A study examined the dynamics of the exchange of knowledge frames that lead to empowering participation for teachers and researchers, in the context of a professional development school serving elementary students of varied backgrounds. The subset of professional development school faculty who participated in the study were 2 school faculty and 3 university researchers who made a 10-year commitment to developing collaborative partnerships. Narrative data from the steering committee meetings and field notes focusing on curriculum planning served as reference points from which to critique experiences and the evolution of empowering participation. University researchers met with teachers to co-plan and co-teach literacy projects and to revisit and critically analyze experiences and field notes at the end of the third year. Results indicated that, from the start, teachers and researchers were not equal--although researchers initiated a process to begin to think with teachers, status hierarchies limited equal participation. Findings suggest that researchers need to understand local cultures by describing problems and needs with teachers, and that teachers and researchers need to learn how to become co-learners and to participate in a "cogenerative dialogue." (Fifteen references are attached.) (RS)