DEPARTMENT OF POLICY, ORGANIZATIONAL & LEADERSHIP STUDIES (POLS)
URBAN EDUCATION PROGRAM
Urban Education 5516 (CRN24863)
University-School-Community Partnerships in Urban Settings
Fall 2015
3
Instructor: Dr. Novella Keith Thursdays, 5:30-8:00
e-mail: RH 102
Office: Ritter Hall 466, phone (215) 204-0297
Hours: by appointment
Course description
This course focuses on the theory and practice of education-related collaborations and partnerships that cross social and professional divides. Partnerships and collaborations in pursuit of social (rather than economic) goals have become increasingly prominent since the 1980s. This is true internationally as well as in the United States, and in many fields besides education. While we explore what these collaborations entail and why they represent an important trend, a major emphasis will be on learning how to become a partner and how to support and facilitate collaborations in settings that bring together participants from different organizations, professional orientations, and social backgrounds. In other words, you will focus on yourself as a partnership practitioner, learning from your practice and experiences.
In this class you will learn in multiple ways, but especially by moving between practice and theory, and experiential and academic learning. You will analyze written cases as well as develop your own by being involved in a collaboration/partnership. Do expect to do a fair bit of critical reflection on your own positionality, assumptions and experiences as they relate to the course. The class will be conducted as a collaborative seminar and you are expected to bring your individual and collective interests to the table. Part of the syllabus will be co-constructed to accommodate these interests.
Some questions we will explore
· When we think of a partnership we envision mutually satisfactory relationships, where each partner brings valued resources to the table, creating the possibility of mutual enrichment and growth. What does it take for partnerships to succeed in contexts that bring together people and organizations of different and unequal social status and power?
· What is involved in making partnerships that cross the divides of class, race, and other differences (“partnerships across borders”) fair, equitable, caring, and just?
· What can a practitioner do to pursue these ends? What might you do, taking into account who you are, your social location, and the contexts of a partnership?
· What lenses or conceptual frames are used to understand partnerships and how do these influence partnership practice?
· What are your questions?
Experiential/community-based learning
Some examples of partnerships you can explore and become involved in include collaborations within organizations and across them; school-community outreach and involvement; university-community partnerships; community organizing; school-business partnerships; parent involvement; university-school collaborations; and community-based research.
The course includes instructor-led and student-led explorations and is partly co-constructed. The first eight weeks are devoted to intensive reading of relevant literature; identification of student interests, assets, and learning goals; introduction to a partnership field site; and identification of a partnership project related to this site (see below for more information on the partnership project). Course activities during the second half of the semester emphasize the connections between relevant literature and field-based and experiential learning at the site and in the classroom.
Course Goals, Expectations, Requirements and Assessment
Goals
The course stresses rigorous learning that integrates academic knowledge, knowledge gathered from the field and critical reflection on experience. In addition to the goals specified for the course, you are expected to develop your own learning goals. The course goals are designed to help you develop your capacity to do the following:
1. integrate academic and experiential learning;
2. apply partnership concepts and the partnership literature to a particular case;
3. locate a particular partnership and the issues it raises in larger contexts (historical, political, cultural, organizational, etc.)
4. reflect on ethical issues raised by partnerships and collaborations, with particular attention to social justice and democratic practice (including your own).
Specifically, I will support you and help you do the following:
1. Broaden and deepen your understanding of partnership policies and practices by considering both macro (i.e. socio-political, systemic reform) and micro (i.e. relational) contexts.
2. Systematically analyze at least one type of partnership, integrating in the analysis important concepts (for instance, social justice, power, democracy, borders, gender, race, class) that are highlighted through the course.
3. Participate in a partnership project and critically reflect on your own positionality and ethical commitments as they relate to the project.
4. Co-construct knowledge about different types of partnerships and partnership practices.
5. Develop relevant skills for partnership practice.
Expectations
This course is a seminar. You will get out of it what you put into it. We will talk about what you expect and what your goals are. Below are some of my expectations:
1. Discussion is an essential part of each class session. I expect that we will all arrive on time, ready to engage in meaningful discussion, having read, reflected, and considered your questions on the assigned readings for each class meeting. If you can’t come to class due to illness or an emergency, I expect you to let me know as soon as you are able.
