Data from the first 202 schools to join the National Network of Partnership Schools underscore the importance of five ingredients for successful partnership program development. They are:
Analyses of data collected in the '97 UPDATE indicate that schools with supportive Action Teams and adequate funding are more likely than other schools to have well-implemented partnership programs. These schools are more likely to: (a) write One-Year Action Plans for the upcoming school year; (b) plan partnership activities for each of the six types of involvement; (c) follow a regular schedule of Action Team meetings; and (d) evaluate program effectiveness at the end of each school year.
The most effective programs of partnership, however, are not only well-implemented, but also are linked to school improvement goals, reach all families, meet other challenges for the six types of involvement, and are a permanent part of schools’ total programs of improvement. UPDATE data suggest that many schools in the Network are working toward this highest level of program quality. Analyses show that both time and a well-functioning and supportive Action Team are essential to the schools’ progress and success.
Because Action Teams were found to be so important to schools’ programs of partnership, additional analyses were conducted to determine factors influencing the degree of support provided by Action Teams. Findings indicate that schools that use the Network’s manual, School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action, are more likely to have well-functioning Action Teams for Partnerships than schools that do not.
Also, schools that receive school-wide Title I funds are more likely to have supportive Action Teams for partnerships. This finding suggests that Action Teams receiving support from Title I district-level administrators or Title I funds may be better prepared to develop their schools’ partnership programs. Future school UPDATE surveys will allow the Network to explore the relationship between district and state leadership and Action Team performance, as well as other factors affecting program development.
From: Mavis G. Sanders (1998). School Membership in the National Network of Partnership Schools: Programs and Progress. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego.