Team players

Collaboration with non-independent schools has boosted results, enriched pupils’ learning and enhanced teaching opportunities in the US and globally. Patrick Bassett highlights a few of the successful programmes

All independent schools strive to offer their students a high-quality education. Many aspire to make a positive imprint on the larger community as well, modelling the behaviour that they hope to see in students. In the US, we refer to this as the “public purpose of private education”. The ways each school achieves this outcome varies, but in many cases it involves collaboration with other schools.

Student enrichment, teacher improvement
One model is The Middle Grades Partnership in Baltimore. It is a collaboration between eight independent schools, a university and eleven public (government-run) schools to provide learning opportunities for academically promising Baltimore middle school students. It focuses on growing students’ reading and writing skills and preparing them for advanced high school maths courses.

The partnership pairs one Baltimore city public school with one independent private school. All pairings have the same goals – to prepare students for rigorous public high schools – but each pairing achieves the goal differently. For instance, it is up to the co-directors and teachers to develop the curricula, and sites might offer swimming or field trips to local museums in addition to classroom study, or college visits and soccer.

It’s not just students who benefit from the collaboration. Public and private school teachers work together, sharing ideas to reach students more effectively. “So often, what we call a partnership is just a handout or a takeaway,” says Middle Grades Partnership executive director Beth Casey. “When partners on both sides can acknowledge what they’re giving and getting from a partnership, that’s when magical things start happening for children and for adults and institutions.”

Breaking down barriers
The Community Learning Partnership of Greater Miami Shores is another model. This consortium of public and private schools, a university and local businesses works to increase educational opportunities within the community.

Some of the key projects that the partnership has taken on include events that bring nationally known speakers to the area, professional development opportunities for teachers, and identifying high-impact community service opportunities for students. In addition, the schools host community conversations and student leader meetings around themes such as “Creating an Inclusive Community” and “Becoming an Engaged Citizen”.

Global collaboration
Challenge 20/20, an initiative of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), also helps foster collaboration among different types of schools. Challenge 20/20 is a free internet-based programme that pairs classes at any grade level (K-12) from public and private schools in the US with similar-age classes in schools in other countries. Together, the teams (of two, three or four schools) tackle real global problems over the course of a semester to find solutions that can be implemented at the local level and in their own communities.

The projects relate to water deficits, global infectious diseases, the fight against poverty, biotechnology rules, education for all, and biodiversity and ecosystem losses, among other topics. Schools are paired up by NAIS, based on their interests and age range. First, they share their perspectives on the issue and define the impact of the issue globally and in their own communities. They work together to generate project ideas and to develop a plan.

Finally, they share implementation strategies. The interaction with students from other countries and cultures is among the highlights of the programme for students. Developing cross-cultural communication skills while improving the community are among the top assets listed by teachers too.

Collaboration provides many opportunities for independent schools to improve teaching and learning and to play a more active positive role in the larger community. Together, schools can magnify their impact by a power greater than any school can do on its own.

Patrick F. Bassett is president of the National Association of Independent Schools in Washington, DC. For more information on the programmes, visit: www.barry.edu/clp/default.htm; www.middlegradespartnership.org; and www.nais.org/go/Challenge2020. 

Return to Planning