Understanding Collaboration: A Formative Process Evaluation of a State-Funded School-University Partnership

• In Event: Roundtable Session 15
  In Roundtable Session: What Do We Know About the Organizing Structures and Impact of Professional Development Schools?

Abstract

School-University Partnerships are widely advocated yet little is known about what contributes to their effectiveness. This paper presents a participatory formative evaluation of a state-funded school-university partnership. The study employed an empirically derived systems model -- the Bergen Model of Collaborative Functioning (BMCF) -- as the analytical frame. Semi-structured interviews with 21 participants were conducted, transcribed and then analyzed according to the BMCF. The central findings include a practice model for changing organizational structures to institutionalize protected collaborative space, a theoretical model providing a framework for better understanding the process of partnership and a policy model which indicates the importance of significant funding to surmount organizational barriers and provide incentives for the intensive, long-term work required.

Authors

• Hope Corbin, Western Washington University

• Marilyn Terese Chu, Western Washington University

• Joanne M. Carney, Western Washington University

• Susan Donnelly, Western Washington University