The first of two MCREL items.  This newsletters doesn’t feature any K-12 distance, online, and/or blended learning specific items – but lots of good content for teachers.

November 2022

Best First Instruction Delivers Results That Can Overcome Learning Setbacks  In late October, the National Assessment of Educational Progress released its full report on math and reading proficiency for students in grades 4 and 8 across the country. Test scores dropped, slightly for reading and more so for math. It was the first full report since 2019, and the results (and reactions) left a lot of educators wondering what comes next. In many ways, though, these results tell us what we already know: that students learn best in classrooms with skilled teachers who challenge and support them. Simply stated, good teaching matters.

In fact, our recent analysis of scientific studies in classrooms with diverse learners found that effectively delivered best first instruction can result in significant learning gains. So, if we want to catch students up, a good place to begin is with building the capacity of teachers to deliver best first instruction. Yes, some students may also need additional instruction or specialized programs to catch up. But if more time simply doubles down on less-than-optimal teaching, schools are, in effect, doing the same things and expecting different results. The alternative, as we note in our recent white paper, is applying the “go-slow-to-go-fast” principles of best first instruction, which includes taking time to spark student curiosity, pause and process their learning, and engage in cognitively challenging learning tasks that make learning stick. Perhaps, most important, because best first instruction reflects how students’ brains actually work, it makes learning easier and more joyful for students and teachers alike. And that’s not a bad place to start—with lifting all learners, not merely catching them up. Dive deeper into the theory of best first instruction with these resources: The New Classroom Instruction That Works book Unleashing the Power of Best First Instruction white paper Learning That Sticks book Going Slowing to Go Fast, with Best First Instruction blog post

Bryan Goodwin, CEO, McREL International

New & Noteworthy

The New Classroom Instruction That Works This new analysis of research on effective teaching-and-learning practices identifies 14 strategies for best first instruction in K-12 classrooms and provides insights and suggestions for how to best use them in the classroom. Building on our foundation of previous CITW research, books, and professional learning courses, this updated resource draws on the latest and best evidence for improving student learning success. Order your copy now along with a handy quick reference guide that shows how the strategies align with our six-phase model for student learning. Published in partnership with ASCD, the book is also available in the ASCD Bookstore and on Amazon.

Infographic Provides Promising Strategies for Educator Retention Facing challenges with recruiting and keeping educators in the workforce, many schools are looking for ideas to improve staff retention. Our colleagues at REL Pacific, in partnership with educators in the Republic of Palau, developed an infographic giving examples of approaches and strategies for increasing K–12 teacher retention.­ The four-page handout is applicable to schools and districts across the Pacific Region and U.S. states. Find new ideas for teacher retention here.

Pro Tip: Go Slow to Go Fast with Best First Instruction While recent test scores and headlines have many educators feeling pressure to catch students up as quickly as possible, McREL’s recent research finds that we don’t need to exhaust teachers or students to catch them up, or race through the curriculum, which further disengages them. Instead, we need to design and deliver student learning experiences that reflect how students’ brains work, writes McREL CEO Bryan Goodwin in a new blog on employing the benefits of best first instruction. Learn about the strategies here. Lean In to Culturally Relevant Educational Approaches The importance of using Indigenous principles for culturally responsive instruction takes center stage in a blog from the REL Pacific team. Author Natasha Saelua shares classroom examples of projects in American Samoa, Hawaii, the Marshall Islands, and Palau that are modifying Western educational practices to incorporate Indigenous principals of learning. These approaches aren’t limited to the Pacific Region; they are applicable for engaging students across the country by rethinking teaching strategies to explore students’ cultural values in more detail. Learn more about culturally responsive instruction here.

Join McREL for a 2-day Professional Development Workshop in Denver McREL is hosting a two-day professional development workshop on The New Classroom Instruction That Works strategies. Join us in Denver, June 7 and 8, to learn more about the 14 strategies and ways to support intentional planning for learning, using the six-phase learning model. Register today.

Research Roundup

Education Recovery Scorecard Offers District-by-district Comparisons A new report looks at district test scores across the country in an effort to further understand how remote schooling, federal investments, and other factors impacted students during the pandemic. When examining the information at a district level, the scorecard reveals that the causes for “achievement losses” are complex and vary dramatically even within individual states—you can’t blame it all on school closures and remote learning. The research collaboration from Stanford University and Harvard University shares key findings, long-term implications, and recovery efforts. See the results here.

How Do Grade-retention Policies Impact Students? An analysis of several key studies finds mixed results when it comes to grade-retention policies, according to an article in Education Week. While many states have legislation that requires schools to consider holding students back who don’t pass the grade 3 reading exam, the evidence on if it helps or hurts students long term appears to be mixed. Studies have found the practice disproportionally affects students of color, and a recent study found higher high school drop-out rates for students who were held back in elementary school. However, newer studies from Florida found that if strong support plans with effective teachers are in place for students held back, there were initial gains in achievement, although long-term benefits were not as clear. Read the full article.

