School Partnership with Colleges and other Institutions

School Partnership with Colleges and other Institutions

Introduction

The collaboration between high schools and colleges has been one of the ideal means of ensuring that the students are offered the opportunity of effectively advancing their careers. In this regard, most of the students who have attended such high schools have been offered opportunities for choosing the appropriate career paths that have seen the development of the community. In this regard, the report will highlight some insights of the participants who were involved in this research to identify the benefits associated with high schools’ collaboration with local colleges. Furthermore, the research will also focus on the hardships that face students and how they can improve their performance through the involvement of the local colleges. To achieve this goal, it is essential for the research to identify the primary themes and the responses of the respondents.

Thematic Analysis

One of the themes explored by the research is the experience and background of principals. In this regard, it is essential to note that the experience of the teachers is paramount to the quality of education that students receive. Furthermore, the experience of the principals is also pivotal in the creation of a conducive learning environment. In this regard, the research focused on the experience to ascertain if they had the necessary skills to provide the students with the ideal guidelines about improving their academic performance. Experience is also essential in ascertaining that the principals can create strategic partnerships with other organizations such as colleges and business institutions in the area. Precisely, when the principal has shared experiences with the students, he or she is in a better position of understanding the particular needs of the learners and come up with the ideal solutions that will empower them. In this regard, the background of the principals is also essential in determining the relationship between them and the students (Green, 2015). Concisely, when the principal can relate to the current social and cultural issues that may affect the learners, they are capable of coming up with tailor-made strategies to support the success of the students. On this note, most of the teachers are likely to create strategic partnerships with the local colleges and other institutions to ascertain that they are in a position of aiding the students in their career development to identify the means that will enhance their success in the future.

The other theme explored is the principals’ perception of the collaboration between high school and college faculties. The collaboration between the two levels of educational institutions has been touted to be very beneficial to the students because they provide information about the possible career paths that the students should follow. In this regard, the principals had differing opinions about the interfaculty collaboration between colleges and high schools. Some of the principals had the opinion that it was difficult because of the different level of education that students from the two institutions had. In contrast, there were some principals who had the opinion that collaboration was easy because of the existing goodwill between the two institutions. One of the factors that led to an easier collaboration was the fact that college students and lecturers were concerned about the welfare of high school students and were willing to go out of their way to help them identify the ideal approaches to career choices and academic excellence (Royster, Gross, & Hochbeing, 2015). In this regard, the collaboration between high school and college faculties has been very efficient because of the goodwill. Furthermore, high school learners are provided with life skills that will help them in future decision-making processes about their career options.

The research also enquired about the principals’ experience as high school leaders. The rationale for this question was to ascertain that the principals’ experience at their current levels had the desired effects among the students. In this regard, some of the principals reported some challenges associated with being the head of a high school. One of the challenges is the community’s expectations. Some community members usually believe that it is the responsibility of the principals to ascertain that the students perform optimally. However, this is challenging because it is an endeavor that requires the input of all stakeholders, including community leaders and the parents. However, most of the principals said that the challenge was fulfilling because they have been trained to handle such situations. Furthermore, they are satisfied when the students excel in their academic performance and have the opportunity of succeeding in life. On the other hand, the principals highlighted that they are utterly satisfied with their role as high school leaders (Palmer & Maramba, 2015). Precisely, they acknowledge that they have a great social responsibility, which is motivation. They are proud that they are bringing in the next generation of leaders in various capacities, including politics and business. On this note, the principals concurred that they had the responsibility of ensuring that the students would change the society in the future through the education that they garnered in high school, which is pivotal in propelling them to higher educational institutions and proceed to careers that will change the society.

