Midwest Comprehensive Center (MWCC)

Center

The Midwest Comprehensive Center (MWCC) is one of 15 regional comprehensive centers that was funded by the U.S. Department of Education for the October 2012–September 2019 grant cycle of the Comprehensive Centers Program. The centers provided capacity-building technical assistance to state education agencies (SEAs) in their implementation and administration of programs authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, reauthorized in 2015 as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

During the grant period, MWCC worked closely with SEAs in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin to support their efforts to implement, scale up, and sustain initiatives statewide and to lead and support their school districts and schools in using evidence-based policies, practices, programs, and interventions to improve student outcomes. MWCC worked on 125 intensive projects, addressing a variety of high-priority topics, including teacher and leader effectiveness, improving low-performing schools, college and career readiness, data-based decision making, and standards and assessments. Through this work, the MWCC developed more than 50 resources for SEAs as well as many blogs and success stories. Partners in MWCC’s work included AIR, Bowman Performance Consulting, and WestEd.

A selection of the center’s state-based projects and key resources are featured below.

Key Projects

Webinar Series: Evidence-Based Practices Under ESSA

The MWCC and the Minnesota Department of Education co-hosted a webinar series on identifying evidence-based practices for low-performing schools. ESSA requires that at least one improvement practice in schools identified for comprehensive (CSI), targeted (TSI), or additional targeted (ATSI) supports be based on rigorous research. These webinars provided participants with an understanding of the research concepts embedded in the minimum requirements for CSI, TSI, and ATSI schools to help schools select evidence-based practices for their improvement plans.

Scaffolding Innovation: Supports for Competency-Based Education in Illinois

In 2017, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) initiated a competency-based education (CBE) pilot that encouraged high schools to create innovative, personalized learning opportunities for students. MWCC supported ISBE in the agency’s implementation of the CBE pilot and provide resources, access to CBE experts, coaching, and peer-to-peer networking and sharing opportunities for pilot districts.

Improving Teacher Retention in Chicago Public Schools

The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Talent Office assists a cohort of 50+ hard-to-staff Opportunity Schools to provide intensive teacher recruitment, retention, and teacher leadership supports. MWCC, in collaboration with the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders and Public Impact, worked with CPS to implement a strategic plan to reduce teacher attrition by addressing pertinent teaching conditions in these schools.

Key Resources

13 MAR 2019 ǀ INFOGRAPHIC
Seven Years of Supporting the Midwest (2012-2019)
Download the MWCC infographic to learn more about the center’s 2012–2019 accomplishments, including leading 125 intensive projects and developing more than 50 resources.

SUCCESS STORY
Implementing the Iowa Core
During the seven-year grant period, MWCC provided technical assistance to the Iowa Department of Education on the revision and implementation of its statewide academic standards, the Iowa Core.

SUCCESS STORY
Supporting Career and College Readiness in Minnesota
MWCC collaborated with the Minnesota Department of Education and the College and Career Readiness and Success Center to develop and improve Minnesota’s college and career readiness (CCR) policies and support districts in their development of CCR programs.

9 SEP 2019 | BLOG POST
Increasing Equitable Access to Quality Instruction: The Minnesota Standards Portal
MWCC helped the Minnesota Department of Education develop its standards portal to support districts in responding to ESSA legislation.

5 JUN 2019 | BLOG POST
Promoting Equitable Education for American Indian Students
MWCC worked with the Minnesota Department of Education and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to elevate the expertise of American Indian community members and support more equitable opportunities for American Indian students.

More MWCC Projects

Project

Wisconsin’s Academic & Career Planning Initiative

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction requested support from the Midwest Comprehensive Center in implementing its Academic & Career Planning initiative, including creating professional development competencies and a framework for project evaluation. As a result of this work, Wisconsin DPI is piloting ACP in 25 school districts in the 2015–16 school year.

More MWCC Resources

10 Sep 2014
Report

Promoting Excellence for All: A Report from the State Superintendent’s Task Force on Wisconsin’s Achievement Gap

In 2014, the Midwest Comprehensive Center facilitated the meetings of a task force focused on closing achievement gaps in Wisconsin. The center worked in partnership with the Department of Public Instruction to help task force members identify relevant strategies used within their schools and districts. The work culminated in this report, which has served as a guidepost as the agency continues to tackle this issue.
26 Sep 2019
Blog Post

Addressing the Educator Pipeline Through Pathways and Partnerships

In this blog post, published as part of the work of the Midwest Comprehensive Center, Chris Times discusses how states can ensure that all students have access to excellent educators.
30 Sep 2019
Brief

Student Advising: An Evidence-Based Practice

This resource was developed to support initiatives in Minnesota and Wisconsin related to personalized and deeper learning, including the use of student academic and career plans. It includes a brief summary of the research, highlights promising student advising practices, and provides the results of a research evidence review that indicates that there is promising evidence for the practice of student advising.
1 May 2018
Brief

Student Goal Setting: An Evidence-Based Practice

The act of goal setting is a practice that educators can use to help fuel students’ learning-to-learn skills, such as a sense of agency, intrinsic motivation, and capacity to manage their own learning. This resource was developed to support initiatives in Minnesota and Wisconsin related to personalized and deeper learning, including the use of student academic and career plans.
18 Mar 2018
Brief

Tribal Consultation Under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act

Under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), some districts are required to consult with tribal governments on the development of their education plans. This practice brief is intended to serve as an overview of district-level ESEA tribal consultation requirements and as guidance for local education agencies.
19 Dec 2018
In the Field

Identifying and Applying Evidence-Based Practices: Training for State Education Staff

How can state education agencies identify and apply effective practices to achieve their goals? Education research can point to beneficial practices, but finding relevant research can be a difficult and time-consuming process. The Midwest Comprehensive Center partnered with the Minnesota Department of Education leadership to help state education staff understand research design and identify evidence-based practices aligned to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) tiers of evidence.
27 Dec 2017
In the Field

Minnesota LEAPS Ahead in Supports for English Learners

Supporting the mission to provide targeted support for English Learmers, the Midwest Comprehensive Center worked with the Minnesota Department of Education on a cultural competency project. The project had two primary goals: 1) Conduct a listening tour of agency staff to inform recommendations on developing cultural competency within MDE so that MDE is better able to serve districts in this area; and 2) Assist MDE with updating its handbook for linguistically and culturally diverse parents whose children are enrolled in traditional public and charter schools.
30 Jun 2017
In the Field

Minnesota Survey Design and Analysis Support

The Minnesota Department of Education administers about 65 surveys a year. These surveys help gauge needs, gather feedback, inform programs and policy, and fulfill legislative requirements. The Midwest Comprehensive Center partnered with the department in 2015 and 2016 to build the agency’s capacity in survey methodology, enhance overall survey quality, and streamline the coordination of surveys across divisions.
30 Apr 2018
In the Field

Nurturing the Whole Child: Applying Social and Emotional Learning to Promote Safe and Supportive Schools in Minnesota

The Minnesota Department of Education is developing several learning goals in the new Social and Emotional Learning Framework. The framework outlines five competencies for social and emotional learning: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.