State structures can make the difference in whether local education research partnerships are effective, according to a new report by the Data Quality Campaign.
Based on an analysis of local research alliances, networked districts, and other emerging research partnerships, the group laid out steps states can take to build sustainable research groups to improve education, including:
• Governance policies to provide consistent, transparent, and secure access to student data for researchers;
• Model agreements to set how data are shared and how students’ privacy is protected;
• Active education of the public about what research is being conducted and how it will be used to support education policy decisions; and
• Support to build state and district capacity to design, conduct, and use education research.