Northwest Regional Education Service District
Home MenuWhat’s Working in Our Schools: Scalable and Repeatable Stories About School Improvement
- 02/10/2026 8:34 AM
The Make-or-Break Year: What Happens When Schools Rethink Ninth Grade?
When she was in middle school, Brieah says the thought of high school used to scare her. Now that she’s a freshman, she doesn’t feel that way. “I actually enjoy it here,” she says.
- 02/23/2026 9:37 AM
Far Too Many Students Lag in Reading: Here’s What We’re Doing About It (FROM THE ARCHIVES)
At 10, Paige is already working on her first book. Whenever she gets a free moment, she pulls out her notebook and writes one or two more lines of her story. You might not guess that this enthusiastic reader and budding writer was getting reading help at school until very recently.
- 11/19/2025 3:41 PM
Becoming a Great Reader Doesn’t Happen By Accident
About six years ago, Stephanie Sparks noticed something. Her third, fourth and fifth graders were having trouble reading. Teachers were following the curriculum, and students were trying their best. It just didn’t add up.
- 11/12/2025 11:15 AM
Flipping the Script — Students Take the Reins at this Innovative Conference
When she was younger, Deethya heard it all. “You’re smart for an immigrant child.” “You’re pretty for an Asian.” Put-downs veiled as compliments and encased with sexism and racism.
- 10/20/2025 2:41 PM
9th Grade Success Network Imagines a High School Experience Where Everyone Feels Connected
Noe and Jonny just met. But they spent the better part of a Tuesday in October asking each other some pretty personal questions. Tell me about a time at school where you really felt welcomed and included. What about a time you felt left out?
- 10/03/2025 12:54 PM
Like a Hot Glue Gun: Mobile Welding Trailer Brings Trades to Life
The two-week mobile welding opportunity at Cascade Academy, which wrapped up Oct. 2, represents years of partnership between Northwest Regional Education Service District and Portland Community College.
- 06/12/2025 10:06 PM
School Attendance is a Family Affair
After missing most of her freshman and sophomore years, Cheyanne, now a junior at Jewell High School, says she’s rarely absent. Getting her back to the classroom has been years in the making. Her mom says it started back in sixth grade.
- 05/07/2025 4:02 PM
Freshman Year Isn’t What It Used to Be — That’s a Good Thing
Academically, middle school wasn’t that great for Knowyn (pronounced Know-Win), a 15-year-old from Beaverton. “I practically failed eighth grade,” he says. But as he wraps up his freshman year at Beaverton High School, a lot has changed.
- 03/17/2025 8:05 AM
Why Your Kid’s School Just Got a Game-Changing Internet Upgrade
These days, the internet is as vital for students as books and pencils. “When the internet goes out, our work comes to a halt,” says John Worst, a mechatronics teacher at Forest Grove High School. That's why we've rethought how the internet flows to schools around our region.