Our commentary responds to the five articles of the special issue on multidisciplinary collaboration to support struggling readers. From our perspectives informed by experiences working with diverse student and family populations in urban settings, preparing pre- and in-service educators and specialists to do the same, and working in federally…

Most agree, in general, that educational research benefits American schools. However, the specific relationship between research and application remain poorly cultivated, and too little educational research is actually utilized by classroom teachers. This paper selectively reviews the intricate association between educational researchers and…

Weaknesses in the field of education that have implications for collaborative research are considered, and education is compared to the more mature professions of health sciences and engineering which have agreed-upon standards and controls. Educational practitioners and researchers are seen as turning to collaborative decision making to bridge…

Issues concerning cooperative efforts between teachers and researchers are considered, based on the experiences of an educator who served as a cooperating teacher in three classroom research projects and a collaborative researcher in another project. Commentary is provided on what collaboration really means, the slowness of change, planning,…

This paper focuses on the challenges in the improvement of research and development that arise from the commonality, rather than differences, in producer and consumer perceptions. The paper is based on the assumption that although producers do have varied incentives for engaging in and using research, their key motivation is a desire to improve…

Discusses the reasons for the popularity of collaboration in early care and education. Defines the term "collaboration." Discusses results of a national study of early care and education collaborations in terms of the achievements of collaborations and the situations in which they work best. Also offers suggestions for making…

A national agenda for the education of gifted students should focus on three areas of unmet needs: the educational needs of the underserved gifted, including underachievers, young gifted, and culturally diverse gifted; a program quality support network, emphasizing research, development, demonstration, and leadership training; and collaborative…