Projects
Examination of "High Leverage Policies" for the New England Secondary School Consortium
The Great Schools Partnership has commissioned CEPA to conduct an in-depth examination of "high leverage policies" in support of the New England Secondary School Consortium (NESSC). The work will inform the development, adoption, and ultimate implementation of high leverage state and local policies that are designed to transform secondary education in Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Connecticut Interdistrict Magnet Evaluation Report Released
The report examines the extent to which interdistrict magnet schools provide students in the
cities of Hartford, New Haven, and Waterbury access to less isolated environments. Results of a high school student survey provides information on intergroup relations, perceptions of teachers, academic engagement and other aspects of students' experiences in interdistrict magnet schools. The impacts of attending an interdistrict magnet school on student achievement are also examined.
Click here to read the full report (PDF)
NEA-sponsored Research on School Reform Initiative
The National Education Association (NEA) Foundation is funding a multi-year research project investigating the CommPACT schools in Connecticut. CommPACT schools are existing public schools that agree to follow a distinctive reform process, are freed of certain labor union regulations, and given operational autonomy from their host districts. The study will inform policy on comprehensive school reform, particularly for low-performing schools serving disadvantaged student populations. The results are primarily aimed at policy makers who make decisions on how to improve schools through a varied set of policy levers. The Policy Center has amassed a team of researchers to conduct the research on behalf of the Institute for Urban School Improvement.
CEPA Editing Special Issue of the Peabody Journal of Education
The Policy Center has secured an agreement to publish a special themed issue on school choice research with the prestigious Peabody Journal of Education of Vanderbilt University. The manuscripts represent papers presented at the 2007 conference, Public School Choice in a Post-Desegregation World: What have we learned and where are we going? Manuscripts are currently undergoing peer-review. The special issue will be published in 2009 and is being co-guest-edited by Casey Cobb, Robert Bifulco, and Courtney Bell. (forthcoming, 2009)
Partnership with the Magnet Schools of America
The Policy Center has entered a partnership with the Magnet Schools of America to generate and disseminate research on magnets schools and public school choice policy. In the fall of 2007, the MSA co-sponsored the national conference, Public School Choice in a Post-Desegregation World, which will culminate in a special issue of a peer-reviewed journal. The Director of CEPA also serves on the MSA’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Leadership. 2007-2009
Research Partnership with the Connecticut State Department of Education Bureau of Educational Equity. Policy research and evaluation of the Bureau of Educational Equity’s programming, including interdistrict magnet schools, the Open Choice program, and charter schools. 2006-2009
A Visual Guide To Sheff vs. O'Neill School Desegregation
To see the full report, click on this link: http://www.cepa.uconn.edu/assets/Sheff_FINAL.pdf
Evaluation of the CSDE Interventions in Districts Related to the Settlement Agreement in P.J., et al v State of Connecticut, Board of Education, et al. Evaluation of CSDE interventions with districts that are held to the goal of inclusion per the P.J. court settlement.
State Action for Education Leadership Project. A state-funded initiative via the Wallace Foundation to improve leadership capacity. CEPA is conducting the external policy analysis of three demonstration labs.
Technology for Leadership and Learning in Connecticut (TL2C). A Gates challenge grant for leadership development.
Understanding Diversity in New England Independent Schools. A research partnership with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
