Mission & Purpose

Created in 1985, the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE) unites researchers from seven of the nation's leading research institutions -- the University of Pennsylvania, Teachers College Columbia University, Harvard University, Stanford University, the University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Northwestern University -- in an effort to improve elementary and secondary education through practical research.

CPRE's work focuses on the relations between education policy and organization on the one hand, and school, classroom practice, and student learning on the other. The uncertainty of these relationships is a problem for policymakers and practitioners alike as ambitious state and federal policies do not always lead to fruitful classroom practice. For over two decades CPRE has conducted extensive research on a variety of education issues, examining ways to bridge this gap as well as develop and sustain high-quality instruction.

Our website features an extensive library of publications and research projects from the mid 1980s through present. Current CPRE research projects are organized by the following main research topics:

• Accountability
• Common Core Standards
• Data Use
• Leadership
• School Turnaround
• Teacher Quality
• International Research