teleapprenticeship partners program: the lunch project

Teleapprenticeship Partners Program: The Lunch Project

By Michael Waugh and Barbara Brehm

A School-Business Partnership Guided by a Synthesis of Current Literature

R esearchers in the College of Education at the University of Illinois in Urbana- Champaign were recently awarded a three year National Science Founda- tion Grant beginning in August of 1989

to develop and study a teleapprenticeship model for delivering instruction in precollege math and science. The grant involves developing partnerships among private-sector businesses, the East Central Illinois Educational Service Center, Uni- versity of Illinois faculty, and participating public school teachers and students through the use of an electronic telecommunications network. Major components of the project will include the development and implementation of curricular activities, and the collection and evaluation of various types of data to assess the costs and benefits asso- ciated with this instructional model.

This article is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. TPE-8953392, and provides a brief overview and description of one of the teleapprenticeship activities which are the focus of this particular school- business partnership. The remainder of the article is a synthesis of the current literature on school- business partnerships which was used as a guide in the formation of the Teleapprenticeship partners program.

According to Levin and Waugh, "teleapprenticeship" is a new instructional methodology which uses computer-based electronic message networks to promote joint learning activities which are relevant and meaningful additions to the

Michael Waugh is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Bar- bara Brehm is an Educational Technology Spe- cialist with the East Central Illinois Educational Service Center #13, Rantoul, Illinois.

traditional precollege mathematics and science curricula. Traditional apprenticeships are still used today in the advanced instructional settings of medicine, law, and teaching. These traditional apprenticeships maximize practice "in context" and thus enhance knowledge transfer to new yet related situations. However, traditional apprenticeships are expensive and time consuming. On the other hand, teleapprenticeships can enable students to engage in numerous apprenticeship-like relationships through interactions with numerous mentors in the academic and private sectors.

The FrEd Mail network was selected as the telecommunications medium for conducting these instructional activities. It is a free educational network (at the local level) through which teachers and students can exchange instructional ideas and curriculum related data. AI Rogers, developer of the FrEd Mail network, suggests that FrEd Mail provides a highly motivational context for learning by offering support for learning by offering support for instructional interactions among students and teachers through providing access to numerous and diverse instructional resources.

One teleapprenticeship activity being developed is called the Lunch Project. In this project students at participating schools will analyze local school lunch menus to establish their cost, nutritional value and student preference rating. Using these same data from other sites, the students will analyze those menus for meals which are at least as nutritious and inexpensive yet which would be preferred by local students. Several types of in- depth analysis of these data are possible and the specific type of analysis selected by participating classrooms might reflect the availability of private sector expertise or the curriculum niche which provides the context for the classroom activity. One analysis might involve detailed nutritional comparisons obtained through collaboraton with a professional dietitian. Another analysis might involve an exploration of locally produced food- stuffs and the nature and availability of govern- ment surplus commodities. Private sector expertise in food production, processing, and distribution would be helpful in educating students about many of the important factors which should be considered in such an analysis. Based on the

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results of their analyses, the students will be able to prepare persuasive presentations to school officials justifying their requests for the adoption of more popular luncheon menus.

The problem solving strategy employed in the Lunch Project is referred to by Waugh and Levin as "receiver site transfer". This strategy allows students to undertake the analysis of "real-world" problems and to see that there are many possible solutions for some of these problems each of which offers specific advantages and disadvan- tages. Students involved in receiver site transfer projects acquire information from diverse sources which are not readily available in a typical school setting. Advantages of this method are that it en- ables students to work on "real-life" problems, requires students to clearly express their thoughts in writing to be transmitted interactively over the network, encourages collaboration between students, and requires higher level thinking skills to analyze facts and synthesize new ideas.

The synthesis of school-business partnership literature which follows was gathered to serve as a guideline for developing and sustaining the partnership interactions essential to the teleapprenticeship projects described above. The Lunch Project has been selected as the first teleapprenticeship project to be developed. The initial steps suggested in the literature on partnerships which have been implemented in our project thus far and further steps which are planned are described in the following paragraphs.

