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