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Citation:

Scales, P. C., Foster, K. C., Mannes, M., Horst, M. A., Pinto, K. C., & Rutherford, A. (2005). School-business partnerships, developmental assets, and positive outcomes among urban high school students: A mixed-methods study. Urban Education, 40(2), 144-189.

Annotation:
This study employs mixed methods to examine the relationships among school-business partnerships, developmental assets, and positive outcomes of urban high school students. Developmental assets are defined as key relationships, opportunities, values, skills, and self-perceptions young people need to become self-regulating, responsible, caring, and productive. Researchers set out to explore whether the relationship between levels of developmental assets and positive academic, behavioral, and socioemotional outcomes are observed in samples of students representing ethnic minorities. Analyses indicated a positive relationship between positive developmental outcomes and developmental assets. Students' exposure to school-business partnership experiences showed a positive correlation to the level of developmental assets; number of assets; and measures of developmental success, such as better grades and academic motivation. The features of partnership experiences that most contributed to the positive outcomes were relationship-building and family involvement. The data were collected from 429 students in 9th through 12th grade who were enrolled in a large, inner-city high school with demonstrated school-business partnerships. The majority of the participants were Hispanic or African American and from low-income families. In addition, 76 students, parents, and business partners participated in focus groups, interviews, and/or observations. While this study was exploratory in nature it does provide both quantitative and qualitative data that suggest that school-business partnerships may impact the developmental and academic success of urban high school students. One limitation of this study is the reliance on self-reported grades by the students. Future research including randomized controlled trials should examine the impact of school-business partnerships on developmental assets, academic success, and academic achievement.