National Center for Urban Education, University of the District of Columbia

In response to the national crisis in urban education and the challenges facing the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) has launched the National Center for Urban Education. The Center is designed to be a practice-oriented, research-driven, results-focused graduate institution with a three-fold mission: to train effective educators and school leaders for urban schools, particularly for DCPS and local charter schools; to operate high-quality educational programs in partnership with DCPS and DC charter schools, including an urban public school; and to conduct significant educational and policy research aimed at improving student performance.