A Four-Way Partnership for STEM Learning

• In Event: A School-University Research Practice Partnership: Why, How, and What's Next

Abstract

This presentation will explore the collaborative development and implementation of the West Dallas STEM School (WDSS) as a transformative model for K-8 STEM education. The partnership between the university, school district, local corporate funder, and the school community served as the foundation for this innovative "lab school." Not only did WDSS serve as a beacon for STEM education in underrepresented communities, but it also fundamentally shifted how the district approaches research and evaluation.
A core focus of the presentation will be the research-practice partnership (RPP) that emerged through the development of WDSS and the role it played in establishing the district’s research consortium. Specifically, the Research and Evaluation (R&E) Committee, formed early in the project, was instrumental in shaping a synergistic approach to integrating Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Research Review Board (RRB) processes. This collaboration not only ensured ethical and streamlined data collection but also set the stage for stronger, more effective partnerships between researchers and practitioners.
The R&E Committee was the backbone of our research and evaluation strategy. Through iterative meetings, shared governance, and an intentional focus on aligning district and research priorities, the committee fostered trust and transparency among all stakeholders. Early on, the alignment of IRB and RRB processes reduced redundancies, enabling faster approvals and more effective research designs. These processes created a more cohesive system for evaluating student outcomes, teacher professional development, and community engagement.
WDSS became the proving ground for this unified approach, demonstrating the value of partnerships that balance rigorous research with practical, actionable insights. These early successes in evaluation and research coordination laid the groundwork for the creation of the Collaborative Educational Research Institute (CERI), the district’s larger research consortium. WDSS provided the impetus to formalize structures for research collaboration, which later expanded under CERI to encompass more schools, third-party researchers, and district-wide initiatives.
The journey leading to WDSS as a “lab school” was itself shaped by a decade of lessons from earlier projects like DCOL, which highlighted the need for greater data access and alignment between researchers and practitioners. While the WDSS partnership helped solidify and refine the district’s research processes, it also underscored the importance of community voice and corporate investment in long-term sustainability. For instance, WDSS’s success in integrating community and corporate perspectives became a template for how CERI would operate at scale.
The presentation will also touch on the planned national expansion of the WDSS model, discussing how the lessons learned through this partnership have informed broader systemic changes. Which can be realized through our colleague, Dr. Wieselmann’s subsequent work, which highlights how WDSS catalyzed the district's capacity for integrating research into everyday practice. These initiatives, which emerged directly from the RPP model pioneered at WDSS, illustrate the power of intentional, collaborative partnerships to transform STEM learning environments.
In sum, WDSS was not only a catalyst for redefining STEM education in West Dallas but also the precursor to the district's broader research infrastructure. By fostering trust, aligning priorities, and building capacity for research and evaluation, the RPP model at WDSS has left a lasting impact on the district and beyond.

Authors

• Karen Pierce, Southern Methodist University

• Annie Wright, Southern Methodist University

• Marc Sager, Southern Methodist University

• Jessica Murillo, Southern Methodist University