An Introduction to NCRERN

The National Center for Rural Education Research Networks (NCRERN) is a research-practice partnership established to support rural school districts in using evidence-based strategies to improve student outcomes. Launched in 2019 by the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University with funding from the Institute of Education Sciences, NCRERN collaborates with networks of rural districts—initially across New York and Ohio—to pilot, test, and evaluate interventions focused on attendance, postsecondary readiness, and postsecondary entry. The initiative uses the Proving Ground continuous improvement process, which helps districts identify challenges, design and implement targeted interventions, and conduct rapid-cycle evaluations to determine effectiveness and guide next steps. NCRERN also conducts overall impact evaluations, replication studies in other rural settings, and supplemental research to expand the national evidence base on rural education improvement.