Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-7857688df4-jkt97 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-11-15T10:50:24.520Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

26 - Aspiring and Thriving

Community School Principals and the Benefits of University-Assisted Partnerships

from Part IV - Leadership in School–University Partnerships

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 November 2025

Janna Dresden
Affiliation:
University of Georgia
JoAnne Ferrara
Affiliation:
Manhattanville University
Jane E. Neapolitan
Affiliation:
Towson University
Diane Yendol-Hoppey
Affiliation:
University of North Florida
Jori S. Beck
Affiliation:
Old Dominion University
Morgan Z. Faison
Affiliation:
University of Georgia
Sonia E. Janis
Affiliation:
University of Georgia
Kathleen Provinzano
Affiliation:
Binghamton University
Logan Rutten
Affiliation:
University of North Dakota
Get access

Summary

School principals play a critical role in developing and nurturing effective school–university partnerships (SUP). This is especially true in community school contexts, a type of SUP where public schools benefit from partnerships with community resources. To provide a more nuanced understanding of the leadership skills required for principals to do partnership work, the purpose of this chapter was twofold: (1) to describe what is known about the role of principals engaged in partnership work, and (2) to provide examples from the authors’ own research on how school principals can advance partnerships, especially with universities, to foster an effective SUP. Implications for school principals and university partners are discussed, as are challenges school principals encounter when attempting to advance sustainable SUPs. The chapter concludes with policy and practice considerations for school and university leaders.