Research on partnership development suggests beginning with a needs assessment. A need to improve math and science scores particularly those of "at-risk" students was identified as the major focus for the teleapprenticeship projects as a result of our needs assessment. During the needs assessment stage, the East Central Illinois Partner- ship for Excellence in Education, a partnership of schools, businesses, and community organizations for the improvement of science education was identified as a possible resource for school-business collaboration to foster science education initiatives.

During the second phase of the partnership, the initial awareness stage, it was discovered that although private businesses use computers in a vari- ety of ways, the agricultural industries, health care, and heavy equipment businesses which were initially contacted were largely unfamiliar with telecommunications applications and electronic network technology. These private sector businesses were interested in the teleapprentice projects but were unsure of the specific roles that they might play in such partnerships. Because of this, a pamphlet was developed to explain the teleapprenticeship projects, electronic networks, and the nature of the role of the business resource person.

Based on the experiences reported in the school-business partnership literature, the teleapprenticeship projects began with a single project activity, the Lunch Project. With the help of local teachers and East Central Illinois Partnership for Excellence in Education, several health and nutri-

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tion experts were identified and asked to serve as resources experts for the project.

Soon after the Lunch Project was selected as the introductory project activity, representatives of all partners involved met with the teachers to shape goals and objectives and to plan activities. Planned activities include a student survey of fa- vorite lunches, an exercise in tabulating data, and an advertising phase during which other schools on the FrEd Mail network are being invited to participate in the project. Throughout the project, private-sector resource people will be available to answer the student's nutrition questions on the network and to make presentations to the local classes.

Evaluation of progress toward articulated goals is reported to be an essential step in sustaining partnerships. Formative evaluations of the Lunch Project and other projects will be accomplished on an ongoing basis and a summative evaluation will be completed at the end of each school year. A final summative evaluation will be completed at the end of the three year project which will include data from all schools, projects, and businesses involved. Student gains will be evaluated annually in math and science achievement based on stan- dardized tests and will be compared to control groups of students at other local schools. Begin- ning and ending writing samples for students will also be evaluated using holistic assessment tech- niques. In addition, some individual classrooms are being observed through the Participant Obser- vation method. Electronic messages from the FrEd Mail network are also being analyzed by a series of procedures developed specifically for network interaction by Levin, Waugh, Miyake and others.

Evaluation literature on partnerships is very sparse. The teleapprenticeship model will be thor- oughly evaluated to validate a number of instructional activities suited to this new instructional medium and to evaluate whether or not this model will enable a broad range of participants in the partnership to collaborate effectively and positive- ly influence student achievement.

The following literature synthesis has guided our planning and helped shape our approach to private sector businesses with whom we are seek- ing partnerships. A great deal is known about how schools and businesses can work together to accomplish mutually beneficial goals. This information is offered here as a guide to others who might wish to develop partnerships between schools and private industry. The introduction provides an overview of partnerships, a discussion of incentives for both school and business partners, the steps for forming a partnership, and suggestions for maintaining the partnership. A bibliography of publications is included for further in-depth study of successful partnership programs.

Introduction to Partnerships

The proliferation of school business partnerships reflects a growing awareness of the connec- tion between good schools and a prosperous econ-

omy. Partnerships between public schools and other institutions grew from 42,000 in 1983-84 to 140,000 in 1987-88. Of these partnerships, 60 percent involved business or business organizations according to the September 1989 ASCD Update. In a survey of 346 randomly selected corporations on the Forbes 500, list Shakeshaft and Trachtman report that 73 percent participated in joint ven- tures with public schools. In a January 1988 survey, the Conference Board, a non-profit New York business association, found that two-thirds of 130 major corporations considered primary and secondary education as their top concern. This was up from 42 percent in their 1986 survey. The Carnegie study suggests that alliances between school districts and other agencies has reached the proportions of a major educational movement.

In this article, the term partnership is defined as a cooperative agreement between partners, with each contributing human and material resources required to plan and carry out programs that serve their mutual interests. The terms partnership, alliance, cooperative, and collaboratives are all used to describe the what this article calls partnership. Business and industry are used interchangeably for private-sectors partners involved in the production or sale of goods or services. This article attempts to synthesize available information on K- 12 public and private school partnerships.

