Informing Practice and Policy

CREP is contributing to a variety of research and evaluation projects addressing STEM, school improvement, English Learner education, and Memphis-area community outreach. Some of our current work includes:

The Engineering Research Visioning Alliance (ERVA)

America's economic competitiveness is tied directly to the pace of scientific and technological discovery, which requires sustained, long-term investment in research. To help the United States remain at the forefront of research and innovation while maintaining its leadership in the global economy, the National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Engineering launched the Engineering Research Visioning Alliance (ERVA), the first engineering research visioning organization of its kind. ERVA's mission is "to identify and develop bold and transformative new engineering research directions and to catalyze the engineering community's pursuit of innovative, high-impact research that benefits society." Serving as the external evaluator for this 5-year initiative, CREP works closely with ERVA leadership to assess the ongoing impact of ERVA's activties and communication strategies through collecting and analyzing data, as well as providing feedback and suggestions on how to best catalyze the engineering research community to develop solutions that improve the human condition. Please click here to learn more about ERVA. Please click here to be redirected to the ERVA Data Dashboard to see its progress to date.

Get the Picture?!

CREP has partnered with the Collaborative for Teaching and Learning (CTL) to support the Green River Regional Educational Cooperative (GRREC) as it examines the impact of the development of self-determination skills on college and career readiness of high school students with disabilities in several rural districts in the state of Kentucky. This program is supported by an Investing in Innovation (i3) grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

LASER Focused

Research indicates that inquiry-based instruction is particularly effective with certain student populations, including English Learners (ELs). CREP has partnered with the Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) to implement and evaluate this EL-specific component to the SSEC's LASER Model for inquiry-based science. Implemented in two school districts in Colorado, the goal if this program is to decrease the science achievement gap between EL and non-EL students and to provide teachers with new resources for teaching hands-on science lessons. This work is funded by a National Professional Development (NPD) grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Tennessee Rural STEM Collaborative

The Collaborative is a cohort of educators from across Tennessee, working to ensure that all students have access to high-quality learning opportunities in STEM by exposing them to 21st century skills and local STEM career pathways. Administered by the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network (TSIN) and evaluated by CREP, this program is designed to develop teacher leadership capacity, strengthen innovative instructional strategies, and provide a collaborative network for educators in rural areas.