Rennie Center For Education Research & Policy, Inc.

What Rennie Center For Education Research & Policy, Inc. does

The Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy is an independent, non-partisan nonprofit research and policy organization headquartered at 45 Temple Place, 3rd Floor, Boston, Massachusetts. Its stated mission is to improve public education through evidence-informed decision-making, and it operates as Massachusetts' preeminent voice in public education reform, building connections among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. The organization serves K-12 educators and administrators, early childhood professionals, school districts (particularly around mental health systems), and state and local policymakers.

The Rennie Center's portfolio spans research publications, professional development programs, and direct district partnerships. Core research output includes the annual Condition of Education report and associated Data Dashboard, Project Insight Briefs, and topical guidebooks (e.g., the June 2026 higher education student support guidebook, the Empowering Students Transforming Schools report with Boston Public Schools). Professional development is delivered through two 10-month fellowship programs: the Massachusetts Education Policy Fellowship (MEPF, with 300+ alumni over 13+ years, priced at $3,200 per fellow plus approximately $1,200 in travel) and the Fellowship for Impact in Early Childhood Policy (FFI, in its second year, offering a $1,500 stipend to participants). Embedded practice work is delivered through Thriving Minds, a school mental health initiative co-developed with the bryt program of the Brookline Center for Community Mental Health and the Massachusetts School Mental Health Consortium (engaging 250+ districts and 1,000+ practitioners since 2021), and through Rennie R&D Labs and Learning Cohorts.

The revenue model combines fellowship program fees (typically employer-sponsored), philanthropic donations, and likely foundation/grant funding consistent with a nonprofit research organization. Go-to-market is relationship-driven and event-anchored (Opening Leadership Retreats, Massachusetts State House Day, Federal Policy Retreats in Washington, D.C., policy briefings), supported by content marketing through the blog, research publications, and email newsletter. Geographic scope is primarily Massachusetts and the broader New England region, with no global footprint claimed. The technology surface is light: a Data Dashboard for school performance indicators, a Curriculum Ratings by Teachers platform, and standard CRM/web publishing infrastructure, with no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or enterprise integrations.

Name

Rennie Center For Education Research & Policy, Inc.

Legal name

Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy

Website

https://renniecenter.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Rennie Center is an independent, nonprofit education research and policy organization based in Boston, Massachusetts. It conducts research, runs fellowship programs and district partnerships, and publishes reports to improve public education across New England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Research and Policy

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Research, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Partnerships (EDADALAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH)

Keywords

• Education research
• Education policy
• Professional development fellowships
• School mental health
• Curriculum development

Headquarters

HQ city

East Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Fellowship Program Fees: The Massachusetts Education Policy Fellowship charges a program fee of $3,200 per participant, with additional travel costs of approximately $1,200. Employer sponsorship is typical.
2. Fellowship Stipends: The Fellowship for Impact in Early Childhood Policy provides a $1,500 stipend to participating fellows who meet program requirements, with travel covered for the Federal Policy Retreat.
3. Donations and Support: The organization accepts donations and has a supporter program to fund its independent research and policy work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Rennie Center conducts independent, non-partisan education research and partners with schools, districts, and policymakers to design, implement, and inform public education reform in Massachusetts. It delivers this through annual research reports and a data dashboard, multi-month fellowship programs for education leaders, and collaborative initiatives like Thriving Minds that support school mental health systems.

Product overview

The Rennie Center operates as a policy research organization offering a portfolio of programs, publications, and professional development services focused on improving public education in Massachusetts. The portfolio includes two fellowship programs (MEPF and FFI) providing leadership development for education professionals; research publications including the annual Condition of Education report and specialized guidebooks; and initiatives like Thriving Minds for school mental health support and R&D Labs for experimental learning approaches. These offerings work together to connect research, policy, and practice in service of education reform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Thriving Minds: A collaborative initiative between the Rennie Center, the bryt program of the Brookline Center for Community Mental Health, and the Massachusetts School Mental Health Consortium, focused on strengthening school mental health systems in schools across New England.
• Massachusetts Education Policy Fellowship
• Fellowship for Impact in Early Childhood Policy

