• RCE Logo

    Vision: Every school an excellent school.

    Mission: Leading transformation; building equitable schools through a living, breathing, and sustainable best practice architecture.

    Minnesota’s Regional Centers of Excellence (RCE) deliver a wealth of support and services straight to schools -- and it’s working. Centers are staffed by specialists with a full range of expertise, including math, reading, special education, English language development, equity, graduation support, data analysis, school leadership and district support.

    For districts or charters with schools identified under the accountability system, the RCEs provide on-the-ground assistance to districts or charters and schools to create the capacity and conditions that support change and continuous improvement. The centers partner with leadership teams to facilitate school improvement efforts focused on equity for underserved student groups. 
     
    Once designated, comprehensive support and improvement (CSI) and targeted support and improvement (TSI) schools must conduct a  needs assessment, build and strengthen leadership teams, and develop continuous improvement plans, but they don’t have to go it alone. The schools can get help from Minnesota’s Regional Centers of Excellence. In addition to content expertise, center specialists offer an outside perspective on schools’ efforts to increase student outcomes.

    In 2015, the Regional Centers of Excellence were named one of Harvard Ash Center’s Top 25 Innovations in Government. Regional Centers of Excellence Video
     
     
    The six centers include:
    • SE-Metro at Southeast Service Cooperative in Rochester
    • Central Lakes at Resource Training and Solutions in Sartell
    • Northern Pines at Northeast Service Cooperative in Mountain Iron
    • Northern Sky at Northwest Service Cooperative in Thief River Falls
    • Southwest Prairie at Southwest/South Central Service Cooperative in Marshall
    • Western Lakes at Lakes Country Cooperative in Fergus Falls