The Prospects for Collaboration between Schools and Universities To Improve American Education.

Collaboration between schools and institutions of higher education (IHE) is usually effective only when values are shared and mutual dependencies are recognized. These conditions are uncommon. The foundation upon which such collaboration could be developed requires several building blocks: (1) developing shared goals regarding teacher learning; (2) minimizing the fragmentation of responsibility for teacher learning; (3) developing more effective strategies for evaluating teaching; (4) belief in the scientific bases for the art of teaching; (5) clarification and modification of respective roles; (6) development of new institutional arenas for collaboration; (7) restructuring schools to facilitate teacher learning; (8) creation of markets for quality in teacher preparation and inservice professional development. Forces that might encourage more effective collaboration include: the diminishing mystique of colleges and universities, the diminishing roles of IHEs in the education of teachers, the professionalization of teaching, technology, and increasing interest in content pedagogy. Steps toward increased collaboration may not be taken, however, because of uncertainty about the purposes of teacher preparation, increased capacity of schools to provide for teacher training, limited capacity of IHEs to take on new roles related to teacher education, inadequate modes of funding, the IHE/school status schism, and the need for top level leadership. (36 references) (IAH)