College of Education and Human Development

Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement

Improving Outcomes for All Learners

Welcome

CAREI is a research center that serves as the link between research and practice in Minnesota schools, PreK-16, and other agencies interested in applied educational research. We are experts in research, evaluation, literacy, and assessment with a wealth of diverse and interrelated experience.

Our vision is to become the premier hub for making research accessible and actionable to ensure equitable outcomes.

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

We are committed to tackling injustices and embracing diversity by continuously engaging with principles of equity, antiracism, cultural responsiveness, and intersectionality. We seek to learn about, live out, and promote these principles in our work with educational programs and systems as applied researchers, evaluators, trainers, and coaches.

Services Offered

We are working to close the gap between research and practice in Minnesota schools. Each project is tailored to the specific needs of each client and the program, context, or policy involved. We listen to and work with our clients and partners to understand their experiences and offer these services:

Professional Learning Opportunities

CAREIALL: Advancing Language and Literacy

CAREIALL (Advancing Language and Literacy) is a virtual, comprehensive professional development course created by our team of internal and external literacy experts, and designed to support educators in operationalizing the science of reading in their classrooms. 

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Self-paced Problem Solving Team Training

Build your school problem-solving team’s capacity to evaluate intervention effectiveness using a systematic approach.

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News and Announcements

CAREI awarded grant to examine School Mental Health systems in Minnesota

A recent CAREI proposal, led by Annie Goerdt (PI) and Mengchen Su (Co-PI), was approved as written by the Sauer Family Foundation. CAREI has been awarded this grant to examine School Mental Health systems in Minnesota. The project will start on January 1, 2024, with a completion date of December 31, 2026.

Elevating student learning beyond the basics

Educational leaders across the country are catching on to the idea that traditional grading practices and standardized tests do not adequately capture the scope of what young people know and can do. With funding from The Civic Affairs Trust, researchers at the University of Minnesota have developed two resources to rethink and improve the evaluation of student learning in schools.

CAREI, JAB Foundation release report of Minnesota schools' reading curricula

This report—generously funded by the JAB Foundation—is the first to explore and analyze the current reading programs, assessments, and interventions used in Minnesota Public School Districts and Charter Schools. This serves as a first step toward effectively addressing and resolving the critical disparities in reading outcomes in the state, especially given the enactment of the Minnesota Read Act, a significant investment in literacy which took effect on July 1, 2023.

Join the District Assembly

One membership. Resources for your whole district.

The CAREI District Assembly brings together university researchers and school practitioners from around the country on a regular basis. For over 20 years, the Assembly has linked University research to educational practice for K-12 teachers and school leaders. Together, faculty, researchers, and school leaders share research findings, discuss current issues, and identify solutions.