About REL-NEI

The Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast and Islands (REL-NEI) is part of the Regional Educational Laboratory Program. This network of ten laboratories provides educators and policymakers with access to high-quality scientifically valid education research through applied research and development projects, randomized controlled trial studies, dissemination of research findings, and related technical assistance activities. The REL Program is funded by the Institute of Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education.

REL-NEI serves New England, New York, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The region includes over 5 million students, nearly 10,000 schools, and 2,000 districts, from rural settings to New York City.

REL-NEI’s mission is to help pre-K–16 educators at the state, district and school levels increase their use of scientifically based evidence to make decisions that lead to improved student achievement and reduced performance gaps among student groups.

This mission is accomplished through six primary activities:

1. Needs analysis. Ongoing needs analysis work with multiple regional stakeholders informs the research agenda.
2. Responses to requests from key stakeholders. These short-term activities last from two weeks to two months and answer specific requests from state-level decision-makers. A Reference Desk feature provides timely answers to real world problems and inquiries.
3. Fast Response Research Projects. A year or less in duration, Fast Response Projects synthesize and analyze existing data and resources to inform the decision-making process. They address regional needs.
4. Rigorous Applied Research and Development Studies. These multiyear, randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies investigate the causal impact of programs and products on student achievement in areas identified as high priority in our region.
5. Coordination and collaboration with other RELs in the country. Participating in weekly national REL network calls, working together on cross-REL projects, and connecting with staff in other RELs enhances our ability to provide information to our region.
6. Dissemination of reports, publications, and electronic products. REL-NEI is committed to a multimode approach to providing the best available research-based evidence to help make informed educational decisions. We strive to make what we have learned available to the public and to distinct groups of stakeholders in order to connect research with policy and practice.

REL-NEI is administered by Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), in close partnership with the American Institutes of Research (AIR) and Learning Innovations at WestEd (LI).

About EDC

Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), the lead partner of REL-NEI, is a global nonprofit organization that has been advancing solutions to some of the world’s most urgent challenges in education, health, and economic development since 1958. Working with public sector and private partners, EDC harnesses the power of people and systems to improve education, health promotion and care, workforce preparation, communication technologies, and civic engagement. EDC provides research, training, educational materials, and strategic planning, with activities ranging from seed projects to large-scale national and international initiatives.

EDC employs a staff of over 1,300 worldwide with main offices in Newton, Mass., New York City, and Washington, D.C. Field offices are located across the United States and in more than 20 countries. For an interactive timeline featuring highlights from EDC’s 50 year history, click here.

About AIR

The American Institutes for Research (AIR) is one of the largest behavioral and social science research organizations in the world. Its overriding goal is to use the best science available to bring the most effective ideas and approaches to enhancing everyday life. The mission of this nonprofit corporation is to ensure that:

• improvements occur in education, health, and the workplace;
• there is an increase in the use of better research methods and designs;
• practitioners adopt appropriate research-based practices; and
• public understanding and policymaking are informed by sound research.

Founded in 1946 and with offices in Washington, D.C., AIR’s expertise includes test development, research methodology, statistical and quantitative methods, program planning and implementation, program evaluation, and international research.

About Learning Innovations at WestEd

Learning Innovations at WestEd (LI) is WestEd’s Northeast program. WestEd, a nonprofit research, development, and service agency works with education and other communities to promote excellence, achieve equity, and improve learning for children, youth, and adults. LI provides professional development, research, and evaluation that bolster teacher quality and leadership, address needs of English language learners (ELLs) and students with disabilities, and improve learning in science, math, and other subjects. As the only organization in the Northeast that provides technical and research assistance through two Comprehensive Centers (providing No Child Left Behind assistance to states), the Northeast Regional Resource Center (focused on special education), and a Regional Educational Laboratory, LI’s expertise informs policy and implementation throughout seven northeastern states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. LI has offices in Woburn, Mass., and Burlington, Vt. WestEd’s headquarters are in San Francisco, Calif.