Missouri Legislator Joins McREL Board of Directors

For immediate release

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri State Representative Yvonne Wilson has joined the Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) Board of Directors. McREL is a nationally recognized, private, nonprofit organization located in Aurora, Colo. It focuses on providing educators and policymakers with research-based products and services designed to improve student achievement.

McREL recently released preliminary findings from an exhaustive analysis of 30 years of research on school leadership. These findings strongly suggest that principals' leadership abilities - such as fostering a sense of community, standardizing operating procedures and shielding teachers and students from distractions - have a positive impact on student achievement.

"McREL has been working in St. Louis and other areas in Missouri and Kansas for many years now, and I am familiar with the high-quality of their research on improving student learning," said Wilson. "Those of us involved in education still have much work to do, and I am excited that McREL's current research into educational leadership reveals that there really are leadership practices that have a positive impact on student learning."

"Yvonne's involvement in her community, service to the state of Missouri, and years of leadership in education will be a tremendous asset to us an organization," said McREL President and CEO Tim Waters. "We are delighted that she has chosen to apply her experience and leadership in education to her role as a McREL Board member."

Wilson has represented District 42 in the Missouri House of Representatives since 1999. She also is a member of the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus, Missouri's Children's Justice Committee, and the Commission on The Future of Higher Education, among others. Prior to her legislative duties, Rep. Wilson spent 35 years with The School District of Kansas City as a teacher, consultant, principal, and director of elementary education.

McREL's 27-member Board represents educators, policymakers, and business people from the seven-state region - Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming - that McREL serves through contracts with the U.S. Department of Education. Through these competitive contracts, McREL helps policymakers and educators translate education research into policies and practices that lead to improved learning outcomes for students.

Other McREL Board members from Missouri include Kent King, Commissioner of Education; Michael Middleton, Deputy Chancellor of the University of Missouri; and Marjorie Smith, a long-time educator and education advisor to the St. Louis mayor's office. Wilson will replace term-limited Board member Jim Oglesby, an education consultant.

In 2003, McREL delivered services to clients in 33 states and Canada and had annual revenues of more than $12.4 million.

McREL is a nationally recognized, private, nonprofit organization located in Aurora, Colo., dedicated to improving education for all students through applied research, product development and service. Its staff of highly respected educators and researchers focuses on providing educators and policymakers with the highest quality, field-tested, research-based products and services available in PreK–16 education.