Leaders from Across California Convene at UC Irvine to Strengthen Research–Practice Partnerships in Education
By Adam Lara
March 12, 2026
March 12, 2026
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In late January, leaders from across California’s education landscape gathered at UC Irvine with a shared goal: making sure research doesn’t just live in journals but actually helps schools solve real problems.
On January 29–30, 2026, the Organizing Collaboration for Educational Advancement Network (OCEAN) at the UC Irvine School of Education hosted the California Research–Practice Partnership (RPP) Sub-Networking Convening, in collaboration with California Education Partners and the National Network of Education Research-Practice Partnerships (NNERPP). Over two days, 57 leaders from 23 universities, school districts, and foundations came together to strengthen how research and practice work together to support more equitable outcomes for students across the state. |
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Since 2024, the NNERPP California RPP Subnetwork has focused on aligning academic research with the real-world needs of school districts by strengthening research–practice partnerships, expanding district engagement, and increasing the use of research to guide equity-focused policy and practice.
The convening was designed to move from strategy to action.
On Thursday, members of the design team worked toward consensus on future “change pathways” for the network and advanced collaborative research efforts focused on multilingual learners, student voice, and mathematics.
On Friday, district leadership teams from Santa Ana Unified, Tustin Unified, and Lynwood Unified joined the conversation. Together with researchers, they examined the “CORE DNA” of their partnerships and how these collaborations can help districts achieve their student outcome goals.
The gathering also brought together a wide range of stakeholders committed to system-level change, including STEM-focused partnerships and district leaders.
The convening also comes at a moment of growing national leadership for the OCEAN team.
The convening was designed to move from strategy to action.
On Thursday, members of the design team worked toward consensus on future “change pathways” for the network and advanced collaborative research efforts focused on multilingual learners, student voice, and mathematics.
On Friday, district leadership teams from Santa Ana Unified, Tustin Unified, and Lynwood Unified joined the conversation. Together with researchers, they examined the “CORE DNA” of their partnerships and how these collaborations can help districts achieve their student outcome goals.
The gathering also brought together a wide range of stakeholders committed to system-level change, including STEM-focused partnerships and district leaders.
The convening also comes at a moment of growing national leadership for the OCEAN team.
Adam Lara
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Adam Lara, associate director of OCEAN at the UC Irvine School of Education, has been invited to serve on the Steering Committee for the NNERPP.
The steering committee helps guide the network’s strategic direction and supports major initiatives, including planning for the annual NNERPP forum and strengthening the field of research–practice partnerships nationwide. In this voluntary role, Lara will collaborate with national leaders while continuing to lead OCEAN’s work connecting researchers, school districts, and communities across California. Participating institutions included: Universities: UC Irvine, Stanford, UC Berkeley, USC, UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Merced, San Diego State University, CSU Fullerton, Loyola Marymount University, and Rice University. |
School Districts:
Los Angeles Unified, San Francisco Unified, Santa Ana Unified, Tustin Unified, Lynwood Unified, and Montebello Unified.
Organizations and Foundations:
The Gates Foundation, Digital Promise, WestEd, the Orange County Department of Education, California Education Partners, and the Santa Ana Early Learning Initiative.
Los Angeles Unified, San Francisco Unified, Santa Ana Unified, Tustin Unified, Lynwood Unified, and Montebello Unified.
Organizations and Foundations:
The Gates Foundation, Digital Promise, WestEd, the Orange County Department of Education, California Education Partners, and the Santa Ana Early Learning Initiative.
About OCEAN
The Organizing Collaboration for Educational Advancement Network (OCEAN) at the UC Irvine School of Education connects faculty and doctoral students with K–12 schools and community organizations across California and beyond to build research–practice partnerships that address pressing educational challenges.
The Organizing Collaboration for Educational Advancement Network (OCEAN) at the UC Irvine School of Education connects faculty and doctoral students with K–12 schools and community organizations across California and beyond to build research–practice partnerships that address pressing educational challenges.
