The Texas Education Research-Practice-Policy Partnership Network (RP3 Network) is a partnership of researchers, decision makers and practitioners from communities across the state who conduct collaborative and actionable research to meaningfully and equitably improve education systems for students across Texas.
This emerging network believes that actionable and collaborative research can lead to high quality and equitable education systems for every student in Texas, and that existing, successful regional partnerships between researchers and practitioners like school district leaders and community leaders can be bolstered by intentional statewide coordination of these efforts. RP3 Network partners will investigate, adapt, and scale evidence-based interventions to meet immediate needs and prepare the state and its education system to meet future challenges as Texas schools, teachers and students struggle to navigate this “post-COVID” era.
About
Background
The COVID-19 public health crisis dramatically disrupted education, disproportionately impacting vulnerable students who were too often not performing at grade-level academically nor tracking towards college or career prior to the pandemic. The pandemic’s effects widened the already existing gaps in academic achievement and threaten the well-being of our Black, Latinx, socioeconomically disadvantaged, and Emergent Bilingual students, as well as students with disabilities.
In response to these trends, UT College of Education Dean Charles Martinez and Texas 2036 CEO Margaret Spellings convened a half-day summit in March 2021. The summit brought together researchers and education stakeholders from across Texas to discuss resources needed to ensure Texas students could recover and thrive in a post-COVID world.
This group developed recommendations and urged investment to support them, recognizing that a statewide research-practice-policy partnership could serve a critical function in identifying and addressing gaps in research and disseminating evidenced-based practices.
Since then, the College of Education has worked collaboratively with university and external education partners to envision more precisely what a statewide network could do to support the success of all children, families, educators, schools, and communities across Texas as we recover from the impacts of the pandemic
Mission
The Texas Education RP3 Network conducts collaborative research, supports the translation of results to decision-makers at multiple levels, and builds capacity to equitably improve systems and outcomes for Texas students across the lifecycle.
RP3 Values
– RP3 centers the assets and needs of students and communities.
– RP3 values collaboration and learning across people, organizations, and communities.
– RP3 strives to promote equitable outcomes across the state.
– RP3 seeks to transform systems to improve outcomes for Texas students across the lifecycle.
Theory of Change
Texas Education RPP Network is comprised by researchers, decision makers, and practitioners from communities across the state who believe that actionable and collaborative research will transform high quality and equitable education systems for every student in Texas.
Applying an equity-lens, evidence-based practices, and principles of continuous improvement, our Network drives deep, systemic change and sustainable improvement across Texas.
If the Texas Education RPP Network conducts collaborative research, supports the translation of results to decision-makers at multiple levels, and builds organizational and individual capacity, then the Network will shape systems and practices to improve opportunities and outcomes for Texas students across the lifecycle.
Contact
Dr. Carolyn Landel, Director of the Texas Education RP3 Network
carolynlandel@austin.utexas.edu | 512-232-6570
Our Approach
The Texas Education RP3 Network is committed to three core strategies focused on increasing educational access and opportunities for students, teachers and communities across Texas.
Partner to shape research, practice and policy
The RP3 Network will identify and draw on local assets and ideas to foster transparent communication among researchers and practitioners. We will apply a strengths-based approach while investigating structures and practices and work to co-design studies that address pressing issues.
Engage in action-oriented research
Drawing on multiple methodologies and ways of knowing, the RP3 Network will collect and analyze multiple forms of evidence to answer pressing questions. Following best practices from RPP literature, our work will help prepare aspiring RPP researchers.
Advance systemic change for the state of Texas
By translating research findings for multiple constituents to influence policies and practices across levels of the education system, the RP3 Network will implement routines for communicating with state and district policymakers, decisionmakers and administrators to: 1) share evidence-based practices to support local needs and promote equitable outcomes across the state; 2) shape the research agenda for other scholars.
Support
The future economic and social well-being of our state depends on today’s students. Our students’ recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic requires strategic solutions and relentless focus. Investment in this approach enables the adaptation and rapid scaling of evidence-based solutions to problems of practice. This is an opportunity for Texas to develop, test, replicate, and model innovative solutions that address family, community, and industry needs to ensure Texas students thrive.
The Texas RP3 Network aims to include partners who engage in long-term, mutually beneficial collaborations that promote the production and use of research and data to solve educational problems of practice in their regions. For more information on how you can connect and support the Network, contact Tara Kirkland, Director of Strategy & External Relations, in the Dean’s Office at the UT Austin College of Education.
Partners
RP3 Network partners will investigate, adapt and scale evidence-based interventions to meet immediate needs and prepare the state and its education system to meet future challenges as Texas schools, teachers and students navigate the post-COVID era.
Committed stakeholders across Texas endorse the Texas Education RP3 Network and are prepared to work together in support of children, schools and communities.
FAQ’s
What is a Research-Practice-Partnership?
The William T. Grant Foundation defines a Research-Practice-Partnership as, “A long-term collaboration aimed at educational improvement or equitable transformation through engagement with research. These partnerships are intentionally organized to connect diverse forms of expertise and shift power relations in the research endeavor to ensure that all partners have a say in the joint work.”
The Texas Education RP3 Network, which adds another P for “Policy,” will embody 5 key principles that the Grant Foundation identifies as core to Education-related RPPs:
- long-term collaboration
- working toward educational improvement or equitable transformation.
- features engagement with research as a leading activity.
- intentionally organized to bring together a diversity of expertise.
- employ strategies to shift power relations in research endeavors to ensure that all participants have a say.
Why UT Austin College of Education, and why now?
The College of Education (COE) is in a unique position to leverage the scale and reach of the University of Texas and its resources to positively impact educational outcomes in Texas, The COE is proud to be the Austin-based hub and administrative home for the RP3 Network, guided by our Signature Impact Areas.
While the COE will be the administrative and operations home for the RP3 Network, this unique partnership of education researchers, leaders, and stakeholders from across the university and the state of Texas will utilize a shared governance and decision-making model to identify the most powerful, equitable, and sustainable pathways to success for all students.
As part of The University’s strategic goal to change the world through transformative research that tackles society’s biggest challenges, the College of Education is pleased to serve as an administrative home for the RP3 Network’s work.
What roles do faculty play in the RP3 Network?
This is where we can name Sarah Woulfin as the Faculty lead, if others have questions about engaging
How are other initiatives and research efforts at the University of Texas at Austin involved?
This is where we could list and link to other research institutions at UT and give them some love (11/28 meeting will confirm their interest, but folks like The Dana Center, OnRamps, The Behavior Science Institute (David Yeager))