The Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University is a national policy-research and reform support organization that promotes quality education for all children, especially in urban communities.

MISSION AND CORE PRINCIPLES
The Annenberg Institute’s mission is “to develop, share, and act on knowledge that improves the conditions and outcomes of schooling in America, especially in urban communities and in schools serving disadvantaged children.” The Institute’s values are embodied in four Core Principles that emphasize results, equity, community, and learning.

FOCUS
Our current focus is on developing and promoting the concept of “smart education systems”; that is, systems that coordinate educational supports and services wherever they occur – at school, at home, and in the community – in order to provide all children with equitable opportunities and high-quality learning experiences.

ORGANIZATION
In pursuing our mission, we collaborate with a variety of partners and funders committed to educational improvement – school districts, community groups, researchers, national and local school reform organizations, and funders. Our work is organized in four areas related to supporting the development of smart education systems.

• Building Capacity in School Districts
• Building Capacity in Communities
• Research and Knowledge Product Development
• Learning Opportunities and Communications
  
  

HISTORY AND Governance
The Annenberg Institute for School Reform was established at Brown University in 1993 with major support from the Annenberg Foundation. Its first director was Dr. Theodore R. Sizer, founder and chairman of the (then) Brown-based Coalition of Essential Schools. The current executive director, Dr. Warren Simmons, was appointed in 1998. In 2006, the Institute assimilated the Community Involvement Program, formerly part of the Steinhardt School of Education at New York University. Some thirty professional and administrative staff work in our main office in Providence, and another fifteen in our office in New York City.
More history.

The Institute is governed by a Board of Overseers, chaired by the President of Brown University.