ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how one research-practice partnership (RPP) navigated and impacted complex PK12 systems. Our experiences interrogate the locus of control for those participating in RPP projects in building and sustaining equitable university PK12 relationships and more equitable school communities. Through a case study focused on a school leadership and cultural transformation partnership between an urban school district, university researchers, and community non-profit organizations, we illustrate the ways that RPPs can support participants grappling with PK12 system factors. These systems can serve as both barriers and facilitators to equitable functioning within the context of the partnership as well as for advancing equitable teaching and learning outcomes for students through the partnership. This chapter will examine how RPPs can blur boundaries within PK12 systems to create change levers and sustain both the ongoing RPP work and the use of practice-centered knowledge created within RPP projects.
