The Center for Research in Educational Policy is funded by the State of Tennessee as one of five Centers of Excellence located at The University of Memphis. CREP’s mission is to implement a research agenda associated with educational policies and practices in the preK-12 public schools of Tennessee and the nation and to provide a knowledge base for use by educational practitioners and policymakers. Research outcomes are intended not only to describe the complexities of educational phenomena, but also to offer recommendations for action.

Since 1989, the Center has served as a mechanism for mobilizing community and university resources to address educational problems and to meet the University's commitment to primary and secondary schools. The Center's research agenda is developed through analysis of persistent or emerging issues in schools and their communities, changes occurring in teacher education programs, and recommendations from educational authorities. In the past decade, CREP has gained national recognition for its contribution to discussions of issues such as reform of teacher education, educational equity, educational technology, school reform and restructuring, urban and multicultural education, interventions for at-risk students, and using formative evaluation methods for school improvement decision-making.