Communities of Practice: Lessons From a Multiyear Initiative and Implications for Stronger Research-Practice Partnerships

• In Event: Moscone Center West Roundtable Session 14
  In Roundtable Session: Evidence on Cross-Sector Partnerships, Improvement, and Adaptation

Abstract

California has recently seen the burgeoning organization of “communities of practice” to advance standards implementation and improve teaching and learning. A mathematics-focused community, now in year seven, has involved a range of stakeholders, including organizations that facilitate community development, researchers/evaluators, and a group of districts represented by key administrator practitioners. The community has grappled with what it means to organize for effectiveness by bridging the research-practice divide and drawing upon the diverse expertise of all. This organization has impacted the extent to which participants have been able to learn together about common problems of practice and realize local, context-specific improvement goals. This roundtable uses an evaluation of a multi-year initiative to explore how to build successful collaborations across diverse communities.

Authors

• Rebecca R. Perry, WestEd

• Stacy A. Marple, WestEd

• Frances E. Reade, WestEd