An Opportunity for Collaboration Between Researchers and Practitioners
The Story of the MLRC School Network
The MLRC School Network grew out of the WIDA International School Consortium. In 2013, WIDA established the International School Consortium to create a community of independent and international schools using WIDA resources to serve multilingual learners. For 10 years, the WIDA international team contributed to the growth of this global network of schools.
The creation of the MLRC presented the opportunity to reimagine support for international schools, shifting from a global assessment network to a global research network. This shift — inspired by the innovative work that began during the pandemic — leverages the excitement and synergy that was developed in the 2020 WIDA Global Community of Practice to help international schools learn with and from each other.
Benefits for Member Schools
The annual membership for the MLRC School Network includes the following benefits:
Participation in an action research cohort for a guided inquiry into school-based problems of practice
Unlimited opportunities to engage with other educators through online discussions focused around key MLRC topics
School improvement tools to enhance your program to serve multilingual learners
Expanded offering of curated research summaries as well as webinars and conference recordings
Access to a WIDA Toolkit, including learning resources and training videos focusing on using WIDA resources in international contexts
Unlimited staff enrollment in the WIDA Virtual Institute online training course
MLRC School Network Annual Membership
The MLRC School Network Hub is a community of practice organized around relevant research topics. Educators from member schools have opportunities to learn together while connecting with other teachers around the globe to discuss problems of practice and engage with related research.
The annual MLRC School Network membership fee is based on school enrollment:
- Under 500 students: $750
- 500—999 students: $1000
- 1000—1499 students: $1500
- Over 1500 students: $2000
Apply Early for a Discount
To celebrate its first year, the MLRC is offering a membership incentive for early adopters! Schools that become MLRC School Network members between July 1 and October 1, 2023, will be granted membership valid through December 31, 2024, and save 25—50% by only paying the price of a 12-month membership.
MLRC School Network membership will expand access to learning opportunities for member schools by providing unlimited access to the WIDA Toolkit and WIDA Virtual Institute. These features are included in the MLRC School Network at no additional cost.
By comparison, in the previous WIDA International School Consortium pricing structure, schools paid the following: WIDA annual membership: ($495 per school), WIDA Virtual Institute ($550 per teacher), WIDA Global Community of Practice ($350 per teacher). The MLRC School Network fee structure is designed to be more accessible to schools by providing additional services at a reduced cost.
Example 1
A small school in the WIDA International School Consortium enrolling two teachers in the WIDA Virtual Institute and two teachers in the WIDA Global Community of Practice previously would have paid $2295, but will pay $750 to join the MLRC School Network with access for an unlimited number of teachers.
Example 2
A large school in the WIDA International School Consortium enrolling 10 teachers in the WIDA Virtual Institute and 10 teachers in the WIDA Global Community of Practice previously would have paid $9495, but now will pay $2000 to join the MLRC School Network with access for an unlimited number of teachers.