About the Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute

The Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute is the nation’s foremost research organization focusing on the educational status of African Americans and other minority populations, from pre-school through adulthood.

The Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute strives to expand and understand the multiple pathways leading to educational attainment. The Institute’s findings are available to diverse groups of stakeholders. Using varied research methods, FDPRI serves to have a positive impact on public policy and improve education outcomes for African Americans and other minority populations.

“We should try to present the needs of black youth in the private black colleges, not as a matter of only local or restricted concern, but as something Americans of goodwill would take to heart.”Dr. Frederick D. Patterson

OUR MISSION
The mission of the Institute is to design, conduct and disseminate research that helps guide policymakers, educators, philanthropists and the general public toward improving educational opportunities and outcomes for African Americans and other underrepresented minorities across the pre-school-through-college-graduation pipeline. The Institute’s research focuses on pathways to attainment of favorable educational outcomes and investigates the obstacles and barriers to those outcomes.

OUR RESEARCH AGENDA
The research agenda, priorities and activities of the Institute seek to address the most important and challenging educational issues confronting African Americans and other minority populations. The Institute investigates the obstacles and barriers to educational success as well as enablers of success. Research findings are disseminated broadly with the aim of having an impact on public policy at the local, state and national levels. The Institute combines the tenets of research and policy to improve practices in educational settings.

 

OUR STAFF
FDPRI staff have many years of experience conducting research and engaging in education policy issues.

Meet the staff.