Successful School-Community Partnerships

Posted by on August 01, 2011

Forum Brief – Successful School-Community Partnerships: Using Lessons Learned from Practice and Research to Expand Learning

As policymakers and practitioners consider ways to provide high-quality learning opportunities to all students through expanded day and afterschool programs, a central component of the work is creating and maintaining strong partnerships between schools and community organizations. This forum highlighted research and practice on successful school-community partnerships, which can help inform policy discussions related to afterschool and expanded learning opportunities. Discussion focused on: creating a shared vision between education and community partners; determining and measuring student outcomes for all partners; sharing data among partners; identifying and supporting strong leadership; and building organizational capacity. Panelists concluded with recommendations on how federal policy can support and promote strong school-community partnerships. Presenters included: Jessica Donner, Director, Collaborative for Building After-School Systems (CBASS); Priscilla Little, Consultant, formerly of Harvard Family Research Project; and Jennifer Peck, Executive Director, Partnership for Children and Youth.

http://www.aypf.org/forumbriefs/2011/fb062711.htm