Leveraging Community Resources: A Case Study of District, Nonprofit, and Business Collaboration

• In Event: Roundtable Session 13
  In Roundtable Session: Diversity and District Dilemmas: Gender, Sexuality, and the Politics of Difference

Abstract

Under constant pressure to improve school performance while also facing significant budget cuts, educational leaders are increasingly looking to community partnerships as an essential component of school improvement. Drawing from a cross-sector collaboration framework (Crosby and Bryson, 2010), this paper reports the results of a qualitative case study (Yin, 2013) of an exurban district’s efforts to develop community partnerships with private sector businesses and non-profit organizations. The results highlight key factors that contribute to the initial development and implementation of successful school-community partnerships. The findings raise important questions and suggest the need for additional study related to how other organizational variables, such as size, structure, leadership, and culture may impact the effectiveness of cross-sector partnerships.

Authors

• Barry J. Aidman, Texas State University

• Sarah Nelson Baray, Texas State University