Pacific Resources for Education and Learning

Programs

Regional Educational Laboratory Pacific

The Regional Educational Laboratory Pacific (REL-P) is 1 of 10 educational laboratories funded by the U.S. Department of Education to improve education in each geographical region across the United States in accordance with the provisions stated in the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-279, Part D, Section 174). The purpose of the REL-P is to carry out applied research, development, dissemination, and technical assistance activities to serve the needs of the Pacific region. The REL-P serves state education agencies (SEAs) in 10 Pacific jurisdictions, including 1 state (Hawai‘i), 3 territories (American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), and 3 nations in free association with the U.S. (the Federated States of Micronesia: Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, Yap; the Republic of the Marshall Islands; the Republic of Palau).

The Work of the REL-P Is Divided Into Five Tasks

Task 1: Regional Needs Analysis, Training and Technical Assistance, and Fast Response

Task 1 begins with the critical work of needs assessment. To assist in this effort, the Pacific Resource Center (PRC) integrates and builds upon the REL-Pacific's existing databases. One of these, the Service Request database, keeps track of requests for assistance as well as the responses that REL-P provides. Also assisting with needs assessment efforts, the Research and Evaluation (R&E) Cadre is a working group comprised of the data specialists from all of the Pacific jurisdictions. The R&E Cadre is a collaborative effort to build research and evaluation capacity in the region as well as generate data needed for REL-P initiatives.

Outreach Activities

Improving student achievement in middle grades mathematics
Assessing student knowledge in Hawaiian immersion schools
Improving the teaching of reading comprehension in middle and high schools
Preparing successful high school leadership in the Pacific
Academic literacy for adolescents

Issues and Answers and Technical Briefs

The REL-P undertakes short-term Fast Response Projects that result in briefs for dissemination regionally and nationally. Disseminated briefs that have resulted from these projects include:

English Language Proficiency Assessment in the Pacific Region
View the Elluminate Webinar recording of the presentation on May 12, 2008, by Dr. Margaret Ho on English Language Proficiency Assessment in the Pacific Region
Preparing and Licensing High-Quality Teachers in Pacific Region Jurisdictions
View the Elluminate Webinar recording of the presentation on May 6, 2008, by Dr. Hilda Heine on Preparing and Licensing High Quality Teachers in Pacific Region Jurisdictions
A Status Report on Middle School Mathematics Assessment and Student Achievement in the Pacific Region
The Status of Large-Scale Assessment in the Pacific Region
The Status of the Preparation and Hiring of School Principals in the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Region

Task 2: Rigorous Applied Research and Development

As part of its Task 2, the REL-P is carrying out a 5-year rigorous study of the effectiveness of a professional development model, Pacific Communities with High-performance In Literacy Development (Pacific CHILD). The study involves the implementation of a professional development program for 4th and 5th grade teachers, with a particular focus on English language learners (ELLs). The model of Pacific CHILD was based on lessons learned from and results of REL Pacific's 2001-2005 Pacific CHILD research on early literacy. The Pacific CHILD professional development program is focusing on three key reading comprehension strategies (vocabulary, text structure and question generation) coupled with three key instructional strategies (differentiated instruction, interactive tasks, cognitively-rich environments).

The REL-P is using a cluster, random assignment research design with an equal number of schools receiving and not receiving the professional development. Pacific CHILD staff will sample approximately 50 schools (composed of about 250 teachers and 5,800 students) in three Pacific jurisdictions: American Samoa, the Common Wealth of Norhern Marianas Islands, and Hawaii. In particular, the study addresses the following research questions: Do teachers who participate in the study demonstrate improvement in their content knowledge and associated pedagogy? Do teachers who participate in the study demonstrate improvement in their classroom and instructional skills? Do the students of teachers who participate in the study demonstrate academic achievement?

The study will assess outcomes for schools, teachers, and students by conducting a carefully developed statistical analysis to determine whether there are differences in outcomes between treatment and control schools, teachers, and students that can be traced to the Pacific CHILD professional development program.

Task 3: National Laboratory Network

Task 3 provides the means for the REL-P to network with the other nine RELs through the National Laboratory Network (NLN). Examples of collaborative work include sharing materials, collaborating on common issues, and combining resources. Conference calls and the NLN Intranet are the two most common methods of communication. REL Pacific plays an active role in several NLN working groups, including Reference Desk, Rural Education, and Dissemination.

Ask A REL, is a new collaborative reference desk service provided by the 10 regional educational laboratories. By design, Ask A REL is to function much in the same way as a technical reference library. Questions submitted to Ask A REL are reviewed by laboratory experts who then provide references, referrals, and brief responses on research-based education questions.

Task 4: Regional Dissemination

The REL-P is conducting region-wide dissemination of high-quality, useful, relevant, research-based reports and products in Task 4. This plan includes the translation of scientifically valid research into products in various formats useful for educators in the region, including reports, leaflets, posters, conference presentations. The REL-P approach to effective dissemination is based on a successful system which is continually monitored for relevance and utility. The Dissemination Group, a cross-lab effort to examine and implement collaborative dissemination methods, will enhance dissemination efforts.

Task 5: Laboratory Management

Task 5 is the management of function of the REL-P. This includes preparing updated annual plans, convening a Governing Board, and participating in U.S. ED-required meetings and performance monitoring.

Primary Agency

Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL)
900 Fort Street Mall, Suite 1300
Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96813
Phone: (808) 441-1300
Fax: (808) 441-1385
U.S. Toll-free Phone: (800) 377-4773
U.S. Toll-free Fax: (888) 512-7599
Email: askprel@prel.org
Website: www.prel.org

Major Partners

In addition to the SEAs, regional institutions of higher education (IHEs), and other agencies and individuals, there are several other key partners in the REL-P, including the following:

Berkeley Policy Associates
University of Guam
University of Hawai‘i

Technical Working Group (TWG)

The REL-P has assembled a team of experts to assist in the design and implementation of the program. The TWG includes the following members:
•    Dr. Geoffrey Borman, University of Wisconsin, Madison
•    Dr. Dan Brown, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo
•    Dr. Margo Gottlieb, Illinois Resource Center
•    Dr. Rosa Salas Palomo, Micronesian Language Institute, University of Guam
•    Dr. Hirokazu Yoshikawa, Harvard University
•    Dr. Shuqiang Zhang, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa

Reading Advisory Panel

In addition to the TWG, the REL-P continues to use a national reading expert panel to advise us in our work. Members are as follows:
•    Dr. Michael L. Kamil, Stanford University, Chairman
•    Dr. Anne Cunningham, University of California at Berkeley
•    Dr. Jana Echevarria, California State University, Long Beach
•    Dr. Gerald Duffy, University of North Carolina, Greensboro
•    Dr. Dorothy Strickland, Rutgers University