Are we there yet? Perspectives from partners in a community of practice

Partnerships are routinely established between universities and school districts for the purpose of preparing highly qualified new teachers. Partnerships for this purpose are especially important in preparing teachers for hard-to-staff schools. Through the resources of a United States Department of Education Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant, researchers worked with school partners to develop a communities of practice. At the end of the first year, researchers took a step back and asked for feedback from the partners. Through a review of the literature researchers determined the characteristics of a communities of practice that included opportunities for situational learning, reflective practice, and a shared cultural and historical heritage. Researchers then surveyed, interviewed, and held focus groups with a variety of participants in the partnership to determine if they had a shared understanding of the communities of practice. This study gives direction to university researchers as they work with their community partners.