The Baltimore Education Research Consortium (BERC) is a partnership between Johns Hopkins University, Morgan State University, and the Baltimore City Public School System to enhance Baltimore’s capacity to conduct strategic data analysis that supports improvements in the education of Baltimore’s children.

BERC’s mission is to conduct and disseminate long- and short-term strategic data analysis and research that informs decisions about policy and practice to improve the educational and life outcomes of children in Baltimore. BERC assembles a diverse coalition of partners to formulate questions worth asking, contribute to conversations worth having, and highlight policy implications worthy of action.

Through conducting high-quality and policy-relevant research and analysis, the Baltimore Education Research Consortium brings the efforts and expertise of a broad consortium of partners to bear on questions of critical importance to the welfare of Baltimore’s children. While working collaboratively with the Baltimore City Public Schools and other city or state agencies, BERC maintains an independent voice and is a highly valued contributor to the efforts and public conversation surrounding the education of children in Baltimore’s public schools.

BERC’s research findings identify promising practices and shed light on areas needing improvement, allowing school system leaders, parents, and the larger community to capitalize on successes or design practical responses to the challenges highlighted. The consortium’s work provides the credible and high-quality research implications needed for community members to advocate for resources and derive the greatest benefit from promising practices or levers for positive change. Seeking to be a national leader in the broader field of urban educational research, BERC applies cutting-edge methods and extremely rich data to questions of practical and policy importance.