MISSION

The vision of the Madison Education Partnership (MEP) is to improve experiences and outcomes for all MMSD students and reduce gaps in opportunity and achievement.

Ongoing Research Topics

Early Education

• Full-day 4K Evaluation: MEP worked with MMSD to measure 4K students’ skills at the start and end of the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years in both full-day and half-day 4K classes. In 2022-23 we extended this work to 5K. We also looked at the distribution of culturally responsive and inclusive pedagogical practices in 4K classrooms. MEP and MMSD are working together now to take these findings and use them to influence the full-day 4K program in 2023-24.

Postsecondary Enrollment and Success

• MEP is partnering with MMSD’s Research, Assessment & Improvement (RAI) team (1) to understand how the odds of a student completing a postsecondary education shift as they progress in their K-12 education and (2) to identify school-based programs and practices in the district that significantly change the odds a student will enroll in college and complete a degree.

Mental Health

• In a mixed-methods study using data from 12 middle schools currently engaging in the REST program in MMSD, MEP is seeking to help improve screening, referral, and access to mental health services in Madison schools. This work is done in collaboration with the MMSD Student & Staff Support team.