The Riley Institute
Named for former U.S. Secretary of Education and former South Carolina Governor Dick Riley, the Riley Institute advances social and economic progress in South Carolina and beyond by building leadership for a diverse society, broadening student and community perspectives on critical issues, hosting expert speakers, supporting public education, and creating knowledge through community solutions-focused research. It is committed to nonpartisanship in all it does and to a rhetoric-free, facts-based approach to change.
Centers of Work
The Riley Institute was founded in 1999 at Furman University with the dual objectives of advancing social and economic progress in South Carolina and beyond and providing unmatched opportunities for Furman students.
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Broadening perspectives around pressing contemporary policy issues, the Riley Institute hosts expert speakers and scholars on the university’s campus as well as across South Carolina. Hundreds of expert speakers have spoken at Riley Institute events since its founding in 1999.
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The Riley Institute’s Center for Diversity Strategies recognizes excellence in diversity leadership and equips leaders and community stakeholders with the tools needed to harness the power of diversity in their organizations and communities, drive positive change, and enhance the economic and civic vitality of South Carolina.
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The Institute’s research consultancy promotes evidence-informed practices and policies and supports entities that serve children and families across the state. It provides external research and evaluation services, serves as an evaluation partner, and helps organizations build strategic learning skills.
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The Riley Institute’s Center for Education Policy and Leadership supports and recognizes highly effective and innovative approaches to public education, from afterschool and summer learning to public school Montessori, that drive better and more equitable outcomes for all the people of South Carolina and beyond.
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For students wanting to become thought leaders, learning from one of the 20th Century’s top presidential cabinet members is not a bad place to start. The Riley Institute cultivates leaders among students and broadens perspectives about issues critical to progress in South Carolina and beyond.
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Public Education Blog
Evidence Matters | Making the Grade: Strengthening Schools Through Community
August 10, 2023 Our Making the Grade series has discussed how evaluating a school’s effectiveness and quality comes with a wide array of challenges, particularly when assessing schools that serve larger populations of disadvantaged students....
Continue Reading >Evidence Matters | Making the Grade: The Quest for Quality Measures
August 1, 2023 As we highlighted in our previous Making the Grade posts, the established correlation between socioeconomic status (SES) and academic performance has long created difficulties for those attempting to measure school quality—if a...
Continue Reading >Evidence Matters | Making the Grade: Can an Early Start Lead to a Better Finish?
July 13, 2023 As we highlighted in our last post, when we interpret school report card ratings, it is important that we consider the ways in which various factors—including the overall socioeconomic status (SES) of...
Continue Reading >Latest Riley Institute News
42 Lowcountry Leaders Selected to Become Riley Fellows
Forty-two leaders from across the Lowcountry will participate in the Riley Institute’s intensive 5-month Diversity Leaders Initiative (DLI) program, learning the skills and perspectives necessary to leverage diversity in their organizations in ways that drive...
Continue Reading >35 Upstate Leaders Selected to Become Riley Fellows
Thirty-five leaders from across the Upstate will participate in the Riley Institute’s intensive 5-month Diversity Leaders Initiative (DLI) program, learning the skills and perspectives necessary to leverage diversity in their organizations in ways that drive...
Continue Reading >The Riley Institute Announces 2023-24 Afterschool Policy Fellows
The White-Riley-Peterson (WRP) Policy Fellowship has selected 17 afterschool leaders from across the country to participate in this prestigious program, designed to equip fellows with the policy knowledge to successfully advocate for afterschool programs. Afterschool...
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