A research center focused on providing evidence to public and policy discussions around education is now once again active at the IU School of Education. The Center for Evaluation and Education Policy, first founded in 2005, will explore a broad agenda of issues, including school choice and equitable access.

After a hiatus from the center, Director Chris Lubienski and Professor David Rutkowski were tasked with assessing if there was a need for CEEP to return to prominence. They heard enthusiasm for the center and looked at how other universities around the country approached similar research, and the relaunch began.

CEEP is currently assembling a wide range of experts from the School of Education and beyond, including nationally and internationally-renowned scholars from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds. The team has expertise in several vital areas, including teacher preparation, special education, higher education, education law, equity, leadership, desegregation, knowledge use and other key fields.

Currently, CEEP is publishing a report by Associate Professor Alexander Cuenca on teacher licensure issues, an important topic in view of the current teacher shortage.

“We are also kicking off a series of policy briefs,” Lubienski added. “The first one is on the competitive impacts of vouchers on public schools in Indiana, and the next will be on the demographics of charter school governing boards. We will have many more coming down the line from our notable scholars. I really hope CEEP can contribute in the area of equitable opportunities for marginalized student populations.”

In the past, CEEP had developed a primary focus on Indiana. Lubienski said that while that is still important to the team, it is also critical to recognize that valuable lessons can be learned by examining evidence from other places as well. The new CEEP will have a broader scope, taking into account the voluminous evidence from other states and other countries as well.