During our fall 2024 convening of the RESTART Network’s Core Research Teams, I was struck by an ongoing theme I heard from each team as they reflected on the research they conducted on pandemic recovery: having a pre-existing research-practice partnership (RPP) was essential to their ability to respond quickly to needs that emerged during the crisis. It was also key to the success of the research they were able to collaborate on during and after the pandemic. 

We often hear this from RPPs: relationships matter and are necessary to sustain and grow lines of co-developed, collaborative research activities. However, we don’t often think about how a crisis or a major disruption magnifies the importance of pre-existing relationships.

During a time of crisis, our brains struggle to process new information. We are in fight or flight mode – trying to make fast decisions using existing information and moving quickly. Anything that is difficult to process or requires an investment of time gets shuffled to the bottom of the priority list. We lean into and lean on the resources we already have at hand. And, in the case of a school district or a state lucky enough to have trusted, reliable research partners, the set of resources to tap into in a moment of crisis or during a disruptive moment includes those colleagues.

How RPPS have responded to educational disruption 

We can see examples of RPPs which have successfully conducted research activities where there were cases of educational disruption. This includes the research conducted by RPPs to look at impacts resulting from massive storm disruptions, such as the Houston Education Research Consortium’s work to look at student homelessness following Hurricane Harvey and the Education Research Alliance for New Orleans’ research on policy outcomes from reforms that followed Hurricane Katrina. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the digital divide (inequitable access to reliable technology and internet access among students) and student engagement were substantial challenges for many districts as they went to remote learning overnight. RPPs developed, helped implement, or analyzed surveys to assess families and students remote learning experiences, including connectivity and internet access. RPPs also undertook research efforts to help understand what interventions were working, for whom, and under what conditions. The research efforts led by the RPPs who are part of the RESTART Network explore these questions – and more – that have come up in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Supporting emerging needs

In addition to examining the outcomes and experiences of communities following a crisis or educational disruption, RPPs might also be better positioned to be able to pivot from planned research activities to address emerging needs than researchers who don’t have a partnership with the state or district . This ability to be responsive and to adapt depends on many factors and conditions. However, in an analysis conducted by Paula Arce-Trigatti, Jee Sun (Jasmine) Lee, and myself on the levels of responsivity in RPPs during the COVID-19 crisis, we found that RPPs intentionally shifted their efforts to be responsive to changing conditions in many cases.

The role of RPPs during future disruptions

As we look at ways we can bolster education systems to meet the challenges presented by disruptions or periods of upheaval, we should consider the benefits that having an established RPP can provide. During uncertain times, an RPP can serve as a critical resource. 

For practitioners who don’t currently have an RPP, some strategies to explore can include reaching out to researchers who have successfully worked with your district or state to see if they would be interested in formalizing a longer-term partnership. You could also consider reaching out to centers at local universities or local researchers who study areas of priority for your district or state. The research opportunities that you engage in could organically become deeper partnerships. 

For researchers who don’t currently have an RPP, some strategies to identify partners can include going to conferences and events where practitioners are discussing areas of interest to them, listening to their priorities, and seeing if they would like to partner on research activities. It is worthwhile to demonstrate your commitment to valuing their expertise and to collaboration to ensure that the work is jointly beneficial. 

For individuals already involved in an existing RPP, some actions to take include investing time and energy to deepen existing relationships and strengthening collaboration. By building and strengthening trust and effective systems and practices, you and your RPP team will be well positioned to handle future educational disruptions.

Resources

National Network of Education Research-Practice Partnerships

Kylie Klein is a senior researcher at AIR, where she works with state, regional, and local agencies on research, evaluation, and technical assistance projects. Her research focuses on developing and sustaining research-practice partnerships, designing and conducting evaluations, and supporting the use of research evidence in state and local practice and policy. She serves as the National Network Lead for the RESTART Network, an IES-funded pandemic recovery effort that supports four research-practice partnership teams.

Photo credit: Photo by Allison Shelley for EDUimages