Boundary-Spanning in School-University Partnerships

Edited by:
Kristien Zenkov, George Mason University
Drew Polly, UNC Charlotte
Lin Rudder, Lightridge High School; George Mason University

A volume in the series: Research in Professional Development Schools and School-University Partnerships. Editor(s): JoAnne Ferrara, Manhattanville College. Ronald Beebe, University of Houston -Downtown. Drew Polly, UNC Charlotte.

Published 2025

This book aims to provide a resource to individuals involved with teaching, teacher education, and teachers’ and teacher educators’ professional learning (i.e., professional development), exploring the activities and roles of individuals whose primary professional homes are university or PK-12 school settings but who engage in boundary-spanning capacities and tasks. In the context of school-university partnerships as well as teacher education programs, boundary-spanning activities and roles have become more common. Boundary-spanning activities and roles include formal and informal activities and capacities where individuals housed in either universities or PK-12 districts participate in activities in the other settings (NAPDS, 2021). These activities and capacities range from very formal and permanent (outlined in contracts and memoranda of understanding) to very informal and temporary (including one-time, volunteer structures).

CONTENTS
Foreword: An Introduction to This Collection and Consideration of Boundary-Spanning Work in School–University Partnerships, Kristien Zenkov, Lin Rudder, and Drew Polly. SECTION I: BOUNDARY-SPANNING IN A RESEARCH–PRACTICE PARTNERSHIP. Allying With School Teachers: Co-Journeying for Creating Positive Impact, Qinghua Chen and Angel M.Y. Lin. Thought Buddies: How Partners in an RPP Expanded Roles and Navigated Boundaries, Valerie L. Marsh, Elizabeth Conroy, and Jayne C. Lammers. A Descriptive Case of the Relational Work of Developing and Sustaining a Research–Practice Partnership Focused on Improving PK–12 Science Instruction, Elizabeth de los Santos and Sylvia Scoggin. Until Every Child Can Read: Spanning Boundaries in a Research–Practice Partnership Focusing on Reading and Dual Language Instruction, Danielle Gervais Sodani and Sarah Irvine Belson. Reforming Special Education Service Delivery in Boston Public Schools with a Research–Practice Partnership, Aashna Khurana and Martin Scanlan. SECTION II: BOUNDARY-SPANNING TO SUPPORT TEACHERS. Hearing the Teachers’ Voice and Acting on Their Concerns: A Necessary Duality for Success of Students, Frank Gardella, Akia Goudy, Lauren Gurdus, Robert Gyles, and Caroline Rivas. Exploring Boundary-Spanning in Teacher Education: Supporting Elementary Science Education Through a School–University Partnership, Maiza Trigo, Christina Siry, and Thierry Frentz. “Bringing It to the Table”: Spanning Boundaries to Support High-Need, Urban Schools Through Literacy Coaching in a School–University Partnership, Christi L. Pace, Stacie K. Pettit, and Kim Stevens Barker. SECTION III: BOUNDARY-SPANNING TO DEVELOP TEACHER CANDIDATES. Supporting the Professional Learning of Beginning Teachers: Learning from Partnership Boundary Brokers and Boundary Objects in Two English Initial Teacher Education Programmes, Brian Marsh. Equity-Focused Teacher Candidate Preparation, Margery Covello, Kwanza Cogdell, Brandie Hill, Priscilla Jeter-Iles, Cheryl Malfi, Mary Jo Pierantozzi, and Nancy White. Synergy and Transformation: Exploring Boundary-Spanning in One School–University Partnership, Maureen P. Hall and Traci L. Almeida. Expanding University and PK–12 Relationships Through a Clinical Advisory Board, Amy Kline and Karen Grove. August Experience: A “Third Space” School–University Partnership, Dana Mayhall. When Innovative Practices and Boundary-Spanning Collide, Jessica VanValkenburgh, Aaron Gierhart, Peter Anderson, Sally Baker, Shawn Cruzen, Lauren C. Johnson, and Hope Phillips. A Unified Scene: The Evolution of EPP and LEA Partnerships, Joshua Tipton and Ashlee Hover. SECTION IV: BOUNDARY-SPANNING TO SUPPORT ANTI-RACISM, EQUITY, SOCIAL JUSTICE EFFORTS. The Education of Pre-Service Teachers as Future Boundary-Spanners for Social Justice, Solveig Cornér, Anna Slotte, Monica Londen, and Gunilla Holm. Boundary-Spanning Practices That Support Anti-Racist Educational Leadership, Lindsey J. Kaiser and Christopher M. Wegemer. Moving Beyond Hierarchies: Building and Sustaining Equity-Focused Collaborative Partnerships Over Time, Helen Zhang, Mike Barnett, David Jackson, Jeffrey Kiel, Kerri Beal, and Deena DePamphilis. SECTION V: BOUNDARY-SPANNING FOCUSED IN RESIDENCY PROGRAMS. In a Time of Crisis: Boundary-Spanning Recruitment Initiatives for Rural School Districts, Elizabeth Lisic, Beth Garcia, and Amy Clifton. Boundary-Spanning in Action Through the Albuquerque Teacher Residency Partnership, Marjori Krebs and Carrianne Scheib. The Boundary-Spanning Roles of Teacher Residents, Flynn Ross. The Critical Importance of Boundary Spanners in Creating and Sustaining a Paid Residency Program, Amanda Wall and Alisa Leckie. Grow Your Own Program: Pushing Boundaries, Bryan S. Zugelder and Eric M. Carbaugh. SECTION VI: BOUNDARY-SPANNING IN BROAD WAYS. Engaging in Boundary-Spanning: Collaborative Experiences, Elsie Lindy Olan, Mary Little, and Enrique A. Puig. Affiliates as Boundary-Spanners: Clarkson’s Institute for STEM Education PK–12 Partnerships, Jan DeWaters, Seema Rivera, Katie Kavanagh, Ben Galluzzo, Asher Pacht, and Michael Ramsdell. Bridging the Gap: Professional Development and Technical Assistance Through PK–12/University Partnerships, Bryan Beverly and Brian Boggs. Preparing Teachers Across Boundaries: An Immigrant and Migrant Community Center’s Impact on Teacher Preparation, Vail Matsumoto, Stacy George, and Stephanie Furuta. A Conclusion to This Collection and Consideration of Boundary-Spanning Work in School–University Partnerships, Kristien Zenkov, Lin Rudder, and Drew Polly. Index. About the Editors.