Education shapes a person’s whole life. It builds the knowledge and skills to earn a living, teaches people to think for themselves, prepares them to take part in their communities and equips them to keep learning long after graduation. A strong education system is the foundation of a healthy democracy and gives each generation the opportunity to give a fair start to the next one. American education delivers all of this for some learners but leaves others waiting.

That gap is widening. From a child’s first years of school through the skills adults need to change careers, the distance between those who are thriving and those who are falling behind keeps growing. This divide reflects who gets strong teaching, good resources, and a fair chance to learn.

The hard part is finding a solution. Any way forward requires two things to work together:  rigorous science to learn what actually helps learners, and partnership among the people who can put that knowledge to work. No single study, and no single institution, closes a gap this wide alone.

The ETS Research Institute launched the Center for Policy Research to turn evidence into guidance that policymakers, funders and education leaders can act on.

That evidence draws on three of ETS’s strengths: the ability to generate and interpret evidence from large-scale assessment data, leadership in the science of educational measurement and an ability to translate research into actionable guidance for policymakers and education leaders.

ETS has measured learning for decades. Few organizations hold that much measurement and policy expertise in one place. The Center puts it to work by tackling the country’s hardest education questions.

All of the Center’s work seeks to answer three questions.

First, what policies and programs actually improve outcomes for learners? This means looking past descriptive patterns and anecdotal evidence to identify the underlying causes so that state and national leaders craft effective policies.

Second, what makes policies and programs work across different communities and contexts? Not all interventions work in all settings or for all people. The Center will tailor their analyses to the specific needs of the populations and geographies that policymakers serve.

Third, under what conditions do policies and programs produce lasting change? Too many reforms fade with the next budget or election. The Center studies how sound ideas take root in law, funding, and daily practice, so they keep opening doors for learners.

These questions reinforce one another. The first shows what to do. The second shows how to do it in a way that best meets the needs of the community. The third keeps the change from washing away.

The Center’s first major project is in support of EvidenceWorks. About once a generation, the country stops to ask hard questions about its schools. A Nation at Risk did that in 1983.  Its authors spent eighteen months building evidence and trust through commissioned papers and public hearings. The report mattered because of the authors’ dedication, not because they published it and moved on. EvidenceWorks follows that model with modern research. It pairs a report series with an advisory commission, papers from outside researchers, public events in cities across the country and a public data tool anyone can use.

The Center builds this work with the field, not for it. Its research is a public good: open, shared and free to use. State leaders, district leaders, researchers and advocates help shape the agenda from the start.

Better evidence, used well, can keep doors open for the next generation of learners. That is the work this Center exists to do.

To learn more, visit ets.org/research/policy-center.