October 2023 Newsletter

Dear Colleagues,

This month’s Spotlight on Research and Practice Partnerships highlights current DRK-12 project work and the pivotal role of partnerships in advancing our understanding of effective teaching and learning strategies, including factors that are crucial to fostering equitable partnerships within the realm of education research.

In case you missed the webinars CADRE offered in the last month, we invite you to watch the recordings and review the related resources. Delve into the insights shared by the authors of the Classroom-Based STEM Assessment: Contemporary Issues and Perspectives report and explore valuable materials to enhance your understanding of STEM education assessment. Hear from a distinguished panel who shared their insights on the design and implementation of observation tools in DRK-12 research in Part 1 of the CADRE Learning Series on Instructional Observation. Plus, mark your calendars and register for Part 2, taking place on November 9, where you can engage in small-group consultations with the panelists and receive feedback on your related research questions. Finally, access valuable insights and tips on leveraging CADRE's resources, as well as guidance for successfully managing DRK-12 grant projects, in our New Awardee Welcome & Orientation Webinar. This information may be particularly beneficial for early career team members.

The CADRE Fellows applications are in, and external reviewers have completed the first round of reviews. Thank you to everyone who applied and supported a potential Fellow by writing letters of recommendation. And a big thank you to our reviewers! CADRE will announce the new cohort of Fellows in our November newsletter.

Thank you to those of you who completed our recent awardee survey. We use this information to inform our work. Among other responses, awardees reported that (beyond having prior experience), the following actions contributed to the success of their proposal(s): serving on a review panel, talking with an NSF program officer during the ideation period, engaging potential partners in the development of the proposal, and getting help from colleagues and mentors. The next round of DRK-12 proposals are due November 8. Good luck to proposers!

In NSF-related news, the EDU Advisory Committee's Fall 2023 meeting is scheduled for November 15-16, 2023. Read the meeting agenda. We recently averted a government shutdown by passing a continuing resolution that ensures funding stability until November 17, 2023. For those who are curious about the potential repercussions for the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the event of a temporary government shutdown, we encourage you to peruse NSF's contingency plan for further insights.

Best,

The CADRE Team

Research-Practice Partnerships | Spotlight

world map

In this month’s Spotlight, three projects share insights on their partnerships between researchers and practitioners to innovate and improve STEM teaching and learning, including their formation, the strategies and features they leverage to support equitable work together, and how they've addressed common challenges. The Spotlight also includes a collection of resources for those who would like to learn more about this approach to education research.

In this Spotlight:

Classroom-Based STEM Assessment | Webinar Recording & Resources

Assessment report infographic

On September 26, authors of the recently released report, Classroom-Based STEM Assessment: Contemporary Issues and Perspectives, discussed the implications of the report for STEM practice and education research in a webinar.

Webinar Resources:

Report Outline & Authors:

As a reminder, an executive summary and list of recommendations are available in addition to the full report.

Instructional Observation | CADRE Learning Series

Panelist headshots

Part 1: Panel Resources
In Part 1 of our CADRE Learning Series, the panelists—Ilana Horn (moderator), Pauline Chinn, Kara Jackson, and Gillian Roehrig—described how they designed and implemented observation tools in their DRK-12 research, offering lessons learned from the development of the tools and analysis of the data.

Part 2: Upcoming Consultations
If you are developing your own tool or grappling with analysis, please join us for Part 2 on November 9, 3-4 PM ET, which will offer small-group consultations with the presenting researchers and an opportunity to get feedback on your own research designs.

Register for Part 2

New Awardee Orientation Webinar | Resources

New Awardee Webinar Slide

CADRE offered a New Awardee Welcome & Orientation Webinar in early October for newly awarded DRK-12 grantees to learn about CADRE's supports and resources and receive guidance on the topics of partnerships and collaborations, budgets, reporting, and project team management. The discussion on these topics led to a compilation of tips offered during the webinar, which may be helpful to early career team members.
 
View Recording & Resources

New DRK-12 Awards | Project List

Logo with #NewDRK12Awards

Additional DRK-12 projects have been funded since our September newsletter. View the full list of recent awards below.

Congratulations to the newest DRK-12 awardees and welcome to our community! We look forward to getting to know you and hearing about your work as it progresses.

