MERC

MERC is a consortium of Virginia Commonwealth University and eight Richmond area public school systems dedicated to improving education through conducting and disseminating action and applied research and evaluation. By connecting the professional expertise and practical wisdom of school leaders with the research interests of university faculty, the research agenda is set so that results are useful in local decision-making and program development.

Simply put, MERC's primary mission is to conduct research practitioners think is relevant, and transfer it into schools and classrooms. MERC also provides technical resources for conducting evaluations.

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Formative Assessment Practices with Benchmark Testing:  Phase 2 by Jim McMillan, Lisa Abrams, and Divya Varier

Encouraging Self-Regulated Learning in the Classroom: A Review of the Literature by Sharon Zunbrunn, Joseph Tadlock, and Elizabeth Danielle Roberts.

Percentile Growth Modeling: A Policy Response to Educational Accountability by Martin Reardon

Teacher Evaluation: Artifacts that Document How the Work of the Teacher Results in Student Academic Progress by Heather Bumgarner and Kristina Anthony

The Perfect Storm: How Policy, Research, and Assessment Will Transform Public Education. by James McMillan

Teachers’ Voices About the Effectiveness of Benchmark Testing. By Lisa Abrams, James McMillan and Angie Wetzel

Successful Strategies to Promote Retention and Graduation. By Donna Dockery and Risha Berry.

Evaluating Programs and Personnel Preparation Needs for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. By Maureen Conroy, Ph.D. & Carol Schall, Ph.D.

Benchmark Assessments: Promises and Perils (Are we wasting our resources?). By James H. McMillan
Guidelines and Resources for VCU-Public School Research
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