The quality of public education continues to be a top issue at local, state, regional and national levels. Public education is seen as a critical determinant of a community?s vitality and the productivity of its workforce, as well as the extent to which its citizens are well informed.

Key community stakeholders (educators, business, families, community organizations, government agencies, religious groups) have long contributed resources to schools. Since 1984, on the heels of A Nation at Risk, the first National Symposium on Partnerships in Education, and the Year of Partnerships in Education, more complex and formal education partnerships have flourished across the United States. Despite earlier doubts that partnerships might be just another "fad," there has been sustained business, community, and family interest in collaboration over the long term based on the growing realization that improved teaching and learning nationwide are difficult, enormous undertakings, which schools cannot accomplish alone.

These concerns and expectations are tied to a shift in what constitutes educational quality. Previously, the quality of the education system was judged heavily by the input of resources; now educational results have increasingly become the criteria on which the system is being judged. Programs, practices, and policies to achieve results are expected to align with and support the following national education priorities:

• Students should be able to read well and independently by the end of the third grade.
• Students should study algebra by the end of eighth grade and continue to take advanced math and science throughout high school.
• Students should see college as an option and be prepared for some training or education past high school.
• Students should have a safe haven to go to after school where enrichment and learning take place.
• Classrooms should be connected to the Internet, and all teachers should be well trained to use technology.
• Parents should be involved in their children?s education in school, at home, and in the community.

This shift also complements the changes—since 1984—in the kind of public- and private-sector collaboration to improve education. Working together, stakeholders have invested financial and in-kind resources, materials, and technical assistance at all stages (from preschool through high school and beyond) and at all levels: local, state, regional, and national. Research tells us that effective partnerships—no matter how modest—can demonstrate results. Some efforts can be categorized as "contributor focused;" these programs support educational improvement with contributions of human, financial, material, and in-kind resources through, for example, events and volunteers and adopt-a-school/-class programs. As a result of incremental growth, many of these initially modest efforts have grown into more complex, "investor-focused" compacts, alliances, public education funds, incorporated organizations, and nonprofit corporations focused on the improvement, reform, and even reinventing of education. The number of participants and the range of organizational involvement have precipitated the development, acceleration, and leveraging of increasingly comprehensive efforts whose bottom lines are focused on leveraging student achievement/success. Indeed, research tells us that collaboration among key stakeholder groups in a community can:

• Promote access to more diverse and equitable educational opportunities.
• Foster commitment to and active engagement in the educational improvement of a broad spectrum of public- and private-sector partners who understand that educational improvement is hard work and there are no quick "fixes."
• Help a community understand that support to education should be viewed as an investment, not just a cost.
• Get and allocate resources and expertise directly to:

1. Improve the management and delivery of instruction
2. Strengthen educators? professional skills
3. Integrate technology into curriculum and instruction
4. Support seamless transitions from school to work and postsecondary education and training
5. Expand community-based teaching and learning, including greater family and employee involvement in children?s learning/schools.
6. Effect safe, afterschool programs.
7. Demonstrate results.

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[ Acknowledgements ]

[ Purpose ]