Post on 18-Jan-2016
transcript
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Research-practice partnerships: Working with school principals
around research findings
Elaine Allensworth
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Large-scale research studies - Help people think about a problem in a new way
School-by-school breakdowns/comparisons- Make the research personal
Individual school strategy reports- Show how schools are doing on key indicators/mechanisms
identified in research – enable analysis and strategy-building
Real-time data reports- Allow for quick feedback
Different phases of work, different dissemination mechanisms
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Improving student outcomes requires changing perspectives
& practices Natural reaction of school leaders will be:- Miscomprehension- Disbelief- Defensiveness- Fear about changing current practices
Natural reaction of researchers to this feedback will be:- Frustration- Defensiveness- Fear that we got it wrong
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To focus research on the right questions in a way that’s meaningful to people in schools
To allow people time to process the findings, understand them, and believe them
To develop new strategies
Working with principals requires an iterative process
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Focus on key message- Address unsupported assumptions - Point to high-leverage points
Provide easy-to-understand evidence- Keep revising displays/messages until they
resonate- Simple bar graphs, charts - Visuals and key pieces of information that can be
spread around easily- No jargon, caveats, words with multiple meanings
Miscomprehension Understanding
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Get reactions as soon as possible in research process
Listen and take reactions seriously- Be prepared to do more research, dig in further
Have findings ready for different subgroups Show results for schools serving similar populations
Ask people what they need to know to work on the problem- Next phase of work builds the buy-in and
partnership
Disbelief Acceptance, Advocacy
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Data on key indicators allows for local innovation- Individual school reports, real-time data - District support, without high-profile pressure
Purposeful work with a small number of schools- Shared learning community among schools
• Network for College Success- Feedback on progress on key indicators
Follow-up research - Laying down track to keep up ahead of the train
Fear about change safe place for innovation
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