McREL International

McREL International
Name	McREL International
Formation	1966
Headquarters	Denver, Colorado
Type	Nonprofit research and development organization
Leader title	CEO
Leader name	N/A
Region served	United States; international
Focus	Education research, curriculum, assessment, professional development

McREL International McREL International is a nonprofit research and development organization focused on improving student achievement through applied education research, curriculum design, assessment, and professional development. Founded in the 1960s, the organization has worked with a range of school districts, state departments of education, international development agencies, and foundations to translate research into practice. McREL has collaborated with universities, think tanks, and policy organizations on projects linking standards-based education reform to classroom instruction and leadership.

History

McREL traces roots to the postwar expansion of federally supported educational research and aligns with influences from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act era, working alongside institutions like Stanford University, Harvard University, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Minnesota, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In the 1970s and 1980s McREL engaged with initiatives connected to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the American Institutes for Research, and the Rand Corporation. During the 1990s and 2000s the organization partnered with U.S. Department of Education programs, collaborated with the Council of Chief State School Officers, and contributed to debates sparked by the No Child Left Behind Act. McREL’s timeline includes project work with international actors such as United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, World Bank, and regional ministries linked to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development member states. Throughout, McREL interacted with prominent education figures and organizations including Linda Darling-Hammond, Michael Fullan, Richard Elmore, Marzano Research Laboratory, ASCD, Teaching Tolerance, and Education Commission of the States.

Mission and Activities

McREL’s mission centers on applying education research to improve instructional practice, leadership, and student outcomes. Typical activities include curriculum alignment projects for state boards of education, standards implementation support related to the Common Core State Standards Initiative, and assessment design for consortia such as PARCC and Smarter Balanced. The organization provides coaching for district leaders affiliated with networks like Learning Forward, supports principal preparation programs connected to National Association of Elementary School Principals and National Association of Secondary School Principals, and contributes expertise to philanthropic partners such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the Annenberg Foundation.

Research and Publications

McREL produces research syntheses, practitioner briefs, and tools that draw on literature from entities like Institute of Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and journals including American Educational Research Journal, Educational Researcher, Review of Educational Research, Journal of Teacher Education, and Leadership and Policy in Schools. Publications have addressed instructional strategies popularized by scholars associated with Robert Marzano, John Hattie, and Dylan Wiliam, while examining policy contexts shaped by reports from National Commission on Excellence in Education and The Condition of Education. McREL has issued frameworks and reports referenced in projects with Council of the Great City Schools, National Governors Association, Brookings Institution, Urban Institute, and Mathematica Policy Research.

Professional Development and Services

McREL offers professional development, coaching, and technical assistance to educators, drawing on models used by organizations like Teach For America, New Leaders, Relay Graduate School of Education, and district-run initiatives in cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Philadelphia. Services encompass formative assessment practices articulated by proponents like Paul Black and Christine Harrison, literacy programs informed by work from Lucy Calkins and Timothy Shanahan, and STEM curriculum support linked to standards promoted by National Science Teachers Association and Next Generation Science Standards. McREL provides leadership development resonant with competencies from American Institutes for Research and coaching aligned with Learning Forward’s standards.

Organizational Structure and Funding

McREL operates as a nonprofit organization with a board of directors and executive leadership typical of nonprofits that partner with agencies including the U.S. Department of Education, USAID, United Kingdom Department for International Development, and the European Commission. Funding sources have included federal grants, contracts with state education agencies, foundation grants from entities such as the Gates Foundation and Spencer Foundation, and fee-for-service agreements with school districts and private sector partners including companies like McGraw-Hill Education and Pearson PLC. Organizational governance reflects relationships with professional associations like National School Boards Association, Council of Chief State School Officers, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and accreditation bodies including AdvancED.

Impact and Criticism

Supporters cite McREL’s contributions to curriculum alignment, leadership development, and evidence-based instructional strategies, noting influence in districts engaged with efforts led by School District of Philadelphia, Chicago Public Schools, Denver Public Schools, Denver Classroom Teachers Association, and statewide reforms in places like Texas Education Agency and California Department of Education. Critics have questioned the efficacy of some large-scale reform models linked to standardized accountability regimes such as No Child Left Behind Act and have pointed to debates involving high-stakes testing, the role of external consultants exemplified by partnerships with firms like McKinsey & Company, and tensions highlighted by advocacy groups including National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers. Scholarly critiques reference contested syntheses in literature alongside analyses by Education Week, The Hechinger Report, Center on Reinventing Public Education, and independent researchers at Harvard Graduate School of Education and Teachers College, Columbia University.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Colorado