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MAIN | Resources | Partnership Planning Tool | Regional Collaborations | Reports | Contact | Contact Members |
K-16 Collaboration Committee
Partnership Planning Tool
AMERICAN STUDIES ASSOCIATION PARTNERSHIP PLANNING TOOL
By: Lois Rudnick, Deb Schmalholz, and Kathy Stoker
PART 1 - THE IMPORTANCE OF PARTNERSHIPS
The American Studies Association has taken an active role in supporting
university-secondary school collaborations in a variety of ways, most
significantly in the sponsorship of the “Focus on Teaching Day” at its
annual conferences, and its support of the standing committee on Secondary
Schools. This Partnership Tool is intended to challenge, encourage, and help more of
us in the profession to take on such collaborations in a systematic and
sustainable way.
Most of us are well aware of the crisis that the public schools face
throughout this nation: increasing privatization (public financing of
vouchers and charter schools); mind-numbing standards of mandated testing
(which in some states are linked to high school graduation), rigidified
social studies and English curriculum frameworks, which make teaching
American Studies ever more difficult. The outcome of all of this: an
increasing income/education gap that the continuing stratification of K-12
education is subvening, which has a particularly detrimental affect on
students of color.
As dire as these problems are and are likely to continue to be, and as
vested in our own issues and careers as most of us are, we have many good
models of university-secondary school collaborations among American Studies
and interdisciplinary humanities teachers that demonstrate the effectiveness
of these partnerships. They create authentic communities of
teacher-researchers who share knowledge and praxis and provide curriculum
that engages students as active learners and critical thinkers, while
introducing them to the multiple and conflicted voices of our histories and
literatures, past and present. For university faculty, there is much to gain
in learning about innovative pedagogies from our secondary peers, and a
vehicle for adding to the growing scholarship on interdisciplinary teaching.
So this is a recruitment call, to get more of you engaged. We begin with
some brief examples of partnerships that can serve as models of various
forms of collaboration, based on information we have gathered from
colleagues. Then we outline a “generic” planning tool for making these
partnerships work, based on the research-based best practices we know. Next, we
provide a bibliography of resources organized into helpful rubrics:
change/collaboration theories, successful partnerships, standards and their
impact on K-12, and funding sources. And finally, we offer a worksheet as a checklist for those wishing to begin partnerships and/or to assess current partnerships.
PART 2—MODELS OF SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIPS
We sent out a survey that asked faculty who had successful partnerships to
comment on what they did, what resources they used, how they did it, how
effective it was, what lessons they learned, and what suggestions they had
for ways that ASA could help facilitate and support these types of
partnerships.
CASE - COUNCIL FOR AMERICAN STUDIES EDUCATION
Steve Hilsabeck has been involved for over twenty years with CASE (Council for American Studies Education), which is an organization comprised of Chicago area high school teachers and Chicago area universities that holds annual conferences based on over-arching themes such as Race and Ethnicity, Democracy and Media, and Performing American Studies. The organization supports American Studies teaching and learning and external funding proposals. For example, the last four CASE conferences (each drawing 150—200 participants) were co-sponsored by teams of high school teachers along with faculty and staff from the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois at Chicago, DePaul University, and the Chicago Historical Society, respectively (see bibliography).
KEEPING AND CREATING AMERICAN COMMUNITIES
Sarah Robbins has been involved in a multi-year project between Kennesaw
State University and a dozen local K-12 schools that has developed
curriculum and classroom resources, K-16, for teaching collaboratively and
interdisciplinarily about American communities (see bibliography).
In both collaborations, the university provides facilities, logistics,
expertise, resources, and committed participants; the schools provide
field-based experience and networks to wider audiences (students and their
communities). The collaborations include the participation of administrators
from the universities and the schools. Both groups have had very positive
feedback from surveys and reflections. They have produced websites; book
contracts; and new curriculum in the schools. Collaborations have led to
increased networking among K-16 teachers, greater access for teachers to
updated scholarship and extended resources for their students, while the
universities involved have gained greater access to K-12 students.
