NNPS recognized seven schools, two districts, three organizations, and two state departments of education with its 2006 Partnership Awards. The winners were from diverse communities in California, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, and Wisconsin (see photos, pp. 6-7). Each site provided detailed information on how they use NNPS’s research-based approaches to strengthen and sustain leadership and programs of family and community involvement. All winners received a cash prize of $500, a free registration to an NNPS conference, an engraved plaque, and other recognition.1
All school award winners had well-functioning Action Teams, wrote annual action plans, linked involvement activities to school improvement goals, collaborated with parent associations, created welcoming environments, and evaluated their programs. The school winners – Cherokee Heights Elementary, Col. E. Brooke Lee Middle School, Grant Elementary, Highlands Elementary, Kennedy Junior High, Phalen Elementary, Webster Stanley Elementary – conducted many activities to involve families with students on reading, math, writing, health, technology, and study skills. These elementary, middle, and junior high schools effectively linked family and community involvement to involvement with student learning and created positive partnership climates at the same time.
Both district winners in 2006 are long-standing leaders in family involvement with prior awards from NNPS. Despite changes in leaders in Naperville Community School District 203 and dramatic reorganizations in LAUSD Local District 4, these districts have sustained well-organized offices for partnerships. They also are guiding schools to improve their programs of family and community involvement.
The state departments of education in California and Wisconsin, also prior recipients of NNPS Partnership State Awards, take different approaches. Both states have developed effective ways to work with colleagues in other departments and with other organizations on partnership policies and practices.
Three very different organizations were recognized. The Family Works, of the Family Services Agency in Maryland, guided many districts in the state to strengthen leadership on partnerships and helped schools improve their partnership programs. The California Parent Center at the June Burnett Institute also takes a state-wide approach. This group conducted regional workshops to help district leaders and school teams across the state develop research-based partnership programs. In Illinois, Strategic Learning Initiatives provided parent workshops and supported schools to strengthen and sustain their partnership programs.
1Read about the NNPS 2006 Partnership Award Winners at www.partnershipschools.org in the section Success Stories In the Spotlight.