Leveraging Community Resources: Creating Successful Partnerships to Improve Schools

Abstract

Educational leaders increasingly acknowledge the importance of developing partnerships to address pressing and persistent educational concerns. This article reports the results of a qualitative case study that examined an exurban district's efforts to improve educational outcomes through the development of multisector partnerships with community organizations and private-sector businesses. The results highlight key aspects of successful collaborations and suggest a need to include the study of partnership development in preparation programs for educational leaders.

Key words:

• administration/supervision
• community partnerships
• district leadership
• superintendent preparation