What does the Partnership for Public Education do?
The Partnership for Public Education aims to increase the utilization and impact of UD research in policy and practice by mobilizing knowledge that promotes equitable public education outcomes. It also seeks to improve trust, communication, and engagement between UD and Delaware’s P-12 stakeholders and increase capacity for education-focused community-engaged scholarship among faculty, staff, and students.
To achieve these goals, PPE engages in several partnership development and knowledge mobilization activities, such as:
- Partnership Development: PPE supports the development, facilitation, and funding of Research Practice Partnerships (RPPs), such as the Delaware Early Literacy Research Practice Partnership (DEL RPP) and the Research Practice Partnership for Professional Learning in Early Mathematics (RPP LEM).
- PPE Brief Series: PPE publishes a brief series, available on our website and through ERIC, an online library of education research and information, sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of Education.
- The Evidence for Education (E4E) Podcast: The E4E Podcast is hosted by PPE to increase the availability and accessibility of UD expertise to educators, leaders, and decision-makers in the public education system in an easily accessible and digestible format.
- Evidence-based Resources: PPE, in collaboration with the Center for Research Use in Education (CRUE), works with UD researchers and Delaware educators to translate research into practical tools and resources for educators. Linking research and practice has long-standing, historical challenges, and these projects help to build relationships between the two and mobilize both researcher and educator knowledge for educational improvement.
- Partner-in-Practice Fellowships: PPE fosters collaboration with the University and supports educators statewide to increase the use of research-informed programs and practices. The Partner-in-Practice Fellowship offers opportunities for educators to inform the work of UD researchers, co-design research-informed resources, and support the implementation and evaluation of collaboratively designed programs and practices.
- Research+Practice Collaboratory: PPE’s Research+Practice Collaboratory is an online space for Delaware’s researchers and practitioners to connect with one another based on current shared interests and goals. Delaware researchers, teachers, school leaders, educational organizations (and more!) can submit to the site and browse other postings to support each other’s current projects and needs.
- School Research Partnership PLC: PPE hosts monthly meetings for members of the UD community who work in research partnerships with Delaware schools. Meetings focus on key issues facing research-practice partnerships and strategies for building strong and sustainable relationships across the education system. Meetings are open to all!
- Workshops and Events: PPE hosts annual workshops and events to engage local Delaware educators, community partners, university faculty, and students in networking, learning, and sharing effective strategies. These events, which also serve to support professional development, allow researchers and practitioners to come together to facilitate impactful changes and advancements in education.
- Broader Impacts and Faculty Consultations: PPE strives to foster and support the development of research-practice relationships and partnerships through ongoing consultations with UD faculty. Moreover, PPE continues the mobilization of evidence-informed, equity-centered, resources co-created with UD faculty and Delaware educators.
- PPE Course: In 2024, PPE began offering a graduate-level course for PhD, EdD, and master’s students interested in learning more about how to connect research, policy, and practice. This course develops students’ knowledge and practical skills related to the development, facilitation, evaluation, and dissemination of collaborative work that bridges research and practice, including research-practice partnerships and other models of engaged scholarship.