Improving Students’ Academic Achievement
Research, Development and Technical Assistance Center at Howard University
Achieve Educational Success With the Capstone Institute

WHO WE ARE
The Capstone Institute is a research, development, and technical assistance center within Howard University. It has a full-time professional staff comprised of a multi-disciplinary team of practitioners to include training, curriculum and evaluation specialists, administrators, and support personnel, as well as researchers, faculty associates, and students.

WHAT WE DO
We provide students and stakeholders with professional development services, classroom support and technical assistance, tutorial services, psychosocial support, classroom management techniques, and opportunities for community engagement.

HOW WE DO IT
Our Talent Quest Model ® operates from a set of seven principles, under the philosophy of Talent Development: “all students can learn in demanding settings with high academic expectations.”
CREATING THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN
In Creating the Opportunity to Learn, Drs. A. Wade Boykin and Pedro Noguera help navigate the turbid waters of evidence-based methodologies and chart a course toward closing (and eliminating) the academic achievement gap. Turning a critical eye to current and recent research, the authors present a comprehensive view of the achievement gap and advocate for strategies that contribute to the success of all children.
Boykin and Noguera maintain that it is possible to close the achievement gap by abandoning failed strategies, learning from successful schools, and simply doing more of what the research shows is most effective. Success is founded on equity, but equity involves more than simply ensuring students have equal access to education; equity also entails a focus on outcomes and results.
