My more research-focused readers should note the various grant programs at the bottom.

Bryan Goodwin, President & CEO, McREL International

Dear Michael, A great learning environment benefits both sides of the teaching–learning equation, an idea that education writer Pete Hall and I have been exploring on the McREL blog. The series so far: Social-emotional learning and academics: One coin, two sides. There’s no need to choose between high-quality teaching practices and supporting students’ readiness to learn; the closer you look, the more similar these aspirations and their solutions appear. How evidence-based teaching strategies create student-centered classrooms. Highlights from the soon-to-be-published update of Classroom Instruction That Works®, our groundbreaking meta-analysis of effective teaching strategies. Academics and SEL: Yes, there is enough time in the day. Teachers, understandably, are skeptical when they hear about a new initiative. Our response: A healthy learning environment shouldn’t be considered optional. Plus, there really are ways for principals to relieve teachers of work that doesn’t absolutely require a teacher. This isn’t an easy time to be an educator but it is an important one, and we’re confident these tips can make the work more productive and joyful. Bryan

Busting some myths about career and technical education Labor market data from the last decade confirms what CTE educators and advocates have said for years: High school graduates don’t necessarily need to attend a four-year college in order to access good-paying careers. In the May edition of Educational Leadership, Bryan Goodwin writes about CTE programs, job markets, and some surprising facts about career earnings. For example, while many jobs requiring bachelor’s degrees do pay quite well, students who instead earn two-year degrees or complete an apprenticeship/training program in high-demand fields can often out-earn their university peers. If more high schools offered more well designed CTE experiences, Bryan writes, they’d be helping lots more students land rewarding work. Citing a study by Mark Schneider, now head of the federal Institute of Education Sciences, Bryan shows that salary averages can be deceiving: Two-year degree holders in vocations aimed at “fixing things or fixing people,” in Schneider’s words, often earn a lot more than lower-demand career paths that require four-year degrees, such as the arts, psychology, social work, and (alas) education. Read Bryan’s Research Matters column in Educational Leadership. Get free reading support for your students, and help researchers learn what works McREL is running an efficacy study of the early literacy program Reading Horizons Discovery® and we’re looking for K–2 teachers from across the U.S. to participate. In addition to helping expand knowledge of effective literacy instruction, participating teachers will get free access to the program for a year, free professional learning and implementation support, and a thank-you stipend. Learn more and fill in the interest form Save 25% on McREL books and PD! Save 25% off all McREL books, quick guides, and online courses all summer long! Use code summer25 when ordering books directly from McREL or when signing up for online PD. If ordering McREL books at Amazon, just check the coupon box. And get ready for a fun and enlightening summer!

Research Roundup A selection of research news that ties into our work on leadership, instruction, school improvement, and professional learning here at McREL.

Case study finds principal supervisors in a tough spot. If principals are to better support teachers, they’ll need support too. In a case study in Educational Administration Quarterly, a district made organizational changes to bring principal supervisors closer to the goal of bolstering instructional leadership, but they wound up complicating, rather than streamlining, the supervisors’ work lives. A hierarchical device called a through-line, for example, was meant to create “a system of learners rather than superiors and subordinates,” but in reality it “appeared to function mainly as a device for top-down communication and command.” Principals said the new structures didn’t always take their school’s unique context into account, and they often chose to leverage pre-existing relationships and just go directly to somebody they knew could help. For many, learning time became nap time. Seventy-nine percent of college students in a survey out of China admitted to getting drowsy or falling asleep during class after the remote learning shift happened. Some of the issues described in the journal E-Learning and Digital Media may have been unique to the English language students in the study, such as having difficulty seeing the teacher’s mouth forming unfamiliar words. But teachers around the world probably recognize what the authors call learning whiplash. Noting that students can maintain attention for only 10 to 15 minutes even in a relatively distraction-free environment, the authors suggest several ways to help students to stay sharp in remote classes, such as taking quick music video breaks, using online polls, and “advanced release”—previewing an upcoming lesson with a nugget of information to stimulate curiosity. That data won’t implement itself. An observational study of data team meetings in four rural American schools over one year found a lot to be desired. Writing in School Effectiveness and School Improvement, University of Virginia researchers found that team meetings seemed directionless, with principals “limiting the data discussions to test scores and references to student personal lives.” When the data showed a student was struggling, the only solution the teams could see was to assign a specialist for reteaching. “Establishing data teams that are ineffective and perpetuate existing structures gives the illusion of advancement while allowing educators to avoid action that actually addresses problems,” the researchers said. Researchers skeptical of their own findings on homeless student achievement. Homeless students, especially those staying in shelters, are at greater risk of dropping out than housed students, and their academic attainment is lower, but the authors of a new study of Houston students in Educational Researcher expressed skepticism about some apparently positive findings: that the two groups had the same achievement growth and state test participation, as well as indistinguishable rates of disciplinary infractions. They called for more research to find out if what’s actually happening is schools discouraging homeless students from coming in on test days, which would be a form of illegal segregation.

