Increasing Engagement Between State Educational Research Associations, Districts, and Higher Education: Finding Common Ground

• In Event: 61.041 - Perspectives on University and School District Partnerships: Research, Evaluation, and Advanced Professional Learning

Abstract

A state educational research association (SERA) engaged program evaluators to explore the current state of engagement between district-based practitioners and their higher education colleagues with a view to stronger partnerships.

During the project, evaluators shared information about the Washington SERA with deans, department chairs, and key faculty members in Washington colleges and universities. They also interviewed key stakeholders in schools, the state educational agency, other regional institutions, and representatives from other regional professional associations and other SERAs. Other data sources included membership records, conference, workshop and publication representation and content focus, awards granted, event scheduling protocols, college advancement protocols, and funding sources.

The evaluators found:
• While college leaders were generally positive about increased engagement, knowledge about WERA was limited.
• School-based WERA members had more mixed views of benefits from greater engagement with higher education, concerned that many faculty were out of touch with “real world” schooling issues.
• Personal relationships were a key to initial and ongoing collaboration across the university/school district divide.

Several recommendations were made to improve the climate for collaboration.

Authors

• Peter Hendrickson, Western Washington University

• Karen Elizabeth Banks, WERA Educational Journal