Collaborative Action in Education: Empirical Explorations of the Role of Partnerships in College Readiness Programs
Education gaps exist in the United States in large part because not everyone has equal access to the educational resources or role models that will prepare them to seek a college education. To help combat this phenomenon, Federal and State Governments have promoted college readiness programs via collaborative partnerships between school districts, on the one hand, and colleges and universities, on the other. To better understand the role that partners can play in creating and sustaining college-readiness programs, this study focused on the history and current practices of collaborations involving oversight of college readiness programs in two school districts. Partnership participants shared their experiences with college readiness partnership programs, including the role they have played in creating and maintaining such partnerships and how they determine program success. They also spoke of the challenges currently facing the college readiness partnership programs and the leadership strategies they think are used or should be used in the programs. The effectiveness of the partnerships appeared to be highly dependent on the collaboration taking place among diverse stakeholders. Relevant stakeholders included K-12 professionals and representatives from community colleges, universities, families, and other parts of the community. When they are successful, stakeholders appear to be driven by a shared vision. In addition, strong leadership was repeatedly emphasized as crucial to the success of partnership. Among other things, effective leaders were able to clearly define required roles and responsibilities, as well as provide effective coordination among all partners. This study contributes to a broader understanding of the vulnerability of established programs for students. Partnerships allow the group to have a shared space for transparency, mutual accountability, trust, open communication, and follow-up. However, systems that are currently in place are not always managed effectively. They are impacted by leadership transitions and changes in organizational goals that require quick modifications in a partnership’s approach to supporting schools and their students.
collaboration, college readiness programs, student centered mission, leadership, vision, sustainability, resource sharing, structural support, partnerships, Community College Education Administration, Community College Leadership, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research, Educational Leadership, Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration, Higher Education Administration, Other Educational Administration and Supervision, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
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