Grant Opportunities

McREL can be a strategic thought partner for your district or agency on these grants, helping you develop a high-quality application. We also can often serve as your grant’s external evaluator. Contact us for more information about our grant partnership services. Common abbreviations: institutions of higher education (IHEs); local education agencies (LEAs); and state education agencies (SEAs)

Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT) Grants This grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will support projects that (1) train individuals (e.g., school personnel) to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental disorders, particularly serious mental illness and/or serious emotional disturbances; (2) establish links with school- and/or community-based mental health agencies for referrals of individuals with the signs or symptoms of mental illness to appropriate services; (3) train emergency services personnel, law enforcement, fire department personnel, veterans, and others to identify persons with a mental disorder and employ crisis de-escalation techniques; and (4) educate individuals about resources available in the community for individuals with a mental disorder. Each grant will be awarded to either state governments and territories; governmental units within a state (e.g., counties, cities, or towns); federally recognized tribes or tribal organizations; community and faith-based organizations; and institutes of higher education (IHEs). It is anticipated that there will be eight awards for up to $125,000 per year for up to five years. This is a forecasted opportunity; the request for applications (RFA) is anticipated to be released on Dec. 30, 2022.Learn more here. Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) AISL program is committed to funding research and practice, with a continued focus on investigating a range of informal science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning experiences and environments that make lifelong learning a reality. This program seeks proposals that center on equity and belonging, and further the well-being of individuals and communities who historically have been and continue to be excluded, underserved, or underrepresented due to gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability status, neurodiversity, geographic location, and economic status, among others, as well as their intersections. NSF encourages proposals that specifically focus on public engagement with an understanding of STEM, including community STEM; public participation in scientific research; science communication; intergenerational STEM engagement; and STEM media. The program supports five types of projects with varying grant values and durations: (1) Synthesis ($100,000–$500,000 across two years); (2) Conferences ($75,000­–$250,000 across two years); (3) Partnership Development and Planning ($50,000–$150,000 across 1–1 ½ years); (4) Integrating Research and Practice ($250,000 to $2 million across two to five years); and (5) Research in Support of Wide-reaching Public Engagement with STEM ($1 million–$3.5 million across two to five years). Applications are due Jan. 11, 2023. Learn more here.  Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Education and Human Resources (IUSE:EHR) IUSE:EHR is a core National Science Foundation (NSF) science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education program that seeks to promote novel, creative, and transformative approaches for generating and using new knowledge about STEM teaching and learning to improve STEM education for undergraduate students. The program will support projects from institutes of higher education (IHEs) and associated organizations that (1) adapt, improve, and incorporate evidence-based practices into STEM teaching and learning; (2) lay the groundwork for institutional improvement in STEM education; and (3) have a high potential for broader societal impacts, including improved diversity for students and instructors participating in STEM education, professional development for instructors to ensure adoption of new and effective pedagogical techniques that better meet students’ changing needs, and projects that promote institutional partnerships for collaborative research and development. This program also encourages the replication of research studies at different types of institutions and with different student bodies to produce deeper knowledge about the effectiveness and transferability of findings. IUSE:EHR especially welcomes proposals that will pair well with the efforts of NSF INCLUDES to develop STEM talent from all sectors and groups in our society. The IUSE:EHR program features two tracks: (1) Engaged Student Learning (ESL), which has three levels: Level 1 (up to $400,000 across three years), Level 2 (up to $750,000 across three years), or Level 3 (up to $2 million across five years); and (2) Institutional and Community Transformation (ICT), which has a Capacity-Building option (up to $200,000 for a single IHE or $400,000 for a multi-IHE proposal across two years) and two levels: Level 1 (up to $400,000 across three years) or Level 2 (up to $2 million across five years). Applications for ESL Level 1 and ICT Capacity-Building and Level 1 proposals are due Jan. 18, 2023; ESL Levels 2 and 3 and ICT Level 2 proposals are due July 19, 2023. Learn more here. Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT) National Science Foundation’s (NSF) ExLENT program seeks to fund cross-sectoral partnerships in providing inclusive experiential science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning opportunities that are designed to provide cohorts of diverse learners with the crucial skills needed to succeed in emerging technology fields and prepare them to enter the workforce ready to solve our nation’s most pressing scientific and societal challenges. Experiential learning activities can range from fully immersive experiences, such as internships, to extensive course-based activities that are constructed by (or driven by) workplace partner input to approximate real-world, “learning-by-doing” experiences. Furthermore, the ExLENT program will directly support NSF’s priority to build a diverse workforce in emerging technologies, accelerate the nation’s innovation capacity, and assure the nation’s competitiveness in STEM. The program supports three application tracks: (1) Pivots; (2) Beginnings; and (3) Explorations for approximately $1 million across three years. Applications for the Pivots and Beginnings tracks are due March 2, 2023; applications for all three tracks are due Sept. 14, 2023. 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 our current openings on the McREL careers page: Associate Program Director (Honolulu)

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