Welcome

Functional Phonics, our new supplemental phonics curriculum aligned with the science of reading, is available NOW to Districts and Teachers! Click here to learn more

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.

Learn more about CAREI.

Commitment to Equity

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

Deep Dive into MTSS Essentials

To implement an effective Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework, it is critical that school leaders  have a strong conceptual understanding of MTSS. Effective MTSS frameworks are composed of 5 core  components: Infrastructure and Support, Multilevel Instruction, Assessment, Data-Based Decision-Making, and Fidelity and  Evaluation.

MTSS Process Guide Technical Assistance

The goal of a multi-tiered system of support process guide is to support consistent data-based decision-making and practices of the MTSS framework. Do you need help developing an MTSS process guide to promote consistent practice? Or, would you like to improve your current process guide? Join us for a 6-session (2 hours per session) professional series focused on step-by-step guidance in developing a process guide. Learn about the latest evidence-based practices and practical tools to support data-based decision-making. Teams will participate via Zoom.

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.

Learn more and join today!

News and Announcements

Mental health is a top concern for educators and students, state-wide U of M survey reveals

Minnesotan’s agree that addressing student and educator mental health is a top concern, according to a University of Minnesota analysis of the Minnesota Safe Learning Survey (SLS) that was distributed in the winter, spring and fall of 2021. There were more than 53,000 respondents to the three surveys from across Minnesota, and their concerns were clear.

CAREI awarded $3.2 million award from the American Institutes for Research (AIR)

CAREI was awarded  a $3.2 million award from the American Institutes for Research (AIR) to participate in a Random Control study as a provider of professional development and technical assistance  to implement a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) designed to improve reading achievement for students in Grades 1 and 2.  CAREI will work with 50 schools around the country to:

CAREI to co-lead new $6 million federal grant

A new partnership between the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI), the Wisconsin Center for Education Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the Wisconsin-based nonprofit Education Analytics has won a five-year, $6.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The project’s goal is to improve the academic achievement of elementary and secondary school students in the two-state region by advancing the use of evidence-based practices.