ERIC Number: EJ1147232
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1935-7125
EISSN: N/A
Understanding Collaboration: A Formative Process Evaluation of a State-Funded School-University Partnership
Corbin, J. Hope; Chu, Marilyn; Carney, Joanne; Donnelly, Susan; Clancy, Andrea
School-University Partnerships, v10 n1 p35-45 Spr 2017
School-university partnerships are widely promoted 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. Twenty-one semi-structured interviews with a range of participants were conducted, transcribed, and then analyzed according to the BMCF. Participants described the foundation of partnership work between schools and universities as requiring the cultivation of humility in order to overcome hierarchical barriers for students, parents, and staff within schools. 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.
Descriptors: Partnerships in Education, Formative Evaluation, College School Cooperation, Semi Structured Interviews, Case Studies, Action Research, Participatory Research, Educational Finance, Educational Resources, Risk, Interaction, Institutional Mission, Leadership, Organizational Communication, Group Dynamics, Participant Satisfaction, Elementary Secondary Education
National Association for Professional Development Schools. College of Education University of South Carolina, Wardlaw 252, Columbia, SC 29208. Tel: 803-777-1515; Fax: 803-777-3035; e-mail: napds@mailbox.sc.edu; Web site: http://www.napds.org/school_university_partnerships.html
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A