In eight years, Richmond’s multilingual student population has nearly doubled, but graduation rates have not kept pace. Now, Richmond Public Schools and VCU are partnering on a research project to change that.

Supported by a new William T. Grant Foundation award, the research-practice partnership will focus on middle school students and their families’ involvement in their education.

“When universities and communities work together, they demonstrate just how powerful engaged research can be to address some of the most pressing issues facing young people today. We are proud to support these partnerships as they advance their research agendas, challenge their institutions to reward collaborative, community-embedded scholarship, and work toward reducing inequality,” said Adam Gamoran, president of the William T. Grant Foundation.