Combining Community Voice and Research-Based Evidence to Promote Equity in Educational Policy and Practice

Session Submission Type: Invited Session

Abstract

One of the fundamental reasons that education research has not made the necessary impact on practice, and particularly in improving equity in education, is its disconnection from local communities and the families with the most direct stake in educational justice. The universalistic claims of research-based evidence have often failed to create deep and lasting change in schools on the ground in our most disadvantaged communities. Education researchers can act more effectively when they collaborate with community based organizations that bring the knowledge, concerns and values of families and young people to educational policy and practice. These collaborations are not always easy to build, but they promise school change efforts that incorporate technical expertise with strong local
buy-in and accountability to the organized demands of low-income communities and communities of color. We would like to include a diverse group of presenters who would examine the dynamics involved in creating these kinds of collaborations and the results of such efforts in advancing educational equity.

Sub Unit

• Presidential Session

Cosponsors

• Division B - Curriculum Studies

• Graduate Student Council

Chair

• Mark R. Warren, University of Massachusetts - Boston

Papers

• The Role of Research in Grassroots Struggles: Reflections on the National Latino/a Educational Research and Policy Project - Angela Valenzuela, The University of Texas - Austin

• Learning Power - Jeannie Oakes, Ford Foundation

• Radical Imaginations and the Art of Emancipatory Research - Shawn A. Ginwright, San Francisco State University

• Transforming Baltimore Through Partnerships With Community-Based Organizations: A District Superintendent’s View - Andres A. Alonso, Baltimore City Public Schools

• A Match on Dry Grass: The Role of Community Organizing in Advancing Quality and Equity in Public Education - Mark R. Warren, University of Massachusetts - Boston; Karen L. Mapp, Harvard University