PRESS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

PUERTO RICO STATISTICS INSTITUTE AND FEDERAL ENTITY SHARE IDEAS TO IMPROVE THE COACH TRAINING PROJECT IN THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

San Juan, Puerto Rico, April 8, 2019 — Dr. Orville M. Disdier, Acting Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics (Institute) participated in the first meetings this year of the Board of Directors of the Regional Educational Laboratory of the North East & Islands (REL‐NEI), an entity subsidized by the Federal Department of Education. Disdier, who has been a member of the Board of Directors of that organization for some years, reported that during the day, initiatives of great importance for the island were discussed, including Puerto Rico Data Coaches Training, an innovative project that is forming Coaches, within the Department of Education.

“This project is of great importance to the Department of Education because it is through these Coaches, barriers are being identified that may be impeding the development of a culture based on data and removing such barriers. During the meetings with REL‐NEI, we discussed options to continue improving this project,” Disdier explained.

The REL‐NEI's main objective is to carry out scientific research and training aimed at supporting education systems based on empirical evidence. The REL‐NEI translates this empirical evidence into public policy proposals and best practices in teaching and learning processes. REL‐NEI is one of 10 Regional Laboratories and is comprised of Puerto Rico, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Vermont.

Other topics that were addressed and discussed at the meetings were the development of the workforce at the preschool level, learning the English language, effective alternatives to traditional graduation processes, reducing chronic absenteeism, and geospatial analysis to understand barriers to teacher recruitment.

“The mission of the institute is not only to coordinate the production service of the statistics produced in Puerto Rico, but also to promote research capacity and unite academics, researchers and public officials to objectively support government management, in this case, the management of Puerto Rico's public education system. As the official institution in Puerto Rico for the promotion of a data culture, at the Institute we are available to provide our full support to these data coaches from the Department of Education,” explained Dr. Disdier.

Although researchers and academics from the Laboratory for Educational Research and Development (WestEd) and the Education Development Center (EDC) direct most of the research and projects, they work as a team and in collaboration with the governments of all the jurisdictions that make up the REL‐NEI. The Puerto Rico Department of Education and the Institute are an integral part of these efforts. During this and the coming years, the results of these investigations will be announced.

For more information about the REL‐NEI you can visit the following address: https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/northeast/. For their part, they can access data and information at the Institute of Statistics through https://estadisticas.pr.gov/.

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Contact: Idia Martínez
Mobile phone: 787-603-3200
Email: imartinez@upfrontpr.net

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Some 67,000 people immigrated to the United States in 2016, the highest migration rate recorded in 12 years.

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San Juan, Puerto Rico. April 9, 2025 — Faced with growing public interest in issues related to international trade and tariffs, the Puerto Rico Statistics Institute reminded citizens that, on its official website, www.estadisticas.pr, the “External Trade Interface” tool is available, where they can access official data on imports and exports of goods in Puerto Rico.

The Foreign Trade section of the portal contains monthly statistics on the value and volume of goods entering and leaving the jurisdiction. This information allows us to know what products Puerto Rico exports, to which countries they are going and, in turn, which products are imported and from which countries they come. This data is useful for identifying business opportunities abroad, as well as within Puerto Rico. In addition, they are an important input for the preparation of Puerto Rico's Gross Domestic Product statistics.

“At a time when issues of international trade and tariffs are an active part of the public conversation, it is essential that citizens have access to official and reliable information that allows them to carry out adequate analyses and make informed decisions,” said Dr. Orville M. Disdier Flores, Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics.

The statistics are collected and processed by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection And the U.S. Census Bureau, using customs and export declaration forms that are completed when importing or exporting goods. The Institute downloads, processes, transforms and organizes data so that information is available exclusively for Puerto Rico with its business partners.

As part of his commitment to statistical education, Dr. Ronald Hernández, Manager of Statistical Projects at the Institute, indicated that those interested in learning more about this tool can access a Webinar free of charge that explains in detail how to access, interpret and use foreign trade data. The video is available at the following link: https://youtu.be/2yuAh9X6qK4.

The Foreign Trade section allows you to filter the search and download of data since July 2002, according to different classifications used in economic analysis and international trade. These classifications include HTS systems and Schedule B, aimed at the classification of goods, including their tariff component; the SITC, used for the comparative analysis of trade by type of product; and the NAICS, which allows aggregation by sector or industry of origin or destination.

To access the External Trade Interface, you can visit www.estadisticas.pr and access the Foreign Trade section under the “Applications” tab. For the best experience, we recommend that you use the Firefox browser.

The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute is an autonomous governmental entity responsible for coordinating the Government's statistical production service to ensure that the data collection and statistics systems, on which public policies are based, are complete, reliable, and have quick and universal access.

For more information you can write to preguntas@estadisticas.pr. They can also follow social networks through Facebook (@estadisticas .pr), X (@EstadisticasPR), LinkedIn (Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico) and Instagram (@institutodeestadisticas) accounts.

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