Who We Are
NCREST works with educators, policymakers, community groups and other organizations to improve schools and transform education systems. Founded in 1990 by Linda Darling-Hammond and Ann Lieberman, Director Thomas Hatch leads NCREST’s current efforts help all those engaged in education to reimagine, create, and sustain more powerful and equitable learning environments. NCREST is affiliated with the Department of Curriculum and Teaching, Teachers College, Columbia University.
What We Do
NCREST carries out research and development projects that address the fundamental changes in learning, teaching, curriculum, assessment, parent and community engagement, and administration that comprehensive school improvement demands. As part of the work, NCREST produces a wide range of publications and images of practice that can be used to fuel educational reform efforts and support professional learning. NCREST also shares news and research on educational change around the world via International Education News.
Featured Publication
“Instead of trying to add more skills and competencies into the curriculum or Spursuing gargantuan efforts to replace one curriculum with another, there’s a better approach—and that’s to condense the curriculum.”
Read more in Thomas Hatch’s recent article: “The Power of Condensing the Curriculum” in the December 2025 issue of Educational Leadership.
Featured Projects
The Latest from International Education News
What's new, what's good, and what's effective in education around the world
Back with Back to School Posts Next Week
IEN will be taking a break for one more week, but we will be back September 9th with our annual scan of news stories related to the start f the new school year in many parts of the world. In … Continue reading
Revisiting a trip to China (for IEN’s summer break)
IEN will be taking a summer hiatus for the next two weeks. We will return on September 9th with our annual series scanning the headlines of the “back to school” news from around the world. This fall, we also expect … Continue reading
Announcing “Another Education Is Possible” with Jordan Corson
This week, IEN introduces a podcast series from Jordan Corson, a former Managing Editor at IEN. This coming year, IEN will be sharing excerpts of some of the episodes from the podcast’s third season. ++++++++++++++++ In grad school, I spent … Continue reading
Roots of the Failure of School Reform to Resolve Social Problems — David Labaree on What Schools Can’t Do (Part 2)
In the concluding section of this week’s blog post, David Labaree succinctly sums up some of the key factors that explain why school reform efforts in the US often fail to achieve their ambitious goals. In part one, Labaree discussed … Continue reading
What Schools Can’t Do — David Labaree (Part 1)
In this week’s post, David Labaree explores why schools are so often asked to pursue goals — like support economic productivity, foster social mobility, and reduce inequality — that they have never been equipped to achieve. Labaree is an Emeritus … Continue reading