New Course: School-Community Partnerships in Urban Settings

Posted by on November 12, 2004

School-Community Partnerships in Urban Settings: Urban Education 516 (CRN 043059). Temple University. Tuesdays, 5-7:30, Ritter Annex 319. Instructor: Dr. Novella Keith (keithnov@temple.edu)

Rationale: Although assessment has lately taken center stage in the educational reform literature, there is an ongoing and growing trend in education toward the use of partnerships and collaborations, linking schools, universities, organizations, and “communities,” in order to improve educational practice. Different policy assumptions, theoretical frameworks, and political agendas inform the design of partnerships and collaborations. This course will help students unpack the policies, theory and practice of partnerships through immersion in the relevant literature and involvement in the field (research and practice). Readings and field experiences will help students become more analytical about relevant issues and enable them to incorporate critical reflection in their analyses. Forms of involvement to be studied include public engagement; faith-based initiatives; school-community outreach; school-university partnerships; community schools; community organizing; school-business partnerships.

Course description: The course includes instructor-led and student-led explorations and is partly co-constructed. The first five weeks are devoted to intensive reading of the partnership literature and field observation; identification of student interests and learning goals; introduction to a partnership field site; and identification of a partnership project related to this site. Course activites for the remainder of the semester emphasize the connections between relevant literature and experiential learning at the site. The course stresses rigorous academic learning that is grounded in field work and students are evaluated on demonstrations of well-rounded learning that integrates research and field experiences. Two major requirements are due at the end of term: a major academic paper that analyzes the field experience in light of the literature; and a partnership project report. Other course assignments help students build up to these final assignments. Field notes and reflection journals are among the data sources to be included in the final paper and project report.