A School Culture Framed by Research

Although research is central to Falk’s mission as a laboratory school, it often takes a back seat to progressive learning experiences and teacher training. Over the last year, however, research has gained significant momentum, as Falk Lab School director Dr. Jill Sarada and Dr. Katrina Bartow Jacobs, Falk’s research coordinator, have worked to develop a new approach. They have worked with faculty and staff to incorporate research into multiple functions of the school, from teacher-led research to ways of addressing day-to-day concerns that use research tools and draw from improvement science.

As she completed her Doctorate in Education at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Education, Dr. Sarada came to understand how the tools she was learning about, specifically from the domain of improvement science, provided a vital missing piece to the puzzle of balancing research with Falk’s other missions. For research to be meaningful, she concluded, it must be structured in ways that are context-specific, easy to use, and that provide immediate useful information.

Teacher-Driven Research

While Falk has long functioned as a host of external research, teacher-driven research and collaborations among faculty and with Pitt colleagues have been more limited, with many teachers feeling that they lacked both the time and knowledge to delve into their own inquiries in a systematic manner.

That has begun to change as Dr. Jacobs’ role as research coordinator has taken shape. Dr. Jacobs, an associate professor in the University of Pittsburgh School of Education’s Department of Teaching, Learning, and Leading, has continued her work of serving as a conduit and matchmaker between Falk and other researchers, both within and outside Pitt.

But she has also added a new initiative, the Falk Research Fellows program, to grow and nurture the research done by Falk faculty and staff. The program invites faculty and staff to propose their own research inquiries, with guidance and support from Dr. Jacobs as they conduct background reading, attend conferences, and plan and conduct experiments, among other activities.

Using the Tools of Improvement Science

Research tools and improvement science have also offered Falk Lab School leadership powerful ways of reflecting on and addressing a range of challenges, from day-to-day concerns to improving how food is provided and charting a course for Falk’s future.

Even when these approaches are not full-blown research projects, the growing shared familiarity with research approaches and tools has supported the school’s ongoing work to improve its practice and support the community. And along with initiatives like the Research Fellows program, the embrace of these kinds of tools has helped foster a schoolwide culture of research and inquiry.

“As we build understanding of research approaches, we can utilize these tools and mindsets—things like rethinking the schedule to allow a teacher to have engagement with a wider group of classes, for example,” says Dr. Jacobs, “or how we can allow our families a chance to access all our teachers on conference days.”

For example, when Falk leadership evaluated the food services the school provides, Dr. Jacobs conducted a survey to gauge attitudes toward everything from food quality to pricing and how food is delivered to students. She worked closely with Dr. Sarada, along with cafeteria staff and Falk parents Neena Reddy and Sansea Jacobson to interpret the results. In response to community input, Falk partnered with its food service provider, Chartwells, and made several changes to how it provides food to its students, from providing a free snack to expanding and revamping its menu options. Dr. Sarada and Dr. Jacobs also ensured that data and analysis were shared back with families, making it clear how these pieces had been used to guide the school’s decision-making process.

And when Falk embarked upon “En Avant,” its strategic planning process, Dr. Sarada and Dr. Jacobs used surveys, town-hall meetings, and small-group sessions to learn how different stakeholders see Falk now and what they envision for the school well into the future. This data is critical in shaping a strategic planning process that is inclusive, welcoming the voices of current Falk families, faculty, and staff, along with alumni, former parents, and student-teacher alumni.

Part of the Puzzle

The Research Fellows program and the increased use of tools drawn from research and improvement science are two previously missing puzzle pieces, part of a broader research picture that is now beginning to take shape.

Falk Lab School continues to support a number of research projects, ranging from those undertaken by Falk teachers (known as Tier 1 projects) to explorations led by outside researchers (Tiers 3 and 4).

There were also a number of Tier 2 projects, collaborations with University of Pittsburgh faculty. This year, Falk worked with faculty across the University, including the Swanson School of Engineering, the School of Medicine, and the departments of biology and statistics, among others.

Regardless of the research tier, the goals of research at Falk are to engage in research that:

• helps foster equitable educational opportunities for all children;
• centers teachers and students as producers of knowledge;
• connects research and practice; and
• promotes collaborative approaches to research.

“A School Culture Framed by Research”

Embracing a research mindset means adopting a systematic way of looking at things, says Dr. Jacobs, and pausing and reflecting.

“A school culture framed by research allows space and time to pause and review what the research says instead of relying on gut instinct,” she says. “That applies to everything from a curricular model to how we’re working to enact progressive education throughout the school.”

“Research processes and tools provide a way to make areas of inquiry visible, allowing groups to see places for changes, and to track those changes,” says Dr. Sarada. “The ultimate goal is learning that leads to growth and improvement.”