B ALTIMORE C ITY P UBLIC S CHOOLS District Research Partnerships Jennifer K. Bell-Ellwanger Chief Accountability Officer Office of Achievement and Accountability Council of Great City Schools Curriculum & Research Directors Meeting July 11-14, 2012, Las Vegas, NV 1

B ALTIMORE C ITY P UBLIC S CHOOLS Content Establishing new Research Partnerships Strengthening existing Research Partnerships Common Challenges Lessons Learned 2

B ALTIMORE C ITY P UBLIC S CHOOLS Steps to Establishing a Collaboration and Data Exchange Generate a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) Two-way data-sharing agreement creates an opportunity to examine the common research goals of both institutions Establish Shared Research Agenda/Goals Conduct research to directly inform operational policy Conduct research prioritization determined by core operational needs Create helpful resources for schools Conduct research that can generate data to support school-level efforts Increase students’ academic readiness and achievement Establish Key Partners at Both Institutions Determine primary points of contact at both institutions Establish frequency for meeting to discuss key projects and deliverables 3

B ALTIMORE C ITY P UBLIC S CHOOLS Steps to Strengthening Existing Research Partnerships 4 Revisit agreement between research partners Revisiting existing Memorandum of Understanding Review past and present research projects Review systems and processes for sharing data Establish additional data exchange relationships Establish lines of Communication Determine frequency for meeting Define rules of engagement (e.g., process for requesting and sharing data) Establish a place to house all data shared between partners Orient and conduct trainings for staff Set and carry out clear goals Carry out one to two NEW reports on a shared research goal Present research projects at conferences

B ALTIMORE C ITY P UBLIC S CHOOLS Common Challenges 5 Developing and prioritizing the research agenda Coordinating both research teams High demand for analyses, short supply on analysts Differing research methods and guidelines Aligning benchmarks and definitions Duplicating efforts Cumbersome file transfer Obtaining some different results Dissemination of research results Internal versus external audiences

B ALTIMORE C ITY P UBLIC S CHOOLS Establishing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 6 The Solution/ Lesson Learned Details Decisions regarding data sharing Establish when, what, and how data will be transferred Establish how data will be housed, stored, and used by outside partners Determine what resources will be associated with data sharing Decisions regarding composition and work of Executive Board Composition of the Executive may consist of district staff, community members, business partners and/or universities Level of the Executive Board’s oversight may include: research agenda setting, review of program evaluation components, and/or approval of all final reports for release Establish a frequency for meeting. This may be monthly, quarterly or semiannually Decisions regarding length of Memorandum Establish a timeframe for the MOU. A MOU may be in existence for one year, five years or longer Establish a process for reviewing and amending the MOU when needed

B ALTIMORE C ITY P UBLIC S CHOOLS Appointing a Core Set of Researchers 7 The Solution/ Lesson Learned Details Appoint a dedicated research team Communicate frequently and work collaboratively on research agendas Create and maintain a shared data warehouse Create a team of accessible, diverse team members Programmers: for specific questions on data structure and design Data analysts and researchers: for questions related to the data fields Directors: for policy-related questions and informing the entire team about any policy changes in their respective institutions Hold regularly scheduled meetings Weekly meetings work best – especially at the start After data exchange is established, bi-weekly or monthly meetings to continue conversation about research using the data

B ALTIMORE C ITY P UBLIC S CHOOLS Establishing Best Practices for Producing and Sharing Data Sets 8 The Solution/ Lesson Learned Details Understand best combination for identifying students Understand what can happen if you must use student first name and last name in your matching process Combining identifiers or having common identifiers will increase the accuracy of matching students Clearly define population of interests Determine various definitions for a particular population and when to use those definitions Different populations of interest and cohort definitions are acceptable, but need to be noted and understood when conducting research and presenting the findings on behalf of both institutions Maintain clear documentation Establish clear protocol for data documentation The more documentation on the data, the better With staff transitions, lack of documentation can lead to wasted time for new staff

B ALTIMORE C ITY P UBLIC S CHOOLS Lessons Learned 9 Coordination, communication, and commitment between both institutions is essential Research must be oriented to clear policy questions Need a core staff of dedicated researchers to data-sharing projects Research teams need expertise in use of data sets Policymakers in both institutions need immediate access to the data and research