Grant Opportunities Common abbreviations: institutions of higher education (IHEs); local education agencies (LEAs); and state education agencies (SEAs). McREL can be a strategic thought partner for your organization, helping you develop and submit a high-quality application. We can also often serve as your grant’s external evaluator. Contact us for more information about our grant partnership services. Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Early-Phase Grants The EIR program supports the creation, development, implementation, replication, or scaling of entrepreneurial, evidence-based, field-initiated innovations to improve student achievement and attainment for high-need students, along with rigorous evaluations to validate these innovative solutions’ abilities to address persistent education challenges and support their expansion to serve substantially higher numbers of students. For this competition, there are four Absolute Priorities: (1) Demonstrate a Rationale (ESSA Tier 4 Level of Evidence); (2) Field-Initiated Innovations—General; (3) Field-Initiated Innovations—Promoting STEM Education; and (4) Field-Initiated Innovations—Meeting Students’ Social, Emotional, and Academic Needs. There are also two Competitive Preference Priorities: (1) Promoting Equity in Student Access to Educational Resources and Opportunities and (2) Addressing the Impact of COVID-19 on Students, Educators, and Faculty. These grants can be for up to $4M for five years. Applications are due July 21, 2022. Learn more here. Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Mid-Phase Grants The EIR program supports the creation, development, implementation, replication, or scaling of entrepreneurial, evidence-based, field-initiated innovations to improve student achievement and attainment for high-need students, along with rigorous evaluations to validate these innovative solutions’ abilities to address persistent education challenges and support their expansion to serve substantially higher numbers of students. For this competition, there are four Absolute Priorities: (1) Moderate Evidence (ESSA Tier 2 Level of Evidence); (2) Field-Initiated Innovations—General; (3) Field-Initiated Innovations—Promoting STEM Education; and (4) Field-Initiated Innovations—Meeting Students’ Social, Emotional, and Academic Needs. There are also two Competitive Preference Priorities: (1) Promoting Equity in Student Access to Educational Resources and Opportunities and (2) Addressing the Impact of COVID-19 on Students, Educators, and Faculty. These grants can be for up to $8M for five years. Applications are due June 21, 2022. Learn more here. Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Expansion Grants The EIR program supports the creation, development, implementation, replication, or scaling of entrepreneurial, evidence-based, field-initiated innovations to improve student achievement and attainment for high-need students, along with rigorous evaluations to validate these innovative solutions’ abilities to address persistent education challenges and support their expansion to serve substantially higher numbers of students. For this competition, there are two Absolute Priorities: (1) Strong Evidence (ESSA Tier 1 Level of Evidence) and (2) Field-Initiated Innovations—General. There are also two Competitive Preference Priorities: (1) Promoting Equity in Student Access to Educational Resources and Opportunities and (2) Addressing the Impact of COVID-19 on Students, Educators, and Faculty. These grants can be for up to $15M for five years. Applications are due June 21, 2022. Learn more here. Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) Grants The ITEST program, through a research and development lens, aims to advance equitable and inclusive integration of technology in the learning and teaching of STEM for all students from PreK–12. Thus, proposed projects are expected to: (1) engage students in technology-rich learning to develop disciplinary and/or transdisciplinary STEM content knowledge, including skills in data literacy and evidence-based decision-making and reasoning; (2) prioritize full inclusion of underrepresented and/or underserved groups, including but not limited to Blacks/African Americans, Alaska Natives, Hispanics/Latinos, Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, Native Pacific Islanders, persons with disabilities, neurodiverse students, and women in the STEM and information and communication technologies (ICT) workforce; (3) motivate students to pursue appropriate education pathways to technology-rich careers; and (4) leverage strategic and community partnerships to expand education pathways in communities through public and private partnerships and collaborations. Three types of projects are supported by ITEST funding: (1) Exploring Theory and Design Principles; (2) Developing and Testing Innovations; and (3) Scaling, Expanding, and Iterating Innovations. These grants can range up to $5M, but award amounts are determined by the category in which you plan to apply—refer to the solicitation for these. Applications are due Aug. 12, 2022. Learn more here.

We’re Hiring! As a growing organization, we’re expanding our team of educators, researchers, project managers, and communicators to provide supports and services to more schools, districts, and education agencies. Interested in joining our team? Check out these current openings on the McREL careers page: Managing Consultant (Denver or Honolulu) Quantitative Research Associate (Denver or Honolulu) Researcher/Evaluator (Denver or Honolulu) Senior Executive Director of Research and Evaluation (Denver or Honolulu) Technical Assistance Consultant (Denver or Honolulu)

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