NEASA
Lisa MacFarlane has been one of a number of NEASA presidents who have used
the resources of the New England American Studies Association to organize
regional workshops and conferences that involve university-secondary school
collaboration (NEASA has a high school representative on its Council, which
helps foster this.) Lisa held one such conference at UNH in the fall of
2003, through the division of Continuing Education, which in many of our
universities can offer professional units/points to teachers. She points
out that many public universities have as part of their stated mission
working with teachers in their states. UNH brought organizational
structure: advertising, space, lunch, copying and mailing of materials,
registration, PDPs, and administered evaluations. About 100 teachers
attended. NEASA brought five scholars to the workshops. DCE covered their
costs and split leftover money’s with NEASA.
AMERICAN IDENTITIES: UNIVERSITY/SECONDARY SCHOOL COLLABORATION
Lois Rudnick, Judith Smith, and Rachel Rubin have been teaching their
introduction to American Studies course at the University of Massachusetts
Boston collaboratively with Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School for 7
years. Students enrolled in the high school course can receive college
credit from UMass Boston if they complete the university course requirements
(see bibliography).
THE HISTORY AND CULTURES PROJECT
Karen Haltunnen has been involved in this collaborative project, which
began in the UC Davis History Department in 1991. They are in the midst of
a three-year series of curricular workshops for 8th and 11th grade U.S.
history teachers—once a month for two and half hour each, led by UCD
historians and teachers from the participating schools. Last year they drew
20 Sacramento area teachers; this year they drew 50. These workshops are
funded by the federal government’s Teaching American History grants. They
are also partnering with area museums and historic sites, as well as K-12
teachers, to develop curricula that will fully embed field trips to those sites.
SUGGESTIONS FOR AMERICAN STUDIES ASSOCIATION SUPPORT FOR PARTNERSHIPS]
The ASA is already making meeting space
available for collaborations at conferences. ASA faculty could be serving on National
Advisory Boards. The ASA would lend additional support by providing a national clearinghouse for faculty willing to work with teachers, either by giving workshops or other
activities—organized state by state or region-by-region in addition to
topically. ASA could also make small grants available to teachers for
curriculum development in collaboration with university colleagues.
PART 3— PARTNERSHIP PLANNING TOOL
Educational alliances must extend beyond traditional endeavors and can be strengthened by systemic support, both within the institutions themselves and via professional organizations such as the American Studies Association. There truly is strength in numbers. Successful organizations are comprised of people working together on shared goals and commitments. Each institution brings capacity, capabilities and connections to the table; to help improve the effectiveness and ultimate success of partnerships, organizations must recognize the stages of partner development and build structures that will sustain the collaboration over time.
Of particular interest to ASA members in partnership with their secondary school colleagues are the following possibilities funded by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) federal legislation:
1 ) providing tutoring services to high school students.
2) designing and delivering flexible professional development programs such as courses, workshops, seminars in the content areas and in educational pedagogy (Note: Under ESEA legislation, universities automatically qualify as approved providers of the above two services.)
3) connecting colleges of education with colleges of liberal arts and sciences.
4) improving teacher education and teacher certification programs.
5) facilitating mutually beneficial research and evaluation.
This Partnership Planning Tool is offered in support of, but is not limited to, school and university partnerships for the purposes of facilitating collaboration, addressing mutual concerns; achieving common goals; and accessing federal and grant funding. A synopsis of current K-16 partnership literature has identified the key elements that are incorporated into this tool, which consists of two parts:
1) A Worksheet (see below) that provides a checklist for partners to use, individually and together, as plans are made, implemented and evaluated.
2) The Points of Partnership (see below) which gives more information about each element on the checklist.
3) Bibliography (see below) that is a list of additional resources and web-based links for more information about specific standards, programs, and tools.
Regardless of the stage of partnership development (initial, on-going or embedded), collaborating institutions can use this tool to assess their readiness, progress, and effectiveness.
