Connecting Research and Practice to Improve Central Office Leadership: The Essential Role for Intermediary Organizations

• In Event: Exploring Social Networks and Systemic Approaches to Influencing Student Achievement

Abstract

School district leaders nationwide are using various forms of research to guide major reforms of their central offices and relying on intermediary organizations to help. But to what extent are intermediaries helpful with such complex change processes? We explored this question with a comparative qualitative analysis of 6 central office-intermediary partnerships using 499.25 hours of observations, 116 interviews, and analysis of over 300 documents. Drawing on socio-cultural and organizational theories of learning for our conceptual framework, we captured key teaching practices of intermediary organizations when they help central office staff integrate challenging research-based ideas into their practice. Intermediaries’ efforts were mediated by practitioners’ prior knowledge and experiences and internal central office leadership.

Authors

• Meredith I. Honig, University of Washington

• Nitya Venkateswaran, University of Washington - Seattle

• Patricia Wentworth McNeil, University of Washington

• Jenee Myers Twitchell, University of Washington