This paper describes the design and outcomes of the University of Houston School-University Research Collaborative, a partnership that uses collaborative research and evaluation as a vehicle for educational improvement. Two of the collaborative's three research agendas are described in detail: (1) the collaborative-level research project, involving all seven member school districts, which seeks to identify effective intervention programs in the districts for at-risk students; and (2) the Teacher As Researcher project, which aims to improve curriculum and instruction in individual classrooms through teachers' involvement in research investigating their own practices. The research being conducted by the collaborative-level project is composed of three phases--first to identify exemplary programs for at-risk students; second, to relate common program components to teacher and student outcomes; and third, to design, implement, and evaluate additional intervention programs. Overall, the collaborative reflects an effort to fuse research knowledge and local knowledge generated as a result of collaboration between field-based and university researchers. Four tables, one figure, a sample interview guide, and an intervention program profile are included. (LMI)