Realizing Shared Potential Through School University Partnerships

This dissertation investigates and interprets the implications that PK-12/University partnerships have on various members of a learning community. The College View/Rolling Hills Partnership (a pseudonym) provides the backdrop for this story. Inclusive voice and increased democratic construct provide the lens through which this case is framed. Three research questions comprise the foci of this study: 1. What are the substantive connections and programs established through the partnership? 2. How do students from both the public schools and the university gain from these efforts/programs? 3. How do participants in the wider learning community benefit (or not) from a formalized partnership? This historical case study chronicles the work of the College View/Rolling Hills Partnership using observational data, archival collections of materials, and semi-structured interviews. These interviews reflect the work of the partnership through the eyes of ten key participants and comprise a thorough record of events resulting in a vicarious experience for the reader. The informants' stories are presented in three broad categories: The Visionaries, those who conceptualized the partnership; The Politicians, those who contextualized the partnership; and The Technicians, those who persist through presentation of programming. Six major themes surfaced as common among these three groups of informants: 1. The need to move forward despite past history. 2. The importance of a partnership structure which encompasses interinstitutional work. 3. The critical nature of persistence and resiliency in partnership work. 4. Quality trumps quantity, meaning not all growth is inherently good. 5. Internal and external community building play an important role in partnership work. 6. Relationships are the key to constructing and maintaining quality partnerships.