Assessing the Emergence of Partnership
Collaborative efforts of K-12 and Higher Education individuals and institutions can co-develop the components of a sustainable regional partnership.
The initial goals for partnership measurement were: 1. Describe the formation and evolution of this collaborative network for science reform; 2. Determine to what extent it (NCOSP) succeeds in developing the components of a partnership so that the network of collaboration and mutual support is sufficiently in place to carry on the "mission" of the partnership even after the funding and partnership infrastructure have gone away. Participating educational institutions (K-12 schools & higher ed. Institutions) are the unit of analysis. Indicators were chosen based on a review of partnership research in several fields, including organizational systems, school university partnership, school-community partnership, etc. and were narrowed to the following aspects of partnership and their associated research questions:
1. Goals and rewards: A successful partnership should have well-defined, common goals and participants should feel they are benefiting from their participation. Are personal and professional goals aligned with goals of the partnership? What are the benefits and rewards that are in place?
2. Resources and Support: There is no need for partnership if there is not an exchange of resources and support of different forms. What are those resources throughout the partnership that support people in achieving their goals? To what extent are the institutions giving and receiving fairly and equitably?
3. Communication: Communication helps people to form a common vision and shared goals and to sustain relationships after the formal partnership has ended. Communication is also likely an indicator of collaboration. To what extent is there strong mutual communication between partner institutions?
4. Change: Some partnerships occur to provide an exchange of goods or services; others occur to create change. NCOSP is a partnership created to be a catalyst for systemic reform in science education. What are the individual and institutional changes in all partners' beliefs and practice that reflect the goals of systemic reform in science education?
