Building & Sustaining Partnerships to Enhance Student Achievement © New Jersey Association of Partners in Education www.njapie.org
Jan 21, 2016
Building & Sustaining Partnerships to Enhance
Student Achievement
© New Jersey Association of Partners in Educationwww.njapie.org
Potential for Partnerships with
Business• In which issues do businesses
believe they should be playing an active role?– Education (59%)– Health care– Development of alternative
energy sourcesCenter for Corporate Citizenship
Potential for Partnerships with Business
•What are companies’ priorities regarding investing in the community?–K-12 Education (48%)
–Economic development– Job training
Center for Corporate Citizenship
Importance to Business
• Education is the…– #1 social issue that companies
support philanthropically– #1 social issue that companies
believe they should play a role in– #3 social issue affecting long-term
competitiveness (after health care and terrorism)
2003-04 State of Corporate Citizenship Survey
Business Partnership Trends
• Business is committed to supporting public education
• Improved student achievement directly impacts long term business success
• Trend is to move away from philanthropic partnerships/relationships
• Mutual benefits will define most new partnerships
• Accountability is expected
Connect Solve
SucceedHow does this theme relate to school/business partnerships?
Unite: People that care deeply about
issuesPeople that want to improve
present practice
Why partnerships?
How do partnerships enhance positive outcomes for students?
What is the evidence for the effectiveness of partnerships?
Data from Search Institute
Risk Behavior Patterns by Partnership Exposure (%)
3836
22 24 24
9
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Low Exposure High Exposure
Alcohol UseDrinking/DrivingDiscipline Problems
Student Thriving Outcomes by Partnership
Exposure (%)
5
70
36
51
21
85
52
79
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Low Exposure High Exposure
Exhibiting Leadership Maintaining HealthValuing Diversity School Success
Student Positive Outcomes by Partnership
Exposure (%)
5658 57
68
77 78 77
88
50
60
70
80
90
Low Exposure High Exposure
Improved ReadingImproved WritingImproved Math SkillsImproved Problem Solving
The Three “Rs” of Partnerships
RigorRelevancyRelationships
Collaboration
• “Collaboration is not a simple process - every step, from developing a shared vision to overcoming language and organizational gaps, is a series of give-and-take adjustments to normal operating procedure.”
Collaboration
• “Collaboration is not just plugging old skills into a new arena; it is an innovation & life-changing process simultaneously exciting & threatening, which makes personal & professional support essential.”
What is “Collaboration”?
• Altering relationships• Uniting organizations
and individuals for the purpose of achieving common goals that could not be achieved by any single individual or organization acting alone
Key Elements of Collaboration
• Agreed-upon and institutionalized mutuality & common goals
• Jointly developed structures & shared responsibility
• Mutual authority & accountability for results
• Shared resources and rewards
Barriers to Collaboration
• Professional socialization, structure & culture
• Agency structure, routine, & culture
• Legislative mandates or limitations
• Professional and agency self-interest
Barriers to Collaboration
• Inadequate understanding of strengths & needs of schools
• Inadequate understanding of the needs & skills of industry, higher education, community members, & families
• Resistance• TIME!
Attributes that Promote Partnerships
• Ability to Listen• Consistency• Reliability• Accessibility• Positive self-image• Trust• Sense of competence• Effective interpersonal
skills• Success in prior
collaborations• Openness to others’
ideas
Attributes of Successful Partners
• Confidence: Feeling able to do it
• Motivation: Wanting to do it
• Effort: Being willing to work hard for it
• Responsibility: Doing what’s right
• Initiative: Moving into action
• Perseverance: Completing what you start
Attributes of Successful Partners
• Caring: Showing concern for others
• Teamwork: working with others
• Common Sense: Using good judgment
• Problem-Solving: Putting what you know and what you can do into action
• Focus: Concentrating with a goal in mind
Making it Happen: Building Partnerships
• Discuss with each other how information will be shared
• Use everyday language
• Create effective forums for effective collaborative planning and problem-solving
Essential Elements of the Framework
• Needs assessments
• Goal statements• Prioritization of
activities• Strategy
Development• Implementation
Plans• Evaluation tools
Communication Strategies
• Regular, two-way, meaningful
• Variety to tools• Establish opportunities to
share information• Provide clear information
on expectations• Disseminate information
on policies, procedures, activities
• Provide opportunities for frequent, periodic meetings
Preliminary PlanningDetermine how the education
experience can be enhanced. Identify unmet/under-funded needs of
students and school. (Stop/Start/Continue Worksheet)
Reach out to organizations for advice about partnering.
