Collaborative action research professional development: Collaboration between urban public schools and an urban university

The proposed Best Practices Forum will present an innovative Professional Development (PD) model expressed through teacher-driven action research highlighting a partnership between an urban public school district and an urban university. University faculty and teachers from Campus International School, MC2STEM High School, and John Marshall High School collaborated to develop action research projects related to improving teaching and student learning. Sixty-three action research projects have been conducted since this initiative launched in 2013. This year, 35 K-12 teachers collaborated with 15 professors to conduct research relevant to classroom practices. Together, teacher researchers and university faculty generated research questions, collected and analyzed data, and shared insights gained with public school and university teachers. In this forum, we will introduce this model, feature three action research projects, and discuss lessons learned, challenges encountered, and the implications for using collaborative action research as a meaningful and effective model for PD to enhance educational practice.