Learning Policy Institute

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Learning Policy Institute

The Learning Policy Institute is an American research organization founded in 2013 that conducts policy analysis on K–12 education and teacher preparation and informs debates among advocates such as National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation and policymakers in venues like the U.S. Department of Education, California Department of Education, State of California, and the Education Commission of the States. The institute works with researchers from institutions including Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, Harvard University, Teachers College, Columbia University and collaborates with networks such as Learning Forward, The Wallace Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York and Annenberg Foundation. Its staff includes scholars connected to events like the Common Core State Standards Initiative, Every Student Succeeds Act debates, Race to the Top, and panels convened by National Academy of Education.

History

The organization was established in 2013 by education researchers and former policymakers with ties to Stanford University, The George Washington University, University of Washington, Teachers College, Columbia University and the American Institutes for Research amid policy shifts following the No Child Left Behind Act reauthorization discussions and the rollout of the Common Core State Standards Initiative. Early leadership featured figures associated with commissions such as the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future and advisory roles to U.S. Department of Education secretaries during administrations of Barack Obama and engagement with state leaders like those in California and New York (state). The institute expanded through partnerships with foundations including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and research collaborations with centers such as RAND Corporation, Consortium on Chicago School Research and Center on Reinventing Public Education.

The institute's stated mission emphasizes evidence-based policy to improve outcomes for students in settings ranging from Los Angeles Unified School District to districts influenced by Chicago Public Schools reforms, and to inform policymakers in bodies such as the U.S. Congress and state legislatures in California, Texas, Florida and New York (state). Core activities include producing reports for audiences like governors' offices, state education agencies, philanthropic foundations and advocacy organizations such as Teach For America, National PTA, America's Promise Alliance and professional groups including American Educational Research Association. It hosts convenings with leaders from National School Boards Association, Council of Chief State School Officers and collaborates with university programs at Harvard Graduate School of Education and University of Michigan School of Education.

Research outputs cover topics such as teacher evaluation reforms, uh— teacher preparation program redesigns tied to institutions like Michigan State University, studies of early childhood initiatives implemented in cities like San Francisco, and analyses of school funding cases akin to Serrano v. Priest and Campaign for Fiscal Equity v. State of New York. Major publications have been cited in policymaking arenas alongside work by National Bureau of Economic Research, Educational Testing Service, American Institutes for Research, Brookings Institution and Urban Institute. Reports synthesize evidence from randomized trials and longitudinal studies produced by researchers at Harvard University, University of Chicago, Columbia University and Princeton University, and the institute issues briefs and toolkits used by state chiefs from Council of Chief State School Officers and district leaders from Miami-Dade County Public Schools and Houston Independent School District.

The institute engages in policy advocacy through testimony before bodies including the U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, state legislatures in California and Massachusetts, and advisory roles to governors such as those from California and New Jersey. Its analyses have informed implementation efforts related to the Every Student Succeeds Act, and the institute has worked alongside organizations such as Education Week, The Hechinger Report, The New York Times education desk, and policy groups like Learning Forward and The Broad Foundation during district-level turnarounds in districts such as Detroit Public Schools Community District and Newark Public Schools. The institute partners with coalitions including Alliance for Excellent Education and Teach Plus to promote professional learning, equitable funding reforms, and evidence-aligned teacher preparation reforms.

Funding for the institute comes from philanthropic organizations and foundations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Ford Foundation and Annenberg Foundation, and receives project support from agencies like the U.S. Department of Education and state education agencies in California and Washington (state). The board and leadership include academics and former officials affiliated with Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, Arizona State University, American Institutes for Research and nonprofits such as National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers, and the institute publishes governance information aligning with practices followed by organizations such as Brookings Institution and Urban Institute.

The institute's work has been praised by advocates including the National Education Association and researchers at Harvard University for its synthesis of evidence and practical guidance, while critics from reform-oriented groups such as StudentsFirst and commentators in outlets like The Wall Street Journal and Education Next have questioned its positions on accountability, school choice, and teacher evaluation methods. Debates around its recommendations have intersected with controversies involving Race to the Top, charter school expansion debates in New Orleans, litigation like Vergara v. California, and policy disputes in states including Arizona and Florida. Peer researchers at RAND Corporation, National Bureau of Economic Research, and American Institutes for Research have both cited and critiqued the institute's methodological choices in comparative reports on teacher preparation and school improvement.

Category:Think tanks based in the United States