Identify potential partners.Research local businesses/schools; look for
a good fit.Empower employees to seek opportunities.
Preliminary Planning
Understand your core values and those of your potential partner. (Matching Needs and Potential Resources Worksheet, p. 20-21)
Draft a partnership proposal.Submit proposal to potential
partner.Coordinate a follow-up meeting or call.
Laying The Foundation
Have a frank discussion about values, goals and needs.Develop understanding of each
partner’s level of involvement.Assess the impact of the
partnership on students.Define goals
(Developing Goals and Objectives Worksheet, p. 22-23).
Evaluation
Conduct regular evaluation and monitoring. (Self-Assessment Tool for Partnership Improvement, p. 24-25)
Examples of Partnerships
• NJAPIE recognizes Exemplary Partnership Programs tied to NJ CCC Standards through its Exemplary Partnership Award program
• Awardees are honored at the annual dinner of the NJ Association of School Administrators/NJ School Boards Association
Bergenfield HSNursing Apprenticeship Program
• Partners:– Englewood Hospital & Medical Center– UMDNJ
• Foster relationships & mentoring between health professionals & students– Observations in surgery, pathology– Shadowing of nurses & medical staff
Camden County Technical Schools
Academic Business ConnectionsLuncheon Lecture Series
• Partners:– Business leaders, CBOs, government
• Network, develop partnerships– Community services– Parenting & family development– Financial matters– Physical & mental health– Career awareness & workplace readiness
Delsea Regional HSDelsea’s Service Learning
• Partners:– 10 formal partnerships involving 21
teachers & 1600 students
• Grade level service learning projects– Infused into language arts curriculum– Experiential learning: service activities– Students plan & implement activities in
collaboration with community partners
Ewing Township Public SchoolsParkway School/Merrill Lynch
Mentoring Program
• Partners:– Merrill Lynch
• Mentors for students– Long-term prevention/intervention
program that often extends beyond elementary school to middle school and into the community
– One-to-one mentoring from Merrill Lynch employee for at least a year, one day a week, one hour a day
Freehold Regional HSStudent Transition Education
Program
• Partners:– Community employers & 54 students
• Transition support for students with disabilities– School-based & community-based
instruction through Structured Learning Experiences• Career Awareness & Vocational Exploration• Vocational Assessment in community
Mt. Olive TownshipYoung Consumer’s Program
• Partners:– Ronetco Shop-Rite
• Become informed consumers– Visit from educational consultant to Ronetco
Shop-Rite to introduce probability, fractions, tangrams; provides manipulatives for students
– Family Fun Night for parents & Shop-Rite representatives
– Field trip to Shop-Rite buying food for 4-day healthy menu developed by students for $100 using nutrition information from Shop-Rite’s Public Relations Administrator & visiting 10 problem-solving stations
Paramus Public SchoolsWest Brook React Club
• Partners:– Paramus Rotary Club
• Develop responsible citizens through service– Be a Life Saver Campaign to help
Katrina victims: raised $2,500 for a family
– Provided food, clothes, toys, gift certificates to the displaced family
– Assisted family to find employment, housing, etc.
Washington Township Public SchoolsStudent Farmers Grow & Give
• Partners:– Farmers Against Hunger, local farmers, &
700 third grade students
• Learn science through discovery– Field trips to local farm, growing crops from
seeds, providing food to the hungry– Work in cooperative groups– Environmental issues such as management
of natural resources, production & use of energy
– Harvest & donate produce to Farmers Against Hunger
Resources
NJ Association of Partners in Education, www.njapie.org
NJ Association of Secondary School Principals, www.principals.org
The Council for Corporate School Partnerships, www.corpschoolpartners.org