Information

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Book purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Amerein-Beardsley, A., & Barnett, J. (2012). It might just take a partnership. Issues in Teacher Education, 21(2), 103124. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1001263.Google Scholar
Anderson-Butcher, D., Bates, S., Sterling, K., Voegler, M., Dau, W., & Amorose, A. (2023). Canyons community schools: Universities and colleges as key partners. Children & Schools, 45(1), 1726. https://doi.org/10.1093/cs/cdac025.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Benson, L., Harkavy, I., Puckett, J., Hartley, M., Hodges, R. A., Johnston, F. E., & Weeks, J. (2017). Knowledge for social change: Bacon, Dewey, and the revolutionary transformation of research universities in the Twenty-First Century. Temple University Press.Google Scholar
Bronstein, L. R., & Mason, S. E. (2016). School–linked services: promoting equity for children, families, and communities. Columbia University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burgard, K., & Jozwiak, M. (2020, November 19). Reimagining university partnerships with local schools in the United States. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.1627.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burns, R. W., Jacobs, J., Baker, W., & Donahue, D. (2016). Making muffins: Identifying core ingredients of school–university partnerships. School–University Partnerships [special issue: What is a PDS], 9(3), 8195. https://napds.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/93-burns.pdf.Google Scholar
Casto, H. G. (2016). “Just one more thing I have to do”: school–community partnerships. The School Community Journal, 26(1), 139162.Google Scholar
Catelli, L. (2021). An historical perspective of the school–university partnership movement in American education and the current landscape. IGI Global. https://doi.org.ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/10.4018/978–1-7998–7860-5.ch001.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Causton-Theoharis, J., Theoharis, G., Bull, T., Cosier, M., & Dempf-Aldrich, K. (2010). Schools of promise: A school district–university partnership centered on inclusive school reform. Remedial and Special Education, 32(3), 192205. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741932510366163.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clayton, J. K., Sanzo, K. L., & Myran, S. (2013). Understanding mentoring in leadership development: Perspectives of district administrators and aspiring leaders. Journal of Research on Leadership Education, 8(1), 7796. https://doi.org/10.1177/1942775112464959.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Covelli, L., Engberg, J., & Opper, I. M. (2022). Leading indicators of long-term success in community schools: Evidence from New York City. (Ed Working Paper: 22–669). Annenberg Institute at Brown University. www.edworkingpapers.com/sites/default/files/ai22-669.pdf.Google Scholar
Curry, K., & Krumm, B. (2016). Cross-boundary leadership: A framework for understanding leadership preparation. National Council of Professors of Educational Administration. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1124038.pdf.Google Scholar
Diamond, C., & Freudenberg, N. (2016). Community schools: A public health opportunity to reverse urban cycles of disadvantage. Journal of Urban Health, 93(6), 923939. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-016-0082-5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Firestone, W. A., & Fisler, J. L. (2002). Politics, community, and leadership in a school–university partnership. Educational Administration Quarterly, 38(4), 449493. https://doi.org/10.1177/001316102237669.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
FitzGerald, A. M., & Quiñones, S. (2018). Working in and with community: Leading for partnerships in a community school. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 18(4), 511532. https://doi.org/10.1080/15700763.2018.1453938.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Galindo, C., & Sanders, M. (2019). Achieving equity in education through full-service community schools. In Sheldon, S. B. & Turner-Vorbeck, T. A. (Eds.), The Wiley Handbook of Family, School, and Community Relationships in Education (pp. 511530). John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119083054.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Galindo, C., Sanders, M., & Abel, Y. (2017). Transforming educational experiences in low-income communities: A qualitative case study of social capital in a full-service community school. American Educational Research Journal, 54(15), 140S163S. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831216676571.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gimbel, E. (2018). Higher education and K-12 form partnerships to help educators and learners: Researchers, instructors and teachers share expertise to boost student achievement. Ed Tech Magazine. https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2018/05/higher-education-and-k-12-form-partnerships-help-educators-and-learners.Google Scholar
Green, T. L. (2018). School as community, community as school: Examining principal leadership for urban school reform and community development. Education and Urban Society, 50(2), 111135. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013124516683997.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Groundwater, S. (2022, April). Pave the way for brave conversations about K-12 equity. Hanover Research. www.hanoverresearch.com/insights-blog/pave-the-way-for-brave-conversations-about-k12-equity/.Google Scholar
Harkavy, I., Hartley, M., Axelroth Hodges, R., & Weeks, J. (2013). The promise of university-assisted community schools to transform American schooling: A report from the field, 1985–2012. Peabody Journal of Education, 88(5), 525540. https://doi.org/10.1080/0161956X.2013.834789.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hauseman, D. C., Pollock, K., & Wang, F. (2017). Inconvenient, but essential: Impact and influence of school–community involvement on principals’ work and workload. The School Community Journal, 27(1), 83105.Google Scholar
Howard, T. C. (2019). Why race and culture matter in schools: Closing the achievement gap in America’s classrooms (2nd ed.). Teachers College Press.Google Scholar
Howell, P. B., Thomas, S., Sweeney, D., & Vanderhaar, J. (2019). Moving beyond schedules, testing and other duties as deemed necessary by the principal: The school counselor’s role in trauma informed practices. Middle School Journal, 50(4), 2634. https://doi.org/10.1080/00940771.2019.1650548.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Howell, P. B., Laman, T. T., Gnau, A., Bay-Williams, J., Brown, S., & Finch, J. (2021). Exploring teachers’ perspectives across multiple partnership schools: One university’s work to design mutually beneficial partnerships. School–University Partnerships, 14(1), 2435. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1295774.pdf.Google Scholar
Hsu, C., & Sandford, B. A. (2007). The Delphi technique: Making sense of consensus. Practical Assessment, Research, & Evaluation, 12(10), 18. https://doi.org/10.7275/pdz9-th90.Google Scholar
Ishimaru, A. M. (2020). Just schools: Building equitable collaborations with families and communities. Teachers College Press.Google Scholar
Kaimal, G., Barber, M., Schulman, M., & Reed, P. (2012). Preparation of urban high school leaders in Philadelphia through multiorganizational partnerships. Journal of School Leadership, 22(5), 902921. https://doi.org/10.1177/105268461202200504.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kronick, R. F. (Ed.). (2020). Emerging perspectives on community schools and the engaged university. IGI Global.10.4018/978-1-7998-0280-8CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lawson, H. A., & van Veen, D. (2016). A shared rationale for new school designs with place-based differences. In Lawson, H. A. & van Veen, D. (Eds.), Developing community schools, community learning centers, extended-service schools and multi-service schools: International exemplars for practice, policy, and research. Springer International Publishing.10.1007/978-3-319-25664-1CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lemon, N., Wilson, A., Oxworth, C., Zavros-Orr, A. & Wood, B. (2018). Lines of school–university partnership: Perception, sensation, and meshwork reshaping of preservice teachers’ experiences. The Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 43(10), 8197. https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2018v43.n10.5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lochmiller, C. R., & Chesnut, C. E. (2017). Preparing turnaround leaders for high needs urban schools. Journal of Educational Administration, 55(1), 85102. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-11-2015-0099.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lopez, A. E., & Jean-Marie, G. (2021). Challenging anti-Black racism in everyday teaching, learning, and leading: From theory to practice. Journal of School Leadership, 31(1–2), 5065. https://doi.org/10.1177/1052684621993115.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maier, A., Daniel, J., Oakes, J., & Lam, L. (2017). Community schools as an effective school improvement strategy: A review of the evidence. Learning Policy Institute. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/community-schools-effective-school-improvement-report.Google Scholar
Martin, L. E., & Mulvihill, T. (2020). Voices in education: Professional Development Schools (PDS): in the rear-view mirror or still a promising model? The Teacher Educator, 55(3), 239247. https://doi.org/10.1080/08878730.2020.1762359.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mayger, L. K. (2022, November 17–20). How colleges and universities are preparing principal to engage with families and communities [Paper presentation]. University Council of Educational Administration Annual Convention, Seattle, WA.Google Scholar
Mayger, L. K., & Hochbein, C. D. (2021). Growing connected: Relational trust and social capital in community schools. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk (JESPAR), 26(3), 210235. https://doi.org/10.1080/10824669.2020.1824676.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mayger, L., & Provinzano, K. (2022a). Community school leadership: Identifying qualities necessary for developing and supporting equity-centered principals. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 21(2), 281–302. https://doi.org/10.1080/15700763.2020.1759652.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mayger, L., & Provinzano, K. (2022b). Leadership for family and community engagement: A qualitative policy analysis of state principal evaluation processes. Educational Administration Quarterly, 58(1), 141–177. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X211052501.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mayger, L., & Provinzano, K. (2023). Developing conditions of equity and cultures of innovation through the National Education Association’s (NEA) Community Schools Institute. In S. Hayes (Ed.), Leadership for school improvement, vol. X: Continuous improvement: A leadership process for school improvement (E.A. Anderson & S.D. Hayes (Eds). Section 3: Partnering for Improvement. Information Age Publishing. ISBN-979-8-88730-371-0.Google Scholar
Miller, P. M. (2009). Boundary spanning in homeless children’s education: Notes from an emergent faculty role in Pittsburgh. Educational Administration Quarterly, 45(4), 616630. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X09333622.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Min, M., Anderson, J. A., & Chen, M. (2017). What do we know about full-service community schools? Integrative research review with NVivo. School Community Journal, 27(1), 2954.Google Scholar
Morettini, B., Tulino, D., & Zion, S. (2021). Exploring the myth of school–university partnerships: Untangling district resistance and academic capitalism. Taboo, 20(3), 136163.Google Scholar
Nettleton, K. F., & Barnett, D. (2016). Gatekeeper or lynchpin? The role of the principal in school–university partnerships. School–University Partnerships, 9(1), 2029. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1107092.pdf.Google Scholar
Peña, I., Rincones, R., & Canaba, K. C. (2022). Forging partnerships: Preparing school leaders in complex environments. Journal of Research on Leadership Education, 19(1), 77101. https://doi.org/10.1177/19427751221133407.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Provinzano, K. (2023). The time is now: Advocating for contextually responsive policy to support full-service community schools. In Ransaw, T. S. & Boggs, B. (Eds.), Emerging trends in education policy: Unapologetic progressive conversations. Information Age Publishing.Google Scholar
Provinzano, K., & Mayger, L. K. (2022). Betwixt and between justice and inaction: Full-Service community school principals and Community Equity Literacy. Urban Education, 59(4), 12521283. https://doi.org/00420859211073899.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Provinzano, K., Sondergeld, T. A., & Knaggs, C. M. (2020). Community schools as a sustainable comprehensive school reform strategy: A transformative mixed methods perspective. Mid-Western Educational Researcher, 32(1), 330. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1251330.Google Scholar
Purinton, T., Azcoitia, C., & Carlson, K. (2018, February). Deciphering the magic of community school leadership. Phi Delta Kappan, 99(5), 3942. https://kappanonline.org/purinton-azcoitia-carlson-deciphering-magic-community-school-leadership/.10.1177/0031721718754811CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reid, J. (2017). Preservice and in-service teacher education: A leadership model of collaborative learning. Australian Council for Educational Research, Research Conference.Google Scholar
Richardson, K., Miller, S. D., & Reinhardt, J. (2019). Professional development as an ongoing partnership: The sum is greater than its parts. School–University Partnerships, 12(1), 4550. https://eric.ed.gov/?redir=http%3a%2f%2fnapds.org%2fjournal%2f.Google Scholar
Rimkunas, N., Bronstein, L., & Anderson, E. (2022). University-assisted community schools. Children and Schools, 45(1), 305. https://doi.org/10.1093/cs/cdac028.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sahlin, . (2020). Making sense of external partnerships: Principals’ experiences of school–university collaborations. Journal of Professional Capital and Community, 5(1), 5171. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPCC-02-2019-0004.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sanders, M. (2016). Leadership, partnerships, and organizational development: Exploring components of effectiveness in three full-service community schools. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 27(2), 157177. https://doi.org/10.1080/09243453.2015.1030432.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sanders, M. (2018). Crossing boundaries: A qualitative exploration of relational leadership in three full-service community schools. Teacher College Record, 120(4), 136. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146811812000403.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sanders, M., Galindo, C., & DeTablan, D. (2019). Leadership for collaboration: Exploring how community school coordinators advance the goals of full-service community schools. Children & Schools, 41(2), 89100. https://doi.org/10.1093/cs/cdz006.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sanderson, D. R. (2016). Working together to strengthen the school community: The restructuring of a university-school partnership. School Community Journal, 26(1), 183198. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1104396.pdf.Google Scholar
Sanzo, K. L., Myran, S., & Clayton, J. K. (2011). Building bridges between knowledge and practice: A university‐school district leadership preparation program partnership. Journal of Educational Administration, 49(3), 292312. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09578231111129073.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schmidt, J. J., Ensminger, D., & Hendrickson, M. A. (2020). Place-based engagement on Chicago’s Northeast side. Universities and Community Schools, 10(1), 6582. https://ecommons.luc.edu/education_facpubs/166/.Google Scholar
Seider, S., & Graves, D. (2020). Schooling for critical consciousness: Engaging Black and Latinx youth in analyzing, navigating, and challenging racial injustice. Harvard Education Press.Google Scholar
Sondergeld, T. A., Provinzano, K., & Johnson, C. C. (2020). Investigating the impact of an urban community school effort on middle school STEM‐related student outcomes over time through propensity score matched methods. School Science and Mathematics, 120(2), 90103. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssm.12387.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vey, J. S., & Morales, J. (2022, December). Why local leaders should champion community schools to improve student, family, and neighborhood well-being. Brookings. www.brookings.edu/research/why-local-leaders-should-champion-community-schools-to-improve-student-family-and-neighborhood-well-being/.Google Scholar
Walsh, M. E., & Backe, S. (2013). School–university partnerships: Reflections and opportunities. Peabody Journal of Education, 88(5), 594607. https://doi.org/10.1080/0161956X.2013.835158.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walsh, M. E., Hamilton, A. N., & Tran, Q. D. (2020). Role of the university in building schools for the whole child. In Kronick, R. (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on community schools and the engaged university (pp. 4061). IGI Global.10.4018/978-1-7998-0280-8.ch003CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, E. L., Gates, S. M., & Herman, R. (2022). District partnerships with university principal preparation programs: A summary of findings for school district leaders (Volume 3, Part 4). RAND Corporation. www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RRA400/RRA413-6/RAND_RRA413-6.pdf.Google Scholar
Wepner, S. B., Gomez, D. W., & Quatroche, D. (2021). School–based leadership perspectives on university partnerships. Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning, 13(3), 233246. https://doi.org/10.14305/jn.19440413.2021.13.3.04.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Accessibility standard: WCAG 2.1 AA

Why this information is here

This section outlines the accessibility features of this content - including support for screen readers, full keyboard navigation and high-contrast display options. This may not be relevant for you.

Accessibility Information

The PDF of this book complies with version 2.1 of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), covering newer accessibility requirements and improved user experiences and achieves the intermediate (AA) level of WCAG compliance, covering a wider range of accessibility requirements.

Content Navigation

Table of contents navigation
Allows you to navigate directly to chapters, sections, or non‐text items through a linked table of contents, reducing the need for extensive scrolling.
Index navigation
Provides an interactive index, letting you go straight to where a term or subject appears in the text without manual searching.

Reading Order & Textual Equivalents

Single logical reading order
You will encounter all content (including footnotes, captions, etc.) in a clear, sequential flow, making it easier to follow with assistive tools like screen readers.

Visual Accessibility

Use of colour is not sole means of conveying information
You will still understand key ideas or prompts without relying solely on colour, which is especially helpful if you have colour vision deficiencies.

Structural and Technical Features

ARIA roles provided
You gain clarity from ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) roles and attributes, as they help assistive technologies interpret how each part of the content functions.

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×