This article describes how partnerships between universities and colleges (UH), kindergartens, schools and their district-level administrators can develop into knowledge-producing communities. Within the kindergarten and school sectors, there are at present several government initiatives to develop the knowledge base of the staff; the main aim here is to improve the quality of the teaching provided. A common denominator for these initiatives is the expectation that continual professional development takes place in close partnership with UH. This article discusses whether local competence developments can be considered knowledge-developing partnerships. What promotes and inhibits the development of partnerships into knowledge-developing communities, so that they contribute to mutual learning and better practice? The article is based on findings from a qualitative analysis of a sample of 87 interviews. These findings shed light on what can promote and inhibit knowledge-developing partnerships between the fields of teaching practice and UH.