Consortium for Policy Research in Education

Consortium for Policy Research in Education
Name	Consortium for Policy Research in Education
Formation	1985
Type	Research consortium
Headquarters	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Location	University of Pennsylvania

Consortium for Policy Research in Education

The Consortium for Policy Research in Education is a Philadelphia-based research partnership that conducts empirical studies and policy analysis influencing K–12 No Child Left Behind and Every Student Succeeds Act discussions. Founded in the mid-1980s within the context of rising federal and state reform efforts such as A Nation at Risk and initiatives from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Consortium has collaborated with institutions including Harvard University, Stanford University, University of Michigan, University of Chicago, and Teachers College, Columbia University on comparative and program-evaluation research. Its work has informed leaders in the U.S. Department of Education, state departments such as the Pennsylvania Department of Education, philanthropic organizations like the William T. Grant Foundation, and international agencies including the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

History

The Consortium was established in 1985 amid policy debates following A Nation at Risk and prior to legislative actions by the 99th United States Congress and 100th United States Congress that shaped federal education funding. Early members included scholars associated with Stanford University Graduate School of Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education, and the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, and it drew support from foundations like the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Spencer Foundation. In the 1990s the Consortium produced longitudinal studies parallel to research by RAND Corporation and Mathematica Policy Research, aligning with evaluation frameworks used by the Institute of Education Sciences. During the 2000s and 2010s its output intersected with policy shifts under administrations of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, contributing to debates documented by commentators at The New York Times, The Washington Post, and policy journals affiliated with Brookings Institution and American Enterprise Institute.

Mission and Research Focus

The Consortium’s mission emphasizes rigorous, policy-relevant investigation into school reform, assessment, and professional development—areas central to initiatives by National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers. Research priorities have included studies of standards-based reform linked to Common Core State Standards Initiative, evaluation methods consistent with guidance from the Institute of Education Sciences and National Research Council, and teacher effectiveness topics examined by organizations like Teach For America and National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. It has pursued mixed-methods designs resonant with approaches used by scholars at Harvard Kennedy School and program evaluators at Urban Institute, situating findings within policy dialogues led by figures from U.S. Department of Education and state education chiefs associated with the Council of Chief State School Officers.

Major Projects and Initiatives

Major Consortium studies have included large-scale longitudinal projects comparable to work by HighScope Educational Research Foundation and Early Childhood Longitudinal Study. Collaborative initiatives have examined district reform models similar to those promoted by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, literacy interventions studied by National Literacy Trust, and turnaround strategies evaluated alongside projects by Center on Reinventing Public Education. The Consortium participated in multisite evaluations paralleling efforts by What Works Clearinghouse and contributed to methodological development in randomized and quasi-experimental designs like those championed by David Card-style labor economists and contemporary education statisticians at Carnegie Mellon University.

Organizational Structure and Funding

Organizationally, the Consortium has functioned as a network of principal investigators housed at university partners including University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, Harvard University, University of Michigan, and University of Chicago. Governance mechanisms mirror those of university-based research centers such as MDRC and RAND Education and Labor. Funding sources have comprised federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences, private philanthropies like the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Spencer Foundation, and William T. Grant Foundation, and state education departments such as the Pennsylvania Department of Education and California Department of Education.

Impact and Influence on Education Policy

Consortium reports have been cited in policy analyses released by the U.S. Department of Education, briefs from Brookings Institution and Urban Institute, and state-level reform plans adopted in jurisdictions influenced by the Common Core State Standards Initiative. Its empirical contributions informed debates over accountability regimes associated with No Child Left Behind and influenced technical discussions around evaluation practice promoted by the Institute of Education Sciences. Scholars affiliated with the Consortium have presented findings to audiences at conferences hosted by American Educational Research Association, Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, and forums convened by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Criticism and Controversies

Critiques of the Consortium’s work have echoed broader debates that have targeted organizations like RAND Corporation and Mathematica Policy Research regarding methodological choices, external validity, and policy recommendations. Commentators in outlets including Education Week and The New York Times have questioned whether large multisite evaluations can capture local variation emphasized by practitioners in districts studied by Chicago Public Schools or New York City Department of Education. Some critics aligned with think tanks such as Heritage Foundation and Economic Policy Institute have disputed conclusions about accountability and teacher evaluation, reflecting partisan divisions evident in congressional hearings involving members of the U.S. Congress and state legislatures.

Category:Educational research organizations