Education agencies and research institutions truly need each other. On the one hand, state and local education agencies hold mountains of data but typically have limited or nonexistent research capacity, so they use data primarily for accountability reporting purposes but not for investigating problems of practice or developing solutions for persistent problems. On the other hand, research institutions have unparalleled research capacity but often lack systematic access to student data and typically have insufficient understanding of how education agencies work. Each has what the other needs. In addition, education agencies and research institutions share a desire to help students thrive,
The Intersector: How the Public, Nonprofit, and Private Sectors Can Address America's Challenges