The mission of the Council is to increase the usefulness, relevance, and communication of research to educational practice; help the research community develop new research that is informed by practice; provide advice about how other National Academies programs, initiatives, and recommendations can be most effectively implemented in schools; and offer guidance about how the National Academies can best communicate with the teaching community in the United States.

The report Community Colleges in the Evolving STEM Education Landscape: Summary of a Summit highlights the importance of community colleges, especially in emerging areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and preparation of the STEM workforce. In addition, the report looks at the changing and evolving relationships between community colleges and four-year institutions, with a focus on partnerships and articulation processes that can facilitate student success in STEM.  Read more.