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Stanford partnership expands paraeducator training and classroom research at three Santa Clara Unified campuses
Summary
District leaders and Stanford presenters described a multi‑year research–practice learning partnership focused on inclusive instruction, a ParaPro Academy, a rapid reading assessment (ROAR), and student research pilots across Agnew, Dolores Huerta and McDonald campuses.
Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education and Santa Clara Unified presented updates on a multi‑year Research–Practice Learning Partnership (RPLP) that the district approved in 2022, describing classroom pilots, professional learning and plans to scale select practices across the Agnew campus complex.
Presenters said the partnership centers on classroom inquiry teams, paraeducator development and collaborative research that is co‑designed with school staff. Nicole Henderson and Dr. Elizabeth Kozlewski of Stanford and district staff described the ParaPro Academy, which trains paraeducators in inclusive instructional strategies, data collection and behavior support; Stanford faculty received an internal $300,000 grant to continue ParaPro support. Stanford presenters said the second year of ParaPro has expanded across Agnew, Dolores Huerta Middle School and Kathleen McDonald High School.
The partnership also piloted the ROAR (Rapid Online Assessment for Reading) handheld assessment and a Project ECHO model that brought Stanford developmental behavioral pediatrics clinicians into case consultations with teachers. Stanford faculty said ROAR can deliver quick, “just‑in‑time” data for teachers and can be configured to measure reading and attention‑to‑task; presenters said they are refining glitches noted during early pilots.
An Inclusive Inquiry Project returned student voice to instructional planning: third‑ and fourth‑grade students received brief research training and provided feedback on lessons focused on kindness; teachers reported immediate instructional changes from student findings. Stanford and site principals described early evidence of improved student participation, writing and speaking in classrooms participating in the inquiry cycles.
School leaders and classroom teachers who spoke during public comment praised the partnership. McDonald Vice Principal Nicole Tafoya described paraeducator coaching and Stanford STEP candidates embedded in classrooms; teacher Whitney Ueda and Agnew first‑grade teacher Lisa Rivera Da Silva described direct student gains from the Inclusive Inquiry Project and stronger para‑teacher collaboration. Agnew Principal Joe Young and Huerta Principal Donnell Sontag told trustees the programs elevated paraeducator skills and prompted concrete teacher practice changes.
Stanford faculty said the partnership aims to tie classroom‑level formative work to summative outcomes. Presenters named faculty collaborators (Professor Chris Lemons, Jason Yateman, Heidi Feldman) and said future work will pursue student outcome linking, broaden paraeducator training and explore AI‑assisted tools developed in Stanford labs. The partnership team told trustees it intends to return to the board with a proposal to extend the agreement beyond the initial three years.
Trustees asked for summative evidence of impact. Trustee Rodman pressed for clear outcome measures beyond formative assessment; trustees requested cohort and longitudinal analysis and cautioned about assessment fatigue. Presenters said many projects already include data collection plans and that they will report outcome measures when available.
Trustees and administrators expressed support for expanding practices that show measurable benefits; district staff indicated they will bring proposals and progress data as pilots mature.
