In 2006, the 79th Texas Legislature, 3rd called session, authorized the creation of three Education Research Centers. The purpose of the centers is to conduct research that benefits education in Texas. The Education Research Center at The University of Texas at Austin seeks to support the definition of long-term strategies for comprehensive policy reform and continuous improvement in public education at all levels. The Texas ERC bridges the gap between theory and policy by providing a cooperative research environment for inquiry and study by both scholars and policy makers.
The Education Research Centers are governed by the Joint Advisory Board (JAB), which is co-chaired by the Commissioner of Education from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and the Commissioner of Higher Education from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). The co-chairs may appoint a total of an additional ten members from both agencies. The JAB makes policy decisions regarding the operation of the ERCs and reviews all applications for the use of ERC resources for research.