Areas of Work
PREL is committed to doing the good work that matters to the communities we serve. Whether we’re helping education stakeholders establish policies and plans; conducting research and evaluation studies; providing evidence-based professional learning; or working to strengthen pathways to student success, our work is making an impact in the communities we serve.
Since PREL’s inception in 1990, our researchers have been conducting studies to address significant questions and issues related to teaching and learning in the Pacific region. We review and synthesize research; conduct descriptive studies; design and implement randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental designs; facilitate communities of practice; and conduct external evaluations. Studies conducted at PREL range from large, school-based trials (with multiple schools, hundreds of teachers, and thousands of students) to smaller-scale studies involving 20–30 students or teachers.
Career pathway systems combine rigorous academics with workplace experience using the latest technologies. PREL programs and services strengthen student access to secondary and postsecondary education, training, and support services while they acquire marketable skills, industry-recognized credentials, and eventually good jobs. Services include research and evaluation studies, policy and implementation plans, and evidence-based professional development to strengthen pathways to student success.
PREL’s early learning programs, services, and resources embrace the cultural, linguistic, and economic diversity of children, and are highly responsive to the varied geography, demography, political context, and past history of public and private sector early childhood programs in the jurisdictions we serve. Services include strategic planning; curriculum development; customized professional learning; issue-focused workshops and communities of practice; and the development and dissemination of highly relevant research and promising practices.
Building on the traditions and knowledges of local communities, PREL’s place-based education programs and services strengthen student outcomes; empower educators; enhance family and community engagement; and advance environmental sustainability. Services include policy and planning; curriculum design; project- and place-based professional learning; service learning design; school gardens; and career pathway design.
PREL is committed to advancing social and economic justice and creating more equitable systems for all students. PREL partners with schools, community organizations, and government agencies to incorporate educational equity into policies, procedures, and practice. Services include needs assessment; strategic planning; school and state equity plan review and revision; identification of evidence-based practices; facilitated training and resources for harassment, bullying, and prejudice reduction; and customized professional learning.
PREL works with state agencies, non-profits, and other community members and organizations to design and implement high quality educational programs, resources and services for migrant and newcomer students. Services include needs assessment, curriculum design, professional learning for bilingual and multicultural instruction, family and community engagement, policy review and revision, special guidance, and embedded program design.
PREL provides educators, community leaders, and policymakers with customized supports to develop and sustain collaborative and coordinated systems for family and community engagement. Services include family and community engagement planning; parent and community liaison professional development; coaching to strengthen the integration of family and community engagement into a school’s curricula, instruction, and assessment; coordinated outreach to heard to reach communities; and customized technical assistance to schools and state education agencies.
With at least 24 distinct Indigenous languages spoken by the communities whom we serve, PREL continues to grow in our approaches to providing supports to multilingual and multicultural learners. Services include multimodal resource development; professional development for culturally-responsive and -sustaining pedagogy; language education policy development and implementation; and evidence-based practice scans to support English Learners and Dual Language Learners.
PREL works with state education agencies, private non-profit, and charter school leaders to create more effective and equitable education systems. Services include comprehensive needs assessment, resource allocation analysis, strategic planning and communications, system alignment and performance management.
We provide professional learning and technical assistance to strengthen state educational agencies and community stakeholder’s capacity to develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-based social and emotional learning (SEL) and trauma-informed practices (TIPs), as well as school safety practices and programs to enhance instructional practices and support the success of all students. Services include needs assessment; policy review and revision; standards and assessment; curriculum design; family and community engagement; and customized professional learning.
PREL provides highly customized, research-based solutions that fairly and accurately assess student performance and provide guidance for educators, students and families, and policymakers on interpreting and acting on results. Services include accountability system design and implementation support; alignment studies; content standards review and revision; formative assessment solutions; and summative assessment solutions.