Skip to main content
William & Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation

Research Projects

We conduct foundational research in search of effective classroom practices and solutions to challenges that hinder learning. By identifying evidence-based programs that work for educators and students, the Friday Institute helps schools and systems scale innovative approaches to teaching and learning.

55 Active Contracts & Grants

2022

$14.9M
Contracts & Grants

2022

Featured Research Projects

When Summer Learning Succeeds: Context, Conditions, and Strategies that Maximize Impact

The Friday Institute’s Program Evaluation and Education Research Group, in partnership with the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) at Duke University, are conducting a qualitative research study of summer programs designed to mitigate the impacts of COVID on at-risk students.

Read more 
A woman and man wear cloth masks on a television set. The man is holding up a clapperboard.

Literacy Teachers Address Broadband Gap Through Broadcast Pedagogy

A recent research study published by Friday Institute staff highlights how literacy classroom instructional approaches can be adapted for television through the concept of broadcast pedagogy.

Read more 

Developing STEM Identity in Rural Audiences through Community-Based Engineering Design (DeSIRE)

DeSIRE is a partnership between the College of Engineering and the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at North Carolina State University (NCSU), the NC Mathematics and Science Education Network Pre-College Program (MSEN), the Edgecombe County Public Schools (ECPS) district, and local advanced manufacturing industry.

Read more 
Indigo graphic with a collage of images of people working in a classroom interspersed with icons including a lightbulb, magnifying glass and a wrench. Includes the text "Free personalized professional learning to support teachers and instructional coaches in developing expertise in teaching statistics and data science in grades 6-12. instepwithdata.org

InSTEP: Invigorating Statistics Teacher Education Through Professional Online Learning

InSTEP is an innovative personalized online learning platform that allows teachers to develop their expertise in teaching statistics and data science.

Read more 

NCDPI Innovative Assessment System Pilot Program

Researchers from the Friday Institute are supporting the development of a through-grade assessment system the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction is piloting, the North Carolina Personalized Assessment Tool (NCPAT).

Read more 
A group of young children stand in front of a silver bowl with steam coming out of it. One child stirs the steam with a spoon while wearing goggles while an adult pours liquid into the bowl.

Families and Museums Exploring (FAME)

By partnering with local museums, Gail Jones is engaging families in STEM activities and encouraging students’ interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Read more 

Catalyst Grants

The purpose of the Catalyst Grant program is to increase research collaborations among faculty and staff in the College of Education departments and those located at the Friday Institute. A primary objective of this program is to “seed” collaborative research that will lead to further research and support from external granting agencies.

Grants Awarded
Educators in Flood gallery lobby of Friday Institute

featured Resources

Meeting the Moment: Strategic Recommendations for Literacy & Equity in North Carolina

This policy brief extends the work of the 2022 NC PreK-12 Literacy & Equity Summit. It draws from a statewide educator questionnaire and focus group data to put forward six recommendations to strengthen North Carolina’s Literacy Learning Ecosystem.

Read more 

Insight into Contemporary Professional Growth Needs for North Carolina Educators

Researchers from the FI conducted the Insight into Contemporary Professional Growth Needs for North Carolina Educators, an exploratory qualitative study, to better understand the classroom-, school- and district-level challenges North Carolina educators were facing one year into the pandemic.

Read more 

The Opportunity to Dream: How an Early Learning Network Implemented the Laboratory Design Process

This case study examines in-depth the participating districts in Cohort 3 of the 2021 Early Learning Network (ELN), an inter-district network focused on redesigning learning environments to better address the early learning needs of vulnerable children. Over the course of the 2021 calendar year, The Innovation Project (TIP) and The Friday Institute developed and implemented this network and provided individual coaching for district leaders.

Read more 

Latest Research News

Catalyst Grants Support Educators to Improve Instruction, Access and Advocacy

Since 2018, the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation and NC State’s College of Education have provided funding for more than 20 research projects through Catalyst Grants to support collaborative research projects… 

New Research Highlights Best Instructional Practices for Online Teacher Professional Development When Working with Multilingual Learners

A recent research study published by the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation’s New Literacies Collaborative, comprised of Research Scholar Sarah Bausell, New Literacies Collaborative Director Marie Himes and Executive Director… 

2023-2024 Catalyst Grant Winners Announced

The Friday Institute and the NC State College of Education have awarded three Catalyst Grants that are designed to increase research collaborations between faculty and staff at both entities and seed collaborative, high-impact research that will lead to further inquiry and support.