University of Southern Maine Center for Education Policy, Applied Research and Evaluation

The Center for Education Policy, Applied Research and Evaluation (CEPARE) is devoted to promoting evidence-based decision making from the school house to the state house. CEPARE provides assistance to school districts, agencies, organizations, and university faculty by conducting independent research, evaluation, and policy studies. In addition, CEPARE co-directs the Maine Education Policy Research Institute (MEPRI), an entity jointly funded by the Maine State Legislature and the University of Maine System to conduct studies on Maine education policy and the public education system for the Maine Legislature. CEPARE’s mission is to provide independent, nonpartisan research to inform education policy and practice, and to systematically identify, analyze, and continually evaluate education strategies that significantly improve education outcomes for students in the context of fiscal realities.