Products and services

• Massachusetts Education Policy Fellowship (MEPF) A 10-month professional development fellowship for mid-career education professionals exploring state and national policymaking, the historical roots of the education system, and leadership skills development. Participants pay a $3,200 program fee plus approximately $1,200 in travel costs, typically sponsored by their employers. Fee waivers are available for classroom teachers.
• Fellowship for Impact in Early Childhood Policy (FFI) A 10-month fellowship for professionals across the early childhood ecosystem (mental health, pediatrics, family support, child care, home visiting) exploring how policy shapes the sector and developing cross-sector policy proposals. Fellows who meet program requirements receive a $1,500 stipend, with travel covered for the Federal Policy Retreat.
• Thriving Minds A school mental health initiative supporting districts in strengthening mental health through strategic planning, implementation, and professional learning. Works collaboratively with the bryt program of the Brookline Center for Community Mental Health and the Massachusetts School Mental Health Consortium.
• Condition of Education Report and Data Dashboard An annual research publication paired with a data dashboard examining the state of education in Massachusetts each year through a set of school performance indicators, identifying areas for improvement and providing recommendations for reform.
• Curriculum Ratings by Teachers A platform helping educators review and rate curricular materials to inform adoption decisions.
• Rennie R&D Labs and Learning Cohorts A research and development initiative embedding experimental learning approaches in schools through collaborative learning cohorts that bring together schools to focus on well-established and promising approaches to solving persistent problems in education.
• Advancing Integrated Student Support Systems in Higher Education A guidebook for policymakers exploring how policy can help higher education institutions connect students with integrated support services to improve completion rates.
• Empowering Students, Transforming Schools A research report produced in partnership with Boston Public Schools showcasing the impact of Social, Emotional, and Academic Development (SEAD) coaching at five diverse schools, offering a roadmap for transformative SEL implementation.
• Project Insight Brief #1: How Interest-Driven Learning Drives Student Engagement A research brief exploring how interest-driven, real-world learning experiences strengthen student engagement through Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR), drawing on lessons from the Student Changemakers program.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ fellows supported over 13 years through policy fellowship program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• bryt program of the Brookline Center for Community Mental HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBryt is a core partner in the Thriving Minds initiative, which links three organizations to strengthen school mental health systems. Bryt brings expertise in school-based mental health programming and supports districts in implementing comprehensive mental health approaches.
• Massachusetts School Mental Health ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Massachusetts School Mental Health Consortium is a core partner in the Thriving Minds initiative, working alongside the Rennie Center and bryt program to bring mental health expertise and resources to schools across New England.
• Boston Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to produce the SEAD (Social, Emotional, and Academic Development) Coaching report, showcasing how transformative SEL is being embedded into teaching and learning across Boston classrooms.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Education Trust: National nonprofit advancing educational equity through research, advocacy, and policy. Comparable in combining independent research with equity-focused policy advocacy targeting underserved students.
• Child Trends: Nonprofit research organization focused on improving the lives of children and youth through rigorous research. Comparable mission and audience, especially given Rennie's early childhood policy fellowship work.
• EdReports: Independent nonprofit that reviews and rates K-12 curricular materials to inform adoption decisions. Directly comparable to Rennie's Curriculum Ratings by Teachers service, with similar educator-driven evaluation approach.
• Bellwether Education Partners: National education policy and consulting nonprofit advising policymakers, districts, and foundations. Directly comparable to Rennie Center in providing research-driven strategic advice to education leaders, though operating at much larger national scale.
• MassINC (Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center): Massachusetts-based independent nonpartisan policy research organization producing research on state policy issues. Closely comparable geographic and operational overlap with Rennie Center's MA-focused independent research model.

Broad incumbents

• WestEd: Large nonprofit education research and development organization serving K-12 and higher education. Comparable in providing research, evaluation, and professional learning to schools and districts, but at substantially larger national scale.
• RAND Corporation: Major research institution conducting social science R&D including education policy. Comparable in producing independent research and policy analysis, though operating globally with vastly larger resources.
• Abt Associates: Global research and evaluation firm with significant education practice. Comparable in conducting social science R&D and program evaluation for government and foundation clients in education.
• Mathematica Policy Research: Large social policy research and evaluation firm working on education, health, and workforce programs. Comparable in conducting independent program evaluation and policy research for public-sector clients.
• Brookings Institution (Brown Center on Education Policy): Major public policy organization with dedicated K-12 and higher education research programs. Comparable in producing influential independent education policy research and convening stakeholders.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RennieCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rennie-center-for-education-research-and-policy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rennie Center For Education Research & Policy, Inc.