Abstract

Universities have sought for many years to contribute to their local communities through partnerships with schools and other organizations. As a vital partner embedded in communities, universities have a unique opportunity to use their extensive human and research capital to increase educational equity and academic outcomes by partnering with local schools and community partners. However, higher education partnerships are highly complex and encounter a number of different challenges. This paper describes an emerging conceptual framework for such partnerships, as well as to two emerging key factors related to the implementation, success, and continuation of partnerships: senior university leadership and embedded evaluation practices. A practical example, with some promising data, of how a large university in the United States was able to build effective and sustainable education partnerships is then presented.