University of Louisville Signature Partnership 

The partnership between J. B. Atkinson Academy for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and the University of Louisville (UofL) began as a part of the university’s Signature Partnership Initiative (SPI), the heart of the UofL urban mission focused on Louisville’s West End community. The goals of the SPI focus on improving the educational attainment level, the health and well-being, and the economic viability of the community. Atkinson is one of five schools identified for university-wide support. In addition, the partnership became even stronger when Atkinson was identified as the UofL lab school in the JCPS elementary magnet program.

As a result of the partnership, Atkinson benefits from having UofL education classes on site as well as mentoring numerous teacher candidates every semester. The UofL students work in classrooms to provide additional academic support to Atkinson students. Additionally, because of the partnership, UofL faculty are on site to work in classrooms and collaborate to provide teacher professional development. Besides the College of Education, nursing students and Kent School of Social Work students work in the school to provide Atkinson students with social and physical support. The partnership has proven to be a win-win collaboration.