The "adopt-a-school" concept is the most publicized form of partnership. "Adopt-a-school" may include a wide range of activities from tutor- ing individual students, to guest speakers, and plant tours. Some other activities encompassed by partnerships include achievement awards, grants, and scholarships, job training, business employees serving as mentors, training for teachers, curriculum review, and science fairs. The Carnegie Cor- poration has studied science partnerships while the Regional Laboratory for Education Improve- ment of the Northeast & Islands has studied partnerships as a means for school improvement. The common findings from all these perspectives are included in this report. No effort has been made to categorize " types" of partnerships since there is much overlap in goal and activities of all types.

Much of the literature on partnerships is written from the prospective of vocational education since business involvement was mandated by the Smith Hughes Act of 1917. These partnership efforts often focus on career awareness and entry level job skills. Timpane lists several factors which contribute to need for school-business partnerships. Rap- id technological change has moved the nation from an industrial society to an information society. This change requires continuous retraining and upgrading of job skills. It also requires a revamp- ing of the school curriculum to prepare students for future careers. These changes make it impera- tive for business and education to work together to provide adequately skilled workers. The focus of partnerships is expanding so that today they are primarily addressing educational not vocational problems. This expanded focus includes literacy, mathematics skills, and problem solving abilities. In Improving Science Education through Local

Alliances, Greg Crosby of the Triangle Coalition estimated that there were 500 cooperative science programs in the United States by mid-summer 1988.

During the last decade, partnerships have expanded to include a wider range of grade levels and subjects areas. President Reagan declared 1983-84 as Adopt-a-School year. Daniel W. Mer- enda, Executive Director of the National Associa- tion of Partners in Education asserts that business is interested in helping schools provide a sound general education beginning at the preschool level because early intervention will provide the most productive future employees. In the October 1989 issue of Educational Leadership, McDowell reports that in 1988 the ARCO Foundation donated half of its education contributions to pre-college programs and AMOCO contributed 15 percent to pre-college education. Sixty-two percent of the corporations in the Shakesshaft and Trachtman's 1986 study worked with comprehensive high schools, 25 percent with specialized or vocational high schools, 40 percent with junior high or middle schools and 28 percent with elementary schools. Some corporations collaborated with schools at more than one level so that the percentages do not equal 100 percent.

A successful partnership is the result of planning, organization, leadership, mutual benefits, and evaluation. Following is a discussion of the incentives for partnership formation, steps in creating a partnership, requirements for continued partnership success, and evaluation of partnerships.

Incentives for Partnerships

The general consensus of the literature seems to be that education can no longer be left just to the schools but rather it is the responsibility of the en- tire community. Community and corporate involvement can result not only in better education but in a better community and more profitable corporations. In a 1986 survey of corporations on the Forbes 500 list, 87.7 percent responded that education is not the sole responsibility of the schools but that community and corporate involvement is crucial to excellence. "Education is really a public matter. We all can do something about it, and we [ALCOA] have a piece of that responsibility," says Don Whitlow, Senior Vice- President for Employee relations at ALCOA. The results of Warden's 1986 study of partnerships in rural communities, show that a mutual desire to improve the quality of education was an important reason that partnerships were initiated. Guidelines from the Industrial Education Council assert that preparing young people for work is a shared responsibility of all sectors of the community and the educational institution.

Travelers Insurance Companies have been involved in partnerships with schools for nearly two decades. Their partnership program began with the company providing speakers for career awareness and has expanded to include programs from pre-kindergarten through college. In a 1988 pre- sentation to the Conference Board, Osborne stat-

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ed that one of the primary reasons Travelers is deeply involved in public education is their concern about the quality of community life. Educa- tion is the cornerstone of a healthy community and is necessary for businesses to be profitable.

As a result of successful partnerships in Spo- kane, Washington, schools and education have gained strong community support. Schools involved in partnerships often develop a broadened base of support from influential business leaders and the general public, rather than being blamed for the shortcomings of students. This support may translate into financial support for appropria- tions before legislatures and backing in school bond drives.

