Overview
The Learning Differences Initiative has joined forces with the Santa Clara Unified School District in a dynamic Research Practice Learning Partnership (RPLP). This innovative collaboration serves as a beacon of cooperation, facilitating the exchange of expertise between academia and a school district. Our shared goal is to propel both research and practical application forward, fostering an inclusive learning ecosystem that addresses the diverse needs of students. These needs span across various intersections, encompassing national origin, language diversity, cultural backgrounds, racial identities, physical abilities, sensory perceptions, intellectual capacities, and social-emotional well-being.
Stanford researchers from across disciplines are currently working with teachers, paraeducators, parents, and administrators to co-create new instructional methods, ask novel research questions, pilot and refine innovative solutions, and more effectively train educators in inclusive practices for the benefit of all learners.
Program leads
Elizabeth Kozleski
Faculty Co-Director, Learning Differences Initiative
Kathie Kanavel
Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services, Santa Clara Unified School District
Program collaborators
Nicole Henderson
Project Lead
Jason Yeatman
Associate Professor, Stanford Graduate School of Education, Stanford School of Medicine
Carrie Townley-Flores
Director of Research & Partnerships, Rapid Online Assessment of Reading (ROAR)
Heidi Feldman
Ballinger-Swindells Endowed Professor, Stanford School of Medicine
Chris Lemons
Associate Professor, Stanford Graduate School of Education
Lakshmi Balasubramanian
Lecturer & Sr. Researcher, Stanford Graduate School of Education
Sandra Velásquez
RPLP Liaison, Santa Clara Unified School District
Joe Young
Principal, Abram Agnew Elementary School
Dawnel Sonntag
Principal, Dolores Huerta Middle School
Vivian Rhone-Lay
Principal, Kathleen McDonald High School
Current collaborations
The Research Practice Learning Partnership takes place on a single site in Santa Clara Unified School District that includes an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school. Examples of collaborations at the Agnew campus complex include:
- Abram Agnew Elementary School. Associate Professor Chris Lemons leads Para Pro Academy, a professional development program for paraeducators. In addition, behavioral pediatrics researchers from Stanford, including Dr. Heidi Feldman, are working with teachers, counselors, and school leaders to develop their reflective practices and better support social emotional learning for students and teachers through a collaborative community group.
- Dolores Huerta Middle School. A group of teachers is collaboratively designing a guide for colleague-to-colleague classroom observation. The guide will support the teacher community in deepening their understanding and practice of inclusive designs for learning in the school’s particular context.
- Kathleen MacDonald High School. An exploratory research project called Condor Career Cornerstone (C3) has been engaging teachers, learners, and families to co-design new college and career pathways for students.
- Cross-site projects. Existing projects from the Graduate School of Education are expanding their presence at the Agnew campus complex. Starting in the 2024-25 school year, teacher candidates from the Stanford Teacher Education Program (STEP) will be placed at all three schools. Associate Professor Jason Yeatman has also been piloting the Rapid Online Assessment of Reading (ROAR) at the sites to measure student literacy and inform new approaches to teaching language arts.