The Learning Policy Institute

The Learning Policy Institute
Name	The Learning Policy Institute
Founded	2015
Type	Nonprofit research organization
Location	Mountain View, California
Key people	Linda Darling-Hammond

The Learning Policy Institute is an independent, nonpartisan research organization focused on improving public education outcomes. It produces policy analyses, reports, and tools aimed at influencing legislation and administrative policy at local, state, and federal levels. The institute engages with stakeholders across the United States, including schools, districts, teacher unions, and state education agencies.

History

The institute was established in 2015 amid debates following the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act, the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and national discussions influenced by the Common Core State Standards Initiative. Its founding brought together former staff from the U.S. Department of Education, researchers from institutions such as Stanford University and UCLA, and practitioners with experience in districts like Los Angeles Unified School District and Chicago Public Schools. Early reports addressed issues also discussed in forums like the National Education Association conferences and hearings before the United States Congress education committees.

Mission and Goals

The institute's stated mission centers on conducting research to inform policymakers involved with state legislatures, governors' offices, and local school boards like those in New York City and Houston Independent School District. Goals include supporting policies aligned with recommendations from bodies such as the National Academy of Sciences, improving educator preparation referenced by institutions such as Teachers College, Columbia University and Harvard Graduate School of Education, and promoting equitable student outcomes echoed in reports from the Civil Rights Project.

Research and Publications

The organization publishes reports, briefs, and toolkits on topics including teacher workforce policies, school funding, early childhood education, and assessment reforms. Publications cite comparative work from researchers at RAND Corporation, Brookings Institution, and American Enterprise Institute while drawing on data sets like those from the National Center for Education Statistics and case studies from districts including Boston Public Schools and Denver Public Schools. Notable outputs include literature reviews and policy briefs used in hearings alongside testimony from scholars affiliated with University of Michigan, University of California, Berkeley, and Johns Hopkins University.

Policy Impact and Advocacy

Research has informed debates in state capitols such as Sacramento, California and Austin, Texas and influenced legislation examined by committees in Massachusetts and New Jersey. The institute has provided testimony in hearings with representatives from the U.S. Department of Education and submitted analyses used by statewide commissions like the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing and panels convened by governors' offices in Oregon and Washington (state). Its advocacy aligns with policy networks that include stakeholders from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation discussions and labor negotiations involving the American Federation of Teachers.

Funding and Governance

Funding comes from foundations and philanthropic organizations active in education policy such as the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Ford Foundation, as well as grants tied to initiatives led by the Annenberg Foundation and regional funders in Silicon Valley. Governance is overseen by a board with members drawn from academia, nonprofits, and former officials from bodies like the U.S. Department of Education and state education agencies; senior staff have backgrounds at Stanford University, University of California, and advocacy groups such as the Learning Policy Institute's peer organizations. (Note: board composition has included figures associated with institutions like Brown University and Columbia University.)

Partnerships and Collaborations

The institute collaborates with universities, education nonprofits, and research consortia such as SRI International, The RAND Corporation, and the National Education Policy Center. It partners with state education departments in California, New Mexico, and Colorado and engages in project work alongside district leaders from Miami-Dade County Public Schools and Phoenix Union High School District. Collaborative efforts have intersected with initiatives led by organizations like the Council of Chief State School Officers and professional groups including the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Criticism and Controversies

Critics have questioned the institute's funding sources and potential influence from foundations involved in broader reform debates that include actors such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and policy groups like the Broad Foundation. Some scholars and advocacy organizations, including voices from the National Education Association and commentators at the Heritage Foundation, have raised concerns about the institute's policy prescriptions related to teacher preparation, assessment, and accountability, aligning with disputes that have emerged around the Common Core State Standards Initiative and federal education oversight. Disagreements also mirror broader tensions seen in policy debates involving charter schools and collective bargaining discussions led by the AFT.

Category:Education policy think tanks in the United States