| "We are the nation that has always understood that our future is inextricably linked to the education of our children---all of them. We are the country that has always believed in Thomas Jefferson's declaration that '... talent and virtue, needed in a free society, should be educated regardless of wealth or birth.' That's who we are" (Obama, 2008).;Since the configuration of formal education in America, and particularly after the cold war, there has been a perceived need for educational reform. According to Dewey, the value of education has increased with the growth of democracy in our modern world (Dewey, 1925). In an effort to sustain a democracy, there has been a growing need for equity in education to combat classism and social stratification in America (Mason, Orkwis, & Scott, 2005). Much research reflects on the importance for all students to receive a high quality equitable education (Ansell, Reckhow, & Kelly, 2009). Building partnerships that strive for authentic engagement between schools and communities, including lower SES communities, can be one way of supporting student achievement and improving education in schools in urban communities (Shutz, 2006).;The study will examine whether a co-constructed partnership among a community, school, and university collaboration model is producing a model of schooling in which urban youth developed social and cognitive competence for high academic achievement. This study follows an earlier study of a community-school-university partnership to examine the processes and attributes by which the partnership has been able to sustain itself and promote academic achievement among struggling student groups who historically persist in low academic achievement. |
