Research Results

This report details the lessons learned through the Research-Practice Partnership between NYKids, Tech Valley High School (TVHS), Chatham Central School District (CSD), and the American Institutes for Research (AIR). The report, co-written by members of the collaborative, reflects on positive outcomes from the RPP, challenges team members faced, and future goals for improvement.

In this presentation entitled “Backbone Organizations for Improvement Research and Continuous Improvement Utilization: Opportunities and Challenges from New York State” NYKids Director and Associate Professor of Educational Policy and Leadership, Kristen C. Wilcox details the continuous improvement efforts made by NYKids and our partners across New York State.

Dr. Aaron Leo presented research from NYKids’ latest study of Adaptation and Innovation during the COVID-19 pandemic at the American Anthropological Association’s annual conference held in Toronto, Canada in November, 2023. The paper, co-written with Dr. Kristen C. Wilcox was entitled “Educators’ stress and emotional labor during the COVID-19 pandemic” and drew on data gathered among 88 educators across New York State. Dr. Leo delivered the paper alongside other researchers on a panel focusing on teacher and student agency during the pandemic.

This presentation, entitled “Advancing Educational Equity Research, Policy, and Practice,” was delivered by NYKids Director Kristen C. Wilcox and longtime collaborator Hal A. Lawson at the Educational Leaders without Borders conference held in Athens, Greece in April, 2023. The presentation discusses the importance of equity-focused research and recounts over two decades of NYKids scholarship.

NYKids Assistant Director Aaron Leo and Director Kristen C. Wilcox attended participated in a roundtable at the 2023 AERA Annual Conference held in April, 2023. The presentation was titled “Family Engagement during the Pandemic: Challenges and Opportunities” and drew on data from NYKids’ latest study of pandemic-related adaptations among six schools throughout New York State.

NYKids team members Kristen C. Wilcox, Maria I. Khan, and Jessie Tobin presented this poster at the 2023 Carnegie Summit held in San Diego. The poster, titled “Addressing Differential Impacts of COVID via a National Research-Practice Partnership Network” outlines research improvement work NYKids has connected as part of a collaboration with Tech Valley High School, Chatham City School District, and American Institutes for Research.

This research brief outlines the major findings from NYKids’ latest study on the effects of the pandemic on the educator workforce. The full report, “Opportunities and Challenges to Adapt and Innovate: How Educators Confronted the COVID-19 Pandemic,” was published in December, 2022 and is available on our website. The brief succinctly describes the four drivers for adaptation and innovation found in positive outlier schools that participated in the study: Empowerment and Collective Responsibility; Responsiveness and Flexible Problem Solving ; A Relationship- and Connection-Centered Orientation; and Adaptive and Innovative Systems.

In this presentation titled “Stakeholder Empowerment: Research Results on Adaptive Leadership During Change” NYKids Director Kristen C. Wilcox and Associate Professor at Russell Sage College Francesca Durand discuss findings related to leadership drawn from NYKids’ study of the pandemic’s impacts on educators throughout New York State.

In this presentation, Maria I. Khan and Kristen C. Wilcox discuss findings from an research conducted at an urban, diverse elementary school with high rates of poverty. The presentation “Remote Schooling during the COVID-10 Pandemic: A Case Study of Impacts on Children in a High Poverty, High Diversity School” was presented at the Comparative and International Education Society’s Annual Conference.

NYKids team members Kristen C. Wilcox and Maria I. Khan presented findings from an ongoing research study at the Comparative and International Education Society. The presentation, entitled “Improving Educational Equity through Research-Practice Partnerships & University-School Collaborations in the Post-Pandemic Era,” explores the research-practice partnership between NYKids, Chatham Central School District, and Tech Valley High School. This work is also being conducted with the support of the American Institutes for Research.

In this conference brief Sarah Zuckerman and Kristen Wilcox describe paradigm shifts which they feel are needed with regard to how and what we prioritize when attempting to improve schools, as well as how those engaging in school improvement work are supported.

