Housed at the College of Education University of Maryland College Park, the Maryland Equity Project conducts independent, non-partisan research and policy analysis on education and related social and economic challenges that impact education in Maryland. Our mission is to connect policymakers and education leaders to research and foster an informed public policy debate on the quality and distribution of educational opportunities in Maryland. The Maryland Equity Project engages policymakers and educators across the state to promote the effective use of research in policy and practice.
We believe that (1) educational opportunities are not distributed equitably; (2) the standards and accountability policy agenda has not been enough to address what students need to learn; (3) a broader approach to education policy based on ensuring equity and opportunity for all students is needed; and (4) the state has an important role to play in advancing equity and opportunity. We believe that if we can identify the issues that need to be addressed, raise the visibility of the issues and propose policy alternatives then we can begin to significantly improve education.
The Maryland Equity Project pursues this mission through four core strategies: (1) conducting rigorous and independent research and policy analysis that addresses key policy issues in Maryland from an equity perspective on a regular basis; (2) translating existing research into easy to understand formats; (3) developing policy and practice recommendations to expand educational opportunity for all Maryland children; and (4) fostering opportunities for policymakers and educators to consider new evidence, discuss issues, and develop new approaches to advancing equity in Maryland.
Connect:
Maryland Equity Project Contact: Gail Sunderman, glsunderman@yahoo.com