TITLE The Evolving Context for Teaching and Learning in the Northwest: The 1999 Regional Education Needs Assessment.

Two surveys were conducted to identify the educational research and development needs of the area served by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. The first was a survey completed by 1,884 (29.1%) educators in the region, and the second was a telephone survey of 400 households. This report concentrates on the responses of educators. Four broad areas of concern emerged from the survey data: (1) developing a standards-based instructional program; (2) engaging all students in learning; (3) creating a supportive and challenging learning program; and (4) ensuring support for the instructional program. The types of help educators said would be of greatest benefit for addressing these concerns were assistance with identifying promising practices, development models or solutions, and training. Superintendents, principals, teachers, and school board members all indicated that these were their most important technical assistance needs. Five appendixes contain information about survey design, copies of the surveys, and discussions of priority areas for educational improvement and issues affecting public education. (Contains 10 tables, 18 figures, and 26 references.) (SLD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document