2. I expect that our discourse will strive to be honest and respectful; that we will not shy away from difficult conversations and will offer constructive suggestions to colleagues, framing our contributions, to the extent possible, in ways that they can be most easily heard.
3. I expect that we will all revise and review our ideas, assumptions and writing.
4. I expect you to be able to accept critique of your work from me and your colleagues and to incorporate the feedback or provide a thoughtful counter argument that responds to the critique.
5. I further expect you to provide thoughtful critique of your colleagues’ written and oral work. Offering critique is an essential capacity.
6. I expect that you all understand the principles of academic honesty stated below and will conduct yourselves in accordance with these principles, which are detailed below. I reserve the right to submit any written work to SafeAssign.
Requirements/Assessment
Throughout the term, you will write and discuss critical summaries of selected readings, field notes, and reflections that will lead you toward the major course requirement, due at the end of term. This final work will be either (a) a case study that draws from diverse sources of knowledge (readings, fieldwork, critical reflection notes, etc.) to analyze a particular partnership policy, practice, or issue of your choosing; or (b) presentation and analysis of a project that you have developed with/for your community partner. In both instances, you must address points 1-4 listed above.
Course assignments and percent of the final grade.
· Two-page reflection and questions arising from role play (for discussion, not graded)
· Autobiographical narrative: Who you are as a partner; your course learning
goals; preliminary ideas for partnership project 5%
· Class participation (total 25%)
o Work with a team of classmates to lead a class discussion 10%
o Contribute to class discussion 5%
o Final oral presentation (including handouts) 10%
· Field work (total 25%. Include as appendices in final paper)
o Preliminary project selection
o Partnership project proposal. 10%
(I will give you qualitative feedback on it.
The proposal will be integrated into the final
project report).
o Field logs and field notes 10%
o Report of collaborative evaluation with your
partner (include in final paper/project report) 5%
· Two critical incident reflections (5% each). 10%
· Final integrative paper 35%
Total 100%
Grading: Completing an assignment does not necessarily mean receiving full points for it. Each assignment is graded on the same A – F scale on which the final grade is based. All assignments are added according to their weights to determine the final grade.
A = 94 to 100; A- = 90 to 93
B+ = 87 to 89; B = 84 to 86; B- = 80 to 83
C+ = 77 to 79; C = 74 to 76; C- = 70 to 73
D+ = 67 to 69; D = 64 to 66; D- = 60 to 63
F = Below 60
Required and Recommended Readings:
Main text: Novella Zett Keith (2015). Engaging in Social Partnerships: Democratic Practices for Higher Education Community Partnerships (New York: Routledge).
Recommended: Paul M. Washington, with David Gracie (1994). “Other Sheep I Have”: The Autobiography of Paul M. Washington. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1994). Used copies available from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1566391784/ref=tmm_pap_used_olp_sr?ie=UTF8&condition=used&qid=&sr=
Other readings will be posted on Blackboard.
