Archived: Investing in Partnerships for Student Success

A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n

Investing in Partnerships for Student Success

Snapshots of Business/Education Efforts
Illustrate that Using This Tool Can Guide
Educational Partnership Development and Management

Snapshot #2

Samuel W. Mason Elementary School transformed itself from the "least chosen elementary school" in 1990 to the first school ever to win the prestigious City of Boston Management Excellence Award in 1994, the U.S. Department of Education Model Professional Development Award in 1996, and the National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence award in 1997. Located in the troubled Roxbury neighborhood of the city, the student population is ethnically diverse (45 percent African American, 23 percent Cape Verdean, 15 percent Latino, 13 percent Caucasian, 2 percent Asian American, and 2 percent Native American); 91 percent qualify for the free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch programs, and 23 percent are recent immigrants to this country and come from homes in which no English is spoken.

Mason had been slated for closure when its staff and parents seized an opportunity to become part of the National Accelerated Schools Network. They reached out to the City of Boston departments, businesses, universities, a health center, and community organizations to become partners in transforming the school through teamwork and collaboration.

A year later, the Mason School used the flexibility afforded by the Chapter One Program to change its focus from remediation to acceleration. The schoolwide project created an interdependent team from formerly disparate programs. As a result, a consistent learning approach reaches all students, accelerates learning, and promotes thinking skills; the amount of time spent in reading instruction per grade has been doubled. The project is supplemented by a 5-day-a-week after-school program, a 6-week full-day summer school program, a school-based counseling and therapy program, parent education and training, portfolio assessment for all students, and extensive professional development opportunities.

Samuel W. Mason Elementary School
Step 1: Recruit and Organize Education, Business, Family, and Community Stakeholders

Identify/Recruit Stakeholders	Recruitment Strategies	Group/ Individual	Contact Information (name, title, affiliation)	Contact Address (phone, fax, E-mail)	Committed Member of Steering Committee
Education
1. Wheelock College, Boston, MA 2. New England College of Optometry, Boston, MA	1. Direct contact with program director of teacher of Students with Special Needs Masters Program 1. and 2. Meet with Dean to discuss needs.	Liaison	Same	Wheelock College, Boston, MA.	3
		Dean	Same	New England College of Optometry	3
Family
Representatives/Parents/ Guardians	Call and invite to be on School Based Management Team	N/A	N/A		3
Business
John Hancock Financial Services Boston, MA	Selection process for acceptance as business partner. File application Also invite to be member of SBM Team	Executives	Same	John Hancock Financial Services	3
Community
New Market Business Association, Boston	Selection Process Present information on Mason School at Business Meeting	President Associate		New Market Business Association	3
Other
City of Boston Local Community Centers City Year, Boston	Call for Information and to arrange meetings	Representa-tives		City of Boston Local Community Centers	3

Step 2: Create a Vision for the Partnership

Potential Priority Areas	Priority for Partners Rank 1-5 (high)					Goals	Order of Priorities (based on rankings)		Customer(s)
Potential Priority Areas	Educators	Family	Business	Community	Other	Goals	Order of Priorities (based on rankings)		Customer(s)
Academic Areas
Reading	5	5		5	5		High		Student Business Community
Math	4	4	5		4		High		Student Business Community
Partnership Vision/Statement of Purpose: To Create a multi-stakeholder, multi-agency school-parent-business-community collaboration to support the academic learning and performance of the children at the Samuel W. Mason School.
Academic Supports
Technology		2		3	5			High	Student Business Community Teachers
After School	2	3		2				Medium	Student Business Community Family
Family Involvement	3	4	3	2				Medium	Student Business Community
School-Based Management	2	2	4					Medium	Student Business Community Family Teachers

Step 3: Taking Stock Based on Partnership Vision

Priority Areas	Alignment of Stakeholders? Goals Re. Education	Where Are You Now? (assessment)	Current Approaches Used to Achieve Goals	Level(s) of Success
Academic Areas
Reading		Lowest third of Boston Schools on SAT 9 Reading	Basal Reading Program- 3 reading groups	Poor
Math		Lowest third of Boston Schools on SAT 9 Mathematics	A popular mathematics series	Poor
Academic Supports
Technology		Three computers per classroom	Donations	Adequate
After School		5 day per week program- 3 hours per day	Use combination of grant and school funds	Very Good
Family Involvement		Workshop series for parents on literacy Individual Parent conferences	Parent team meets to monitor every two weeks	Good
School-Based Management		Team meets every two weeks good participation		Good

Step 4: Set Up Steering Committee to Guide and Monitor the Partnership

Steering Committee Members	Contact Information				Priority Area(s) (interests/focus)
Steering Committee Members	Title/Affiliation	Address	Phone/Fax	E-Mail	Priority Area(s) (interests/focus)
Education
	Principal Teacher - Grade 5 Teacher - Grade 1 Teacher - Early Childhood				Reading Math Technology
Business
	Business Liaison				Reading Math Technology
Family
	Parent - Kindergarten Child Parent - Grade 5 Child Parent - Grade 2 Child				Reading Math Technology
Community
	President - local business group City Year Team Leader				Reading Math Technology

Step 5: Collaboratively Set and Prioritize Short- and Long-Term Objectives

Goals	Objectives
	Short-Term (semiannually)	Long-Term (annually and beyond)
Priority Area
Reading	1. Select a literacy program 2. Determine professional development needs 3. Purchase materials Customers: teachers and students	1. Align resources to implement selected program 2. Hire a literacy coach 3. Engage in professional development Customers: teachers, students, business, families, community
Priority Area
Math	1. Reveiw math programs 2. Come up with criteria for selection 3. Schedule teacher discussion meetings Customers: teachers	1. Select math program 2. Develop long-range professional development plan Customers: teachers, students, business, families, community

Step 6: Create Action Plans and Teams Organized Around Priorities

Action Committees	Committee Members (contact information)	Committee Objectives	Tasks/ Activities Assigned	Time Frame	Resources
					Requested	Available	Additional Needed
Operations
Manage daily tasks	Steering Committee Principal Team Members	Insure project moves forward	--Bi-weekly meetings --Check-ins with teams	September - June	Meeting space		Consultant/ Facilitator
Funding/managing resources
Monitoring quality of operations
Development
Recruiting partners	Team leaders SBM/SDM team	Insure adequate funds for partnership	--Use all-funds approach --Allocate money according to priorities	September - June	Clerical Help
Recruiting resources
Allocating resources
Community
Marketing/PR	Team Members	Communicate plan to faculty, parents and stakeholders	--Communication strategy	September - June	Clerical Help	Supplies	Faculty meetings and parent meetings
Outreach to: home, school, community
Networking
Program Evaluation
Monitoring	Steering Committee SBM/SDM Team	--Plan evaluation --Collect baseline, midyear, end-of-year data --Analyze trends --Planning	--Design evaluation --Monitor data collection --Engage in strategic planning	September - June	Testing instruments		Time to administer tests Software package
Evaluation
Data analysis
Reporting
Decision making
Partnership Location: Samuel W. Mason School		Partnership Leadership Contact Information: Principal		Partnership Staffing: Teachers		Staff Responsibility: Manage the Initiative

Step 7: Implement Action Plans

Action Committee Objectives

Activities/
Tasks

Classification of Activity

Activity Completion

Resources Allocated

Activities Accomplished

Comments

Low (supple-mental)

Medium (program-matic)

High (strategic/ systemic)

Expected

Actual

Yes

Operations

Insure project moves forward

Bi-weekly meetings

Check-ins with teams

--Meeting space

--Consultant

Development

Use "all finds" approach

Allocate money according to priorities

Clerical help

Communication

Develop communications strategy

--Clerical Help

--Supplies

--Faculty meetings

--Parent meetings

Program

--Design evaluation

--Contact Evaluation

--Monitor data collection

--Analyze trends

--Engage in strategic planning

--Testing instruments

--Software package

--Time

Step 8: Measure and Report Progress

Short-Term Objectives	Long-Term Objectives	Baseline Measures	Annual Outcomes Date ---------	Measurement Tools	Next Steps	Action Committee Members (contact information)
Priority Area: Reading
--Select a literacy program --Determine professional development --Purchase materials	--Hire literacy coach --Engage in professional development	March, 1999 April, 1999 April, 1999	Not available as yet To be determined based on outcomes of evaluation.	1. Forms 2. Content 3. Reporting 4. Audiences In process	1. Partnership Management -- Changes? 2. Objectives -- Change -- Eliminate -- Extend -- Bench-marking 3. Resources/ Budget -- Recruitment -- Allocation 4. Activities -- Improve -- Extend -- Eliminate 5. Overall Program -- Revisions -- Maintenance -- Expansion	--Teachers --Parents --Business liaison --President of local business group --City year team leader

Step 9: Review Annual Results and Plan for the Future

Short-Term Objectives	Baseline Measure(s)	Outcomes Achieved Mo. --- Yr. ---	Check Points	Next Steps	Outcomes Achieved Mo. --- Yr. ---	Check Points	Next Steps
Priority Area: Reading
--Select a literacy program --Determine professional development --Purchase materials	--Insure project moves forward --Bi-weekly meetings --Check-ins with teams	March 1999 April, 1999 April 1999	Program implementation Within budget y_n_ On schedule y_n_ Communication --Kind --Frequency --Format-content --Audiences All of above checks are in process	--Hire a literacy coach --Engage in professional development --Align resources to implement program	August, 1999 August, 1999-May, 2000 September- October 1999	Program implementation Within budget y_n_ On schedule y_n_ Communication --Kind --Frequency --Format-content --Audiences All of above checks are in process	To be determined based upon results of monitoring and annual evaluation

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A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n

Snapshots of Business/Education Efforts Illustrate that Using This Tool Can Guide Educational Partnership Development and Management

Snapshots of Business/Education Efforts
Illustrate that Using This Tool Can Guide
Educational Partnership Development and Management