PART 4 - WORKSHEET
ELEMENTS PARTNERSHIP PARTNER 1 PARTNER 2
GOALS
* Needs-based
* Standards-aligned
* Mutual benefits
PARTICIPANTS
* Key people for commitment & support
* Formal agreement format
* Formal agreement signed
LEADERSHIP
* Leadership group with all institutions represented
* Contact person in each organization identified
* Contact’s responsibilities defined
ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS
* Policies and procedures
* Budget
* Personnel
* Materials
* Facilities
* Roles / responsibilities
ACTION-PLANNING
AND ASSESSMENT
* Schedule of phases
* Data collection
* Process Evaluation plan
* Content Evaluation plan
* Context Evaluation plan
COMMUNICATION
* Common language (glossary of terms)
* Formal avenues
* Informal avenues
CELEBRATION
* On-going recognition of efforts
* Marking achievement milestones
* Opportunities for reflection
PART 5 - POINTS OF PARTNERSHIP
(Worksheet Elements explained)
GOALS
The ultimate goals of the partnership must be based on the expressed needs of each institution that are identified as mutually beneficial AND that are aligned to relevant local, state and/or national standards. Needs stem from the core values of each organization as expressed in mission statements, strategic plans, and/or improvement plans, as well as from standards in the content areas, for learner outcomes, and in research-based best practice. Compliance with local, state and federal regulations (such as teacher certification, special education, etc.) may also have an impact in program goal-setting.
PARTICIPANTS
Since everyone involved has a vested interest in the success of the partnership, relationships are based on mutual trust and respect and are nurtured with time to develop. Key people are identified who have a commitment to the partnership (NOT just to specific projects) including program administrators, field-based personnel and resource persons. Support for the partnership is declared via formal agreements between/among the institutions. “Formal” signifies a range from a letter of agreement/intent to a contract that is specific and binding; this formality-regardless of the format-is a significant statement of commitment from all involved. The signatures of those in highest authority lend systemic legitimacy and support to the effort.
LEADERSHIP
Each partnership should have a leadership group-such as a steering committee-comprised of representatives from all stakeholder groups. This structure will facilitate shared decision-making and communication, which are both KEY to the success of any endeavor. It is also highly recommended that the leadership group has knowledge of (and perhaps training in) change theory, since partnerships are inherently change agents. Of particular importance in this leadership group is a contact person in each organization-literally, one “point person” who coordinates contacts, keeps records, maintains schedules, and performs any other responsibilities that help the partnership in a timely fashion.
ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS
Each institution should conduct an audit of its policies and procedures to determine its own capacity, capabilities, and connections in service to a particular partnership; budgets, personnel, materials, and facilities are particularly significant. (For example, contractual obligations, calendars of operation and funding sources have major impacts on the ways schools and universities function.) Then, each partner shares with the other(s) its strengths and limitations so that clear definitions of roles and responsibilities can be mutually determined. Such a systems analysis will clarify reasonable expectations UP FRONT as well as those that emerge as the partnership progresses.
ACTION-PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT
Once goals, roles, and responsibilities are defined, an action plan can be designed, which is a schedule of phases built around on-going assessment and evaluation of progress. It is critical that not only the content of the partnership be assessed (measurable achievement of goals), but also the processes of the partnership and the context in which it operates. All evaluation is informed by data, both quantitative and qualitative, that is shared with the leadership group as well as all participants.
COMMUNICATION
It is a given that communication-both internal to each organization and external to the partner(s)-must be constant, interactive and open. All means of interaction-formal and informal-should be encouraged and facilitated: email, meetings, newsletters, memos, site visits, data logs, etc. What may not be readily apparent is that all participants must be speaking a common language! It cannot be assumed that one institution shares the same jargon as another even though both are engaged in educational endeavors. Terms must always be defined and agreed for use by all partners. For example, “mentors” in a school district may mean veteran teachers who are paired with newer colleagues in an internal support system, where “mentors” in a university may mean a K-12 teacher who is hosting a student teacher-BIG difference! A mutually created “glossary of terms” may clarify meanings across the groups.
CELEBRATION
All planning should include on-going recognition of efforts and achievements, both inside and beyond the partnership. Celebrating the WORK, not just the results, stokes the energies of participants, facilitates communication, and provides opportunities for reflection on practice. Regularly scheduled social gatherings, news releases, project displays, and other public interactions keep the goals of the partnership visible to all stakeholders, which then help maintain support and momentum for the work.
