During the past 25 years, the Center for School Improvement and Policy Studies in the College of Education has built partnerships that support K-12 educators and students throughout Idaho. Following the recent retirement of Director Bill Parrett, the center has been renamed to reflect its core mission and initiatives from the College of Education.
The Center for School and Community Partnerships, now led by Director Lindsey Turner and Associate Director Abbey Erquiaga, is home to dozens of sponsored projects totaling more than $7 million this year. The center’s portfolio includes projects that provide professional development and technical assistance to educators in the areas of science and math instruction, as well as services to support students with disabilities and building capacity for school leadership. Additionally, its research projects explore approaches to mathematics instruction and the scaling of positive behavior supports to help schools establish safe environments for students and educators, along with other educational topics.
Under new leadership, the center will become home to the college’s Initiative for Healthy Schools, an effort started by Turner in 2014 that houses multiple research projects devoted to student wellness. Some of the initiative’s projects explore the impact of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, the role of advocates in helping to facilitate school wellness, and ways to help schools adopt comprehensive strategies to support students’ physical and mental health.
The Program Evaluation and Research Lab (PEARL), housed in the College of Education and led by Associate Professor Carl Siebert, also will be affiliated with the expanded center. The lab provides consultation and evaluation services to faculty across campus, as well as external stakeholders.
“Helping our community collaborators to evaluate the impact of their work has always been a priority for the College of Education,” Turner said. “We can help partners increase their capacity and effectiveness through the selection and use of effective programs, aligning with Boise State’s mission of services to the broader community.”