Interrupted Progress: Navigating the Sudden Termination of a Grant Funded Research-Practice Partnership (RPP)

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 7:45 am - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Allies or Agendas? The Politics of Educational Partnerships

Abstract

In recent months, the United States Department of Education (DOE) abruptly terminated Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) grants. The High Impact Leadership for School Renewal (HIL2.0) project was one of many funded projects to receive a late-day notice that their grants were terminated as of that day, leaving grant principal investigators/directors (PIs), project staff, and project participants suddenly without means to continue their joint work. This paper describes how HIL2.0 Project PIs, staff, and participating educators navigated this abrupt disruption and the accompanying turbulent policy environment for federally funded projects. The paper also explores the extent to which practices fostered by the terminated project were sufficiently institutionalized to be sustained in participating schools after grant termination.

Authors

• Patricia L. Reeves, Western Michigan University

• John L. Lane, Michigan State University

• Jianping Shen, Western Michigan University