Guiding Principles for a Research Schools Network: Successes and Challenges

Building on J. Dewey's (1907) original work with the laboratory school, the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Texas–Arlington is expanding the original concept to include partners throughout a school system and the community in order to support and advance learning in multiple learning environments. The goal is to establish a network of schools, administrators, teachers, graduate students, and policymakers; not necessarily everyone, but a critical mass of vested partners working collaboratively in what we call a Research Schools Network (RSN). The Network uses the new field of Mind, Brain and Education (MBE) to develop a theoretical and practical foundation for addressing educational challenges in the community. This article explores how the college has partnered with Arlington Independent School District (AISD), neighboring universities, the business community, and our state representative to develop and define new paradigms that not only promote MBE as an academic field, but also inform and are informed by the community it seeks to serve.