Partnerships for preparing leaders: what can we learn from PDS research?

Abstract

Researchers have long lamented the lack of research regarding the preparation of school leaders. In response, we offer lessons about school and university partnerships from exemplary professional development school (PDS) research to inform collaborative efforts for leadership preparation. We conducted an extensive literature review of 250 studies spanning a 15-year period. Based upon three levels of qualitative meta-synthesis, we identified 49 exemplary studies from the original 250. We then identified themes involving resources, change, and relationships. Based upon these themes, we concluded the following:• In partnerships, resources become a far more significant element in terms of both use and flexibility than they do in more traditional preparation programmes. • The nature of change in a partnership is more idiosyncratic because of the diverse stakeholders involved. • Relationships are a vital element in the success or failure of a partnership. Therefore, time and energy are necessary to develop and sustain relationships among stakeholders. • Partnerships should develop enabling bureaucracies in order to promote meaningful engagement among partners. • Organizational theory offers valuable insights regarding partnerships, but it remains largely an untapped resource in current partnership efforts.We conclude with recommendations for stakeholders interested in developing partnerships between leadership preparation programmes in universities and K-12 schools.In an era where educational leadership programmes are the subjects of significant scrutiny (Levine 2005), stakeholders in educational administration programmes have been challenged to rethink how they are preparing leaders for our nation's schools. To meet this challenge, we argue that programmes preparing educational leaders need to develop and nurture critical partnerships with the districts they currently serve. As Young et al.'s (2005) response to Levine indicates, partnerships between educational leadership programmes and school districts can provide seamless leadership development to support and sustain high-quality leadership.

Partners in Loving the Children: Roles and Relationships in Teaching and in Parenting

“…Two primary settings in which I have learned to teach, research, and educate teachers have been the National Writing Project ( Lieberman & Wood, 2003), and the Professional Development School Partnership between my university and the local schools in which my daughter is a student (Nolan et al, 2009). Research on school-university partnerships supports collaboration for the professional development of all involved parties, including the student (Breault & Breault, 2010;Burton & Greher, 2007;Miller, 2001;Teitel, 2008). Meanwhile, a lively literature on parent involvement in schools and parent-school partnership describes the benefi ts of and challenges to parents' involvement in their children's schooling (e.g., Chrispeels, 1996;Christenson & Reschly, 2010;Swap, 1993).…”

New wine in old bottles? A critique of Sweden's new national training programme for head teachers: does it strengthen or undermine school equality and students' educational rights and guarantees?

“…Effective programmes, an OECD report found, are research-based, have curricular coherence, provide experience in real context, use cohort grouping and mentors, and structure for collaborative activity between the programme and the schools (OECD 2008). Overall, however, there has long been a lack of research regarding the preparation of school leaders (Adair Breault and Breault 2010).…”

Veiledning i lærerstudenters praksisopplæring – et bidrag til læring og utvikling?

“…Fra studieåret 2016/2017 er også studentene inkludert i disse samlingene slik at oppfatninger, laering og forståelse blir felles eie for de sentrale deltakere i praksisopplaeringen. Breault & Breault (2010) framhever kompetanse, kapasitet og gode relasjoner mellom deltakerne som suksesskriterier for gode partnerskap mellom skoler og laererutdanningsinstitusjoner. Mye tyder på at man kan utvikle et vellykket partnerskap dersom partene kan enes om å samarbeide om felles laeringsobjekter.…”

“…Utsagnene vitner om at nok tid sammen bidrar til kvalitet på forholdet mellom praksislaerer, og fører studenten inn i utviklende laereprosesser. Dersom kollegialitet og støttestrukturer blir svak og disponibel tid til samvaer liten, svekkes kvaliteten på relasjonene og sannsynligheten for at «partnerskapet» mislykkes øker (Breault & Breault, 2010). En praksislaerer opplever mangel på tid som virker demotiverende: «Jeg må vaere aerlig og si at når jeg tar på meg den arbeidsmengde med den tid det tar, og ikke minst stress sammen med misfornøyde elever, er jeg svaert lite lysten på å gjøre dette igjen».…”