey and identified 11 characteristics linked to increased reporting of bullying to school officials. Two youth violence prevention experts discussed implications of the findings for district anti-bullying policies, future research, and principal and teacher practices to prevent and address bullying problems in schools. For more information and additional materials, visit the webinar overview page.

What Are States’ Requirements for General Education Teachers Teaching Students with Disabilities?

September 2010
In this webinar, REL-NEI researchers presented findings from a newly published Issues & Answers Report that examines how Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the U.S. Virgin Islands prepare their general education teachers to teach students with disabilities. The report identifies eight content areas that these states and territories require teachers to study, including growth and development of exceptional children (required in seven jurisdictions), instructional design (required in five jurisdictions), and adapting, differentiating, accommodating, or modifying instruction (required in five of the jurisdictions). A professor of teacher education at the University of Southern Maine reflected on the implications of the research for teacher practice and teacher preparation programs. For more information and additional materials, visit the webinar overview page.

Translating Research into Policy and Practice: REL-NEI at Work in the REgion

August 2010
The Regional Educational Laboratories are active agents in identifying and implementing research initiatives—small and large—to address issues of state, regional, and national concern. In this webinar, REL Northeast and Islands’s director Jill Weber provided an overview of REL-NEI’s research services and then talked with selected stakeholders from around the region about their work with the REL. Attendees were invited to ask questions about REL services and translating research into policy and practice, as well as describe their own needs for research support. For more information and additional materials, visit the webinar overview page.

Identifying Learning Disabilities in English Language Learners: Lessons from Three New York Districts

May 2010
In this webinar, REL-NEI researchers presented findings from an Issues & Answers Report that examines the practices and processes in three suburban New York school districts to identify learning disabilities among students who are English language learners (ELLs). The researchers discussed eight challenges to identifying learning disabilities in ELLs and five interrelated elements that appear to be important for avoiding misidentification of learning disabilities. An instructional supervisor with the Miami-Dade Public Schools connected the research findings to her own district’s practices. For more information and additional materials, visit the webinar overview page.

Policy challenges Webinar: BridGing Research and Practice: Measuring Teacher Effectiveness in New England

May 2010
In this webinar co-hosted with the New England Comprehensive Center and the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality, Dr. Douglas Harris at the University of Wisconsin–Madison presented current research on value-added models for measuring teacher effectiveness. Among the webinar participants were representatives from the New England Collaborative for Educator Quality and Effectiveness (NECEQE), a newly formed initiative comprised of teacher-effectiveness leaders from each of the six New England states. For more information and additional materials, visit the webinar overview page.

Policy Challenges Webinar: Implementing Response to Intervention (RTI) in Mathematics: Research-Based Strategies for Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont Grades K–8 Schools

February and March 2010

During this two-part webinar, Dr. Bradley Witzel of Winthrop University assisted district leaders and other educators in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont in learning how to better implement response to intervention (RTI) in mathematics through a focus on eight research-based recommendations presented in an Institute of Education Sciences (IES) Practice Guide on the topic. For more information and additional materials, visit the webinar overview page.

Response-to-Intervention Policies in 16 States

January 2010

Researchers from REL Northeast and Islands and REL West presented findings from two Issues & Answers Reports that reviewed state education agency (SEA) policies and supports for response to intervention (RTI) in districts and schools. Following the researchers’ presentation, a Vermont-based education consultant discussed the implications of the reports’ findings for practical implementation of RTI in schools and classrooms. For more information and additional materials, visit the webinar overview page.