Learning Point Associates
We HELP the people who work in education find the LEARNING POINT FASTER, more often and for more students.
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National and Regional Centers
Learning Point Associates is committed to providing educators and policy makers with the research, best practices and technical assistance they need to create meaningful change in the education system. Recognizing our credentials, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) has entrusted us with operating a regional educational laboratory and four national and regional technical assistance centers:
- Regional Educational Laboratory Midwest
- Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement
- Regional Comprehensive Centers
Great Lakes East Comprehensive Center
Great Lakes West Comprehensive Center
National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality
Regional Educational Laboratory Midwest
In 1984, ED awarded Learning Point Associates the contract for operating the North Central Educational Laboratory (NCREL), now known as the Regional Educational Laboratory Midwest (REL Midwest), one of ten federally funded regional educational laboratories. REL Midwest's region of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin is home to nearly 20 percent of the country's population and more than half a million teachers. Based on our visionary stewardship of this lab, our contract has been renewed five times, giving us the opportunity to provide the region with relevant applied research for nearly 25 years.
REL Midwest conducts short-term, fast-response applied research and development projects according to annual, needs-based data, as well as long-term studies using randomized controlled trials.
The lab's work results in scientifically valid research that educators and policy makers use in decision making.
Educators and policymakers across the country can tap a new resource from the REL program. Ask A REL is a collaborative reference desk service provided by the 10 regional educational laboratories that functions much the same way as a technical reference library. Need help finding education research on a particular topic? Submit your question today!
Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement
The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement was established by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education in 2004 to help schools plan, implement and sustain school-wide improvement. It offers the research, tools and technical support schools and districts across the nation need to determine the right path to reform. The Center is administered by Learning Point Associates in partnership with the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL).
Regional Comprehensive Centers
ED created the Comprehensive Centers program in 2005, consisting of 16 regional comprehensive centers and five national content centers. The regional centers are designed to provide states with the information, research-based knowledge and technical assistance they need to improve the performance of districts and schools. The national content centers provide the regional centers with information in the areas of teacher quality, instruction, high school, innovation and improvement, and assessment and accountability to support their work in the states.
Learning Point Associates was awarded the contracts for the Great Lakes East Comprehensive Center (serving Indiana, Michigan and Ohio) and Great Lakes West Comprehensive Center (serving Illinois and Wisconsin). These Centers provide technical assistance to state education agencies to improve student performance, especially in the districts with the most pressing needs. The Centers identify with each state the most critical issues and prioritize together the tasks that need to be accomplished for the state to make lasting improvements in student achievement.
We also operate the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality (TQ Center) in partnership with the Education Commission of the States, ETS and Vanderbilt University. The TQ Center was created to serve as the premier national resource for regional comprehensive centers, states and other education stakeholders working to strengthen the quality of teaching, especially in high-poverty, low-performing and hard-to-staff schools. It also provides schools with guidance in ensuring highly qualified teachers are serving students with special needs.
The TQ Center:
- Analyzes research to identify proven and promising policies, strategies and models to enhance the workforce and disseminates that information across the country.
- Develops specific tools and products that address the challenges of cultivating and retaining a highly qualified workforce.