School-University Partnerships: Reflections and Opportunities

• In Event: Community-School-University Partnerships: Exploring Universities as Catalysts for Comprehensive School Reform

Abstract

Summary:
Universities and schools have a long history of partnering with one another to achieve a range of educational goals in America’s schools. For many years, the needs of the universities were the primary impetus for partnership. Universities needed practicum sites for student teachers and other educational professionals, as well as participants for the research of university social science faculty. In more recent years, the balance has begun to shift dramatically so that the needs of schools are increasingly driving the formation of school-university partnerships.

Perspectives:
This paper will focus on the major characteristics of and obstacles to effective school-university partnerships. Illustrative examples will be drawn from a long-term school-university partnership that has designed, implemented, and evaluated an evidence-based model of student support.
Our perspective is that universities and schools are part of the larger community that is essential for supporting the development of children. Our work is grounded in the theoretical framework provided by developmental psychology, and specifically developmental contextualism.

Data Sources:
The data for this paper relies upon an analysis of the existing literature on school-university partnerships as well as the qualitative and quantitative study of a 15-year university partnership with a large public school district. The data sources include needs assessments, anonymous satisfaction surveys, quantitative and qualitative implementation data, data from student academic and thriving measures, and work products (e.g., practice manuals co-developed by school and university partners).

Results:
This paper will briefly describe the recent history, development, and major foci of school-university partnerships. After identifying a relatively neglected area of school-university partnerships, the paper will describe an existing partnership that addresses this area in order to illustrate the potential and opportunities for partnership. Characteristics of effective partnership include a shared conceptual understanding, mutuality in roles and relationship, sound operational plans, and evaluation of outcomes and process. Finally, this paper will close with a discussion of the challenges and potential benefits of school-university partnerships.

Scholarly Significance:
The data on school-university partnerships is becoming increasingly clear. These partnerships can have a significant positive impact on student achievement and thriving.

Author

• Mary Walsh, Boston College