"Remember, It's a Pilot": Exploring the Experiences of Teachers/Staff at a University-Assisted Community School.

With roots in community development and the work of Dewey, a compelling case has been made for universities to be involved in urban school reform. Further, with increasing demands placed on universities to become responsive to community needs, university partnerships with K–12 schools are one means by which institutions of higher education have become involved in local educational issues. One particular type of community–school–university involvement approach is a University-Assisted Community School (UACS). Much of the research related to such school–university partnerships has focused on describing what a UACS “looks like,” with little attention given to the day-to-day experiences of those that work within a UACS. In this paper, we present findings from a qualitative study examining the experiences of teachers and staff who have participated in the development of and/or taught at a UACS afterschool program. Findings highlighted (1) the challenges and transitions associated with being a pilot effort; (2) the felt differences between universi ties and schools as they relate to on-the-ground implementation; and (3) the potential of the UACS model as a collaborative vehicle for accomplishing tasks that neither institution can accomplish alone. We point to implications related to school–university partnerships and directions for future research.