Characteristics of a School-University Partnership

Several groups and forums have called for change and reform of education through the creation of educational partnerships. As schools and universities responded to these pressures, an increasing number of S-UPs formed. Today more than ever, K-12 S-UPs are considered by many groups to be an effective reform vehicle although empirical studies remain scant. This study examined one S-UP model to see whether a framework of S-UP characteristics served as a foundation in understanding the complexities of what happened in an actual S-UP. The study used nine characteristics to examine the principal preparation program for an urban district and examined what characteristics of an S-UP emerged and whether the nine characteristics of S-UPs found in the literature provided a useful framework to understand a particular S-UP. This study fills a gap in S-UP literature concerning the lack of a framework that provides researchers a fundamental approach to the study of this complex and dynamic system. The study should be useful for any educators interested or involved in S-UPs, as well as for researchers and educators interested in advancing empirical studies of S-UPs.