National Center for Restructuring Education, Schools and Teaching (NCREST)

The National Center for Restructuring Education, Schools and Teaching, or NCREST, is a research and development organization at Teachers College, Columbia University that was founded in 1990 by Linda Darling-Hammond and Ann Lieberman. The Center carries out its mission of advancing the understanding of education stakeholders on the “intense, complex, and difficult work of restructuring schools” through conducting research and establishing reform networks to share new research findings with practitioners, researchers, reformers, as well as parents and community members.

Since its founding, NCREST has carried out research in the vital areas of school reform including new-school creation; multi-cultural education; the minority achievement gap; systemic reform; state and local policy; restructuring of elementary, middle, and high schools; and many more.

NCREST teamed up with school systems, school networks, districts, and nonprofit organizations in developing standards and assessments; technology integration; professional development and pedagogy for diversity and equity; and interventions for students at risk. Moreover, NCREST has organized several national conferences on topics like school restructuring, accountability, and policy alternatives to name a few.

NCREST has accomplished a diversity of projects mostly focused on addressing the changes needed in successful restructuring. It also acted as the strategic partner of The Institute for Student Achievement Project (ISA) in the execution and documentation of the ISA small schools and small learning communities by preparing students at risk to be college-ready. NCREST advised on the development of the model, worked with ISA leadership in providing support to ISA coaches, and developed student survey and assessments in writing and math.

Another completed project is The National Middle College High School Consortium Early College Initiative (NMCHSC) where NCREST acted as the research partner of the consortium in its mission to support small schools in the implementation of six design principles as the foundation for high quality education directed to postsecondary success. Recent projects of NCREST include Cleveland Schools Excellence Project, Urban Advantage Documentation Project, Say Yes to Education Program in New York City, and the creation of the National Academy for Excellent Teaching.