Timpane suggests that the following changes in the labor force have spurred a renewed business interest in education. Twenty percent fewer high school graduates will be entering the labor force in 1990 than in 1980. New jobs are being created at the rate of four million annually while only 1.5 million new workers are entering the job market annually causing a shortage not in the number of jobs but in the number of skilled workers. During the past decade many women enter the work force for the first time. This proportion has stabilized and is not expected to change significantly. Work- ers will need to learn new and increasingly complex skills quickly as the result of the development of new technologies. Increased worker productivi- ty is necessary to compete in the global economy. The results of studies cited by the California Chamber of Commerce show that it costs less to train and evaluate students in high school than to recruit, invest in training and account for turnover in industry. Packard quotes industrialist, Peter J. Elliman, "Every time my company loses an employee and hires another it costs the company ten thousand dollars. This figure represents the estimated average industrial cost for worker turnover."

Several researchers suggest that collaboration of schools and business at the high school and college level results in better trained entry level employees. In Packard's survey of vocational partnership projects in Arizona, 41 percent of the schools and 38 percent of the businesses listed a source of trained personnel as a benefit to business. Other benefits to business include attraction of new industry by communities which boast a strong educational system and employee satisfac- tion working for a company that benefits the community. Greater public understanding of a company's products, services, and policies and improved employee morale in the workplace are mentioned as business incentives by the Regional Laboratory for Education Improvement. A favorable corporate image through involvement in socially respon- sible activities and good community relations are benefits suggested in numerous articles.

Students benefit from patnerships through career awareness, job placement, and financial support. Packard found that both educators (57 percent) and businesses (60 percent) rated the benefits from exposure to realistic/current skills, equipment, and knowledge as the most important

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student outcome of partnerships. The Industry Education Council suggests that business has resources of personnel, facilities, equipment, and materials to help students and teachers increase their understanding of the real world of work. Having on-the-job experience makes the transition from school to work easier and allows the student to make contacts for possible employment after graduation. The co-op student's employability is significantly increased by the job experience and the private sector partner's access to a pool of skilled workers is increased according to the Min- nesota State Council on Vocational Technical Education. Other tangible benefits for students reported by Packard include scholarships, grants, loans, and discounts on supplies.

Twelve percent of the schools and 30 percent of the businesses in Packard's study reported benefits to the students from exposure to industry models and career contacts. A quarter of the businesses in the Shakeshaft and Trachtman survey reported providing business role models for students as a benefit. The Regional Laboratory for Education Improvement reports positive rein- forcement for students through positive career models including math and science careers.

Other benefits listed by researchers include student access to equipment and current technology which the school doesn't have funds to buy. Schools gain access to business and industry's use of the latest technologies. Over time, this facili- tates curriculum adjustment required by changing times and technologies. Industry also contributes resources and ideas to address school improvement goals. In Packard's survey, 40 percent of the schools reported a broadening of program options as a purpose of the partnership while 24 percent reported expanding program offerings.

Through their interaction with businesses, students learn what is expected as employees and begin to appreciate how graduation requirements re- late to their job skills. A report by the Regional Laboratory for Education Improvement suggests that partnerships enable students learn not only about careers but also about the economy and real applications for academic subjects.

Although schools may benefit financially from partnerships as suggested by Warden and Shake- shaft and Trachtman, only 16 percent of the schools in Packard's survey reported monitary do- nations from the partnership. In Shakeshaft and Trachtman's 1986 survey No business from the Forbes 500 reported spending more than $10,000 on the partnership effort. McDowell reports large corporate spending during 1988 but it is not clear whether these are partnerships or grants. There- fore, it would seem that other benefits are more important in many partnerships than financial support.

Steps to Creating a Partnership

The following is a compiled list of steps for creating an education-private sector partnership taken from publications by the California Chamber of Commerce, the Industry-Education Council, the

National Commission for Employment Policy, Phi Delta Kappa, and the Regional Laboratory for Education Improvement. Each step is discussed in more detail in the following sections.

