December 3, 2007 – The Utah Education Policy Center (UEPC) has joined with 32 other leading university education research centers from 23 different states to form the Education Policy Alliance. The EPA website is highlighted by a free internet search engine, now available to those looking for instant access to high-quality educational policy research.

“EPA places research from some of the country’s most expert sources into the hands of journalists, policymakers, researchers and concerned citizens,” said Kevin Welner, a professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder and one of the co-founders of EPA. “It’s a straightforward but extraordinarily useful resource” added Professor Alex Molnar of Arizona State University, the other co-founder.

David Plank, Executive Director of Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) explains, “Policy centers like ours joined EPA because we are committed to making scholarly research accessible to a broader policy audience and increasing its impact in educational policy debates.” The UEPC, which is a research and evidence-based policy center, was created to identify relevant issues related to educational access and equity both in public and higher education and to engage in timely and rigorous research, evaluations and analysis to inform and influence educational policy in Utah and the region. Andrea Rorrer, the UEPC Director, “recognizes the importance of affiliating and collaborating with other evidence-based centers across the country to improve educational policies locally and nationally.”

The Education Policy Alliance was developed by the Education and the Public Interest Center (EPIC) and the Education Policy Research Unit (EPRU) and the Commercialism in Education Research Unit (CERU) at Arizona State University to further democratic deliberation regarding educational policies. Fellows of EPRU and EPIC produce educational policy expertise, analysis and insight through Policy Briefs and Think Tank Reviews.

Similarly, the goal of the UEPC is to bridge research, policy, and practice. “We want to provide research-based evidence for educators and policy makers, to be a resource for education requests from the community, and to bridge relationships with other institutions here in Utah and across the country,” says Rorrer.