How We Work
Collaboration Processes
Principles guide SERP collaborations.
Priorities
are determined by leaders in SERP's partner districts.
Research & Development
is rigorous and responsive to the constraints of practice.
Solutions
are designed for scale and shared openly.
We begin with a problem identified by a partner school district.
We recruit top-notch researchers with relevant expertise.
We use practice-informed design to generate scalable products.
We manage the partnership process so as to minimize attention to status, maximize the contribution of all parties, and stimulate productivity.
Problem Identification
We begin with a challenging, high-priority problem of practice nominated by the district partner.
Shared Problem Framing
Problem framing—determining the sources of the problem and the possibilities for addressing them—leads to an agreed-upon approach to intervention.
Iterative Design Process
Prototypes are generated, tested, and revised. Classroom observations, feedback from users, and input from researchers inform revisions.
Tools, Programs, Practices
When tools, programs, or practices emerge from the design process with promising evidence from piloting, they are then fully developed into resources that are ready for implementation.
Evaluation
When funding is available, SERP evaluates products on a larger scale using rigorous methodologies.
Scaling
Products are made available to all, along with online resources and learning opportunities to support scaling. Results are published, contributing to new knowledge.
Collaboration Modes
Field Site Partnerships
SERP enters into a field site partnership with the expectation that it will be long-term. Each partnership begins with a problem of practice identified by the district.
SERP integrates the expertise of district and school practitioners, accomplished researchers, and education designers. Through skilled facilitation, each group makes essential contributions.
Field site partners to date:
- Boston Public Schools
- San Francisco Unified School District
- Minority Student Achievement Network
- Oakland Unified School District
- Baltimore City Public Schools
- District of Columbia Public Schools
Read more about achievements within each field site.
Read more about how SERP structures field sites.
Research Study Sites
SERP works with numerous districts to conduct randomized controlled studies of teaching and learning to examine the effectiveness of educational products and interventions. For the sake of data privacy, participants in specific studies are not identified. A partial list of districts who have served as valuable partners are:
Baltimore City Public Schools, Public Schools of Beloit, Chicago Public Schools, Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District, District of Columbia Public Schools, Everett Public Schools, Fort Madison Independent School District, Jackson Public Schools, Leominster Public Schools, Los Angeles Unified School District, New York City Department of Education, Oakland Unified School District, Penns Valley Area School District, Pittsburgh Public Schools, Santa Fe Public Schools, Worcester Public Schools, and Pittsburgh Public Schools.
Design Partnerships
SERP's commitment to user-centered design requires that the organization enlist the aid of practitioners in the field to respond to prototypes, test usability, and offer feedback.
Teachers from Pacifica, San Mateo, San Francisco, and Hayward were instrumental in the development of Poster Problems.
San Jose Unified School District and the Austin Independent School District contributed to the development of Advancing Academic Language for All!
Teachers from the Bronx and San Francisco are currently developing the next iteration of Science Generation lessons for middle school.
Professional Learning Partnerships
SERP supports districts that are interested in locally implementing or incorporating products that emerged from a field site.
SERP worked with the New York City Department of Education's Middle School Quality Initiative (MSQI) to develop systematic ways to support schools and teachers to use the Word Generation academic language program. NYC DOE has developed numerous supplements and training materials for Word Generation, and uses Word Generation as the center of its Saturday Debate Tournaments. SERP also supported MSQI to launch the STARI adolescent reading program in several schools.
Internal coherence work was extended through partnerships with Fort Worth Independent School District (TX) and with the Clovis School District (CA) working in collaboration with the Central Valley Educational Leadership Institute at Fresno State University.
