Research: The Education Policy Initiative at CLOSUP

EPI at CLOSUP

EPI is now operating as a stand-alone initiative within the Ford School. For the latest updates on EPI, contact Julie Montiero de Castro at 734-615-6978. Otherwise, the information regarding EPI at CLOSUP is archival in nature, from EPI's startup phase when it was housed within CLOSUP.

In the Fall of 2007 CLOSUP launched the Education Policy Initiative (EPI), a program of coordinated activities designed to bring the latest academic knowledge to issues of education policy. Through a combination of research projects, events, and publications, EPI seeks to identify and evaluate promising educational interventions and to inform educators and policymakers about new research findings.

EPI Events: Seminars and Conferences

Events are a core component of EPI, including research conferences and the EPI Seminar Series which was launched in the Fall of 2007. Leading researchers on education policy issues from across the nation present their work in public seminars at Weill Hall. Upcoming seminars can be found on the main CLOSUP events page. Previous EPI seminars are listed in the right column of this page.

EPI Research Projects

Research activities are the foundation of the Education Policy Initiative at CLOSUP, beginning with two projects launched in Fall 2008: a program evaluation of Operation ABC, a United Way for Southeastern Michigan mentoring program in the Detroit Metro area to help struggling readers in kindgergarten through second grade; and an evaluation of teacher effectiveness in the public school system of a large southern U.S. city. Since these two projects were launched, CLOSUP has carried out numerous additional research projects. For more information on these research activities, please contact the Center.

In the spring of 2010, under Brian Jacob's leadership, CLOSUP and EPI partnered with Professor Susan Dynarski from UM, as well as Professor Barbara Schneider and others at Michigan State University, and with the Michigan Department of Education, to launch an ambitious new study of the impact of the Michigan Merit Curriculum and the Michigan Promise Scholarship. This 5-year project is funded by a $5.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences. For more information, see the project press release or a more in-depth project description.

Michigan Consortium for Education Research

In the fall of 2010 CLOSUP announced the launch of the Michigan Consortium for Education Research (MCER), a partnership between the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), Michigan State University (MSU), and the University of Michigan (UM). The goal of MCER is to engage key stakeholders and experts in high quality education research for the benefit of public education in Michigan and nationwide. The consortium seeks to answer contemporary education policy questions. MCER provides research-based evidence to policymakers and administrators in Michigan and informs national policy initiatives for improving education.

Michigan Charter School Research Project

The Michigan Charter School Research Project (MCSRP) is a rigorous, Michigan-wide analysis of the effect of charter schools on student performance and postsecondary schooling decisions, including college entry, choice and completion. The central goal is to use this analysis to understand charter schools' settings, practices and populations that produce positive effects on student achievement.

The MCSRP is being led by Professors Susan Dynarski and Brian Jacob, Ford School faculty with over 25 years combined experience coordinating large-scale education policy research and over 60 combined publications in the field of education. The research team is collaborating with charter schools, charter school authorizers and education service providers to guarantee participation of and input from all stakeholders. The final report with results is expected for Fall 2013. Click here to learn more.

• Panel Discussion: January 31, 2011: "Does Size Matter? The Role of Small High Schools in Reforming Public Education." More info.
• Panel Discussion: November 18, 2010: "For-Profit Colleges: Education or Exploitation?" More info.
• Panel Discussion: November 3, 2010: "A Special Community Screening and Panel Discussion: Waiting for Superman." More info.
• Seminar: Sept 22, 2010: "Teacher Pay for Performance: Experimental Evidence from Nashville's Project on Incentives in Teaching" Matthew Springer, Vanderbilt University. More info.
• Seminar: March 10, 2010: "Will U.S. Schools Drag Us Down?" Richard Hanushek, Stanford University. More info.
• Seminar:January 20, 2010: "Are High-Quality Schools Enough to Close the Achievement Gap? Evidence from a Bold Social Experiment in Harlem." Roland Fryer, Harvard University. More info.
• Conference: December 10-11, 2009: "Higher Education in Michigan: Looking Back and Looking Ahead on the Fifth Anniversary of the Cherry Commission." More info.
• Panel Discussion: December 10, 2009: "Higher Education in Michigan: Looking Back and Looking Ahead on the Fifth Anniversary of the Cherry Commission" Free and open to the public. More info.
• Seminar: April 1, 2009: “Schooling in Developing Countries: the Roles of Supply, Demand, and Government Policy.”, Elizabeth King, Director of Education, the World Bank. Annenberg Auditorium, Weill Hall, 735 South State Street. More information.
  
• Seminar: March 11, 2009: “The Effect of School Choice on College and Crime.” David Deming, Harvard University. More information.
• Seminar: March 9, 2009: “The Past and Future of Education Research.” Grover “Russ” Whitehurst, Senior Fellow, Governance Studies and Director, Brown Center on Education Policy, The Brookings Institution. More information.
• Seminar: January 26, 2009: “A Pathway to Common Education Standards.” Roy Romer, Chairman, Strong American Schools and former Governor of Colorado. More information.
• Seminar: December 3, 2008: “Assessed by a Teacher Like Me: Race, Gender, and Subjective Evaluations.” Amine Ouazad, Assistant Professor of Economics and Political Science, INSEAD. 3rd Floor Seminar Room, Weill Hall, 735 South State Street. See the paper.
• Seminar: November 19, 2008: “Improving Impacts of Classrooms: Professional Development and Classroom Observation.” Robert Pianta, University of Virginia. More information.
• Conference: April 28, 2008: Education Policy Research at the University of Michigan.
• Seminar: April 2, 2008: “Learning to Teach? Teacher Preparation and Student Achievement.” Susanna Loeb, Stanford University.
• Seminar: March 19, 2008: “The Role of the Private Sector in K-12 Public Education” Michael P. Flanagan, State of Michigan; Frederick M. Hess, American Enterprise Institute; JD Hoye, National Academy Foundation; Sanford I. Weill, Citigroup, Inc.; Deborah Loewenberg Ball, School of Education, University of Michigan; Brian A. Jacob, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan.
  
• Seminar: January 22, 2008: “Can Educational Outcomes be Improved in Community Colleges? Evidence from Two Randomized Trials.” Cecilia Rouse, Princeton University
• Conference: December 5, 2007: Michigan School Districts Agenda Setting Conference.
• Seminar: November 19, 2007: “The Effects of New York City's Charter Schools on Student Achievement.” Caroline Hoxby, Stanford University
• Seminar: October 24, 2007: “Reflections on No Child Left Behind.” Jacob Vidgor, Duke University