The initial report of the National Research to Development Network for Public School Programs for the Hearing Impaired provides a review of objectives and process in educational research, a description of the network, and descriptions of three completed or ongoing projects. A brief history of educational research and development precedes a discussion of traditional models of school-university cooperation. Contrasted is the discursive model of interactive research which stresses reciprocity between the researcher and the researched. A seven-step process which involves participants in effective educational research is proposed to include: (1) problem identification; (2) problem definition; (3) preliminary research; (4) project development; (5) project review; (6) the pilot project; and (7) proposal development and external funding. Described next is the network of 16 programs (mostly city or county-wide school systems) providing data for a longitudinal study of public school programs. A completed project to improve writing skills of hearing impaired students through use of dialogue journals is briefly described as are ongoing projects in the areas of social and emotional adjustment of hearing impaired students and postsecondary planning. Information is also provided on putting the research team together and practical problems in implementing a discursive model of research. Includes 10 references. (DB)