Full Researcher - Center for Community Schooling

Overview of the UCLA Center for Community Schooling

The UCLA Center for Community Schooling advances democracy, justice, and public education by helping schools become vibrant, community-centered places where young people learn and thrive. The Center brings research, policy, and practice into close partnership with students, families, educators, and public agencies to support meaningful and lasting school transformation.

Grounded in long-term research–practice partnerships with the UCLA Community School and the Mann UCLA Community School, the Center has developed a nationally recognized approach for university-assisted community schools. At the state level, the Center plays a leadership role in California’s Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP), supporting over 2,000 schools and more than one million students and families. Through applied research, technical assistance, and policy engagement, the Center demonstrates how universities can serve as powerful partners in advancing equitable, community-driven change.

Description of Position

In collaboration with the Faculty Co-Director, the Researcher/Co-Director provides scholarly and research leadership for the UCLA Center for Community Schooling. The incumbent develops, leads, and conducts a program of research focused on community schooling, research–practice partnerships, educational equity, and school transformation. The Co-Director is expected to produce significant scholarly contributions, including peer-reviewed publications and other research products; develop and lead externally funded research; disseminate findings to scholarly, policy, and practitioner audiences; and contribute professional and public service based on their research expertise.

The Co-Director leads and participates in interdisciplinary and community-engaged research–practice partnerships with schools, districts, public agencies, and other partners. The incumbent exercises substantial intellectual independence in developing research questions, theoretical and conceptual frameworks, methodological approaches, analyses, and scholarly products and is expected to establish and maintain a significant record of research accomplishment and professional recognition.

In their role as Co-Director, the incumbent also provides leadership necessary to support the Center's research mission, including coordination of research personnel, research partnerships, sponsored research, and the integration of the Center's research portfolio.

Core Responsibilities

Research and Scholarly Contributions

• Provide oversight and leadership for the Center’s research portfolio including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies
• Advance research–practice partnerships that:
  • Inform school-level practice
  • Ensure accountability
  • Generate generalizable knowledge about community schooling
• Lead the development of research products, including reports, policy briefs, and scholarly publications
• Ensure the translation of research findings to actionable insights for educators, policymakers and communities through peer‑reviewed publications, policy briefs, technical reports and other publicly available publication channels.
• Oversee research administration including review processes, compliance, and coordination with district partners
• Supervise research personnel and ensure appropriate staffing is maintained to meet research deliverables.
• Oversee research budgets and sponsored-project implementation.
• Ensure compliance with UCLA and external policies and procedures. Development and alignment of the Center’s research, policy, and practice agendas.
• Seek extramural funding and serve and PI/co-PI on contracts and grants that support the research mission of the center.
• With the Faculty Co-Director, Co‑lead the strategic direction of the Center, advancing its research mission to support equitable, community‑centered school transformation.
• Continuously seek opportunities to expand the Center’s influence at local, state, and national levels.
• Cultivate partnerships with school districts, state agencies, and national organizations
• Provide research mentorship to graduate and undergraduate students working in the Center to expand their knowledge and experience in community‑based research and practice. Foster pathways for students to engage meaningfully in research–practice partnerships

Statewide and Systems-Level Engagement

• Provide leadership in statewide initiatives, including California’s Community Schools Partnership Program
• Collaborate with state agencies, technical assistance providers, and local educational agencies to support implementation and continuous improvement
• Monitor and contribute to policy development related to community schooling and aligned reform efforts
• Participate in and help lead networks that advance community school policy and practice at the state and national levels

Practice Partnerships and School Engagement

• Maintain and strengthen long‑term partnerships with UCLA Community Schools and affiliated sites.
• Collaborate with educators and school leaders to support continuous improvement and innovation.
• Contribute to publishing research and findings that can inform community school practices including in spaces of teaching and learning, family and community engagement, integrated student supports, and collaborative leadership.

Scholarly dissemination and Field building

• Disseminate the Center’s research and findings to scholarly, practitioner, policy, and public audiences.
• Represent the Center and present research findings at scholarly and professional conferences, convenings, and policy forums.
• Contribute to professional networks and scholarly communities related to community schooling, educational equity, and research-practice partnerships.
• Contribute research expertise to public and professional discussions concerning community schooling.
• Develop communication strategies that elevate community school practices and outcomes
• Oversee the production of reports, policy briefs, and other materials that share the Center’s work broadly.