Traversing School–Community Partnerships Utilizing Cross-Boundary Leadership

Utilizing the conceptual framework of cross-boundary leadership, researchers conducted this qualitative case study to gain a better understanding of district-level leaders' actions and attitudes that led to meaningful, sustainable partnerships between the school, families, and community. Administrators in two urban, two suburban, and two rural districts participated in individual interviews to discuss their experiences in and perspectives of each district's ongoing school-community partnership efforts. Administrators included a district-level and building-level administrator for each district type; researchers also interviewed a state department administrator who worked with several districts. Findings suggest that leaders with a strong emphasis on social justice with an intentional school- and districtwide emphasis on collaborative efforts encourage the shared influence and shared responsibility necessary to support student learning. Findings further suggest that a common vision provides a foundation and the motivation for collaborative efforts; partnership efforts became embedded in district culture.