Collaboration in building partnerships between families and schools: The National Center for Early Development and Learning's Kindergarten Transition Intervention

This paper describes results of a collaboration among university researchers. preschool teachers and staff, elementary school staff, and parents to design, implement, and conduct research on an intervention to improve transitions to kindergarten. One hundred and ten families participated in this intervention along with a range of school and university staff. Descriptive results from preliminary analyses of data indicate that this collaborative effort is characterized by three themes: 1) that participants in the transition process differ in their views or transition practices; 2) that parents and teachers in the preschool year share mutually positive views of one another in relation to a range of activities and roles, and 3) that preschool staff increasingly are seen as an important and helpful source of support for parents. Narrative impressions from collaborators on the process of conducting this research confirm the importance of a shared mission, communication, and mutual respect, and highlight the value of collaboration for all involved. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.