Research-Practice-Policy Ecosystems: State-Level Infrastructures to Support Educational Improvement

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 9:00 am Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Building Collaborative Infrastructures for Educational Equity: State, District, and University Partnerships in Continuous Improvement (Table 10)

Abstract

Recent educational improvement research focuses on the potential of collaborative education research to support equity and improvement; often these collaborations are between educational agencies, researchers/universities, and sometimes community-based organizations. Far less attention is given to the role that state infrastructures may play in facilitating collaborative research use for improvement. This study describes education research-practice-policy ecosystems in eight purposively sampled states, using publicly available documentation and key informant interviews. We find four main organizational functions across our sample: data, research, networking, and research integration. A majority of organizations in our states serve a data and research function, with fewer focusing on networking and research integration. We discuss implications for growing networking and research integration capacity, to strengthen state-level improvement efforts.

Authors

• Laura P. Wentworth, California Education Partners

• Kyo Yamashiro, Loyola Marymount University

• Jose Eos Trinidad, University of California - Berkeley

• Diana G. Mercado-Garcia, California Education Partners

• Kim Boddie Wright, Rice University

• Paula Arce-Trigatti, National Network of Education Research-Practice Partnerships