Identifying needs Creating an awareness Contacting resource people Organizing and developing a partnership

structure Setting goals and defining objectives Designing and implementing partnership

activities Evaluating the partnership

Identifying needs Partnerships should begin by identifying and

documenting the needs and concerns of business, industry, civic organizations, and educational institutions who are potential partners. Discuss the concept with key leaders from these organizations and identify creative energetic people for the organizational structure. Identify present or past partnerships in the community and complementary or competing activities to avoid duplications. Creating an awareness

School, civic, and business leaders who are interested in forming a partnership should let their commitment and interest be widely known so that the community is aware of the possibilities of the partnership. The goal is to make employees and other citizens aware of ways in which their interests and abilities can contribute to the partnership. The Industry-Education Partnership Council recommends developing a brochure of information about the partnership to share with interested partners. Contacting resource people

Resource identification which was begun in step one should continue with the identification of additional resource people. Identify other volunteers from the community, colleges or universities, businesses, the schools, or senior citizens with specific talents and interests. The Chamber of Com- merce Handbook suggests making an appointment to discuss the partnership with the highest ranking official of the school or company. Provide a brief written summary of partnership goals and activities which includes the level of commitment being requested. Be sure that the company representatives are aware of the benefits to schools, community, and business. Try to obtain a commitment during the meeting or establish a time to call to further discuss the partnership. If additional information is requested, provide it as soon as possible. Include the business representative in a planning session prior to the classroom activity. Send a thank you letter reiterating the role that the business has agreed to serve.

Shakeshaft and Trachtman identified banks, util- ity companies, and insurance companies in that order as most likely to participate in partnerships. These three types of companies accounted for half of the partnerships in the survey. Heavy equipment manufacturers, department stores, drug and chemical manufacturers, data processing firms, and the broadcasting industry accounted for an additional 4.2 percent each.

Organizing and developing a partnership structure Develop a structured organization for the part-

nership. The Industry-Education Council suggest recruiting the highest level officials of all partners to serve on the Executive Committee and enlisting the services of an attorney to draft a set of by- laws. They also suggest a full time administrator for the project. Chamber of Commerce Handbook suggests a working education committee made up of 50 percent business members, community service groups, school administrators, and other business-education organizations. While Regional Lab- oratory for Education Improvement suggests that a top level administrator be involved and that the planning team have members from all partners involved. Hester recommends a strong advisory council for the project composed of equal num- bers of school and business people.

The Carnegie study recommends that a third party agency administer the alliances. The study of pre-college science education partnerships found that many of the cooperative programs were being administered by newly formed not-for-profit organizations. These organizations match the interests and needs of schools with scientists and scientific agencies. This same study suggests several advantages of a third party administrator. School staff is often short on time and energy and cannot be reassigned to do alliance work. A third party administrator has no political pressure or hidden motives so it is generally freer establish the trust necessary to make the alliance successful. It also has no stake in ongoing programs so it can look for novel approaches. The Colorado Alliance for Science is a state-wide organization with colleges, university corporations, and individuals as members that is funded through dues and private grants. Some of the programs which the Alliance sponsors are teacher and administrator work- shops, summer fellowship program for teachers, and a visiting scientist program in which a scientist and a science teacher work to improve seg- ments of an elementary or high school science program.

Although the sources cited above recommend a formal structure, Packard found in a survey of vocational partnerships that only eight percent of the partnerships surveyed had a formal structure while 42 percent had an informal structure, 38 percent had an advisory committee structure, and 12 percent had a community organization structure such as a Chamber of Commerce or Rotary Club. While the type of structure often varies with the size and complexity of the partnership, the literature indicates that some type of organizational structure which includes representatives of all groups and provides a framework for activities contributes to the success of the partnership. Setting goals and defining objectives

Goals should be mutually developed and agreed upon by all partners and some goals should benefit each of the partners. Partners should set short term goals to be attained during the first year. They should also plan long term goals that expand the successes developed during the first year. The partnership group is now ready to specify in writ-

