A Report to the U.S. Department of Education:

Overview and Synthesis of the Regional Advisory Committee (RAC)
Reports on Educational Challenges and Technical Assistance Needs

Executive Summary

This report provides an overview and synthesis of the ten Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) reports published concurrently. The RACs were created by the U.S. Secretary of Education to conduct a regional educational needs assessment in advance of the competition for a new set of comprehensive assistance centers and regional education laboratories. The RACs consisted of education stakeholders from state and local education agencies, practitioners, parents, researchers and business leaders. Each of the ten regional committees operated independently but followed a similar framework. The RAC members first identified major challenges to the successful implementation of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act and then considered various types of technical assistance that might mitigate the challenges. The RAC reports indicate that committee members accept the overall vision of NCLB, while recognizing that educational stakeholders across the country need assistance in implementing the Act. In reviewing the challenges described by the RACs, four themes emerge as the keys for supporting implementation:

• Better integration of and more effective use of existing resources. Any new set of federally assisted comprehensive centers and laboratories should to be linked more closely both with each other and with state and local education agencies.
• Making more rigorous use of scientifically based research and data in decision-making. RAC members accept the idea that making more effective use of research and data can improve the quality of education, but educators need support in identifying quality research and interpreting the findings, putting that research into practice, filling in gaps in the research with rigorous analytical support, and developing data to make more informed decisions.
• Need for broader engagement with parents and other stakeholders. Parents and community organizations could contribute to the performance of school and achievement of children by being more informed and involved in the process of education. Furthermore, parents will have a greater influence on the allocation of resources within education because of the choice provisions of NCLB.
• The success of NCLB relies increasingly on the capability of states to provide technical assistance to local school districts. Expanding the capabilities of state level decision makers and staffs is of central importance for improving the overall quality of the system.

In addition to these themes, seven topical concerns were raised by most or all of the ten RAC reports as areas that could potentially benefit from federally funded technical assistance. These concerns included the following areas. Teaching quality encompasses the areas of both professional development and management of the teacher workforce. Leadership quality covers both school level leadership and the governance structure. Language diversity and classroom achievement relate to the recognition of the growing diversity of the nation’s school-age population, and challenges that arise for teachers when there is considerable variation in achievement level among different groups of students. Unique challenges of rural and urban schools especially in attracting highly qualified staff and in their capacity in managing continuous school improvement is also a frequently cited concern. The alignment of statewide standards with assessments, curricula and classroom practice is critical for making all parts of the system work together. Wider use of technology was cited as both a concern in its own right but also an essential component in addressing several of the challenges cited above.

The final subject covered in the RAC reports was the type of technical assistance that the comprehensive centers and other technical assistance providers could supply to overcome these challenges. The discussions on this subject focused almost exclusively on the standard approaches such as professional development, clearinghouses, and best practices. Although these models have shown success in some cases, the Department may also want to seek new and innovative approaches as it creates the new comprehensive centers.