What is the Collaborative?

 

Photo of a 2 people shaking hands.The California Collaborative on District Reform, an initiative of the American Institutes for Research, aims to inform district-level efforts to improve instruction and outcomes for all students by bringing together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and funders for ongoing dialogue and collective problem solving. For a list of Collaborative members, please click here.

 

To this end, the Collaborative’s primary activity is a series of meetings focused on important problems of practice faced by California districts, such as improving the quality and effectiveness of the teaching force, turning around their lowest-performing schools, or using assessment and other data effectively to guide instructional decision-making. Although the Collaborative aims to improve outcomes for all students in the state, the group often uses the lens of English learner (EL) success to examine problems of practice in district improvement. Each meeting brings to bear research and practical knowledge relevant to the selected problem and is grounded in the concrete realities of a specific California district. By embedding the series of conversations in the context of specific California districts, the Collaborative supports leaders in those districts to reflect on and refine their strategies and serves to create a body of district exemplars from which other California districts may learn.

 

Over time, the Collaborative has deepened and broadened its work to include additional activities to support district improvement throughout California. These activities include: 1) special projects that enhance the learning of participating districts, such as documenting the evolution and lessons of the Fresno-Long Beach Learning Partnership; 2) activities to inform state policy, such as working groups to advise on the design or implementation of state or federal initiatives in California; and 3) briefs and other publications that share the lessons learned from the core meetings and other activities with local and state policymakers.

 

Through this work, the Collaborative seeks to create:

  • A deeper knowledge base on district improvement strategies and the instruction of English learners in California;
  • Stronger, ongoing connections and networks among California researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and funders;
  • Deeper partnerships among participating district leaders and their teams; and
  • Incorporation of the district perspective and district practitioner voice in the work of state policymakers, researchers, and funders.