The research also explored the theme of leadership and its role in making certain that students excelled in life. According to principals, leadership is one of the factors that determine if the students will excel in life. High school leaders have a number of responsibilities that enhance the academic performance of students. For instance, high school principals are responsible for ensuring that the students are motivated. On this note, some of the students do not have the ability to perform optimally, which is one of the rationales why they need to be motivated to focus on other avenues of life. However, if the principal does not have the skills to encourage and inspire students, then the learners may give up on life and indulge in some antisocial behavior (Green, 2015). The principals, as leaders also have to create an environment that will enhance the optimal performance of the students. In this regard, good high school leaders have the initiative of creating partnerships with colleges and businesses in an effort to make sure that the students are provided with the ideal environment that will motivate them to work hard and join the various educational institutions in the neighborhood and subsequently garner employment in the leading companies in the market. In addition, it is essential for the leaders to ensure that they motivate the teachers to provide the ideal education to the learners. Precisely, teachers are very influential in the success of the students. Therefore, the principal should make certain that they provide the ideal guidelines and directions to his or her juniors for the benefit of the entire organization. Succinctly, leadership skills are an essential element that will help the institution to come up with the ideal strategies of ensuring that the students are provided with the ideal opportunities of excelling in their academic life and career paths.

The research was also concerned with the relationship between community members and the principals. On this note, the principals noted that although the community expected a lot from them, it also provided sufficient support. The community was understanding that it was a difficult job, especially for the principals who had to deal with difficult students. Thus, the principals collaborated with the community to ascertain that their jobs were successful in fostering and motivating the future leaders of the community. The involvement of members of the society in the affairs of high schools is a crucial component and ingredient of success to the achievement of the institution’s goals and objectives, which include that all students are provided with the ideal environment that will enable them to tackle future challenges successfully. The community plays a crucial role in supporting the principals through ascertaining the students are also offered the ideal guidance when they are not in school. Furthermore, the community contributes to various issues, like providing opinions about the direction the school should take. Concisely, without the support from the community, running the school could be problematic and could result in diminished performance by the institutions (Royster et al., 2015). Moreover, it is essential to note that the community is pivotal in the provision of insights about the pertinent needs of the students. The principals are not always aware of the backgrounds of different students and therefore need guidance from community members such as parents and local leaders.

Performance is also one of the themes explored by the research. Some of the principals have worked in high performing high schools, which helped them to come up with the ideal strategies to address the issue of low-performance institutions. One of the highlighted elements is that dealing with students from different backgrounds needs varying approaches to maximize their chances of performing excellently. In this regard, the principals have to come up with the ideal strategies of motivating students from backgrounds that hinder their academic performance from improving. Consequently, the principals are very satisfied when they find that some of the students who were facing various academic challenges are catching up with the others. Furthermore, the principals also have to deal with issues such as poverty, which is one of the factors that lead to a diminished performance by some students (Palmer & Maramba, 2015). Nonetheless, principals who have had the opportunity of interacting with both high and low performing students have gained some invaluable insights about how to deal with people from different backgrounds and ascertain that they play their role in enhancing the performance of all students.

The role of administrators was also a focus of the research. On this note, it is essential to note that the administration of the schools is one of the factors that is attributed to the success of a high school. Precisely, it is essential for the administration to ensure that there are the ideal curriculums to cater to the needs of all students. Furthermore, the administrator is responsible for coordinating various operations and programs that are designed to ensure that the school is successful in serving the community. In this regard, the principals acknowledged that their role as administrators was instrumental in ascertaining that the high schools were successful in uplifting the lives of students by offering the opportunity of having a better life. However, there are challenges associated with the role of an administrator. One of the challenges is that the principal has to satisfy the needs of different stakeholders, which may be hard to achieve considering the diverse needs in the school setting (Royster et al., 2015). For instance, balancing between the interests of the teachers, board, and parents is hard to achieve and, therefore, may lead to conflicts when making various decisions.

One of the main themes of the research was the creation of rapport with colleges. The principals emphasized the fact that they were willing to go an extra step to ascertain that the students were provided with the ideal motivation and inspiration through collaborating with the local colleges. However, creating a rapport was challenging because of the diverse goals and objectives of the two institutions. On this note, it is important to note that while the high school provides students with a decentralized program underlined by the courses that students have to undertake, colleges are usually centralized with learners focusing on a single field. In this regard, the creation of rapport between the faculties can be challenging because high school students need to be informed of the opportunities available in different fields.

