Developing Effective Partnerships

1. Developing Effective Partnerships WithLocal Service Providers,Businesses &Community Based OrganizationsGEDL 566Summer 2009

2. Developing Effective Partnerships “To raise and sustain student achievement in the 21st Century, schools cannot afford to operate in isolation. To meet the diverse and complex challenges, schools will need to initiate and institutionalize a broad range of partnerships that generate additional resources and support all aspects of the school improvement process” (Walton 2001)

3. Reasons For Establishing Partnerships • Increasing social and economic demands on schools to do more to prepare students for societal roles, the world of work and higher education. • Increasing demands on schools to meet new performance standards and raise the academic achievement of all students. • Increasing demands on schools to address “non-educational” student needs related to family, community and societal issues.

4. Reasons For Establishing Partnerships • Diminishing, limited or no resources to support school improvement efforts. • Broad based external support for school improvement. • Community organizations should be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. • Schools need the support of a range of human service providers, businesses, community organizations, higher education institutions and others to address the complex needs of an increasingly diverse school community population.

5. Developing Effective Partnerships Topic: Establishing Effective Relationships with Local Service Providers, businesses and Community Based Organizations. “An effective partnership is based on a mutual commitment to improve the quality of education in the school and the quality of life in the community. It is about shared resources but more importantly, it is about shared responsibility.” (Walton 2001)

6. Guidelines For Establishing Partnerships • Assess the current partnerships for your school and build a computer database of your current resources. Track the number and types of partnership contacts and opportunities you generate in a year. • Designate one person in your school to work with the various partners. Make sure he or she has the requisite skills and the necessary time and the support for phone calls, meetings, and correspondence. A single point of contact will make it easier for everyone to know who is coordinating activities, resources, and needs. • Identify an “in” when approaching a potential partner - for example, a parent who works in the company, an alumni link, or a name from a newspaper article. If you cannot find such a connection, contact the company’s community relations office or personnel office.

7. Guidelines For Establishing Partnerships • Establish true partnerships by taking the time to learn about your partners’ needs and interests and communicate your own. Then develop a common vision and shared responsibility for addressing student needs effectively. • Don’t “over ask” for items or support. • Match potential partners’ interests and your needs. • Take time to develop a team attitude and build understanding of the two very different cultures in school and community organization environments.

8. Guidelines For Establishing Partnerships • Constantly evaluate and assess your partnerships. • Be flexible; make adjustments when necessary. • Communicate clearly and honestly about challenges, pitfalls, problems, and successes. • Say thank you often and in a variety of ways.

9. Key Steps to Establishing Partnerships • Identify what you need to accomplish. Set a goal. If it’s unclear why you are establishing the partnership, it’s going to be impossible to find common ground on which to build. • Identify the knowledge, the skills, and the abilities you need to accomplish in the task and then set out to build your team. The team need not be limited to the school community. Business, nonprofit organizations, postsecondary institutions, unions, professional associations, government agencies, parents and parents’ groups and alumni are all resources.

10. Key Steps to Establishing Partnerships • Understand that you do not have to forge every partnership on your own. Become familiar with those who are responsible for creating and sustaining community partnerships for your school district. Most districts have a central office staff person designated for that responsibility. However, an intermediary organization, such as the local chamber of commerce may have assumed responsibility for building bridges between community groups and educators. In addition, organizations such as the National 4-H Council and Junior Achievement

11. Key Steps to Establishing Partnerships The mission of businesses and community partnerships must be clear. School, businesses, and community cultures are so different that the differences can lead to mis-communication and missed opportunities. Educators must understand the time-sensitivity, value-added, and financial concerns of businesses and community organizations. These organizations must be aware of the demands of working in frequently under equipped buildings with, perhaps, thousands of young people and hundreds of adults, all of whom have rigid schedules. Successful partnerships between schools and community organizations require time to get to know one another, their needs, and their resources.

12. Key Steps to Establishing Partnerships • Understand that partnership is not about money. Reverend Bill Byron, former president of Catholic University in Washington, D.C., has a valuable lesson for those seeking partnerships with businesses: “First you friend raise, then you fund raise.” After capturing the hearts and minds of community partners and involving them with students and teachers, everything else is possible.

13. Potential Activities for Partnerships “If you don’t know what you need, you don’t know what to ask for or how to get it.” (Walton 2001)

14. Potential Activities for Partnerships Partnerships should be based on the needs of the school and school community. Depending on your school’s needs, you may seek to establish a variety of different partnerships. Based on the research, what follows are a few examples of activities that schools have undertaken in partnership with various organizations.

15. Potential Activities for Partnerships • In-school lectures; work-based experiences, such as job shadowing and internships; mentors and role models for students. • Work-based experiences and mentors for teachers. • Help setting goals, integrating curriculum, and developing strategic plans.

16. Potential Activities for Partnerships • Assistance in meeting student needs outside of the classroom. For example: grief counseling; personal development; recreational and other after-school activities; personal and health care; and housing. • Help securing equipment, resources, and funds (money should be the last thing educators look to their partners for.) • Help with recognizing partners, parents, and colleagues and awarding merit-based scholarships.

17. Potential Activities for Partnerships • Team training-partners that can help focus and lead workshops for teachers and student leaders. • Identification of research trends, and statistical and anecdotal evaluations. • Paid and non-paid job experiences for students. • Training opportunities for all school staff and leadership development activities for students.