NYKids’ latest report, “Opportunities and Challenges to Adapt and Innovate: How Educators Confronted the COVID-19 Pandemic,” features data gathered among 88 educators from 6 schools across New York State. The study offers important findings related to adaptation and innovation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and provides insight into the challenges faced by school districts as well as the promising adaptations and innovations such crises prompt.

This case study report, “Opportunities and Challenges for Adaptation and Innovation: A Study of Educators’ Experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic” is part of NYKids’ research project investigating the impacts on educators during the COVID-19 pandemic. This report focuses on the experiences, adaptations, and innovations of educators at Shaker Road Elementary School in Colonie, New York.

This case study report, “Opportunities and Challenges for Adaptation and Innovation: A Study of Educators’ Experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic” is part of NYKids’ research project investigating the impacts on educators during the COVID-19 pandemic. This report focuses on the experiences, adaptations, and innovations of educators at Tamarac Secondary School in Troy, New York.

This case study report, “Opportunities and Challenges for Adaptation and Innovation: A Study of Educators’ Experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic” is part of NYKids’ research project investigating the impacts on educators during the COVID-19 pandemic. This report focuses on the experiences, adaptations, and innovations of educators at Chatham Middle School in Chatham, New York.

This case study report, “Opportunities and Challenges for Adaptation and Innovation: A Study of Educators’ Experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic” is part of NYKids’ research project investigating the impacts on educators during the COVID-19 pandemic. This report focuses on the experiences, adaptations, and innovations of educators at Lake George Elementary School in Lake George, New York.

This case study report, “Opportunities and Challenges for Adaptation and Innovation: A Study of Educators’ Experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic” is part of NYKids’ research project investigating the impacts on educators during the COVID-19 pandemic. This report focuses on the experiences, adaptations, and innovations of educators at Whitesboro Middle School in Whitesboro, New York.

This case study report, “Opportunities and Challenges for Adaptation and Innovation: A Study of Educators’ Experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic” is part of NYKids’ research project investigating the impacts on educators during the COVID-19 pandemic. This report focuses on the experiences, adaptations, and innovations of educators at Deerfield Elementary School in Whitesboro, New York.

This Engaged Researchers Meeting discussed findings from an ongoing study conducted by researchers in the School of Public Health, Public Administration and Policy, and the School of Education. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of remote schooling on the occurrence of adverse childhood events among children in New York State. Researchers also seek to uncover the experiences of caregivers and educators during the pandemic and develop community-informed recommendations to develop trauma informed interventions in schools.

The NYKids paper entitled “A Rural Research-Practice Partnership’s Adaptations during the COVID-19 Pandemic” was delivered as part of the American Educational Research Association’s annual conference in 2022. It outlines how improvement science principles were used to support Fort Plain Jr.Sr. High School’s planning and improvement efforts as they tackled pandemic-related disruptions

At the 2022 American Educational Research Association’s Annual Conference, NYKids Graduate Assistant Jessie Tobin presents findings from our College and Career Readiness Study related to peer relationships. The presentation, entitled “Fostering positive peer relationships: a qualitative study of two secondary schools,” explores ways in which educators and students at positive outlier schools fostered positive relationships among peers.

This slide deck is taken from a presentation at the 2022 Carnegie Summit by Dr. Kristen C. Wilcox and Dr. Tammy Ellis-Robinson. The presentation entitled, “Decolonizing Pedagogy: Engaging in Disciplined Inquiry in Higher Education” explores efforts of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Task Force at UAlbany’s School of Education.

This report details the methods used in NYKids study “Discovering Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Education Workforce.” The document includes the study overview, research literature, theoretical framework and research questions as well as the methods used for participant recruitment, data collection and analysis. The survey instrument and school leader interview protocol are attached as separate appendices.

This presentation was delivered by Dr. Wilcox to the University Council for Educational Administration Annual Conference Paper. It discusses the roles of school leaders during the pandemic and school closures over the last 18 months and draws on data from the ongoing NYKids study of the differential impacts of COVID-19 on schools across New York State.

In this presentation sponsored by Questar III-BOCES, Dr. Kristen Wilcox facilitates a discussion on how to prepare school leaders for the upcoming school year. Particular attention is given to the importance of communication between leaders and teachers.