Developing and sustaining school–university partnerships: a comparative study of foundational documents

Purpose This preliminary study examines how school–university partnerships are conceptualized and supported in Chile and the United States through an analysis of foundational documents. In response to growing interest in developing shared knowledge about challenges of sustainability, the study highlights the critical importance of establishing a common understanding of the language used to describe partnerships across international contexts. Design/methodology/approach As an initial phase of a comparative study on school–university partnerships in Chile and the United States, this study focuses on the documentary reality constructed through foundational texts that guide partnership work. A comparative document analysis was conducted on both accreditation standards and organizational frameworks to examine how these texts articulate the purposes, structures and evaluation of school-university partnerships. Iterative cycles of qualitative content analysis were employed to support this process. Findings Findings highlight both shared language across international contexts in discussions of school-university partnerships, particularly a recurring emphasis on the concept of bidirectionality. At the same time, internal tensions were identified within each country between evaluative accreditation standards and the more aspirational frameworks developed by academic networks. Research limitations/implications This initial phase focuses exclusively on documentary analysis of school–university partnerships in Chile and the United States and therefore captures the formal, aspirational dimensions of partnership work rather than its enacted practices or lived experiences within educational communities. Originality/value This article responds to calls for greater international dialogue on school-university partnerships by offering an analytical approach that can support future cross-national comparisons of foundational documents.