News and Updates

Dr. Ximena Franco-Jenkins, Dr. Megan Bookhout, and Jake Leonard recently presented at the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Biennial Meeting, an international gathering of professionals dedicated to understanding and enhancing child development through research.

In alignment with the conference theme, NIRN presented work on the MECK Pre-K project, "Exploring the Impact of High-Quality Pre-K on Language, Literacy, and Socio-Emotional Skills for Spanish-Speaking Children Attending a Universal Pre-K Program in North Carolina."  This work aims to examine the quality of a sample of pre-K classrooms in North Carolina in relation to gains in preschoolers' language literacy, mathematics, executive function, and social skills.

In partnership with Learning Forward, the Learning Policy Institute, the Research Partnership for Professional Learning, and Rivet Education, NIRN contributed an implementation science perspective to this important work on defining Curriculum-Based Professional Learning for the field of K-12 education.

Associations between school characteristics and learning gains for pre-K attenders and non-attenders: Important constructs, limited evidence

On February 13, 2025, Alicia Reynolds Reddi and Yolanda Perkins attended and presented at the North Carolina Association for Research in Education Conference (NCARE). NCARE Established in 1974, the North Carolina Association for Research in Education (NCARE) works to improve the quality of education in North Carolina through research and evaluation.

NIRN team members Alicia Reynolds Reddi, MPH, and Jake Leonard, M.S., presented at the annual Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness conference, which was held on September 18-21 in Baltimore, Maryland. This year’s conference theme, “Navigating the Future of Education Research: Impact Evaluation in a Transforming Landscape,” invites participants to delve into the methodologies, skills, and knowledge areas that education researchers will need to provide rigorous evidence for decision-making.

Dr. Ximena Franco-Jenkins presented at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Meeting, which was held September 25-28 in Chicago, Illinois.

NIRN team members Jake Leonard and Megan Bookhout presented their work at the Society of Prevention Research's annual meeting, held in Washington, D.C., from May 28th to 31st.

Dr. Mel Livet co-authored "Technical Assistance for Systemic Change: Lessons Learned from a National Technical Assistance Center.

NIRN Co-Director, Dr. Melanie Livet's work was presented at the Pharmacy Quality Alliance Annual Meeting in Baltimore last week.

Co-Director Dr. Ximena Franco-Jenkins presented at the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) inaugural summit in Panama City. The event, "SRCD Anti-Racist Developmental Science Summit: Transforming Research, Practices, and Policies, " aimed to bring together developmental scientists to address critical racial equity and justice issues in developmental science. 

Dr. Mel Livet, Co-Director of NIRN, presented at the American Pharmacists Association in March.

Correy Watkins, Implementation Specialist with NIRN, and Ellen Nacik, Implementation Specialist with the Minnesota Department of Education, presented the use of the District Capacity Assessment to improve the implementation of PBIS.

The SISEP Center was represented by Dr. Angela Jack and Correy Watkins at the annual NE-PACT Conference in New Jersey this October.

Dr. Caryn S. Ward presented at the Evidence and Implementation Summit in Melbourne, Australia in October.

Dr. Ximena Franco-Jenkins and Jake Leonard represented the National Implementation Research Society at this year's SPR Annual Meeting.  Dr. Franco-Jenkins is an advanced research scientist at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of Chapel Hill.  Jake Leonard is a research assistant supporting Dr. Franco-Jenkins's work on the Effective Implementation Cohort Project.