Region 1 Comprehensive Center: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont
The Region 1 Comprehensive Center, operated by AIR through a U.S. Department of Education grant since October 2019, builds the capacity of state education agencies (SEAs), local education agencies, and schools to improve instructional quality, address achievement and equity gaps, and improve outcomes for all students on state-identified priority initiatives.
The Region 1 Comprehensive Center (MA, ME, NH, VT) builds the capacity of state and local education agencies and schools to address their most pressing educational needs. R1CC’s work focuses on “cradle-to-career” initiatives that focus on improving instructional quality, addressing achievement and equity gaps, and improving outcomes for all students.
R1CC project teams bring rigorous technical assistance methods and deep content expertise to design, develop, and implement technical assistance strategies that support educational improvement.
Our project plans focus on high-leverage needs identified state education leaders.
Current Projects
R1CC’s projects focus on high-leverage needs, identified by education leaders in our region. We leverage our team’s expertise, R1CC’s Advisory Board Members, REL Northeast & Islands, and partner organizations to support our states in addressing these needs. Our projects fall under four main topics:
Evidence-Based Literacy Education and Interventions
R1CC is collaborating with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Schools (DESE) to develop and expand the Adolescent Literacy Intervention Selection Tool (A-LIST) — a tool that helps schools and districts select literacy interventions that align with the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) practice guide Providing Reading Interventions for Students in Grades 4–9 and to culturally and linguistically sustaining practices. In addition, R1CC is supporting Vermont districts implement the early literacy playbook which provides evidence-based practitioner tools for different groups to improve literacy outcomes in the state.
Educator Workforce
R1CC is working with the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) to create data tools to help the state and districts understand the root causes of their educator shortages and develop strategies to address their educator workforce needs. Our team will develop and pilot educator workforce data metrics and processes and provide coaching support to district leaders to interpret and create an action plan based on the data generated. In addition, R1CC is supporting DESE in developing a Community of Practice that explores how districts can differentiate their mentoring and induction practices that target the unique needs of these teachers. The Community of Practice will focus on understanding best practice for differentiation, applying tools in their own district, and supporting the refinement of the tools and resources.
Student Support
R1CC is assisting DESE in developing guidance for districts to welcome, identify, screen, determine placement, and identify academic and non-academic supports for students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE) arriving in Massachusetts. In addition, R1CC is supporting the Vermont Agency of Education in ensuring that districts across the state have equitable access to mental health supports through training policy makers and school-based mental health providers on how to use and sustain previously developed student support maps. Finally, R1CC is working with MDOE to promote a culture of innovation, equity, and excellence across districts in the state through the Rethinking K-12 Education Models Grant: Rethinking Responsive Education Ventures (RREV).
College and Career Readiness
R1CC will continue supporting New Hampshire Career and Technical Education (CTE) program directors and the New Hampshire Department of Education in using the R1CC-developed interactive map that displays the high-wage, high-demand occupations for each county, and what CTE programs are aligned to those occupations. In addition, R1CC is working with MDOE, the Maine Community College System, the University of Maine System, and other interest holders to develop a vision for new K-16 math pathways that set students up for success throughout their post-secondary experiences, careers and beyond.
