The Promise of a Long-Term Commitment to Research Practice Partnerships in Education

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

Mounting research suggests research practice partnerships are a promising strategy for helping education leaders factor research into the improvement process (Coburn and Penuel, 2016). Under certain conditions, these strategically structured partnerships allow for mutually beneficial research studies based on education leaders’ problems of practice (Farrell, et al., 2018a; Farrell, et al., 2018b). In this session, we will hear from three teams of researchers and practitioners leading partnerships between universities and large urban school districts that have surpassed their ten-year anniversary. The partnership leaders will review what they have learned from over ten years of research together, what changes have been associated with the use of the partnerships’ research in policy and practice decisions, and common characteristics shared across these partnerships.

Sub Unit

• SIG-Districts in Research & Reform

Chair

• Laura P. Wentworth, California Education Partners

Papers

• Reorganizing a Research Practice Partnerships After a 10-Year Test Run: Baltimore - Marc L. Stein, Johns Hopkins University; Christopher Wohn, Baltimore City Public Schools; Theresa D Jones, Baltimore City Public Schools

• Challenges and Opportunities in Research-Practice Partnerships: Insights From the First 10 Years of the Research Alliance for New York City Schools - James J. Kemple, New York University; Michelle L Paladino, NYC DOE

• The Significance and the Use of Research Based on 10 Years of Partnership: The Stanford–San Francisco Unified School District Partnership - Hilda Borko, Stanford University; Ritu Khanna, San Francisco Unified School District; Laura Wentworth, California Education Partners

Discussant

• Caitlin Farrell, University of Colorado - Boulder