View Awards

Project Tip: Maximizing the Impact of Sharing Data with Practice Partners

As you plan your data collection, analysis, and sharing, consider these strategies and tips:

  1. Understanding Motivations: Consider your practice partners' underlying motivations for engaging in the research.
    • Strategies: Conduct interviews or surveys to delve into their specific interests and goals.
    • Tip: Tailor your data presentation to align with their motivations, making it more engaging and relevant.
  1. Transparency in Methodological Choices: Ensure transparency in your research methods, including highlighting limitations and future research plans.
    • Strategies: Clearly communicate the methods used and acknowledge any potential biases or constraints.
    • Tip: Encourage open discussions with practice partners to foster inclusive conversations about the data, acknowledging areas for improvement and further exploration.
  1. Meeting Information Needs: Determine what your practice partners want to know or achieve regarding teaching and learning.
    • Strategies: Host collaborative meetings to pinpoint their precise information needs.
    • Tip: Create customized data reports or visualizations that directly address their questions and concerns.
  1. Utilizing Research Data: Explore how your partners intend to use the research data.
    • Strategies: Establish clear channels for communication and feedback to ensure data is applied effectively.
    • Tip: Provide training or resources to help partners harness the data for actionable insights.
  1. Compelling Data Selection: Identify which data points might be most compelling for administrators, teachers, or other practice partners.
    • Strategies: Conduct focus groups to ascertain which data visuals resonate most with your audience.
    • Tip: Use storytelling techniques to make data come alive and resonate emotionally.
  1. Engaging Partner Stakeholders: Understand how subgroups of partner stakeholders prefer to engage with the data.
    • Strategies: Customize data access and delivery methods for different stakeholder groups.
    • Tip: Consider interactive dashboards, workshops, or tailored reports to cater to diverse preferences.
  1. Aligning with Initiatives: Explore how your project data can support and enhance existing school or district initiatives.
    • Strategies: Collaborate with key decision-makers to integrate your findings into strategic plans.
    • Tip: Showcase how your data aligns with specific goals and objectives to secure buy-in.
  1. Leveraging Comparison Data: Leverage comparison group data to inspire reflection and action based on your results.
    • Strategies: Design clear benchmarks and key performance indicators for meaningful comparisons.
    • Tip: Encourage continuous improvement by regularly revisiting and analyzing comparative data.
  1. Historical and Standard References: Examine project results relative to past performance and established standards.
    • Strategies: Develop a historical data repository for trend analysis and benchmark against industry or academic standards.
    • Tip: Highlight improvements and deviations from established norms to underline your project's impact.
  1. Integrating Institutional Data: Explore opportunities to link your project results with other institutional data sources.
    • Strategies: Collaborate with data experts to integrate disparate data sets seamlessly.
    • Tip: Create comprehensive, multi-dimensional analyses by combining various data sources for deeper insights.

By infusing these strategies and tips into your data-sharing process, you can make your project's information actionable and impactful for your practice partners. Resources such as the REL Northeast & Islands’ Practitioner Data Use in Schools: Workshop Toolkit provides additional guidance in sharing and working with research data.

Newsbites

News from NSF

  • The Fall 2023 NSF Virtual Grants Conference will be held the week of December 4. Registration is free and will open November 8 at 12 noon ET. Sign up to get notified by email.
  • The NSF EDU 2023 Fall Advisory Committee Meeting will be held November 15–16, 2023. Register to attend virtually.
News from NSF Networks
News from DRK-12 Projects and Awardees
 
Awards & Recognition

Podcast

Publications

Do you have news to share? Email cadre@edc.org.

Upcoming Opportunities

The following funding and publication opportunities, listed by deadline, may be of interest to you and your DRK-12 project members.

Funding

For more NSF funding opportunities, see CADRE's list of Upcoming NSF DRL EHR Solicitation Deadlines.
 

Publications

For other publication opportunities, including those with ongoing submissions, see CADRE's list of Publications for STEM Educators, Policymakers, and Researchers.
 
Conferences
For more conference information, see CADRE's list of Conferences for STEM Educators, Policymakers, and Researchers.
 

Career & Professional Development

For job, funding, and capacity-building opportunities for doctoral students, postdocs, and other early career scholars, visit our Early Career News & Opportunities page.

In Case You Missed It

Highlights from recent newsletters and announcements:

A complete archive of our newsletters and announcements is available on cadrek12.org.

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