Course Calendar
Class / Date / Topic / Readings / Assignments Due1 / 8/27 / Introduction to the course; Lincoln School role play
2 / 9/3 / Partnerships across social divides; concepts/ thinking tools / Keith Preface, Chapters 1 & 2 / Two-Page Reflection and Questions from Role Play
(not graded; we will work with it & rubric so you understand reflection/ field notes)
3 / 9/10 / Engaging partners democratically--in the context of corporate (neoliberal) reform in education / Higher ed: Keith Chapter 3;
K-12 & international context: see 2 articles by Ravitch and Cabalin in BB, Readings
Student presenters: / Autobiographical Narrative
4 / 9/17 / Crossing Borders: Experts, Professionals etc. / Keith Chapter 4;
Ferman & Hill: Higher Ed-Community Research Partnerships (BB)
Recommended: Israel, Schulz, Parker & Becker, Review of CBR (BB)
Student presenters: / Partnership Project Selection
5 / 9/24 / Engaging in partnerships and becoming a partner / No new reading: review course and other (self-selected) readings relevant to your partnership project / Partnership Project Proposal
6 / 10/1 / Toward Wise Practice / Keith Chapters 5 and 6
Student presenters:
7 / 10/8 / Trust, Power and Border Crossing in Art Based Work
(class to be held at the Church of the Advocate) / Keith Chapter 7
Boud: Using Journal Writing to Enhance Reflective Practice (BB)
Student presenters: / Critical Incident Reflection #1
8 / 10/15 / Wrapping it Up/Transitioning to Projects
Possible guest speaker: Nora Reynolds / Keith Chapters 8 and 9
Student presenters:
9 / 10/22 / Possible site visits/guest speakers (Philadelphia Urban Creators, Alex Epstein)
10 / 10/29 / Possible site visits/ guest speakers (Beverly Coleman) / Critical Incident Reflection #2
11 / 11/5 / Possible site visits/ guest speakers (Renee McKenzie, Church of the Advocate) / Renee McKenzie-Hayward, “Being the Advocate” (BB).
Washington (especially Intro and Ch. 6)
12 / 11/12 / Open group discussion and/or possible student presentations
13 / 11/19 / Student Presentations
14 / 12/3 / Student Presentations
15 / 12/10 / Course wrap & final paper due / Final Paper Due
Policies
Disability Disclosure Statement
Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss the specific situation as soon as possible. Contact Disability Resources and Services at (215) 204-1280 in 100 Ritter Annex to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Website: http://www.temple.edu/disability/.
Attendance policy
Courses in the College of Education are intended to develop professional understandings, habits and attitudes. Since attendance and punctuality are of critical importance in a professional person, the faculty has a no cut policy. Attendance irregularities such arriving late or leaving early, and/or absences will result in a lowered final grade.
Academic Honesty and Plagiarism
The following statement from the Graduate Bulletin articulates the principles of academic honesty and details the potential consequences of plagiarism.
Academic honesty and integrity constitute the root of the educational process at Temple University. Intellectual growth relies on the development of independent thought and respect for the thoughts of others. To foster this independence and respect, plagiarism and academic cheating are prohibited.
Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of another individual's ideas, words, labor, or assistance. All coursework submitted by a student, including papers, examinations, laboratory reports, and oral presentations, is expected to be the individual effort of the student presenting the work. When it is not, that assistance must be reported to the instructor. If the work involves the consultation of other resources such as journals, books, or other media, those resources must be cited in the appropriate style. All other borrowed material, such as suggestions for organization, ideas, or actual language, must also be cited. Failure to cite any borrowed material, including information from the internet, constitutes plagiarism.
Academic cheating results when the general rules of academic work or the specific rules of individual courses are broken. It includes falsifying data; submitting, without the instructor's approval, work in one course that was done for another; helping others to plagiarize or cheat from one's own or another's work; or undertaking the work of another person.
The penalty for academic dishonesty can vary from a reprimand and receiving a failing grade for a particular assignment, to a failing grade in the course, to suspension or expulsion from the University. The penalty varies with the nature of the offense. Students who believe that they have been unfairly accused may appeal through their school/college's academic grievance procedure and, ultimately, to the Graduate Board if academic dismissal has occurred.
Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities Policy
Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. The University has a policy on Student and Faculty and Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy #03.70.02) which can be accessed here: http://policies.temple.edu/getdoc.asp?policy_no=03.70.0
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Incomplete Grades Policy
An instructor may file a grade of "I" (Incomplete) for a student only if the student has completed the majority of the work of the course at a passing level and only for reasons beyond the student's control. The student must sign a written agreement with the instructor and the department regarding completion of the work, including: the nature of the work to be completed, the means by which the final grade will be determined, and the date by which the work must be completed. The completion date may be no later than one year from the end of the semester in which the student took the course. The agreement shall also specify a default grade to be received if the work is not completed by the date indicated.