Overview

Research for EDucator Equity & Excellence (REDEE) Center

Founded in 2020, the Research for EDucator Equity & Excellence (REDEE) Collaborative is housed at Texas State University, which is home to one of the largest traditional educator preparation programs (EPP) in the US. The REDEE Collaborative’s mission is to conduct equity-focused research that (a) increases the quantity, quality, and effectiveness of new educators, (b) improves the employment environment in which the new educators work, and (c) informs state and federal education and EPP policies. To accomplish this mission, REDEE researchers are conducting quantitative and mixed-methods research studies that examine the educator preparation pipeline from admissions into an EPP through 10-years post-completion.

In early 2021, the REDEE Collaborative established an EPP-Research Partnership. The Partnership is designed to answer questions that the EPP members lack the capacity to answer themselves. REDEE researchers conduct research for and on behalf of member EPPs; this is research for EPPs, by EPPs. The 20 largest traditional and alternative EPPs in Texas are members of the Partnership.  Texas is home to many of the largest EPPs in the USA and prepares over 50% of the alternatively prepared teachers in the US (Van Overschelde & Wiggins, 2019). Collectively, the partner EPPs prepared over 18,000 new educators in 2019-20, which is 70% of the newly prepared Texas educators and equivalent to 6.5% of all new public-school teachers in the US.

Vision

The REDEE Center's vision is to collaboratively conduct research that will:
(a) inform practices that ensure the preparation of excellent educators, and
(b) inform policies that encourage the creation of effective teaching and learning environments in schools.

Mission

Texas State University is one of the largest university-based educator preparation programs (EPP) in the USA. The REDEE Center consists of Texas State faculty members from the Colleges of Applied Arts, Business Administration, Education, Fine Arts, Liberal Arts, and Science and Engineering who are collaboratively engaged in educator preparation research. The REDEE Center is developing and executing a strategic, equity-focused research agenda that informs EPP design as well as state and federal EPP and school policies. The REDEE Center will conduct research, seek grant funding to support our research, and communicate research findings to a broad audience.