Transforming data into opportunity—for every student, in every community.
NCARE is a research-practice collaborative at Northwestern University. We partner with states and school districts—especially in small, mid-sized, and rural communities—to drive better student and teacher outcomes through real-world research, hands-on support, and learning networks.
What We Do
We help education leaders:
- Integrate state and district data for deeper, more actionable insights
- Answer urgent questions with timely, rigorous analysis
- Establish effective policies based on evidence, not guesswork
- Build capacity through technical assistance and learning communities
Whether the challenge is attendance, teacher retention, digital learning, or postsecondary access, NCARE brings practical, research-backed solutions.
“NCARE stands out because they actually listen. They tailor their work to fit what we need.”
— School District Partner
Who We Are: NCARE Leadership
At NCARE, our leadership team brings a wealth of experience across education, research, and policy. Together, we are committed to driving meaningful change in school systems and empowering educational leaders to make data-driven decisions.
Paul Goren
Executive Director
Past Experience
- Superintendent of Schools at Evanston/Skokie (IL)
- Senior Vice President at CASEL
- Senior Administrator at San Diego, Minneapolis, and Chicago Public Schools
- Executive Director, Consortium on Chicago School Research
- Senior Vice President, Spencer Foundation
- Program Director, Children & Youth, MacArthur Foundation
Amy Auletto
Assistant Director
- Education policy researcher and educator
- Research Partner at the Utah Education Policy Center, E4 at Northwestern, and EPIC at Michigan State Research-Practice Partnerships
- Instructor at University of Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern
- Former K-12 Educator
Bryan McKinley Jones Brayboy
Dean, School of Education and Social Policy
- Carlos Montezuma Professor of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern
- Member, National Academy of Education
- Fellow, American Educational Research Association
- Former President’s Professor in the School of Transformation, Arizona State
- Former Director, Center for Indian Education
Ofer Malamud
Faculty Director
- Professor of Human Development and Social Policy at Northwestern
- Research Associate, National Bureau of Economic Research
- Member, CESifo Research Network
- Research Consultant, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
- Former Faculty, University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy
- Former Visiting Fellow, The Brookings Institution
Who We Are: NCARE Advisors
Sherley Chavarria
Senior Education Program Officer, Lloyd A. Frye Foundation
Jennifer Cheatham
Faculty, Graduate School of Education, Harvard University
David Figlio
Gordon Fyte Professor of Economics and Education, University of Rochester
Robert Hughes
Director, K-12 Education, Gates Foundation
Carol Johnson-Dean
Former Superintendent of Minneapolis, Memphis, and Boston Schools
Andalib Khelghati
Superintendent, Oswego Community Unit School District (Oswego, IL)
Why NCARE
“NCARE doesn’t feel like a transaction—it feels like a partnership.”
— District Partner
“They adapt their work to fit what we need, instead of just following their own agenda.”
— District Leader
“The speed at which they turn around data and insights is incredible.”
— State Agency Partner
We focus on the districts often left behind by traditional research: small, mid-sized, and rural systems. And we work at the speed of practice, turning around insights in weeks, not months.
Let's Work Together
If you’re a state agency, school district, funder, or researcher ready to tackle complex challenges with smart, actionable research, we’d love to connect.
Contact
Paul Goren, Executive Director
Northwestern University | School of Education and Social Policy
paul.goren@northwestern.edu | 312.351.1624
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