Bureau of Education and Research (BER): Empowering Educators Through Professional Development

Founded in 1976 by educators, the Bureau of Education and Research (BER) has become a leading provider of national and regional training programs across the United States and Canada. BER is committed to providing a best-in-class experience that empowers educators. BER stands behind every program and training product it provides.

A Commitment to Educator Growth

BER focuses on sharing practical strategies and research that can be immediately implemented in classrooms through its seminars, conferences, and train-the-trainer programs. The company provides professional development and training resources for teachers across North America. Feedback is an essential part of its day-to-day work. Surveys are used to gauge the effectiveness of BER programs and uncover whether the event and instructor are resonating with attendees. Instructors are required to retain a 6.5 average score out of a 7-point scale. These scores, and attendees’ overall feedback, highlight what's working and when instructors could use additional support. With these insights, BER is able to confidently and consistently nurture teachers’ professional growth.

Adapting to Change: A Pandemic Pivot

The COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique challenge for BER, requiring a rapid shift from in-person programs to virtual offerings. Lena Vecherkina, media training manager at BER, explained the company's decision: “When COVID-19 hit, we had a decision to make. Were we going to adapt? Yes. But how could we do that quickly, and what was the best solution for us?”

Prior to the pandemic, BER's survey system relied on pen and paper submissions and manual analysis. Attendees at in-person seminars received paper handbooks with a tear-out survey at the back. An on-site BER employee would average scores, figure out the percentage of attendees who’d completed the survey, and conduct any other calculations needed to support the data. On days when multiple seminars were being held, BER was dealing with thousands of paper surveys.

Vecherkina noted the limitations of the previous system: “For the most part, we were still operating how we were when BER was founded more than 40 years ago. We had decades of scoring data-cabinets and cabinets full of papers. And we were pretty reliant on the postal system.”

Embracing Technology with SurveyMonkey

To address the challenges posed by the pandemic, BER implemented SurveyMonkey to streamline its survey process, supercharge team collaboration, and continue to collect valuable feedback. The shift from paper surveys to SurveyMonkey proved to be a better way to collect feedback under any circumstance. The entire survey process-from creation to analysis-was easier, more collaborative, and built to support data-driven actions.

Vecherkina highlighted the immediate benefits: “The survey results are almost instant. Company-wide, that's made a big difference.”

SurveyMonkey's convenience and customization features were embraced by the logistics department, executive assistants, and developers. With SurveyMonkey streamlining the workload, the team could focus on the immediate and future needs of BER’s online programs. Vecherkina was pleased by how quickly everything came together and how easy it was to collect and review data with SurveyMonkey. “I’ve never had the opportunity to just scroll through a seminar’s feedback like I can with SurveyMonkey,” she said. “Even if we have more than a dozen seminars scheduled in a day, I can quickly review and understand what’s happening."

Empowering Instructors Through Data-Driven Coaching

Easy access to data was especially helpful for BER developers, who sit in on seminars and provide post-event coaching to help instructors refine their techniques. In those coaching sessions, developers refer to survey responses to clarify an instructor’s strengths and areas for improvement. And, since SurveyMonkey took care of averaging scores and collecting data, they could forget about number-crunching and focus on coaching instructors to be their most effective.

Vecherkina also emphasized the flexibility of BER’s team plan, utilizing Contributor seats to allow team members to dig into the data at a lower cost. “Contributor seats ensured we had the right people on board, at the right price, to make the most of our survey insights,” she said. It also allowed Vecherkina to offload some of the survey analysis to team members with Contributor seats. With that kind of freedom, Vecherkina and her team could tackle COVID-19 business challenges, and everyday work, with exactly the right support from SurveyMonkey.

The Impact of Improved Feedback

SurveyMonkey has significantly improved the quality of feedback that instructors receive. Vecherkina explained: “With paper surveys, the people who tended to fill them out either loved the seminar or hated it. Now we’re capturing the responses from between those extremes. We’re getting more responses, and they’re a more accurate representation of our attendees and their experiences.”

BER's feedback program will continue to rely on SurveyMonkey, even when in-person seminars resume. Vecherkina stated, “Now that we know we can do it, we’ll never stop offering virtual seminar options and we’ll give attendees the choice about online or printed surveys. We’ve seen what we can do with SurveyMonkey, and our Team plan, and just how much flexibility and power we have.”

BER Today: A Multifaceted Approach to Education

While many educators may know BER primarily for its professional development programs, the organization offers a comprehensive approach to education, focusing on the whole child. This includes addressing not only academic performance but also social-emotional skills and well-being.

Leveraging AI for Enhanced Learning

BER is also at the forefront of integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into education. Seminars like "Using AI Tools to Improve Special Education Student Learning and Improve Teacher Productivity" demonstrate BER's commitment to helping educators leverage technology to enhance student outcomes and improve teacher efficiency. These seminars explore how to use AI to perfect paperwork and master differentiation, all while upholding data privacy and ethical practice.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

BER offers a variety of upcoming events and opportunities for educators to engage in professional development and learn about innovative strategies. For example, the National Train the Trainer Institute “Co-teaching that Works!” is scheduled for July 2025. This virtual event provides educators with the tools and knowledge to become co-teaching trainers and build capacity within their districts.

Read also: Navigating Student Loans

Connecting with the Education Community

BER actively engages with educators and celebrates their contributions. The organization uses social media and other platforms to recognize the impact teachers make in classrooms, communities, and the lives of students across the country.

Beyond Assessment: A Holistic View of the Student

BER's mission has always been to provide data and resources to measure student learning and growth and help each student reach their full potential. BER has developed a Whole Child Solution that combines insights into a student’s academic performance with an understanding of their social-emotional skills and well-being in the classroom and school community.

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