Nebraska Named Partner State in New National Research Center on Advanced Education
Johns Hopkins–led center will collaborate with NDE to strengthen advanced learning opportunities for high-ability students in Nebraska.
The Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) has been selected as one of three state partners in the newly established National Research Center on Advanced Education, a five-year initiative led by Johns Hopkins University and funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES). The center will serve as a national hub for research, innovation, and policy development to expand advanced learning opportunities for students demonstrating aptitude and achievement beyond grade-level expectations. As one of three partner state, alongside North Carolina and New Jersey, Nebraska will collaborate with the center’s research team to develop tools and models that help educators identify and support advanced learners.
Led by Jonathan Plucker and Keri Guilbault of the Johns Hopkins School of Education, the center brings together a distinguished research team from the American Institutes for Research, Texas A&M University, and the University of Calgary, along with state education departments in North Carolina, New Jersey, and Nebraska. The team of experts—including Karen Rambo-Hernandez, Matthew Makel, Sneha Shah-Coltrane (North Carolina), Crystal Siniari (New Jersey), and Sheyanne Smith (Nebraska)—aims to energize and empower educators, policymakers, and families of advanced students through research-informed tools and implementation support.
“This center represents a major step forward in how we understand and support advanced learners,” said Plucker. “By partnering with leading states and top researchers, we aim to build a more evidence-based foundation for advanced education nationwide.”
Initial research efforts across the center will include evaluating automatic enrollment policies in North Carolina—designed to broaden access to advanced coursework—and developing educator toolkits for New Jersey and Nebraska to strengthen local identification and support practices for advanced learners.
As co-principal investigator, Sheyanne Smith, High Ability Learning Specialist at NDE, will help lead the Nebraska component of the center’s work. Nebraska’s efforts will focus on developing educator toolkits and data-based strategies to support the identification of students who may benefit from advanced learning services across the state’s contexts.
Smith emphasized that the collaboration will strengthen the bridge between policy, research, and classroom practice. “This partnership reflects Nebraska’s commitment to ensuring that all high-ability learners are recognized and served,” said Smith. “Our collaboration with Johns Hopkins and other partners will help translate research into practical strategies that support educators statewide.”
Plucker echoed that enthusiasm, highlighting Nebraska’s reputation for innovation and forward-thinking leadership in education. “Collaborating with the Nebraska Department of Education is especially exciting, given the state’s reputation for being at the forefront of efforts to support curriculum and instruction efforts,” Plucker noted. “Pairing a great research team with Nebraska leaders and educators who continue to push the envelope should benefit both Nebraska and the country.”
The grant period began September 30, 2025, and is expected to be renewed annually over five years.