The National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS) at Johns Hopkins University makes annual Partnership Awards to schools, districts, states, and organizations for excellence in developing and sustaining comprehensive, goal-oriented programs of school, family, and community partnerships. The 2006 award winners explained how NNPS helped them improve their programs, and how others might benefit from the professional development services and benefits that are offered to members of NNPS.
Cherokee Heights Elementary School, St. Paul, MN (Saint Paul Public Schools)
Maureen Siebert, Principal; Shirley Andino and Lily Ailabouni, Action Team Co-Chairs
NNPS . . . is an outstanding model for building family and community involvement. At our school, we build mutual respect and collaboration among team members, and share ideas at team meetings that make our events successful.
Col. E. Brooke Lee Middle School, Silver Spring, MD (Montgomery County Public School System)
Mary Beth Waits, Principal; L. Karen Turner, Action Team Chair
Each year the school completes a plan. The format from NNPS helps us think through and select activities that are most beneficial to our school community.
Grant Elementary School, Wausau, WI (Wausau School District)
Teresa O’Connell, Chairperson and Principal
When you join NNPS, you get help starting action plans and are provided with examples of what other schools are doing across the nation. Then, you can tailor ideas to the needs of your school and share your school’s ideas with others.
Highlands Elementary School, Naperville, IL (Naperville Community School District 203)
Amy Vander Veen and Debbie Whang, Co-Chairs; Susan Stuckey, Principal
In addition to the framework of six types of involvement and guidelines for looking over the content and quality of programs and events, NNPS provides a wealth of resources that a school can use to develop or modify their work to meet that school’s particular needs and goals.
Kennedy Junior High School, Lisle, IL (Naperville Community District 203)
Don Perry, Principal; Lisa Trychta and Jessica Jozwiak. Action Team Co-Chairs
The six types of involvement help build a complete SFCP program with many different ways to involve families. An SFCP team creates a big welcome for all families to get involved and, ultimately, all students reap the benefits.
Phalen Lake Elementary, St. Paul, MN (Saint Paul Public Schools)
Jan Hopke-Almer, Principal; Mary Sellers, Action Team Chair
NNPS . . . provides data on the value of involvement activities. With NNPS, a new principal does not have to reinvent parent and community involvement, but can learn about best practices . . . through NNPS’s newsletters, annual collections of best practices, and website.
Webster Stanley Elementary School, Oshkosh, WI (Oshkosh School District)
Patricia Vickman, Principal; Tami Goodwin and John Pieper, Action Team Leaders
The Oshkosh School Board framed a policy identifying NNPS as the preferred model for family involvement for all schools in the districts. NNPS’s resources, support, and examples. . . provide evidence-based practices to involve all important stakeholders in the education of our youth.
Local District 4, Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)
Linda K. Ariyasu, Coordinator; Richard A. Alonzo, Superintendent
Organizing parent involvement (for) increasing student success . . .throughout the district is a tremendous undertaking. . . .NNPS research, resources, technical assistance, and conferences have helped us learn new things, compare strategies, and network with others, nationwide.
Naperville Community Unit School District 203, Naperville, IL
Nina Menis, Director, Office of Community Relations; Karen Currier, Principal, and Ms. Terri Stevens, Parent, Co-Chairs of District Core Team; Dr. Alan Leis, Superintendent
The NNPS model is the result of years of research. . . The staff is helpful and professional. Their advice goes beyond the theoretical – it is field tested and practical.
California PARENT Center, June Burnett Institute, San Diego, CA
Jeana Preston, Program Director; John Wedemeyer, Executive Director
Based on our many years of experience as practitioners and trainers on partnerships in districts and schools, we would recommend any organization that aims to help districts and schools develop effective partnership programs to join NNPS.
Strategic Learning Initiatives, Chicago, IL
Clarissa Whitehead, Director of Parent Engagement; John Simmons, President
By being a member (of NNPS), you eliminate isolation – there is always someone to help and support you, answer your questions, provide information, and share materials to help you plan and evaluate your program.
The Family Works of the Family Services Agency, Inc., Gaithersburg, MD
Barbara Gimperling, Director; Tom Harr, Executive Director
NNPS is research based, goal oriented, provides materials and tools for developing strong programs and for evaluating progress, and offers many ways to "network" with others to gather and share ideas.
California Department of Education
Carol Dickson, Program Consultant; Jack O’Connell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Because of its guidelines for creating an Action Team for Partnerships and an Action Plan for Partnerships, our SEA doesn’t have to invent these (structures and tools). . .NNPS UPDATE surveys provide a process for evaluating the state’s program of school, family, and community partnerships.
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Jane Grinde and Ruth Anne Landsverk, Co-Leaders; Elizabeth Burmaster, Superintendent of Public Instruction
The Handbook for Action is one of the most practical resources for developing partnerships. I like being able to call or email NNPS, be greeted warmly, and get answers to my questions.
See all 2006 Partnership Award winners’ program summaries, full quotations, and team photos on the NNPS website, www.partnershipschools.org, in the section Success Stories. Read about previous years’ Partnership Award winners and Promising Partnership Practices from NNPS members across the country.