The Center for Education and Public Policy (CEPP) was conceptualized in 2003 by Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.  Partnering with his alma mater, Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, AR, Gov. Huckabee and OBU President Andrew Westmoreland began to envision a sustainable program that could bridge the gap between education research and practice.  Under the new leadership and OBU presidency of Dr. Rex Horne, a task force was formed to articulate the vision and design the Center for Education and Public Policy.  The concept for the center became a reality in early 2007 when an office for the CEPP was opened on the campus of Ouachita Baptist University. Dr. Terri Hardy, former Education Policy Advisor for Governor Huckabee, was hired as the center’s director.

The CEPP is designed to be a non-partisan resource on educational reform issues to educators, parents, community members, and policy makers at the local, state, and national level.