How can researchers and educators work together to ensure that data informs meaningful school improvement? This interactive session examines the first year of a district–university research–practice partnership between San Benito High School District and the University of California, Davis. Participants will learn how researchers, district leaders, school administrators, department chairs, and PLC leaders engaged in collaborative sensemaking to understand and strengthen implementation of Haybaler Support Time (HST), a structured intervention designed to support reteaching, reassessment, and mastery-based learning. Through jointly analyzing data, refining research questions, and interpreting findings in light of local context, partners transformed research evidence into actionable strategies for practice. Presenters will share lessons learned about trust, listening, collaborative inquiry, and continuous improvement, offering practical guidance for developing and sustaining partnerships that bridge research and practice and generate meaningful educational change.
