Effective School-College Partnerships, a Key to Educational Renewal and Instructional Improvement

Abstract

School-college partnerships offer significant promise for simultaneous educational renewal as defined by John Goodlad (1994). Based on Goodlad's view, both public schools and colleges of education must be renewed together. Renewal must be viewed as a continuous process in which personnel of both institutions see themselves as equal partners in the simultaneous renewal process. Without this relationship and focus, it becomes increasingly difficult to produce good schools or good teachers. Simultaneous renewal is an absolute essential ingredient for both school and college improvement. Such a process affords schools and universities the unique opportunity to address the renewal effort. Without renewal, both institutions eventually decline. They either renew or decay. Given the unique challenges faced by public schools and colleges of education, it is essential that they join forces in forming meaningful partnerships as one means of enhancing and improving instructional effectiveness and learning outcomes for students. While school-college partnerships are essential to educational renewal, they are not easily established and, in some instances, not very effective. In spite of this reality, a significant number of promising partnerships have emerged across the nation. Several reasons account for the increased activity surrounding partnerships. First, the politics of educational reform have created the need for at least symbolic association between educational stakeholders. Colleges of education wishing to demonstrate their connection to school practice have created school-university partnerships. Secondly, increased accountability for student achievement, coupled with the need for better-prepared teachers, has placed pressures on public schools and colleges of education to collaborate in addressing these concerns. Third, public schools and colleges of education face similar problems--public criticism, lack of sufficient funding, limited public support or respect, low salaries and teacher shortages (Sirotnik and Goodlad, 1988, p. VII). These issues have, in effect, forged the need for collaborations between both groups. Many of these issues are more acute in urban communities that face failing public schools, deteriorating neighborhoods, high crime, poverty, inadequate facilities, unlicensed teachers, and a general disregard among citizens regarding the fate of urban schools. Urban colleges of education must play a pivotal role in assisting urban schools to meet these challenges so that every child is provided an opportunity to learn and succeed in a proper learning environment. Colleges of education can play a significant advocacy role in reducing the crises faced by urban cities and also contribute to the economic growth and development of urban communities. However, the goals of this advocacy role can best be achieved through a partnership with schools. Characteristics of Effective Partnerships There are multiple forms of school-college partnerships emerging across the country with varying degrees of success. Irrespective of the type of partnership, writers and researchers (Goodlad, 1994; Osguthorpe, Harris, Harris, and Black, 1995; Penny and Dandridge, 1996; Smith, 1998) report there are important characteristics that impact its success or failure. These characteristics ultimately determine if educational renewal and instructional effectiveness become a reality. Partnerships that work must, at a minimum, be characterized by the following: An effective partnership has a clearly defined purpose and direction. Everyone involved in partnerships, school and college professionals, must understand and agree on the purpose, direction, and expected outcome(s) of the partnership. Without clear purpose, efforts and energy are wasted; frustration builds, and the partnership dies. Considerable time must be devoted to a discussion of these issues with agreements that are mutually supported by both groups reached during the conceptual stages of planning the partnership. …