****NEWS RELEASE--FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE****

Contact: Kevin Welner, (303) 492-8370; kevin.welner@gmail.com

TEMPE, Ariz and BOULDER, Colo. (December 4, 2007) - A free Internet search engine is now available to those looking for instant access to high-quality educational policy research. This new service is offered by a network of 33 leading university educational research centers in 23 states.

The search engine is part of a new website from the Education Policy Alliance (EPA). "It places research from some of the country's most expert sources into the hands of journalists, policymakers, researchers and concerned citizens," said Kevin Welner, a professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder and one of the co-founders of EPA. "It's a straightforward but extraordinarily useful resource," added Professor Alex Molnar of Arizona State University, the other co-founder.

"Policy centers like ours joined EPA because we are committed to making scholarly research accessible to a broader policy audience and increasing its impact in educational policy debates," said David Plank, Executive Director of Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE), which is based at UC Berkeley and Stanford.

The Education Policy Alliance was developed by the Education and the Public Interest Center (EPIC) and the Education Policy Research Unit (EPRU) and the Commercialism in Education Research Unit (CERU) at Arizona State University to further democratic deliberation regarding educational policies. Fellows of EPRU and EPIC produce educational policy expertise, analysis, and insight through Policy Briefs and Think Tank Reviews.

On the Web:
Education Policy Alliance: http://educationpolicyalliance.org
CU's Education and the Public Interest Center: http://education.colorado.edu/epic
ASU's Education Policy Research Unit: http://educationanalysis.org
Think Tank Review Project: http://thinktankreview.org

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The Education Policy Research Unit (EPRU) conducts original research, provides independent analyses of research and policy documents, and facilitates educational innovation. EPRU facilitates the work of leading academic experts in a variety of disciplines to help inform the public debate about education policy issues.

Visit the EPRU website at http://educationanalysis.org

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The Education and the Public Interest Center (EPIC) at the University of Colorado, Boulder seeks to contribute information, analysis, and insight to further democratic deliberation regarding educational policy formation and implementation.

Visit the EPIC website at http://education.colorado.edu/epic
 
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