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.