Who runs the Research Partnership?  Will the Research Partnership be housed at SSRC?

The Research Partnership is currently coordinated by the Social Science Research Council (SSRC).  However, the SSRC is committed to overseeing the necessary steps to establish the independent and sustainable organization proposed by policymakers and researchers. The current proposal involves a series of steps across a period of three years during which SSRC’s role will scale back incrementally as the new enterprise gains capacity and comes into its own as a fully operational, independent organization.

Is the Research Partnership independent from the New York City Department of Education?

Yes, the Research Partnership does not accept any financial support from the New York City Department of Education nor is it in any way subject to its jurisdiction or authority.  The Research Partnership is comprised of independent researchers and governed by an independent governance board.

What is our relationship to the NYC Chancellor and the Department of Education, especially around agenda setting and release of research findings?

To ensure that our research is relevant to policy makers and practitioners, the Research Partnership actively solicits input from the Department of Education on identification of research priorities.  To ensure accuracy and appropriate policy response, the Research Partnership will provide the Department of Education with the opportunity for notice and comment prior to public release.

How will the Teacher’s Union be involved in our work?

While the Research Partnership is independent of both the Teacher’s Union and the Department of Education administration, we have reached out to leadership of the Teacher’s Union to inform them of our work and to seek their recommendations.

Is this project supported by the New York City business community?

The Partnership for New York City has explicitly advocated as one of its leading 2006 priorities the importance of ongoing independent evaluation of New York City schools.  The Partnership for New York City has supported this initiative through assigning staff to participate in our workgroups, providing letters of support and contacting private sector expertise on our behalf.

How does this project represent New York City's racial, ethnic and ideological diversity?

The Research Partnership is committed to developing diverse membership on its governance and advisory boards as well as project staff to reflect the racial, ethnic and ideological backgrounds of New York City.

What is the role of community and advocacy groups in this organization?

The Research Partnership is committed to dispassionate independent research.  Researchers participating in the project reflect the diverse views and interests of community members.  The Research Partnership is developing mechanisms to structure community input into constructively informing the organization’s research priorities.

What is the long-term sustainability of the research partnership?

The Research Partnership is loosely modeled after the Chicago Consortium for School Research, an entity that is well into its second decade of successful work.  Long-term sustainability is enhanced by support from the major research universities in New York City, the private sector, the philanthropic community and the consensus and organization of the city’s leading educational researchers.

How will the research affect children in the schools?

Ideally the research will help to design improved policy and practice to improve education for New York City children.  The majority of research will rely on administrative data that will protect the confidentiality of individuals. To the extent that limited additional survey data is collected, it will respect human subjects’ protocols and not interfere with instruction.