Building Capacity in a Rural School District to Support Teacher Development in STEM Areas through Cycles of Continuous Improvement
National Science Foundation (NSF) - $98,837
Project Focus and Goal
This purpose of this study is to examine the partnership development between faculty of the Department of Educational Leadership and Foundations at the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and educators from the Fabens Independent School District (FISD) through a year-long collaborative process aimed at forming a sustainable and authentic research-practice partnership.Significance of the Grant
The activities and results of this grant will generate relevant knowledge around research-practice partnership development and sustainability between higher education and PreK-12 schools districts, specifically rural districts. Specifically, we foresee the contributions of this project in the areas of research-practice partnerships development, collaborative inquiry processes such as Synergic Inquiry (SI), team-building strategies such as Liberating Structures (LS) and utilizing the continuous improvement framework to develop a strong partnership. We will co-develop and write a DRK-12 proposal aligned with the rural school district’s STEM teaching and learning needs.Project Collaborators
Dr. Rodolfo Rincones (PI) and Dr. Isela Peña (Co-PI), faculty members from the Department of Educational Leadership and Foundations in the College of Education at UTEP and educators from Fabens Independent School District, specifically, the Interim Superintendent, the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, Director of Federal Programs and Initiatives, Assistant Principal of the High School, and teacher leaders representing all campus levels.Excitement Surrounding the Grant
The opportunity to collaborate with educators in a small rural school district in developing relevant and practical knowledge applicable to their specific needs and developing and testing theories about collaboration and research practice partnerships.