NEWS
NORMAN, OKLA. – The Oklahoma Center for Education Policy (OCEP), launched Sept. 1, is dedicated to producing policy-relevant research that shapes decision-making across Oklahoma’s education system. OCEP, a part of OU’s Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education, will also disseminate education research through policy briefs and reports as well as ongoing events, including the center’s statewide Oklahoma Education Policy Conference in October and its Education and Public Policy Seminar Series.
“The new center will primarily focus on producing high-quality research that can guide state education policy,” said Daniel Hamlin, faculty director of the new center and Presidential Professor at OU. “We will also translate research findings into actionable strategies for policymakers, school leaders and families.”
Funded by grants from the Walton Family Foundation and George Kaiser Family Foundation, the center’s mission reflects the belief that data-driven insights are essential for tackling the complex challenges facing Oklahoma’s PK-12 schools. The center will conduct research that examines issues of educational access, accountability and outcomes with an emphasis on teacher quality, school choice, early literacy, rural education, family engagement, and college and career pathways.
“Poor educational performance has consequences for the state,” Hamlin said. “Major American companies that drive growth not only locate where they can find a pro-business environment but also a skilled and educated workforce, and while Oklahoma has a business-friendly climate, our state’s education system has been a tremendous barrier.”
“With the new center, our goal is to help set Oklahoma’s education system on a new trajectory – one that ensures that every child in our state has the opportunity to get an excellent education. Oklahoma’s future and the opportunities available to the next generation depend on it.”
Click here for more about OCEP and the latest education policy research.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
The University of Oklahoma Honors College hosted its 38th annual Undergraduate Research Day on April 16 in the Thurman J. White Forum Building. Over 300 people attended, and 175 students presented their posters and projects to visitors, faculty members, judges and peers.
The Collaborative Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership offers emerging leaders across Oklahoma’s PK–12 public education system a doctoral experience designed to be as relevant as it is rigorous.
A study published today in PLOS Medicine has identified two new genetic pathways that contribute to cardiometabolic disease, which includes heart disease, obesity and diabetes. The research, led by Dharambir Sanghera, Ph.D., of the University of Oklahoma, represents a step toward targeting the diseases more precisely.