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ing the objectives of the program. The objectives should state what the program will accomplish, with whom, and when. The project director should be sure that resources are available and commitments have been made for each objective. The objectives should also be measurable in order to insure a successful evaluation stage. Packard suggests that objectives be consistent, current school improvement objectives. The objectives should then be translated into an action plan with detailed activities for accomplishing the objectives. Once the action plan has been written, it is ready to be publicized to the community as a whole possibly through some type of kickoff event with media coverag e . Designing and implementing activities

Implementation of the action plan begins with recruitment, orientation, and training of volunteers. Job descriptions for staff and volunteers need to be developed which define responsibility for planned activities. Volunteers are then as- signed to specific activities. Formal recognition of volunteers assures continued support. Satisfied volunteers are good recruiters for future or expanded projects. Evaluation

Formative or in-process evaluations enable initial observations to exert an influence on the project as it progresses. Summative or final evaluations provide evidence of a project 's success. Data collected through both types of evaluations should be interpreted to determine the strengths, weaknesses and accomplishments of the project. Plans should be made for the next year, based on first year evaluations. Publicity on the success of the activities encourages new private-sector businesses to join the partnership.

Once a successful partnership has been estab- lished and evaluated, activities to sustain the partnership should be planned. Many of the steps which are important in forming the partnershi p and continue to be important in sustaining it are discussed in detail in the next section.

Sustaining the Partnership

After the initial success of the activities of the partnership, it is necessary to sustain the momentum and enthusiasm and extend the partnership. Five factors appear necessary for continued success of the partnership. They are effective communications, articulated and measurable goals, effective organization, key personnel, and resource commitment.

Effective open communications between partners builds rapport and allows feedback. Begin- ning the partnership activities with a tour of both facilities to open communications and generate ideas. The Minnesota Council on Vocational Technical Education suggests that trust is the most important factor in attaining a successful partnership in vocational technical education. Sev- eral other articles echo the importance of trust between partners. Trust, openness, enthusiasm, and creativity sustain the vitality of the partnership. A report published by the National Commission for

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Employment Policy suggests that trust develops gradually through mutual involvement in regularly occuring non-threatening activities.

Publicity during the initial stages of partnership activities and later when some of the goals have been successfully accomplished is another key as- pect of communications. The Minnesota Council on Vocational Technical Education suggest that publicizing successful partnerships is the single most effective way to sustain and extend partnership arrangements.

Researchers at the Regional Laboratory for Education Improvement found that clear and measurable goals for the project based on a thorough needs assessment and a receptiveness of the school to make curricular change are important to sustain partnership momentum. Activities should be monitored and evaluated to see that they are directed toward articulated project goals. After the project has been evaluated to determine progress toward articulated goals, and the next steps as listed in the action plan have been reviewed, additional short term goals should be set which are consistent with the long term goals of the organization. For change to last, it must be incorporated into long term policies, programs and practices of the school.

Not all partnerships are successful. The ma- ligned Boston Compact has received wide publicity since the Boston Private Industry Council with- held further support citing the need for improvement in school-based management and parental choice. The Boston Compact, announced in 1982, was an agreement between the schools and Bos- ton-area businesses. The district pledged to reduce dropout rate, increase student attendance, and increase student achievement. Don Adams, editor of the Partners in Education Journal suggests in the September, 1989 ASCD Update that~Schools must be accountable to ensure that partnerships achieve desired aims. Results of the Carnegie study and the study by MacDowell suggest that the reforms were too sweeping and that alliances need to begin with a specific, measurable project.

Justiz and Kameen report on two highly successful partnership projects for dropouts and potential dropouts. The Oxford Public Schools and Digital Equipment Corporation developed Project COFFEE (Cooperative Federation for Educational Experiences). The project combines academic instruction on a regular high school campus with training for entry-level high technology positions. After three years of operation 85 of the 135 dropouts were back in school or had graduated while all of the control group remained out of school.

