REL Southwest

Who is REL Southwest? more

REL Southwest, run by Edvance Research, is one of ten educational laboratories in the Regional Educational Laboratory Network (REL Network) under the Institute of Education Sciences, of the U.S. Department of Education.

REL Southwest serves the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas including:

  • Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 16
  • 7 million students
  • 500,000 teachers
  • 14,500 schools

How can REL Southwest help me? more

REL Southwest is committed to assisting constituents with evidence-based education research to assist in informed decision-making. Our constituents include Education Administrators, Educators, Policymakers, Businesses, Communities and Parents.

REL Southwest conducts research on a number of issues that have been identified as high priority by constituents in the southwest region including:

  • Assessment
  • College Readiness
  • Professional Development
  • Rural Issues
  • Border Schools
  • Special Populations
  • ... and More

To learn more about REL Southwest Technical Assistance and Research ReadySource™, click here or contact us at:
RELinfo@edvanceresearch.com or Toll Free at

1-877-338-2623 (1-877-EDVANCE)


What types of research does REL Southwest conduct? more

REL Southwest conducts three types of Rigorous Research

  • Market Research and Needs Sensing
    • Identifies priority education research needs from constituents in the southwest region including educators, parents and business leaders.
    • Develops annual research agenda based on identified needs.
  • Fast Response Research
    • Performs short-term research studies that provide rigorous research on important topics that can be readily accessed and applied by educators.
    • Studies are generally completed in a one year time frame.
  • Large Scale Rigorous Studies
    • Provides causally valid answers, to advance the knowledge in the field and to be responsive to emerging regional needs by conducting scientifically rigorous research.
    • Studies span four to five year time frame.
    • Creates partnerships with schools in the REL Southwest five-state region.

How can I contact REL Southwest?

To learn more about REL Southwest Technical Assistance and Research ReadySource™, click here or contact us at:
RELinfo@edvanceresearch.com or Toll Free at

1-877-338-2623 (1-877-EDVANCE)