Equity-Centered Research–Practice Partnerships: An Approach for Advancing Educator Diversity in Education Systems

Abstract

The importance of educator diversity is becoming increasingly evident as research demonstrates the positive impact of Teachers of Color and Indigenous Teachers (TOCIT) on student learning and achievement, particularly among underrepresented groups (Dee, 2004; Gershenson et al., 2018; Grissom & Redding, 2016; Shirrell et al., 2021). Despite this, progress toward diversifying the educator workforce remains slow, signaling the need to advance educator diversity through a radical reimagining of teacher development systems. The use of research–practice partnership (RPP), a research approach that facilitates collaboration between practitioners and researchers, may be a promising model for addressing this perennial challenge.