Reprint: Problems,Process,and Promise: Reflections on a Collaborative Approach to the Solution of the Minority Teacher Shortage *

Abstract

This paper describes the work of a nine-college consortium that aimed to address the minority teacher shortage. First, the consortium's beginnings, aims, and activities are presented. Then the collaborative process is analyzed in terms of nine factors that have been identified in the literature as contributors to effective collaboration: (a) commitment of institutional officials, (b) mutual needs and interests, (c) clarity about goals, roles, and control, (d) sufficient time, (e) energy, (f) effective communication, (g) resources, (h) leadership, and (i) ongoing evaluation. The analysis resulted in the identification of three additional factors that support successful collaboration: (a) levels of collaboration, (b) continual redefinition, and (c) avoidance of interinstitutional conflicts.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Ascher

(1988). Urban school/community collaborations: Making them work well. ERIC Digest, 45 New York: ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education.

Astin

A. W.

Green

K. C.

Korn

W. S.

(1987). The American freshman: Twenty year trends. Los Angeles, CA: Cooperative Institutional Research Program.

The Carnegie Forum Task Force on Teaching as a Profession. (1986). A nation prepared: Teachers for the 21st century. New York: Carnegie Forum on Education and the Economy.

Darling-Hammond

Pittman

K. J.

Ottinger

(1987). Careerchoicesforminorities: Who will teach? Washington, DC: National Education Association.

De Bevoise

(1986). Collaboration: Some principles of bridgeworks. Educational Leadership, 43(5), 9-12.

Galambos

E. C.

(1985). Teacher preparation: The anatomy of a college degree. Atlanta: Southern Regional Education Board.

Garibaldi

A. M.

(1987). Quality and diversity in schools: The case for an expanded pool of minority teachers. Racine, WI: American Association of Colleges.

Goodlad

J. I.

(1984). A place called school. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Graham

P. A.

(1987). Black teachers: A drastically scarce resource. Phi Delta Kappan, 68(8), 598-605.

10.

Haney

Madaus

Kreitzer

(1987). Charms talismanic: Testing teachers for the improvement of American education. Review of Research in Education, 14, 169-238.

11.

Hatton

B. R.

(1988). A game plan for ending the minority teacher shortage. NEA Today, 6(6), 66-69.

12.

Hord

S. M.

(1986). A synthesis of research on organizational collaboration. Educational Leadership, 43(5), 22-26.

13.

Mickelson

D. J.

Kritek

W. J.

Hedlund

R. D.

Kaufmann

(1988). Urban school-university collaboration. New York: The Ford Foundation.

14.

Oakes

(1985). Keeping track. New Haven: Yale University Press.

15.

Opp

R. D.

(1989). Freshman interest in teaching: Recent trends. Journal of Teacher Education, 40(4), 43-48.

16.

Sedlak

Schlossman

(1986). Who will teach? Historical perspectives on the changing appeal of teaching as a profession. Santa Monica, CA: The RAND Corporation.

17.

The Southern Education Foundation. (1988). Enhancing the production of minority teachers: Implementing a consortium approach. Atlanta: Author.