 Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) is a nonprofit research and development organization created to help educators in the nation's heartland bridge the gap between research and practice. At McREL we draw upon the best of more than 30 years of research to create practical, user-friendly products that are used nationally and internationally to help educators create learning environments that provide all students with opportunities for success. McREL, as a national leader in standards-based educational practice, applies its 40 years of knowledge and experience in the area of mathematics teaching and learning to working with students from diverse backgrounds and in a variety of settings, including afterschool. For example, McREL recently completed a research synthesis and accompanying user-friendly translation addressing the effects of out-of-school time on reading and mathematics achievement:
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The effectiveness of out-of-school-time strategies in assisting low-achieving students in reading and mathematics: A research synthesis by Lauer et. al. is a synthesis of research findings on effective out-of-school-time (OST) strategies to assist low-achieving students in reading and mathematics. (available for download)
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Miller, K., & Snow, D. (2004). Noteworthy perspectives: Out-of-school time programs for at-risk students by Miller and Snow provides guidance to administrators, policymakers, and out-of-school-time (OST) program developers on the use of OST programs for at-risk students. (available for download)
McREL's Partnership Role
McREL provides regional afterschool outreach and technical assistance to 14 states in the Midwest and North Central regions of the country: Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. McREL works closely with state education agency staff members in these states, local sites, and other regional contacts to help identify and validate effective practices and to deliver technical assistance that builds the capacity of new and existing afterschool programs to implement high quality, research-based academic enrichment practices. For this project, McREL specializes in the area of mathematics — one of the Partnership's six priority areas.
Project Staff
Danette Parsley, Regional Technical Assistance Coordinator
Danette Parsley is the project director responsible for the
overall management and coordination of McREL's Partnership
work. As a lead consultant with the field services team at
McREL, she conducts research, develops user-friendly products
and tools, and provides consultation to K–12 teachers, afterschool
practitioners, curriculum coordinators, data and assessment
specialists, and school administrators. Ms. Parsley's work
focuses on assisting schools, districts, intermediate service
agencies, community-based organizations, and state departments
of education with systemic reform efforts, including building
professional learning communities, engaging in data-driven
decision making, developing standards-based curriculum and
assessment systems, and improving afterschool teaching and
learning.
Before Ms. Parsley came to McREL in 1997, she was a middle
school mathematics teacher and adolescent counselor. Ms. Parsley
has a BA from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and MA in
educational psychology, research and evaluation methodology
from the University of Colorado at Denver.
Heather Martindill, Regional Technical Assistance Staff
(Mathematics Content Specialty Area)
Heather Martindill is a senior mathematics consultant at McREL.
For the National Partnership, she is responsible for developing
afterschool mathematics materials and providing technical assistance
to afterschool programs. Ms. Martindill has presented afterschool
mathematics workshops at state and national levels.
Prior to her current position, Ms. Martindill served as an instructional coach at Adams County School District 14 in Commerce City, Colorado, where she guided staff in personal professional development around classroom instruction and worked to develop professional development at a school and district wide level. She also served as a classroom educator at the elementary level.
Ms. Martindill received a BS in Elementary Education, concentration
in Mathematics from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa and
a MS in Management from the University of Denver.
Sarah LaBounty, Regional Technical Assistance Staff
Sarah LaBounty is a senior consultant at McREL. For the National
Partnership, she is responsible for developing afterschool
mathematics materials and providing technical assistance to
afterschool programs. Ms. LaBounty has presented afterschool
workshops at state and national levels.
Prior to her current position, Ms. LaBounty developed afterschool
science curriculum for urban youth and provided professional
development to the afterschool staff who piloted the curriculum. She
also taught middle school science in Boulder, Colorado.
Ms. LaBounty received a BA in biology from the University
of Colorado and an EdM in mind, brain and education from the
Harvard Graduate School of Education.
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