The mission of the Center for Urban Education at Cleveland State University is to promote academic success, wellness, and equity in P-20 urban education in Northeast Ohio and beyond through research, evaluation, and technical assistance. The Center is a founding member of the Cleveland Alliance for Education Research (CAER), a research-practice partnership with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and the American Institutes for Research supported by funding from the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences and the Hewlett Foundation. Center announcements can be found below, and additional information about the Center can be found on the left sidebar menu. 

Center Awarded Education Innovation Research Grant

The Center, as part of a collaborative with the American Institutes for Research (AIR) and the Educational Service Centers of Central and Northeast Ohio, was awarded a $2.7 million Education Innovation Research grant from the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education to develop and research a youth participatory action research (YPAR) intervention that can be used in secondary schools. YPAR engages young people in original research that generates evidence to inform change in their schools and communities. This study builds upon two intiatives that the Center has helped launch and sustain: the First-Ring Student Leadership Institute and the Student Leadership Research Collaborative, both of which engage teams of students from over 30 high schools in year-long YPAR projects. The study is being led by Center Director Adam Voight and Molly Buckley-Marudas of CSU and Sarah Peko-Spicer of AIR. 
 

Center Releases School Climate Improvement Guidance

In collaboration with the Ohio Department of Education (ODE), the Center has created a list of ten strategies that Ohio K-12 schools can use to promote a positive school climate, particularly during the return to in-person schooling from the COVID-19 pandemic. The strategies derive from research on effective schooling during crises and transitions and practices that support equity and racial justice in schools. They include: (1) state a school vision and mission that includes values of community and inclusion; (2) use data to provide support for students, teachers, and families; (3) integrate multi-tiered systems of support; (4) establish positive relationships amongst school staff and students; (5) promote social and emotional learning; (6) foster a positive school racial climate; (7) engage students in social action to address problems; (8) address experiences and emotions tied to the pandemic and to equity and inclusion; (9) incorporate trauma-informed practices and staff professional development; and (10) provide behavioral health support and interventions.
 

Center Awarded Research Grant from Institute of Education Science

The Center, as part of the Cleveland Alliance for Education Research (CAER), was awarded a $1.4 million research grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences to develop and study a youth participatory action research (YPAR) program in Cleveland Metropolitan School District high schools. YPAR engages young people in original research that generates evidence to inform change in their schools and communities. A team of CAER researchers, CMSD teachers, and CMSD students are collaboratively designing a school-based YPAR program and studying its impact on participating students and schools. The study is being led by Center Director Adam Voight and Molly Buckley-Marudas of Cleveland State University, Sarah Peko-Spicer of the American Institutes for Research, and Nick D'Amico of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.