A case study of school-university collaboration in the implementation of alternative certification.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study examined the barriers to collaboration as well as the elements crucial to successful collaboration between schools and universities in the achievement of alternative teacher certification. The research focused on the partnership between one school district and one university in implementing the New York State alternative teacher certification policy through the New York City Teaching Fellows Program.
Using primarily the qualitative case study method, the researcher triangulated data from interviews with and surveys of the Teaching Fellows; interviews with school district, college, and New York City Department of Education personnel; program documents giving the historical context and the current status of the collaboration; and personal observations of activities and events. As a lens to analyze these data, the case study used a framework outlining barriers to collaboration and requirements for collaborative success synthesized from school-university and organizational collaboration literature.
The research findings identified both barriers to school-university collaboration and requirements for successful collaboration in the area of alternative teacher certification. The powerful nature of the elements for successful collaboration in this case served to protect the partnership from the barriers present. These elements---indispensable to the continuation, expansion, and deepening of the commitment among the collaborative partners---included a comprehensive state policy mandating collaboration between schools and universities in the attainment of alternative certification; a school district with a large population of uncertified teachers and a large pool of hard-to-staff schools; a collaboration facilitator with inter-institutional formal and informal authority; and the commitment of key institutional leadership to the policy of alternative teacher certification and to the collaboration itself.