About the Institute
The Institute for Educational Initiatives was established in 1996 to advance the University of Notre Dame’s long-standing commitment to the future of schools.
The Institute's Mission
The Institute for Educational Initiatives strives to improve the education of all children, particularly the underserved, with an emphasis on Catholic schools. Animated by the Gospel call, the Institute’s formation of teachers and school leaders, translational research, and undergraduate and graduate programs advance Notre Dame’s commitment to increase educational opportunities that serve children locally, nationally, and globally.
The Institute's Vision
Inspired by Catholic social teaching, which elevates the God-given dignity of all people and promotes the common good, the Institute will be a global leader in forming exceptional educators and generating useful research to foster excellent schools and systems. The Institute will increase educational opportunities that nurture human flourishing for all children and lead to a more just world.
Our History
Institute for Educational Initiatives
Founded in 1996 under the direction of Prof. Maureen Hallinan, the Institute for Educational Initiatives has grown dramatically in its history. It now provides an intellectual home at Notre Dame for more than 80 Faculty Fellows from a range of academic disciplines who are united by a shared interest in K-12 education. The Institute’s pursuits are fundamentally interdisciplinary, bringing together faculty from many disciplines to study complex questions about education.
This interdisciplinary reach also encourages an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit, which is vital to adequately address the varied and complex challenges facing our schools. Through leadership, research, and innovative practice, Institute Fellows and affiliates strive to improve the education of all young people, particularly the disadvantaged, with a special — though not exclusive — call to sustain, strengthen, and transform elementary and secondary Catholic schools.
The Growth of ACE
ACE, which is housed in the Institute, has grown to include additional formation programs for teachers and school leaders and also offers a range of professional services and outreach initiatives. These seek to strengthen and sustain Catholic schools through research and assessment, as well as educational improvement, innovation, and access.
The Center for Research on Educational Opportunity
The Center for Research on Educational Opportunity was established in 1999 as a center of excellence for the study of educational inequality, the organization of schools, and the effects of school sector on student outcomes. Mark Berends, a distinguished sociologist and author who directs the National Center on School Choice, joined the Institute in 2009 to direct CREO. The founding director was Maureen T. Hallinan.
The Education, Schooling, and Society Minor
The Education, Schooling, and Society interdisciplinary minor was established in 2002 by Stuart Greene, associate professor of English, and Julie Turner, associate professor of psychology. Undergraduates in this minor (one of the University's most popular) learn perspectives on education drawn from a number of fields, including anthropology and history.
The Center for STEM Education
The Center for STEM Education was established in 2013 by Matt Kloser to make a lasting impact in STEM education through its research and the translation of evidence-based findings into programs that have broader impacts on student interest in, identify with and learning of the STEM disciplines.
The Notre Dame Program for Interdisciplinary Educational Research
The Notre Dame Program for Interdisciplinary Educational Research was launched in 2016. This interdisciplinary pre-doctoral training program, the Rev. James A. Burns Fellowship, that prepares students in state-of-the-art quantitative methods to rigorously examine the impact of educational practices, programs and policies.
The Center for Literacy Education
The Center for Literacy Education was established in 2017 by Ernest Morrell with the generous support of a Notre Dame family from Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. The Center's goal is to transform literacy scholarship and practice in today's urban and multicultural urban schools.
Fostering Resilience Initiative
The Fostering Resilience Institute joined the Institute in 2018 and is led by Neil Boothby. The interdisciplinary team works to ensure positive outcomes for children and youth facing adversity.
Program Research and Evaluation
Designing comprehensive studies that explore the success and impacts of educational programs.
Berends named Institute Director
Mark Berends, a professor of sociology, the director of the Center for Research on Educational Opportunity (CREO), and an associate vice president for research, was appointed director of the University’s Institute for Educational Initiatives.
Trinter named Acting Institute Director
Chrissy Trinter, director of the ACE Ascent Program and associate professor of the practice for the Alliance for Catholic Education and the Institute for Educational Initiatives was appointed acting director of the Institute for Educational Initiatives.
Teacher Preparation and Licensing: Annual Reports
Title II Section 207 of the Higher Education Act (HEA) requires states, as recipients of HEA funds, and all institutions with teacher preparation programs that enroll students receiving federal financial assistance, to prepare annual reports on teacher preparation and licensing. Please click the following links for the University of Notre Dame's reports.
The Title II reports provide a yearly summary pass rate for all program completers in the Teaching Fellows program who have been reported by the University to the state and federal government. This institutional information is provided alongside the data collected by the state for all of its Educator Preparation Programs (EPP) for purposes of comparison.
Additionally, pass rates for single content and pedagogy tests, which are a requirement for licensure in Indiana, are included. Because of the size of the Teaching Fellows program, many of the single tests have a number of participants (n) that is less than 10. To protect the confidentiality of these test takers, additional data are not available.
The reports included below are provided by the Educating Testing Service and based on data input from the Office of Professional Standards and Accreditation at the University of Notre Dame.
IC 20-28-11.5-9 requires the Indiana Department of Education to provide educator preparation programs (EPPs) with an annual report detailing the most recent 1388 matrix data. This report provides a variety of testing data, principal and teacher survey responses, staff performance evaluation totals, as well as the additional items required of Senate Enrolled Act 562 (SEA 562). Because these reports are specific to active teachers in Indiana, Notre Dame's numbers are often below the reporting threshold (<10).
The Institute for Educational Initiatives at the University of Notre Dame is hosting an accreditation visit by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) on September 8-10, 2025. Interested parties are invited to submit third-party comments to the evaluation team. Please note that comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of professional education programs offered, ACE Teaching Fellows and the Remick Leadership Program, and should specify the party's relationship to the provider (i.e., graduate, present or former faculty member, employer of graduates).
We invite you to submit written testimony to:
CAEP 1140
19th Street NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036
Or by email to: callforcomments@caepnet.org
Such comments must be within the specified period and based on the core tenets of CAEP accreditation standards of excellence, which recognize that:
• In CAEP's performance-based system, accreditation is based on evidence that demonstrates that teacher candidates know the subject matter and can teach it effectively so that students learn. In the CAEP system, EPPs must prove that candidates can connect theory to practice and be effective in an actual P-12 classroom.
• A professional education provider that is accredited by CAEP is expected to be involved in ongoing planning and evaluation; engaged in continuous assessment and development; ensure that faculty and programs reflect new knowledge, practice, and technologies; and be involved in continuous development in response to the evolving world of education and educational reform.
• Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of professional education programs offered, and should specify the respondent's relationship, if any, to the institution (i.e., graduate, present or former faculty member, employer of graduates). Copies of all correspondence received will be sent to the university for comment prior to the review.