Using research-practice partnerships to improve practice in Chicago Public School

Research Practice Partnerships (RPPs), particularly in the field of Computer Science Education, are a relatively recent development as a potential strategy to address complex education challenges. Currently, there is limited research focused on evaluating RPP effectiveness. Using the RPP effectiveness framework developed by Henrick, Cobb, Penuel, Jackson & Clark, this paper describes the formative evaluation methods used to assess the effectiveness of the first year of the National Science Foundation-funded RPP, Chicago Alliance for Equity in Computer Science (CAFECS). This paper reports initial findings from this evaluation, focusing on the second and third dimensions: (1) conducting rigorous research to inform action and (2) supporting the partner organization to achieve its goals.

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