GRAPPLING WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF READING PRACTICES: EDUCATORS CROSSING BOUNDARIES IN A MULTI-SCHOOL / UNIVERSITY RESEARCH-PRACTICE PARTNERSHIP

Abstract

Research Practice-Partnerships (RPP) offer an organizational structure and methodological framework for researchers and practitioners to learn together to use research to inform school and classroom systems and implement evidence-based instructional practices to increase positive outcomes for students (Diamond, 2021; Estrada & Tanksley, 2022). As the number of RPPs increases and the body of research grows more expansive and nuanced, empirical studies with finer-grained analysis are important for the field to understand how RPPs support learning between researchers and practitioners to address educational challenges. This study investigates an RPP between a public school district and a school of education at a private university through an in-depth examination of how boundary-spanners, members of the RPP organizations who are responsible for connecting the organizations’ practices, learn together to support the implementation of evidence-based instructional reading practices in K-12 elementary schools as well as research and learning within the university’s teacher education program. Qualitative single-case study methodology and analysis were used for this instrumental case to examine how boundary-spanners learned together to further the goals of the RPP. Boundary-spanning and RPP organizational frameworks guided qualitative analysis, which included an exploration into how boundary-spanners addressed equity in the partnership (Akkerman & Bruining, 2016; Farrell et al., 2022; Sjölund, 2024; Yamashiro et al., 2023). Data collection included observation of RPP leadership meetings, monthly professional development sessions with school leaders, interviews with RPP leaders, school leaders, and university personnel, and documents from the RPP researcher and District teams. Findings revealed that boundary-spanners learned together at specific boundaries related to the differing expectations of when and how school leaders should implement practices, the capacity of school leaders to plan for implementation, and the alignment of practices to the District curricula. This analysis also revealed that specific issues of outcome equity were not a place for boundary-crossing with this team. The RPP university team also engaged with teacher education faculty and staff to share learning from the RPP despite not setting specific goals for university transformation. An unexpected finding emerged when the partnership’s future was jeopardized because funding would no longer be available. This prompted District RPP leaders to make strategic decisions to ensure the RPP’s continuation. Based on these findings, recommendations are made for expanding current RPP conceptualizations to include an indicator of each organization’s readiness for addressing equity issues within the absorptive capacity and, within boundary infrastructure, an explicit goal for research entities’ transformation. This fine-grained analysis of boundary spanners’ learning and examination of one organization’s fluctuating capacity to learn contributes to the RPP field’s understanding of what happens within an RPP’s boundary infrastructure to support changes in practices that could lead to educational transformation for both schools and universities.