A partnership model to support teachers' capacity, resilience, and collective growth

Purpose As schools, universities, and policymakers seek sustainable ways to improve literacy outcomes, this article provides a foundation for continued innovation, collaboration, and shared learning between schools and university faculty. This adaptable, conceptual model integrates both instructional and relational elements, encouraging schools and universities to view partnerships not as short-term projects, but as sustainable systems of professional learning and improvement. Design/methodology/approach This proposed plan for sustainability between university faculty and schools is designed to be replicable across K-12 systems and higher education contexts. University faculty members collaborated with teachers to design, administer, and analyze literacy assessments, while also facilitating team meetings where educators discussed student data and identified instructional implications. The conceptual framework guiding this work emphasizes co-ownership of learning and reciprocal professional collaboration between university faculty and educators. This framework positions data analysis as a shared practice for continuous improvement, fostering a sustainable and adaptable structure that supports and responds to students and teachers. Findings Findings indicate that when educators and university faculty shared ownership of data analysis and engaged in ongoing cycles of inquiry, instructional decision-making became more intentional, adaptive, and responsive to student needs. The development of the use of literacy data, coupled with resilience-building practices such as reflective dialogue using structured protocols and instructional walkthroughs, contributed to a culture of trust and continuous improvement. The partnership between schools and universities offers new opportunities for sustained collaboration focused on mutual benefit and long-term sustainability. Research limitations/implications For research, future studies would benefit from empirically testing and refining the model across varied K-12 contexts to examine long-term impacts on literacy outcomes and teacher learning. Additional research could also explore how university faculty apply insights gained through school partnerships to enhance instruction for pre-service teachers. Practical implications For practice, the framework and model are beneficial for both K-12 educators and university faculty. The partnership between schools and universities offers new opportunities for sustained collaboration focused on mutual benefit and long-term sustainability. Educators who participated with university faculty received targeted support that enabled them to engage more deeply with data and its instructional implications. In turn, university faculty were able to integrate these experiences into their own teaching, better preparing pre-service teachers through exposure to authentic data analysis procedures and protocols. Social implications For policy, this model and framework offer potential guidance for policymakers seeking to invest in relational capacity and data-use infrastructures. By emphasizing relationships and the use of literacy data, the framework aligns with policies that promote sustainable approaches to data use. Originality/value This paper identifies a need to study an innovative conceptual model of a university-school partnership designed to support literacy improvements through collaborative data collection, interpretation, and use. This model emphasizes structured agreements and partnership practices that promote resilience and collective growth among school teachers and university faculty.