Initiating a RPP During COVID-19 in Chile: Reflections From the Front Line

• In Event: Harnessing the Power of Research-Practice Partnerships to Tackle Inequities: An Exploration of Possibilities and Pitfalls During a Pandemic

Abstract

In this presentation we share preliminary insights about what we have learned during the first-year of an RPP initiated by our university, involving four school districts, and 15 schools. The main objective of this RPP is to support school improvement by introducing an adaptation of a conceptual framework and methodology of short-cycle planning (Duke, 2015) as a strategy for turning around low performing schools serving low income, urban and rural, communities in north central Chile.

Initial planning for the development of this RPP started in 2019 but due to the pandemic, implementation started in 2021. Activities were largely conducted through video conferences and phone calls. At the end of the year, we had the first in-person meeting where schools shared their short-cycle improvement plan.

Authors

• Felipe Aravena, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso

• Daniela Berkowitz, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso

• Monica Cortez, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso