Community Colleges and University Partnerships:
Giving the BEST to Students
Lori Mann
Lawrence Lyman
Merle Patterson
Emporia State University
Introduction
The concept of Professional Development Schools (PDS), collaborative partnerships between universities and K-12 schools, has been emerging since the early 1990's. PDS collaborations have developed with three primary purposes: to improve pre-service and in-service instruction of future teachers, to strengthen the knowledge and practice of educational personnel through research and collaboration, and to provide an environment for education standard setting (Tyson, 1997). In recent years, increasing shortages of new teachers needed to replace retiring teachers and attrition of new teachers (Teacher Shortages: Research Overview, 2007) have made teacher education collaborations even more urgent. The development of successful and sustained PDS partnerships between Emporia State University and several Kansas school districts encouraged a broader collaborative effort between Emporia State and two Kansas community colleges serving diverse, urban clientele.
At Emporia State, the first elementary education PDS began in 1992 as a collaborative effort between the university and the Olathe Public Schools (located in the Kansas City area). The Olathe Public Schools have been recognized for their rapidly growing and increasingly diverse student population, excellence in staff development, willingness to collaborate and share resources, and overall reputation for educational excellence. In 1995 as part of the growing PDS program, the Emporia Public Schools, another outstanding district with an increasingly diverse population, was added as a model program for educating preservice teachers. Expansions continued so that by fall of 2007, the Emporia State PDS program included nine school districts and 29 elementary school sites. As school sites have been added, opportunities to refine the collaborative process and improve the availability of clinical preservice teacher opportunities have increased.
Within ten years of the inception of the first Emporia State PDS partnership, a new need was noted. Students in the metropolitan Kansas City area would often attend a local community college for two years, move to the Emporia campus for a third year, and return home to the Kansas City area to participate in the Olathe PDS program for their fourth year. This situation created a hardship for place-bound students, especially nontraditional students who needed to work and maintain families in the Kansas City area. To help meet the needs of this diverse group of students seeking excellent training to become teachers, administrators from Emporia State and Kansas City Community College collaboratively designed a community college and university partnership which permitted students to complete their teacher education program in the Kansas City metropolitan area.
The foundation of the university and community college partnership program is a strong undergraduate elementary education program. At Emporia State University, the NCATE accredited program has a long history of producing high quality elementary teachers. The program requires completion of 136 hours of credit which can be split over a four year period of time or extended further, if necessary. The community college offers 66 hours of credit and Emporia State offers the remaining 70 hours at the community college site. Students have the advantage of being able to flexibly schedule the community college coursework. Upon completion of the community college coursework, however, students must meet teacher education admission requirements before they are admitted into a structured cohort group for the final 70 hour, two year program. Classes in the final two years of the program are “lock-step” which means that students must follow the scheduled course plan and meet requirements at several decisions points. During the junior year, students complete professional education courses and preparatory methods courses. In the final year of the program, students are placed in the elementary PDS program, working under the collaborative supervision of a mentor teacher and PDS coordinator. Combined with the PDS internship are methods courses related to the internship experience which allow a year-long clinical experience in a real world, highly supportive environment.
Collaboration between the university and K-12 school districts in the PDS program offers the teacher candidate a practical introduction to teaching with more opportunities to practice and refine their skills and to receive feedback about their progress than in traditional student teaching programs. PDS collaborations allow for the development of innovative teaching practices as university faculty, classroom teachers, and administrators collaborate on implementing new methods and approaches to planning, instruction, and assessment. In this collaborative environment, university faculty have the opportunity to conduct research, field test and disseminate educational innovations, and participate in district in-service training programs. The district benefits from the immediate access to higher education experts. Teachers in the PDS schools stay updated on the latest trends in education and have the opportunity to enhance their skills by mentoring preservice teachers. Shared governance of the PDS program assures the best opportunities for future teachers. It also provides opportunities for practicing teachers and administrators to work on graduate course work aligned with their district’s staff development goals and the identified needs of the students they teach.
With the development of community college partnerships comes the need to identify new PDS partners in school districts. In the Kansas City, Kansas partnership, for example, four additional school sites were needed in the Olathe school district to help accommodate the new students from the partnership program. New sites were also added in the Kansas City Kansas Public Schools. Dee Dee Hines (2006), principal of Lindbergh Elementary School, one of the new Kansas City, Kansas PDS sites, commented on the benefits of the PDS and community college partnerships when she said, “At the end of two semesters, the interns are quite experienced in managing classrooms, utilizing a variety of instructional strategies, and meeting the needs of urban students. Therefore, we have great candidates to apply for teaching positions in our district.”
Collaborative Program Design
The addition of community college partnerships brings an additional resource to the planning, implementation, and assessment of quality teacher education. One of the primary benefits for the urban students in the partnership program is the opportunity to complete a teacher education program which prepares them for the challenges of the diverse, inclusive classroom without costly travel or the need to change their residence.
Following the 2002 implementation of the Kansas City Kansas Community College partnership program, there was increased interest in developing additional community college partnership programs to meet the needs of both urban and rural students. The BEST program (Butler and Emporia from Students to Teachers) was designed through a collaborative planning effort supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation and Phi Theta Kappa. The first step in creating the BEST program was the formation of a collaborative team which began meeting in the fall of 2003 to develop a grant proposal for Preparing Tomorrow’s Science and Mathematics Teachers at Community Colleges: Round II. This team was made up of faculty and administrators from Butler Community College in El Dorado and Emporia State University. Acceptance of the grant proposal provided opportunities for the planning team to travel to a conference and work with experienced mentors to create a comprehensive partnership plan that included goals, a time line, identification of the responsibilities of those working to implement the plan, and marketing.
An early and major consideration in a successful community college and university partnership program is the need to articulate the program of study, define the program, and share resources. As part of the initial program design, the general education courses offered for elementary education candidates by the community college were aligned. This review and revision of course work provided a well articulated program. Through the grant, a unique math and science seminar course was developed collaboratively between community college and university faculty. In its initial offerings, the course was also team taught by community college and university faculty.
The first shared resource for the BEST Program was an advising office at Butler Community College staffed by an advisor/PDS coordinator who was a staff member at Emporia State University. This advisor was a key individual in coordinating the efforts of the community college advisors, administrators, and faculty to provide program information for prospective students. In the BEST Program, the advising office was strategically located near the office of the Butler Community College Dean, Lori Winningham, who provided assistance as needed.
For the BEST Program, the first and primary advisor funded by Emporia State University, Merle Patterson, also served as the initial PDS coordinator for the program. As a former principal of a public school in the area, he was able to provide a dynamic link for students, public schools, community college and university personnel, and offices on both campuses. The importance of this liaison role in an effective partnership cannot be overstated. The transitional process involved in creating a partnership program requires an educator who can build trust, serve as admission contact person, coordinate schedules, and provide academic advising services.
One of the important shared responsibilities of a community college and university partnership is advising. Patterson was mentored by an advisor from the Emporia State campus and he provided mentoring to two advisors who were later added to the program. Training was also provided for the community college advisors so that the transition from the community college to university classes would be seamless and efficient.
Marketing is another factor to be considered in a successful collaboration between community college and university. In the BEST program, the responsibility for marketing was shared. Among the strategies used to market the new program were brochures and radio advertisements. Alumni association and distance learning staff worked together to market the program to high school students. Teams of alumni and staff visited schools and served lunches to teachers. Program administrators and faculty from both campuses participated in recruitment activities, forming one more collaborative link.
An additional collaboration occurred with the need to share facilities. Butler Community College initially provided an advising office and allocated classroom space in a variety of classrooms. After carefully weighing options and seeing the need for an exclusive site for the program, two classrooms and a suite of offices were assigned to the program in one of the Butler campus buildings. In order to provide these facilities for the partnership program, one of the community college programs had to be relocated to another campus. The shared building is primarily maintained by the community college. The classroom was equipped with “smart” technology, including state of the art computerized projection systems, with most of the material and equipment costs provided by the university.
Successful implementation of a community college and university partnership program depends on open communication and shared decision making. As the BEST program evolved, the university department chair and the community college dean played integral roles in identifying problems and concerns, developing strategies, and keeping other administrators and faculty informed about the program. Advisors and PDS coordinators also served as the liaisons between the students, public schools, and the university. Collegiality and mutual respect among community college faculty, university faculty, and public school teachers and administrators is a strength of the BEST Program.
Benefits and Challenges of Partnerships
The BEST Program was implemented in the fall of 2004 with seven Block 2 and Block 3 (fourth year) students, two full-time faculty members, and one public school district. The program has quickly grown to full capacity. In the 2006-2007 academic year, the BEST program had more than 700 inquiries, 52 students, three full-time faculty members, two PDS coordinators, and four public school districts. Additional community college and university faculty are used to supplement increasing instructional needs. A continuing challenge of the BEST Program, however, is to find the resources to meet the growing demand created by the program. This situation has been noted by researchers in previous studies of PDS programs (Brainard, 1989).
Two principals of PDS schools attest to the benefits of the BEST Program. Greg Taylor (2006) comments that “Robinson Elementary is so fortunate to be a part of the BEST Program and the partnership has been a tremendous asset for our school and district!” Don Coffman (2006), principal of Towanda Elementary School comments that “The skills and knowledge that these students possessed when they first came into our building was phenomenal and support from the college was outstanding. It is my opinion that teacher training through the BEST Program puts Emporia State on top.”
The BEST Program has created interest in additional partnership programs from other community colleges but financial resources are again the primary barrier to expanding further the successful collaborative efforts between Emporia State and its community college partners. While community college and university partnerships require a substantial infusion of time, energy, and resources, high academic standards can be maintained and the needs of diverse and nontraditional students can be better served through the shared expertise of educators working together to prepare tomorrow’s teachers.
Suggestions for Implementing Successful Partnerships
A number of lessons were learned in the implementation of partnerships between Emporia State University, public school districts, and community colleges. The following suggestions are provided to assist in the design of similar programs.
Carefully select partners. The BEST collaboration was designed with careful thought and analysis of location, need, and relationships with neighboring schools. As Bauer (1991) pointed out in an article on PDS development, a bottom-up approach, bringing in several key players from the educational institutions and agencies involved, is crucial to successful brainstorming and to the planning process to assure full buy-in at all levels. To assure that all needs are being addressed, the planning team should include faculty and administrators from each higher education institution, public school leaders, and community members.
Keep communication lines open. Open lines of communication are crucial and can best be established through scheduled planning and reflective meetings. These meetings should continue as checkpoints for progress monitoring, problem solving, and redesign. Placement of offices should be selected to put key players in proximity that allows for easy access to communication with other stakeholders. Individuals with skill in communication and leadership should be selected to serve in the roles of advisor and PDS coordinator.
Develop written plans. As plans are formulated, put them down in writing. Research and experience with developing PDS schools demonstrated the importance of planning ahead for adequate resources and anticipated obstacles (Brainard, 1989). A memorandum of agreement or contract can be used to define the responsibility for each educational agency. Time lines and organizational charts, with plans to address growth as well as costs and assignment of duties, may alleviate miscommunication and promote efficiency. Vigilant oversight of the growth and development of the program will be needed to adjust marketing plans and to budget for the future. One individual may need to coordinate the scheduling of classes and communication with faculty and students. A full-time advisor/PDS coordinator is a logical person to assume many of these responsibilities.
Consider implementation in stages.Starting a collaborative program is a process. A successful marketing job will produce growth from the bottom up. The first signs of growth will be noticed at the community college level as students begin to take classes. University personnel should be prepared for delays in growth as it will not show up immediately in the junior or senior year programs. Upper level class offerings may initially have low numbers, but this trend can change in a relatively short amount of time as students feed into the program. It is important to think about controlling class size, even before problems begin to occur. Development of an admission policy with structured course sequence, identified in advance, will help to alleviate overcrowded programs that can occur in the junior and senior years without such controls. Monitoring of class sizes at both the community college and the university levels is important for determining trends in growth.
Utilize cohort groups.Cohort groups of 24-26 work well as students can enter the program and stay together as they take classes during the last two years of the program. Some attrition of students will naturally occur. However, identifying program requirements such as required grade point averages and assessments prior to admittance to the university program can alleviate some of the attrition issues. As the growth in student numbers begins moving to the university level, typically in two or three years, a strong collaborative plan will help the program make a smooth transition from under subscribed to full capacity.
Provide collaborative training. Collaborative planning of training and inservice is an important component of the partnership. Teaming together to provide training and inservice improves the partnership and can impact the quality of education at all levels. Stakeholders from each agency can provide insight into the training and inservice needs from their unique perspectives. University course work can be intertwined with school district training to share resources and expertise and strengthen the preparation of beginning teachers. Exchanges of college faculty and public school personnel can provide additional opportunities for professional growth and development.
Collaborative use of resources.Students want to feel that progress through their teacher education program is seamless. Community college and university processes, regulations, and communication strategies may differ. The planning team should identify ways to simplify processes for students and collaborate to provide easy access to shared resources. Admissions procedures can be simplified by sharing student records, utilizing forms which provide student permission for release and exchange of information to both schools. Financial aid officers may be able to collaborate to create a consortium agreement to allow students to split their financial aid allotments between the two schools. Program brochures can be created to show the courses which are required at both institutions. Book stores on both campuses can work together to provide books and other required instructional materials at an easily accessible site. Informational sheets can be created to help students to visualize the full lay-out of the classes that they will be taking and to answer commonly asked questions. These preparations can greatly increase student satisfaction.
Annual Team Checks and Balance System.Two of the most important components of a successful partnership are evaluation and adjustment. Collaborative partnerships require more complex planning and implementation. A team or committee will be beneficial in maintaining a close watch on all aspects of the program. Appropriate oversight and evaluation of the program by the team or committee can help identify refinements that may be needed.
Conclusion
Collaborative university and community college partnerships have the potential to improve teacher education. Shared expertise and open communication between the community college, university, and K-12 school district personnel can increase efficiency and make better use of limited resources. Teacher education students will be well served by the creation of strong partnerships with high expectations for quality programming. The creation of viable partnerships can open the door to a brighter future for teachers and the students they will impact.
References
Bauer, N. J. (1991). Professional Development Schools: A Reflective Analysis. (pp. 27).
Brainard, F. (1989). Professional Development Schools: Status As of 1989. Occasional Paper No. 9. (pp. 63).
Coffman, D. (2006). Principal of Towanda Elementary. In A. Barth (Ed.). Towanda.
Hines, D. D. (2006). Principal of Lindbergh Elementary, Kansas City, KS. In L. Mann (Ed.). Kansas City, KS.
Taylor, G. (2006). Principal of Robinson Elementary in Augusta, KS. In M. Patterson (Ed.). Augusta. Teacher Shortages:
Research Overview. (2007). Retrieved 9-5-07, 2007, from
http://www.abcte.org/teacher_shortages/research_overview#sdfootnote5sym
Tyson, V. V. (1997). The faces of Professional Development Schools. Retrieved 3, 2, from
http://cep.terc.edu/ra/publications/Alliance_Access/Vol2-No3/pds.html |
