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Educational Policy Improvement Center
Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC) seeks to improve educational policy and practices in ways that lead to more productive education results for all students.
EPIC focuses on creating a climate of change that supports dramatically improved college readiness for more U.S. high school students.
EPIC Welcomes New Director
EPIC Welcomes New Director
EPIC is pleased to welcome Dr. Maria Potenza as the organization's Director of Implementation and Scale-Up. Potenza comes to Eugene from Washington state, where she has worked for Microsoft Corporation since 1999. Currently, she serves as the Group Product Planning Manager for the Education Product Group Division, leading a small team in driving the next generation of education products and services across developed and emerging markets.
"My work with Microsoft over the last 10 years has been an incredible experience, but my commitment is to return directly to the educational arena," she said.
Potenza holds a PhD in Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Education from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, where she also received her master's degree in Clinical Psychology. She graduated magna cum lade with a co-major in Psychology and Philosophy from Creighton University.
Potenza demonstrates a long-standing commitment to research and product development in service to teachers and students and is a recognized leader in the educational measurement and evaluation community. Potenza has published in several industry journals, presented dozens of papers at professional meetings, and is affiliated with many professional agencies including the American Marketing Research Association, the American Psychological Association, The American Educational Research Association, and the National Council on Measurement In Education. She has received many awards and honors including the Central Marketing Group MVP Award from Microsoft Corporation.
Potenza officially joins EPIC in July, and will be working on-site beginning August 1st.
The Nation’s Press and Policy-makers Focus on Education
Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC) CEO Dr. David Conley was a panelist at a press conference in Washington, D.C. on June 9 that announced the release of this year's Quality Counts report from Education Week and the Editorial Projects in Education (EPE) Research Center. This year's report, entitled Diplomas Count 2009: The Challenge of College Readiness for All Students, investigates the challenge of preparing students for college and also presents a comprehensive analysis of national graduation and dropout rates. It finds that high school graduation rates improved over the past decade, but that recent declines threaten progress. Regarding college readiness, the report concludes that this is an area of increasing activity for states, but that a great deal is yet to be done in this area, including agreeing upon a common definition of college readiness.
To download a document containing EPIC's definition of college readiness, click here.
New Plan Seeks to Bridge College Gap
Thousands of South Carolina high school graduates enter college without the basic skills needed to succeed. South Carolina educators say those students are in need of remedial help in standard courses, including English, math and science. Some recommend students take an additional math course during their senior year in high school, a move that could threaten the now popular late-arrival, early dismissal program adopted by a number of districts.What Makes A Student College Ready? AP® Course Audit launches syllabus submission for 09-10 academic year Tool to help schools incorporate college readiness Job opportunities at EPIC
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- June 22, 2009 Keynote Presentation, Postsecondary Success for ALL Students Conference, Minnesota Department of Education St. Cloud, MN