Research–Practice Partnerships (RPPs) are intentional, collaborative relationships between state and local education agencies and researchers that use data and evidence to generate tailored strategies to address pressing educational needs. Through a research partnership with WestEd, your school, district, or state education agency can make timely decisions related to funding, policy, and practice.
How We Help
WestEd’s Research–Practice Partnerships (RPPs) assist state and local education agencies in solving persistent challenges through rigorous, relevant, and timely research. We help schools, districts, and state agencies understand underlying causes and develop specific strategies to support thriving learners and empowered communities. Whether it’s chronic absenteeism, math and literacy achievement, or teacher workforce shortages, a research practice partnership with WestEd can help you catalyze change. With our 60 years of experience leading research partnerships at all system levels, we work closely with schools, districts, and state agencies to codevelop research agendas aligned with their goals.
With our history of leading and operating regional educational laboratories (RELs) across the country to bridge the gap between research and practice, we continue to find practical ways to improve learning and achievement through our state and local partnerships. We design evaluations and perform data analyses that map to your priorities with clear timelines and outputs. We prioritize regular communication; shared accountability; and respectful, responsive engagement to ensure useful findings tailored for your local context. As our partner, you also gain resources to help you locate funding to advance your research agenda and adapt to evolving questions over time.
With your partnership with WestEd, research becomes a tool for your continuous improvement and informed decision-making.
Who Will Benefit
- State education agencies
- Regional education agencies
- Local education agencies
- School districts
- Charter schools and networks
- Foundations
- Universities
- Curriculum developers
- Ed tech developers
Featured Experts
John Rice
Katie Drummond
Lenay Dunn
Jason Snipes
Tony Fong
Natalie Lacireno-Paquet
Connecting Research With Practice
WestEd’s RPPs are grounded in rigorous methodologies and decades of experience conducting education research. Each partnership is structured to address problems of practice using relevant data and evidence. This approach is supported by a growing body of literature that demonstrates how sustained, collaborative research relationships between practitioners and researchers lead to usable, impactful insights and improved educational outcomes.
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