Various organizations and individuals in Baltimore had long recognized the potential usefulness of establishing a local education research consortium. In December 2005, the Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers (ABAG) gathered school system staff, university-based researchers, local foundations, and advocacy organizations to consider the feasibility of a local association that might be modeled loosely on the Consortium on Chicago School Research. Over the next nine months, individuals from The Johns Hopkins University, Morgan State University, the Baltimore City Public School System, the Family League of Baltimore City, and the Fund for Educational Excellence worked collaboratively to develop a proposal that led to the founding of BERC.

Funding for BERC began in October 2006. BERC’s initial supporters included the Abell Foundation, Open Society Institute-Baltimore, the Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, the Fund for Educational Excellence (in cooperation with the Stupski Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), and the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

In 2007, BERC built organizational structure, developed shared understandings of purpose and procedures among the various partners, and pursued an initial demonstration research project. In June 2007, the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners approved a memorandum of understanding endorsing and guiding BERC’s organizational structure, leadership, data-sharing agreements, and research agenda.

BERC is currently building its Executive Committee to a full membership of nine, planning or refining organizational structure, sharing the results of a first demonstration project (the Pathways Project), and developing future research priorities through a collaborative process.