Research Centers

Center for Education Policy Analysis

The Center for Education Policy Analysis unites nationally prominent scholars from across Stanford to provide rigorous, scientific research needed to affect education policy in meaningful ways. By focusing on critical questions that are directly relevant to teachers, school leaders, and decision makers, CEPA seeks to improve education for all students.

Center to Support Excellence in Teaching

The Center for the Support of Excellence in Teaching combines empirical evidence and experience in the classroom to identify, test, and share the most effective ways to teach.

Development and Research in Early Mathematics Education

DREME (Development and Research in Early Mathematics Education) brings together a network of scholars throughout the country to advance the field of early mathematics research and improve young children’s opportunities to develop math skills. DREME focuses on math from birth through age eight years, with an emphasis on the preschool years. With new evidence on the importance of early math skills, the DREME network aims to deliver evidence-based research and innovative resources to set young children on the path to academic achievement and lifelong success.

John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities

The Gardner Center partners with communities to develop leadership, conduct research, and effect change to improve the lives of youth. As a center for rigorous research, deeply rooted in the principles of community youth development, the Gardner Center’s interdisciplinary team focuses on questions raised by its community partners about issues that matter to youth. Research findings are used to inform practice, develop policy, and advance the youth development field.

Lemann Center

The Lemann Center for Educational Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Brazil is focused on developing new approaches to improving learning in Brazilian public schools, particularly for low-income students, and to developing new kinds of learning opportunities for such students both inside and outside the public school system. The activities of the Center include bringing Brazilian students to study for the MA and PhD at Stanford, hosting visiting scholars and visiting researchers, cooperating in research projects with Brazilian universities, and organizing conferences on educational issues in Brazil and at Stanford.

Policy Analysis for California Education

PACE is an independent, non-partisan research center led by faculty directors at Stanford University, the University of Southern California, the University of California Davis, the University of California Los Angeles, and the University of California Berkeley. PACE bridges the gap between research, policy, and practice, working with scholars from California’s leading universities and with state and local decision-makers to achieve improvement in performance and more equitable outcomes at all levels of California’s education system, from early childhood to postsecondary education and training.

Scandinavian Consortium for Organizational Research

The Scandinavian Consortium for Organizational Research advances research and development in the social sciences, particularly in the area of organizational studies. Through cooperation among Scandinavian business schools and universities, SCANCOR promotes an international perspective in research and education, strengthens ties among Scandinavian researchers and encourages joint research projects.

Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education

The Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education addresses issues of educational opportunity, access, equity, and diversity in the United States and internationally. SCOPE engages faculty from across Stanford and from other universities to work on a shared agenda of research, policy analysis, educational practice, and dissemination of ideas to improve quality and equality of education from early childhood through college.

Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society

The Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society engages students, faculty, and practitioners in scholarship and dialogue that examines ways in which philanthropic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and other key elements of civil society work to address public interests, both in the United States and abroad.

Stanford Institute for Higher Education Research

The Stanford Institute for Higher Education Research is home to sponsored research projects that examine contemporary higher education planning and policy issues from a wide range of analytical perspectives, including those of social scientists and policy audiences in the United States and abroad.

A multi-disciplinary group of faculty and graduate students, it is housed in the Graduate School of Education and engages with colleagues across the university.

Understanding Language: Language, Literacy, and Learning in the Content Areas

Understanding Language draws attention to the critical role of language in subject-area instruction, as represented in the Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. UL seeks to improve academic outcomes for all students, and especially English language learners, by developing exemplary instructional resources and by advocating for policy supports at the state and local levels.

YouCubed

YouCubed was co-founded by Professor Jo Boaler and Cathy Williams, who now serves as executive director, to make the latest research on math learning accessible to teachers and parents, giving them practical ways to incorporate new and important research ideas in classrooms and homes. Through free downloads, research papers and community forums, YouCubed's mission is to inspire math success for all students through growth mindsets and innovative teaching.