Policy and Strategy Services
We make decisions every day based on our perceptions of what will happen tomorrow, next month, or years from now, but is it possible to really prepare schools and organizations for changes that lie over the horizon? Not only does McREL help policymakers, district and school administrators, and other educators anticipate future needs, we also help them plan and act so that they thrive now and decades into the future.
Policy analysis &
evaluation
Educators and policymakers need evidence that programs and policies work.
McREL helps fill this need by conducting rigorous, scientifically based
research and evaluations to guide new policy and educator practices.
Our reports provide practical guidance to policymakers and educators
in order for them to confidently address the most pressing issues of
today while also thinking about future education needs in their states
or nationwide.
Community engagement &
needs
sensing
Contact us today to schedule your workshop
Phone: 800-781-0156
E-mail: info@mcrel.org
McREL offers a wide array of services to help policymakers engage and listen to their communities and constituents. We have extensive expertise in the National Issues Forum process, which brings community members together for thoughtful dialogue on complex and controversial topics, helping them identify key consensus points and take more thoughtful action. We’ve also helped state and district leaders from around the country use focus groups, surveys, and in-depth personal interviews to gain a better understanding of community support for or resistance to education initiatives and polices. Whether you need to take the pulse of your community or engage them in thoughtful conversation on complex education issues, McREL’s policy and research experts can help you.
Policy Development Workshop
McREL engages policymakers from around the country in a unique approach
to policy development, one which combines a rigorous focus on research
with the practical concerns and political realities of the policymaker.
We help teams of policy-makers clarify and define a true policy problem,
evaluate options, select and build consensus for a chosen policy, and
develop an action plan for generating broader buy-in, implementing, and
evaluating a new policy.
Audience: Local or state teams of policymakers
Strategic planning
Analyze where you are
(see also Support
for district and statewide systems improvement)
McREL can show you how to strengthen the decisions you make about the future through a better understanding of where you are today. Our strategic planning services include
- Recording observations during site visits.
- Reviewing background documents.
- Analyzing student data.
- Conducting interviews & providing summaries.
- Recommending a research-based course of action.
- Identifying relevant, helpful research for your unique situation.