Blurring the Boundaries between Teaching and Advocacy: The Capstone as a site of collaborative inquiry

• In Event: Transformation from Within and Outside of Schools: Residency-based preparation for education professionals supporting systemic change

Abstract

This paper explores the evolving vision and design of the Capstone course, the final cross-concentration experience in our graduate program for preparing equity-oriented educators and policy advocates. It offers a unique opportunity to blur the boundaries between classroom teaching and policy work in pursuit of educational transformation (Zeichner, 2010). Drawing on previous course iterations, student projects, and instructor reflections, I argue that the Capstone is a vital space for fostering “real-world,” project-based learning grounded in justice. Students enter the course having completed intensive coursework and residency experiences that develop skills in cultural responsiveness and critical consciousness. Working in cross-concentration groups, students navigate multiple forms of expertise, build shared understanding of structural inequities, and learn to value classroom and community knowledge alongside policy analysis.
The course is anchored in three core commitments: (1) collaborative inquiry and advocacy; (2) authentic engagement with school- and community-based stakeholders; and (3) public scholarship that contributes to ongoing movements for educational justice. Students are positioned as inquirers (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2009) and learn two primary approaches to policy and advocacy research: interpretive policy analysis and community-based methodologies (including PAR and YPAR). The culminating project is a Cumulative Policy Analysis and Transformation Plan, in which students apply course content and field experience to design actionable responses to systemic inequities.
The project supports students in developing actionable, research-based proposals to address educational inequities, often grounded in their residency or advocacy placements. Students identify a focal issue or stakeholder group and investigate the background of the issue using various resources and forms of data. They then design a research plan using interpretive, community-based, or hybrid methods, which includes stakeholder mapping, positionality, community engagement strategies, and a rationale for data collection and analysis. Students are encouraged to center community knowledge and practice relational accountability as they consider potential data sources such as interviews, artifacts, or language use. Throughout the course, students iteratively refine their work based on instructor and peer feedback. The final deliverable is a transformation plan, which can take multiple forms, such as a professional development proposal, a school-based policy draft, an equity audit, or even a preliminary policy proposal. The design of this project not only builds research and policy analysis skills, but also cultivates the dispositions and advocacy practices needed to disrupt inequity and lead change in schools and systems. The course concludes with students presenting their findings and recommendations to peers, instructors, and invited stakeholders.
Several challenges shape this work. One is bridging epistemological divides: teacher residents often focus on instructional change, while policy students emphasize systems-level reform. The course treats these tensions as opportunities to interrogate how change occurs across scales. Another challenge is fostering meaningful community engagement within short timelines and uneven placement experiences. Students must navigate how to build trust, honor community expertise, and resist extractive practices, all of which are key elements of educational transformation (Tuck & Yang, 2014). Ultimately, the Capstone aims to position students as justice-oriented professionals who see teaching, advocacy, and policy as interconnected practices for sustainable educational transformation.

Author

• Kevin Donley, Georgetown University