About the Great Lakes Center: The Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice, an independent, 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization supported by education stakeholders across the country. The Great Lakes Center funds policy briefs on important education issues with the goal of providing the public and policymakers with a concise summary of current research on specific topics along with policy recommendations that are supported by the research. The mission of the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice is to support and disseminate high quality research and reviews of research for the purpose of informing education policy and to develop research-based resources for use by those who advocate for education reform.