In California's the Silicon Valley, Hewlett-Pack- ard, Lockheed, and other regional businesses initiated the Peninsula Academies project. Working through the Stanford Mid-Peninsula Urban Coali- tion, they formed a partnership with local high schools to improved education and job opportuni- ties for high-risk minority youth. The initiative was motivated by a shortage of skilled workers for these businesses. Sixty percent of the region's minority youth were dropping out of school resulting in a labor pool of 16 to 24 year olds unqualified for

entry level jobs. The partnership focus was to help marginal students discover that school attendance and performance were directly related to employment. Students in the special Academies program achieved significantly higher grades and had better attendance than the control group of peers. Par- ents and teachers reported that increased self- worth was the most important gain for the students. The success of both the COFFEE and the Penisula Academies projects was enhanced by the development of specific goals and activities which were measured at the end of the study and by conducting these activities in a caring environment for the dropout-prone students.

An effective organization which is important in the formation of the partnership continues to be important for the long term success of the project. The type of organization and the level of formality vary widely among partnerships. The Industry Education Partnership Council suggests a very formal organization with a contract drawn up by an attorney. Packard suggests an extension of the traditional advisory committee for vocational partnerships. The Carnegie study suggests a third-party nonprofit alliance for science partnerships. All of the researchers agreed that some type of admin- istrative structure which formalizes the cooperative relationship and represents the interests of all partners is essential for systematic management and growth. The governing body provides the sta- bility, guidance, and leadership necessary to plan activities, coordinate the implementation, and monitor the progress of the organization.

Representatives of the chief executive officer and other high level administrators need to be involved on the steering committee. Their involvement demonstrates to employees that there is a high level of commitment to the partnership, they have easy access to key figures, and they are able to make commitments of company resources. The key leader of the partnership should be knowl- edgeable about the community and its resources and able to communicate well with business and school personnel.

One of the most frequently mentioned criteria for success is to start small by identifying a particular need and planning a project of manageable size. Begin with an easy activity that schools are already involved in and that businesses know how to do such as judging a science fair. Publicized success attracts more interest and involvement which can then result in planning more complex projects with expanded scope.

The result of some projects suggests that geo- graphical proximity of partners is more important than matched needs and resources because it en- ables business and education personnel to get to know and appreciate each other. Close company- school proximity means that they have a common community and common problems, concerns, and assets. Close company-school proximity also allows for easy transportation of students, resource people, and easier coordination of meetings. Begin with an individual school and build on the unique strengths of that school, not with the whole district which may have large variations in strengths

and weaknesses. Forming a partnership between a School and a business of approximately the same size allows for an adequate match of resources.

A successful partnership emphasizes human resources rather than financial or material resources according to Chamber of Commerce Handbook. When working with small businesses avoid asking for money or charging dues. Some organizations such as the Colorado Alliance for Science charge enough dues to provide substantial support for the partnership. Although financial support plays an important role in some partnerships, careful planning and membership involvement are also required for the partnership to succeed. As mem- tioned earlier, successful partnerships are based on more than financial support.

Summary The number of partnerships between businesses

and schools is increasing rapidly. They are expanding into other areas besides the traditional vocational area and they are addressing the current issues of school reform. The frequency of pre-college level partnerships is increasing and reaching even preschool students as business is finding that early intervention for future employees is most productive.

Businesses, schools, and communities have been shown to benefit from partnerships. Strong community support develops when employees of local businesses are involved in the schools. Busi- ness and school employees alike have enhanced morale when the community places priority on education. Through partnerships, industry has a hand in training future employees, schools receive timely knowledge about the skills necessary for entry level employees, and students receive relevant schooling for chosen careers.

For a partnership to be successful, it must reflect the needs of all partners, have an organizational structure in which all partners have a voice, and share mutual goals. Activities which are the result of these goals must be monitored and evaluated both formatively (to modify activities in progress) and summatively (to plan goals and activities for future years). Successful partnerships often start small with a single school or project. When the short term goals are met, the project can then be expanded. Open communications, trust, and rapport are suggested as the most important factors in successful partnerships.

Bibliography

Abbott, Carol Iddins and James H. Harper (Ed.). (1985, February). A sure bet: Business & Edu- cation Together. A Handbook for Chamber o f Commerce Education Committees. (Available from Publication--Education Department, Cali- fornia Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 1736, Sacramento, California 95808)

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Atkin, J. Myron and Ann Atkin. (1989). Improving Science Education Through Local Alliances. New York: Carnegie Corporation.

