Can We Improve “Improvement”? A University-District Partnership’s Approach to Improving Network Improvement Communities

• In Event: Advancing Educational Equity Through Collaborative Improvement: Insights From Research and Practice

Abstract

In this paper, we examine how researchers (Authors 1-2) collaborated with leaders of two Networked Improvement Communities (NICs) with the goal of helping the NIC continuously improve as an organization. Drawing on principles of collaborative action research, researchers conducted two levels of inquiry. First, they co-developed research questions with NIC stakeholders about the successes and challenges NIC participants experienced, collected data by interviewing 19 participants in the NIC, presented findings, and then worked with stakeholders to use the findings to improve the NIC. Second, they partnered with NIC leaders (Authors 3-9) to engage in critical inquiry into the success and limitations of this model of collaborative research to continuously improve the two NICs.

Authors

• Maxwell Yurkofsky, Radford University

• Christine M. Neumerski, University of Maryland

• Pamela Catherine Callahan, University of Maryland

• Jean L. Snell, University of Maryland

• Laura Liccione, University of Maryland

• Douglas Strader, Prince George's County Public Schools

• Felice N. DeSouza, Prince George's County Public Schools

• Trina Hayes, University of Maryland