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P-12 Partnerships with Higher Education Partnerships between higher education and the prekindergarten-to-grade-12 (P-12) community are essential at every level to effectively and efficiently meet the needs of today's students. Collaborative involvement at the state level is especially critical to issues regarding alignment of the curriculum across educational sectors and improving teacher quality and retention. The smooth transition of students between high school and college requires alignment between higher education admissions-related requirements and P-12 curriculum frameworks, standards, and assessments. Higher education has many resources to offer in the development of curriculum to meet the New Jersey Core Curriculum Standards. Similarly, efforts and support by the state education and higher education agencies are necessary to ensure that teachers and administrators are well prepared to meet the needs of all students. However, partnerships that originate at the grassroots, local, or institutional level are often the ones that have the most immediate impact. Partnerships between schools or districts and colleges or universities abound in New Jersey. They often originate from the enthusiasm of one or two teachers or faculty members or grow out of a school or college faculty's innovative proposal. Others begin with the impetus of a state, federal, or foundation grant. Whatever the origin, the potential for P-12/higher education partnerships to make a significant and lasting difference is extraordinary. 1. Who benefits from P-12/Higher Education Partnerships? First and foremost, students benefit. However, faculty members, teachers, administrators, educational institutions, and ultimately employers benefit as well. Some examples of the benefits include: students move more seamlessly from P-12 to college and have an extended wealth of resources from which to learn; P-12 educators have access to enhanced academic resources, expertise, and information; colleges and universities enroll better-prepared students and faculty better understand P-12 issues and challenges; and business and industry have a more highly-qualified workforce. 2. How can a school initiate a "partnership" with a college or university? Local schools should begin to establish relationships with colleges or universities that have programs or resources that may meet their particular needs. Links can be found to fifty-seven colleges and universities in New Jersey at www.njedge.org. Use this website to learn more about the higher education institutions in your area and search for those that have programs and resources related to your interests and needs. In addition to searching websites, inquire among the teachers or administrators in your school or community to determine if they know someone at nearby institutions who may be helpful as an initial contact. Finding an individual at the college or university with a similar interest or dream often provides the seeds for a healthy partnership. 3. Are there collaborative programs that are established at the state level? P-12/higher education relationships have existed in New Jersey for many years. Two such programs are the state's highly successful College Bound Grant Program, established in 1986, and NJ GEAR-UP; both programs are administered by the Commission on Higher Education. These programs focus on pre-college educational enrichment activities to help urban and minority youth in grades 6-12. The GEAR-UP partnership is comprised of higher education institutions, school districts, and community and business organizations. Information about these programs is available at http://www.state.nj.us/highereducation/comprogs.htm. The Commission has also provided competitive grant funds in the past that encourage P-12/higher education partnerships, most often related to teacher preparation and professional development. Information regarding these programs is also available at the above site. Another longstanding, successful program is the New Jersey Statewide Systemic Initiative (http://njssi.rutgers.edu), which originated from a federal grant. There is also a new, evolving partnership underway in the southern part
of the state. It is based on the concept that education is a continuous
process extending from preschool through post-graduate education (P-20)
and that close relationships between colleges and schools are essential.
The Regional P-20 Coalition of Southern New Jersey is a pilot established
by the state, involving every level of education, the community, and business.
The goal of this project is to create a seamless system of education that
will provide citizens the opportunity to maximize their abilities and
to be lifelong productive citizens in the workplace. The state intends
to extend this program across the entire state. In general, public schools and colleges and universities should seek opportunities to share expertise, collaborate to better serve student needs, and minimize expenditures by taking advantage of available resources and classroom and recreational facilities on college campuses and in schools. Colleges might explore opportunities to involve P-12 teachers as adjunct professors or in remediation efforts, while P-12 schools might seek opportunities for college faculty to enrich the curriculum or teach specialized academic courses. Collaboration in the area of educational technology has great potential for economies of scale and effective use of resources. In addition, distance learning can be used to expose secondary students to college faculty and courses, provide graduate work for P-12 educators, and generally keep P-12 teachers in touch with researchers and leaders in their academic fields. To initiate a new partnership, both P-12 and higher education should "think outside the box." For example, could the School of Business Administration provide ideas for administration of a school or district? Could the musical theatre department at a college provide both the physical location for a school production and instruction in state-of-the-art lighting and sound equipment? Could a school building be used to offer college courses in the evenings, enhancing teachers' opportunities to pursue graduate studies? The ideas are endless. Some areas of successful partnerships over the years are listed below:
No idea should be considered too small or too grand. A small partnership that grows out of just one teacher and faculty member getting together to discuss their academic field may flourish on a limited basis or grow to something district-wide. Do some research now - find potential resources and colleagues to help initiate your innovative partnership ideas. 09-03 - New Jersey Association of Partners in Education Return to Toolkit Table of Contents
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