The Texas Public Schools Research Network (TPSRN)

The Texas Public Schools Research Network

General Project Information: 

The Texas Public Schools Research Network (TPSRN) is a university-public school research collaborative devoted to cooperative design and implementation of educational research related to teacher quality and effectiveness.  The Network is currently comprised of seventeen school districts throughout the state, and is administered by CREATE, in partnership with the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA).

Current Membership:

The following school districts are members of the Texas Public Schools Research Network:

Birdville Independent School District
Dallas Independent School District
Fort Worth Independent School District
Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District
Highland Park Independent School District
Lamar Consolidated Independent School District
North East Independent School District
Northside Independent School District
Richardson Independent School District
Round Rock Independent School District
San Antonio Independent School District
Stephenville Independent School District
Weatherford Independent School District

Scope of Work: 

The Texas Public Schools Research Network carries out its mission in the following manner:

1. Research Symposia:  The Network hosts a series of research symposia engaging school district representatives and university researchers in guided discussions about selected teacher quality research issues.  These symposia generally occur twice annually, in the fall and spring semesters of the academic year.  The sessions afford participants opportunities to propose studies of consequence target and refine research questions, and learn from pertinent research literature, as well as from TPSRN-sponsored studies.  TPSRN symposia have especially sought to highlight promising research already underway in Texas school districts, as well as to brainstorm additional research topics of importance to participating school districts.  In 2007-08, TPSRN’s research and development efforts concentrated on teacher induction and teacher support services for novice classroom teachers.
2. TPSRN Sponsored Research:  Based on the input and suggestions of members, the Network also sponsors original research which directly engages member districts in design, data collection and interpretation of findings.  Findings from these studies are disseminated and reviewed within symposia sessions, and, wherever possible, results are customized for individual districts and disseminated to research leaders within these member school organizations.   Two longitudinal studies were conducted through the network beginning in 2005 including the Texas Teacher Induction Study, which tracked the induction experiences of over 450 novice teachers throughout the state, and the Fifty Texas Teachers Study, that investigated the employment and classroom experiences of 50 high school science and math teachers during their first three years in the profession.  A study of school district selection and assignment practices was completed in 2011.
3. Public School Research Scholars:  In 2009, the Network launched a research scholars program for professional educators in participating school districts who are already engaged in advanced graduate study.  The Scholars program provides support and assistance to selected public school professionals who are pursuing graduate research in areas related to teacher quality and effectiveness, offering design consultation grants and modest research support grants.  A Call for Participation is currently underway for the 2012 cohort.  Participating Scholars will attend summer design institutes at a CREATE consortium campus during the summer, and through these workshops each scholar will develop research designs which can serve the dual purposes of meeting the research standards of their respective graduate programs, as well as address pressing teacher quality issues of interest to network schools.  CREATE design institutes will be led by a team of university faculty (designated as Faculty Research Fellows) who will instruct and mentor Scholars in the development of a solid research designs. The best of these research proposals will be eligible for modest research support grants to be implemented through the Network’s Sponsored Research Program.
4. Faculty Research Fellows:  The Network supports a parallel Faculty Research Fellows program to support and guide the work of the Texas Public Schools Research Network and related Research Fellows.  Through this program up to three university faculty members from participating CREATE institutions will be awarded funding to facilitate the on-going research activities of the TPSRN and the Public School Research Fellows.  These Faculty Research Fellows will work under the direction of the CREATE leadership team.

Current Work Underway:

CREATE is currently accepting applications for the 2012 cohort of PUBLIC SCHOOL RESEARCH SCHOLARS. Program activities enable school professionals enrolled in doctoral studies within a CREATE university to design and complete doctoral research related to teacher quality and effectiveness that fulfills requirements of their doctoral program and provides meaningful and important findings to member school districts. See Brochure.

Contacts:

For information about the Texas Public Schools Research Network, contact:

Dr. Mona S. Wineburg, Project Co-Director
Center for Research, Evaluation and Advancement of Teacher Education
(936) 273-7661
mwineburg@createtx.org

Dr. Susan Holley, Project Co-Director
Texas Association of School Administrators
(512) 477-6361
sholley@tasanet.org