"The challenges facing our nation's schools are daunting. Yet I believe research universities can (and should) play a central role in improving K–12 education. With a top-rated school of education and scholars throughout the university eager to collaborate, Stanford is well equipped to lead the way. We are committed to developing innovative, effective approaches to practice and policy, and to preparing education leaders who will advance meaningful reform."

John L. Hennessy
Stanford University President

Among the greatest concerns in the United States today is an urgent need to reform our public education system. Failing to provide a high-quality education to all of our children squanders their potential and widens the gap between those who thrive and those who fall behind in society.

At Stanford we are working to address these challenges. Through the initiative on Improving K–12 Education, scholars from across the university are attacking the problem from multiple perspectives, partnering with practitioners and policy makers, and applying state-of-the-art research and evaluation to improve teaching and learning.

Building on the solid foundation established by the School of Education, the K–12 Initiative zeroes in on three powerful objectives:

• Investing in teacher professional development to invigorate classroom instruction
• Preparing entrepreneurial K–12 leaders who will champion instructional and organizational reform
• Providing rigorous, scientific research to inform and advance effective education policy

By bringing the best and brightest minds to the table in this concerted initiative, Stanford can experiment with new approaches. We can develop evidence-based models and cast our findings widely to help transform the landscape of public education in our country. And we can demonstrate the vital role research universities can play in the process, inspiring others to join us in making a profound difference in K–12 education.

Discover more about the campaign in action within the K–12 Education section of the Stanford StoryBank.

Stanford on iTunes U offers a wide range of Stanford Challenge–related digital audio, including programs about Improving K–12 Education. Requires iTunes. More >>