A teacher works with a student in a classroom on literacy work with flashcards.

Program Evaluation and Educational Research (PEER) Group

Supporting innovation, equitable access and capacity building in North Carolina and beyond

Proud of our public charter to address the pressing, near-term demands of our educational system, the PEER Group provides evaluation, research and technical assistance to answer the questions that matter most to our education partners. Since 2009, we have effectively carried out $17 million in grants and contracts in support of the Friday Institute’s mission to advance education through innovation in teaching, learning and leadership.

Resources

PEER Internship Program for Undergraduate Students

Teaching for the Long Haul: Professionalizing Career Pathways for North Carolina Teachers

In 2016, six North Carolina school districts were chosen to develop pilot advanced teaching roles programs that would allow highly effective classroom teachers to take on leadership roles in their schools and reach more students. The Friday Institute conducted a formal three-year evaluation of these six pilots and “deep dive” closer-look investigations with three of the pilots.

Learn more

Cover of ECPS School Based Literacy Coaching Program Phase I Report shows image of teachers working together in a classroom looking over a laptop in the table in front of them

ECPS School-Based Literacy Coaching Program Phase I Evaluation Report

This report focuses on assessing the Program’s implementation and identifying and describing key contextual factors, resources and the programmatic theory of change, providing insights to guide the Program’s continued efficacy, sustainability and growth.

Exploring the Landscape of Graduate Student Mental Health and Advising Relationships in Educator Preparation Programs

This study is the first phase in understanding how anxiety in graduate students, quality of mentorship, and a focus (or lack thereof) on mental health within programs affects graduate student feelings of competence, quality of work, and time to graduation.

Montgomery County Early College Case Study Report

In Fall 2022, the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation partnered with Montgomery County Early College in Troy, NC, to pilot two free online professional development courses for educators.

Cardinal Gibbons Case Study Report

In Fall 2022, the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation partnered with Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, NC, to pilot two free online professional development courses for educators.

May 18, 2026

Beyond Broadband: How the Friday Institute Is Turning Digital Access Data Into Action Across North Carolina

A student pulls into a McDonald’s parking lot after school, laptop balanced in their lap, searching for enough Wi-Fi signal to submit homework before midnight. A parent struggles to access…

April 07, 2026

Friday Institute’s Callie Edwards Elected NCARE President-Elect

Callie Edwards, director of program evaluation and education research and director of strategic initiatives at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, has stepped into a new statewide leadership role. In…

April 01, 2026

College of Education Faculty and Friday Institute Staff Win AERA Division L Long Policy Report Award

A team of researchers from the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation and NC State College of Education have been awarded the American Educational Research Association’s (AERA) Division L Outstanding Long…