Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) opened its new office, McREL's Pacific Center for Changing the Odds, in Honolulu, Hawaii, in July 2010. The Center is staffed by the following consultants:

• Nolan Malone, director and McREL vice president of Pacific operations, oversees the Pacific Center’s efforts to build upon and create collaborative relationships with educational agencies and leaders in providing staff development and school improvement services to schools and districts across the region.


• Wendy Kekahio, senior evaluator, provides educators with resources and assistance in the areas of professional development, educational research, and program monitoring and evaluation. She also provides on-going coaching through McREL’s Success in Sight® school improvement process.


• Andrew Kerr, lead consultant, specializes in working with technology and eLearning solutions for underserved areas, especially in rural and remote areas with little to no access to modern infrastructure and services.


• Deyon Nagato, lead consultant, provides professional development in effective instructional practices, systemic school improvement, and long-term coaching through McREL’s Success in Sight school improvement process.


• Dr. John Kofel, advisor, is founder and former CEO of Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL). He brings decades of experience in serving educators in the Pacific region and is working with McREL to refine its Pacific region strategies.

Providing services throughout the Pacific region

McREL's Pacific Center has provided services to clients throughout the region, including Hawaii, where McREL is an approved provider of professional development services, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, where McREL has delivered staff development and school improvement services.

McREL has long provided services to the Pacific region including:

• Professional development for school leaders in Guam on McREL’s Power Walkthrough® software for classroom observations
  
  
• Standards development and alignment in American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), and Hawaii
  
  
• Evaluating the outcomes of the Star Schools Program, a federal program to enhance distance education, for students and schools throughout the Pacific region
  
  
• Leading a Mathematics Leadership Institute for 18 schools in Hawaii
  
  
• Professional development for teachers and leaders in Balanced Leadership®, Classroom Instruction that Works, Success in Sight, and more in CNMI