Developing a University–School District Partnership: Researcher–District Administrator Collaboration for a Special Education Initiative

This case study examined the development of a university–school district partnership designed to support a special education initiative with 156 students of middle socioeconomic backgrounds in Grades 4 to 7 using critical-sampling, single-case, and documentation methods. It identified four essential elements of researcher–district administrator collaboration: a developmental process led by the partners’ mutual goals and a gradual building of support for the project, a communication protocol dominated by professionalism and parity, a collaborative structure marked by complementary relationships and accountability between the partners, and outcomes benefitting all stakeholders (teachers, students, and researcher). The most important outcome was students’ increased understanding of disabilities and empathy with persons with disabilities. The author proposes a conceptual framework for developing university-school partnerships and makes recommendations for future practice and research.