Research-Practice Partnerships, Leadership Development, and Research Use: A Recipe for Educational Improvement?

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 14
  In Roundtable Session: District Leadership in Complexity: Navigating Competing Demands of Academic Excellence, Evidence-Based Decision Making, Inclusion, and Care in a Time of Crisis (Table 20)

Abstract

Some evidence suggests research-practice partnerships (RPPs) are an effective strategy for helping leaders use research in their improvement efforts. Yet, research is less clear what makes RPPs more or less effective at supporting leaders’ research use. In this study, we examine three RPPs involving school districts and universities situated in varying contexts that have some degree of a leadership development pipeline. Using case studies, we explore the association between an RPP’s design, the context of the leadership pipeline, and the depth of the research production and use between the research and practice community as defined by Farley-Ripple and colleagues (2018). We discuss implications for designing and leading RPPs and school district leaders’ research use in decision-making.

Authors

• Laura P. Wentworth, California Education Partners

• Jennifer Goldstein, California State University - Fullerton