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Researchers have long lamented the lack of research regarding the preparation of school leaders. In response, we offer lessons about school and university partnerships from exemplary professional development school (PDS) research to inform collaborative efforts for leadership preparation. We conducted an extensive literature review of 250 studies spanning a 15-year period. Based upon three levels of qualitative meta-synthesis, we identified 49 exemplary studies from the original 250. We then identified themes involving resources, change, and relationships. Based upon these themes, we concluded the following:• In partnerships, resources become a far more significant element in terms of both use and flexibility than they do in more traditional preparation programmes. • The nature of change in a partnership is more idiosyncratic because of the diverse stakeholders involved. • Relationships are a vital element in the success or failure of a partnership. Therefore, time and energy are necessary to develop and sustain relationships among stakeholders. • Partnerships should develop enabling bureaucracies in order to promote meaningful engagement among partners. • Organizational theory offers valuable insights regarding partnerships, but it remains largely an untapped resource in current partnership efforts.We conclude with recommendations for stakeholders interested in developing partnerships between leadership preparation programmes in universities and K-12 schools.In an era where educational leadership programmes are the subjects of significant scrutiny (Levine 2005), stakeholders in educational administration programmes have been challenged to rethink how they are preparing leaders for our nation's schools. To meet this challenge, we argue that programmes preparing educational leaders need to develop and nurture critical partnerships with the districts they currently serve. As Young et al.'s (2005) response to Levine indicates, partnerships between educational leadership programmes and school districts can provide seamless leadership development to support and sustain high-quality leadership.

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