Although there were numerous themes addressed by the research, it is essential to note that collaborating with other organizations in the community is the primary theme, which means that the principals must be well-versed with the different aspects of the theme. In this regard, colleges were the primary partners because they were in the education field, which is pivotal in the provision of the ideal support to students who are facing various issues in their lives. In addition, other institutions such as local companies are also strategic partners because they provide career guidance to high school students to ascertain that they are aware of the occupations that can meet their interests and that provide opportunities for personal and professional growth. In this regard, the principals have a crucial role to play primary because they are responsible for many aspects of high schools (Green 2015). For instance, they should act as leaders with the capability of motivating the teachers, students, and other stakeholders to ascertain that high schools achieve their objectives and goals. In addition, the principals are expected to act as administrators with the responsibility of creating the ideal environments that will help in the creation of strategic partnerships and enable the students and teachers to perform optimally.

Survey Questions Analysis

One of the primary themes that were addressed in the research is the nature of the school. In this regard, the research was concerned with various aspects of the schools, including its efforts to improve service delivery to the students. Succinctly, it was the goal of the research to determine the nature of the high schools and its vision and mission. On this note, some of the participants highlighted the fact that their schools had the objective of ensuring that the students received the ideal learning environment to enhance their academic performance. In addition, some of the teachers also argued that the primary goal of the school was to ascertain that the learners were provided with clear guidelines on how to pursue different careers that will enhance their ability to succeed in life.

In addition, there was a theme about the schools’ partnership with local colleges. As noted, most of the principals were of the opinion that the strategic partnerships with various colleges have been influential in ascertaining that the students are provided with the ideal guidelines on the available courses and how they could aid the students in achieving their goals. On this note, the partnership with colleges has been influential in ascertaining that students are provided with the ideal advice on their academic performance and career prospects. Furthermore, it is evident that different students have varying gifts and talents, and some of the students have a difficult time identifying theirs. In this regard, the partnership with colleges is influential because it ascertains that students can identify their skills and subsequently follow the careers that will enhance their ability to achieve their objectives and goals in life.

In addition, the research also focused on the partnership with other institutions in the area. Some of the institutions that have been involved in the development of the careers of the students include businesses. Precisely, the principals have noted that there is an opportunity associated with these partnerships because they provide the bulk of employment in the market. Therefore, the businesses are in a better position to ascertain that they provide the students with information about the most marketable careers in the different industries. Moreover, the businesses also provide training for the students, which is essential in making certain that the learners are exposed to the practical experience of the work experience. In this regard, it is essential for the high schools’ principals to ascertain that they create strategic partnerships with business to enhance the opportunity of students to gain insights in relation to career choices and the subsequent job opportunities.

Conclusion

Principals have a very important role in leading high schools. On this note, they are responsible for ensuring that the schools have the ideal environment that will enhance the performance of the students and the teachers. One of the ways that they can enhance the institutions’ performance is ascertaining that there are meaningful and mutually beneficial relations with various stakeholders in the area. Thus, they should ensure that they collaborate with various institutions in their locales to ascertain that students are provided with the ideal environment that will motivate them to focus on their studies and at the same time ascertain that they are provided with the ideal information regarding the careers prospects available in the market. In this regard, it is essential for principals to come with the appropriate strategies that will enhance their ability to collaborate with the higher learning institutions in their locations. In addition, other stakeholders, including the community and local businesses, will provide the ideal support that will enhance the ability of the student to excel in their academic performance. Therefore, the principles will have to ascertain that they develop the ideal leadership skills critical to their performance. Furthermore, the principals should focus on collaboration with colleges because the partnerships will enhance the performance of the students. Additionally, collaboration with other stakeholders is essential in ensuring that the students are provided with the ideal motivation and drive to succeed in life.

References

Green, T. L. (2015). Leading for urban school reform and community development. Educational Administration Quarterly, 51(5), 679-711.

Palmer, R. T., & Maramba, D. C. (2015). The impact of social capital on the access, adjustment, and success of Southeast Asian American college students. Journal of College Student Development, 56(1), 45-60.

Royster, P., Gross, J., & Hochbein, C. (2015). Timing is everything: Getting students back on track to college readiness in high school. The High School Journal, 98(3), 208-225.