National Academy of Sciences Director Joins McREL Board of Directors
For immediate release
Denver
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Dr. Martin Orland, Director of the National Academy of Sciences Center for Education, has joined the Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) Board of Directors. McREL is a nationally recognized, private, nonprofit organization located in Denver, Colo. It focuses on providing educators and policymakers with research-based products and services designed to improve student achievement.
Before his appointment as Director of the Center for Education, Orland served as Special Assistant to the Director in the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES), where he oversaw the Department's 10 Regional Educational Laboratories, including McREL, and the What Works Clearinghouse, which documents the effectiveness of educational programs, products, practices, and policies. Orland is also the author of several education and children's policy papers, government reports, and articles.
"I'm enthusiastic about this opportunity to join the McREL Board and assist in its efforts to provide educational policymakers and practitioners with high quality knowledge-based resources for meeting their needs," said Orland.
"Dr. Orland brings to our Board a strong background in research methods and design, as well as institutional research programs," said McREL President and CEO Tim Waters. "He is familiar with McREL from his tenure in the Institute of Education Sciences. In his current role at the National Academy of Sciences, where he is involved in the creation and application of knowledge for improving educational policy and practice, his work aligns with McREL's mission to make a difference in the quality of education and learning for all through excellence in applied research, product development, and service."
McREL's 28-member Board represents educators, policymakers, and business people from the seven-state region of 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.
McREL, which is funded through a combination of competitive federal grants, local and state contracts, and product sales, maintains an office of 100 employees in Denver and had revenues in excess of $13.5 million in 2005.
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McREL is a nationally recognized, private, nonprofit organization located in Denver, Colo., dedicated to improving education for all students through applied research, product development and service. In 2005, McREL provided research-based guidance to educators and policymakers in 45 states in the U.S. and 3 foreign countries.
