Regional Educational Laboratory Northwest supports Alaska partners—Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, Alaska Mental Health Trust, Association of Alaska School Boards, and University of Alaska Anchorage—as they measure and increase implementation of the state’s Transforming Schools framework and related tools to improve student health and safety. To achieve this goal, partnership activities include a statewide research study and continuous improvement processes with particular districts and schools to understand and address challenges in the framework’s implementation.
Partnership Organizations: Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (lead partner), Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, Alaska Mental Health Trust, Association of Alaska School Boards, University of Alaska Anchorage
Current Projects
REL Northwest is conducting a research study to provide vital information to the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (AK DEED) and key partners about the implementation of trauma-engaged practices and policies by districts as well as the use of Alaska's suite of trauma-engaged resources. AK DEED, the Association of Alaska School Boards, and the Alaska Division of Public Health within the Department of Health and Social Services will use insights from the study to bolster the suite of trauma-engaged resources for districts.
REL Northwest will provide technical support to the Alaska Alternative Schools Coalition (AASC) schools to identify which trauma-engaged practices and conditions show promise for enhancing student outcomes in alternative school settings. The partnership brings together REL Northwest, thirteen alternative high schools, serving some of the most vulnerable students in Alaska, the Alaska Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Behavioral Health, and the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED). This work will inform future iterations of DEED’s Transforming Schools Toolkit, a resource for schools across Alaska that provides evidence-based strategies to help students that have experienced traumatic life events.
In this 2024/25 project, REL Northwest provides the Alternative Schools Coalition with comprehensive training and ongoing coaching on adopting and integrating the policies and practices outlined in AK DEED’s "Transforming Schools: Trauma-Engaged Toolkit." This work is part of the Alaska Trauma-Engaged Schools partnership, through which AK DEED seeks to bolster its capacity to create nurturing and responsive educational settings that acknowledge and address the complexities of trauma in students' lives.
Completed Projects
How are districts implementing recommendations from the Transforming Schools: A Framework for Trauma-Engaged Practice in Alaska? REL Northwest assisted AK DEED in developing a statewide survey tool and administration plan to assess the implementation of the framework and the use of a suite of related resources. The technical support project bolstered AK DEED's capacity to carry out similar survey development and dissemination tasks in the future.