McREL researchers bring well-rounded expertise to AEA conference
October 15, 2008
Denver—Fifteen researchers and evaluators from Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) will share their expertise on a wide range of topics in 12 different sessions at the 2008 AEA Conference, scheduled for Nov. 5–8 at the Downtown Hyatt and Convention Center in Denver.
The sessions will highlight specific McREL projects and how these experiences contribute to the field of evaluation, in general. Topics include: evaluation challenges in both urban and rural settings; evaluating professional development for school leaders and for teacher preparation programs; developing a standards-based, statewide evaluation system for educators; involving stakeholders in evaluations; how evaluators and foundations can work together to secure grants; and the role of evaluators as mediators.
Jean Williams, McREL's vice president of research and evaluation, said, "AEA offers the McREL research and evaluation team a chance to share with our peers the depth and breadth of our expertise and experience, not only in rural districts, where we have done high-quality work for years, but also in larger, urban districts and at the state level, where we are breaking ground with new projects."
More than 2,500 evaluation practitioners and students are expected to attend this year's AEA conference, whose theme is Evaluation Policy and Evaluation Practice. For more information on McREL's sessions, contact Sue Courtney. For more information on the conference, visit http://www.eval.org/eval2008/.
###
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 2007, McREL provided research-based guidance to educators and policymakers in 47 states across the U.S.