Industry-Education Council. (1988). Industry-Edu- cation Partnership Councils. A Comprehensive Handbook for Local Action to Improve Indus- try-Education Cooperation. Ottawa, OT: Cana- da Employment and Immigration Commission. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 298 344)

Lacey, Richard A. (1983). Becoming Partners: How Schools and Companies Meet Mutual Needs. (Research Report Series RR-83-33). Washington, DC: National Commission for Em- ployment Policy.

McDowell, Michael A. (1989, October). Partner- ships: Getting a Return on the Investment. Edu- cational Leadership, 47, 8-11.

Merenda, Daniel W. (1989, October). Partners in Education: An Old Tradition Renamed. Educa- tional Leadership, 47, 4-7.

Osborne, Ernest L. (1988). Innovative Programs to Meet Industry Workforce Needs. Paper presented at the Conference Board Meeting: New York, NY. (ERIC Document Reproduction Ser- vice No. ED 293 995)

Packard, Beth. (1985). Arizona's Blueprints for Building Partnerships Flagstaff: Northern Arizo- na University, Arizona Center for Vocational Education.

Rogers, A1. (1988). Executive summary of work in progress: FrEdMail Project. Report submitted to the California Educational Technology Com- mittee and the State Board of Education, July 1988.

Shakeshaft, Carol & Roberta Trachtman. (1986). Business as Usual: Exploring Private Sector Participation in American Public Schools. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Ameri- can Educational Research Association, San Francisco.

State Council on Vocational Technical Education. (1988). Partnership Initiatives Involving Voca- tional Technical Education in Minnesota (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 297 175)

Warden, Judy E. (1986). Rural Education: Estab- lishing Partnerships between the Business Com- munity and Rural Schools. Las Cruces, NM: New Mexico State University. (ERIC Docu- ment Reproduction Service No. ED 287 650)

Waugh, Michael, & Levin, James A. (1988). TeleScience activities: Educational uses of electronic networks. Journal of Computers in Math- ematics and Science Teaching, 8, 29-33.

Waugh, Michael, Naomi Miyake, James Levin, & Moshe Cohen. (1988). Problem Solving Interac- tions on Electronic Networks. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educa- tional Research Association. New Orleans.

Zaccahei, David A. & Jill A. Mirman. (1986). Bus- iness-Education Partnerships for School Im- provement, Annover, MA: Regional Laboratory for Education Improvement of the Northeast & Islands. �9

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r CORPORATE MEMBERS

As a corporate member of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology, your company can save up to $1,000 on booth rental at the annual INFOCOMM International Exposition. You receive a subscription to TechTrends, the official association magazine, and are listed in each issue.

Corporate members are eligible for health and life insurance and receive the member discount on AECT books, videotapes, and journals. Also, the AECT member and prospect mailing lists are available to corporate members at cost. To learn more about corporate membership, call AECT headquarters at 202- 347-7834. Join these AECT Corporate Members today!

Agency for Instructional Technology Chip Taylor Communications Churchill Films, Inc. Coronet/MTI Film & Video Draper Shade & Screen Co., Inc. Eastman Kodak Company Educational Technology Publications Elmo Manufacturing Corporation Encyclopaedia Britannica Educational Corporation Films Incorporated GNDVL Great Plains National ITV The Highsmith Company, Inc. Houston Independent School District IBM Corporation Inline, Inc. Intellimation Lucerne Media Maryland Instructional Television Media Minder Inc. Meteor Photo Company Miami-Dade Community College Michigan State University Microdyne Corporation Miralite Communications Mitsubishi Electric Sales America, Inc. National Audiovisual Center nVIEW Corporation RMI Media Productions, Inc. Research Technology International Co. Tek Data Systems Inc. Tersch Products, Inc. TSN Systems, Inc. TV Ontatio Video Tours, Inc. Western Instructional Television, Ine WETA-TV, Washington, DC

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