Partnership District Award Winners - 2008

Eight districts are winners of the 2008 Partnership District Awards from the National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS) at Johns Hopkins University. They are recognized for excellence in developing and sustaining comprehensive, goal-oriented programs of school, family, and community partnerships. The award winners are working to ensure that all families are welcome in all schools, and that programs and practices of family and community involvement help increase student achievement and other indicators of success in school.

District leaders for partnerships submitted descriptions of district-level activities that increased awareness of family and community involvement, aligned actions for partnerships with other district policies for school improvement, and extended leadership for partnerships. They also submitted evidence of how they, as district leaders, facilitated the work of individual schools’ Action Teams for Partnerships (ATPs) to improve school-based programs of family and community involvement. This included conducting training workshops for ATPs, helping ATPs share best practices, evaluating progress, and offering on-going support to help schools’ ATPs build their capacity to conduct excellent partnership programs.

District leaders showed how leadership, teamwork, funding, and support from colleagues helped them meet leadership challenges and improve the quality of their work on partnerships. Some of the district-level activities described below are included in the NNPS collection, Promising Partnership Practices 2008. Click on the links to see details of these practices.

		Chino Valley Unified School District, CA Carol Garman, Title I/ELD Program Specialist; Dr. Edmond Heatley, Superintendent.

		Howard County Public School System, MD Jean West Lewis, Family Outreach Specialist; Dr. Sydney Cousin, Superintendent.

		Local District 4, Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), CA William Masis, Coordinator, School, Family, and Community Partnerships; Richard A. Alonzo, Superintendent.

		Lowndes County School District, GA LaVerne H. Rome, Parent Involvement Coordinator; Dr. E. Steve Smith, Superintendent.

		Naperville Community Unit School District 203, IL Nina Menis, Director, Office of Community Relations; Dr. Alan Leis, Superintendent.

		Pasco School District, WA Lorraine Landon, Parent Education Center Coordinator; Saundra Hill, Superintendent.

		Saint Paul Public Schools, MN Joe Munnich, Family and Community Involvement Coordinator; Dr. Meria J. Carstarphen, Superintendent.

		Virginia Beach City Public Schools, VA Melissa T. McQuarrie, Director of Community Relations; Karen Clevinger, Title I Instructional Specialist; Dr. James G. Merrill, Superintendent.