Located at Missouri State University (MSU), the Institute for School Improvement (ISI) is a research arm of the College of Education. Dr. Dennis Kear serves as head of the Institute. The director and ISI staff, including faculty associates and graduate assistants, work collaboratively with school and community partners to design, implement, and evaluate projects that link theory and research to practice. Among its goal, ISI strives to:
- Improve student learning and educational practices
- Contribute to the development of sound educational policy.
- Create and field test evidence-based practices for teaching and school leadership.
- Generate new knowledge and improvements in theory.
- Facilitate dialogue and mutual beneficial relationships among educators and researchers.
- Initiate and respond to requests for project proposals.
- Support the continuing professional development of teachers, administrators, and other educational personnel.
- Develop, use, and promote trustworthy methods for conducting educational research and evaluation.
- Assure protection of human subjects through highly ethical and clearly defined methodologies for inquiry.
- Enhance dissemination of research findings and evaluation results to practitioners, policymakers and other researchers.