Persistent disparities exist in determining who gets to decide what makes research useful, on whose behalf research is used, and who benefits from research use. This problem is particularly vexing in school districts, where parents, teachers, and other community stakeholders do not often have an opportunity to inform how district leaders use research in ways that shape students’ educational experiences. The Chicago Public School (CPS) system recently implemented a strategic plan that has promise for facilitating the involvement of community members in determining what makes research useful and how it is used. Bohannon and colleagues will work with CPS to examine in what ways the district’s new boundary-spanning infrastructure—i.e., routines, tools, and personal interactions—enables school district research leaders to connect with other researchers and community members to use equity-centered research to improve underrepresented student communities’ access to and experiences in STEM courses. The team will conduct interviews and observations to examine how this infrastructure supports the democratization of research use by district staff and in communities. Findings will not only inform Chicago Public Schools but will provide insight into how research use may be improved by making it more relevant to the community.
How and under what conditions does boundary-spanning infrastructure connect researchers, practice leaders, and community leaders in ways that improve the use of research to inform equity-minded decision making?