PART 6— BIBLIOGRAPHY OF RESOURCES
CHANGE/COLLABORATION THEORIES:
Chawla, S. & Renesch, J. (Eds.) 1995. Learning organizations: Developing cultures for tomorrow’s
workplace. Portland, OR: Productivity Press.
Gardner, J. (1991, September.) Building community. Washington DC: Independent Sector.
Giroux, Henry. (1997.) Pedagogy and the Politics of Hope: Culture and Schooling. Boulder, Co:
Westview Press.
___________. (1988). Teachers as Intellectuals: Toward a Critical Pedagogy of Learning. Granby, MA:
Bergin & Garvey.
McLaren, Peter. (1998). Life in Schools: An Introduction to Critical Pedagogy in the Foundations of
Education. New York: Longman.
On Common Ground, published by the Yale New Haven Teachers Institute. Issues from 1194 to 1998
are available on line at: http://www.yale.edu/ynhtyi/pubs/A15
Rubinstein-Avila, E. B. and Suarez-Orozco, C. (1998 Nov-Dec.) “Building collaborative relationships:
Educational research in schools.” The Harvard Education Letter: 7.
Senge, P. (1990.) The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization. New York:
Doubleday.
Senge, P. (2000). Schools that learn: A fifth discipline fieldbook for educators, parents, and everyone who
cares about education. New York: Doubleday.
Wheatley, M. & Kellner-Rogers, M. (1998.) The community of the future. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP MODELS:
California Alliance of PreK-18 Partnerships www.wowwhatadesign.com/cap/index.html
CASE (Council for American Studies Education) Web site at: www.casechicago.org
Illinois Professional Learners’ Partnership www.iplp.org (A federally funded, K—16 multi-institution,
multi-project partnership administered by Illinois State University.)
Haltunnen, Karen. The History Project: a California History / Social Science Project:
http://historyproject.ucdavis.edu (This site also includes 7000 images from Roland Marchand’s
collection, along with excellent primary-source based lessons he designed.)
Robbins, Sarah. (Sept.1998) “Linking Secondary Schools and the University: American Studies
as a Collaborative Public Enterprise,” American Quarterly 50 : 783-808.
Robbins, Sarah and Mimi Dyer, eds. (1994). Writing America: Classroom Literacy and Public
Engagement. New York: Teachers College Press and associated website at:
“Keeping and Creating American Communities”: http://kcac.kennesaw.edu
Rudnick, Lois et. al. (June 2002). “Teaching ‘American Identities’: A University/Secondary School
Collaboration,” American Quarterly Vol. 54: 255-277.
Rudnick, Lois, ed. (2005). American Identities: An Introductory Reader. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.
STANDARDS-BASED CURRICULUM AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Christie, K. (2002 October.) “States address achievement gaps.” Phi Delta Kappan: 102-03.
DuFour, R. & Eaker, R. (1998.) Professional learning communities at work: Best practices for enhancing
student achievement. NES.
Modern Language Association www.mla.org
The National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future www.tc.columbia.edu/~teachcomm/
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Educators www.ncate.org
National Council for the Social Studies www.ncss.org
National Council of Teachers of English www.ncte.org
National Staff Development Council www.nsdc.org
North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (Professional Development: Learning from the Best Toolkit and other resources to facilitate partnerships) www.ncrel.org
Recruiting New Teachers, Inc. www.rnt.org/index.html
What matters most: Teaching for America’s future. (1996.) Report of the National Commission on
Teaching & America’s Future.
FUNDING RESOURCES
Gordon, E. E. (2003 February) . “Looking beyond the stereotypes: Ensuring the true potential of tutoring.”
Phi Delta Kappan: 456-59.
Noam, G. G. (2002 Nov.-Dec.) “Afterschool education: A new ally for education reform.” The Harvard
Education Letter: 7-8.
Richardson, J. (2002 December.) “NCLB extends its reach: Technical assistance is a requirement for
states receiving federal funds.” Results (a publication of the National Staff Development
Council). Available: http://www.nsdc.org/library/results/res12-02rich.html
Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant programs (state, partnership and teacher recruitment)
www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/heatqp/
Quick Links
American Quarterly [official journal site]
American Quarterly [editorial site]
Encyclopedia of American Studies
Encyclopedia of American Studies [editorial site]