Charlotte Castagnola, Facilitator, Parent Activities; Sue Shannon, Superintendent
Row 1: Laura Gonzalez,and Beatrice Gutierrez. Row
2: Susana Martinez,Charlotte Castagnola
(NNPS Key Contact), Sue Shannon
(Superintendent), Rebeca Rodriguez, and Rhonda Bradley.
Local District B in LAUSD includes over 80 schools serving students and families with diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The district is a four-year NNPS Partnership District Award winner. Despite three changes in Local Superintendents, the leaders for partnerships have been able to continually improve their program by writing annual leadership plans; keeping a portfolio on program progress; using NNPS research-based tools and evaluations; working with Families in Schools (see 2003 Partnership Organization Awards); monitoring results for students and for families; and communicating with principals and parent leaders at all schools about their work on partnerships. All Unit leaders meet weekly with the Superintendent to keep each other informed about their activities, including family and community involvement.
The district's Leadership Plan for action on partnerships is based on schools' needs, district goals, and parents' suggestions. Each Coach-Facilitator assists from 10-16 Partnership Schools in the district. Facilitators visit schools, assist teams with their plans, activities, and end-of-year evaluations, arrange visits to other schools, and conduct monthly meetings with groups of Action Team co-chairs to help them learn new strategies, share ideas, successes, and discuss challenges.
Among many activities, the district leaders conducted a "Keys to Effective Partnerships" conference, which was attended by over 300 participants from over 50 schools. Leaders used the NNPS Handbook to guide school teams to develop comprehensive partnership programs and to link involvement activities to the goals for students in their own Single School Plan.
Communicating about partnerships is an important district leadership activity. The district developed a short, clear brochure for all schools. It outlines goals for developing a comprehensive program of school, family, and community partnerships with activities for the six types of involvement that will increase students' literacy and math skills, encourage postsecondary planning, and ensure that every school has a welcoming environment for partnerships. The brochure also includes contact information so that school leaders and parents can call the district facilitators for assistance and support.
Another new activity was a Community Forum for schools' Action Teams to meet with representatives from community agencies to learn about services that could assist their families and students. The schools, then, may add particular community connections to their next One-Year Action Plans.
A hallmark activity for District B is the Mother-Daughter College Preparation Program that now is used in other districts and schools to help students and families think ahead to postsecondary education. The district leaders help schools include this activity in their annual plans for partnerships.
Having research of the Center at Johns Hopkins behind us is invaluable. . . .Our membership in NNPS … has given me an opportunity to turn a 25-year commitment to parent and community involvement into an active, results oriented, respected enterprise. I now not only know that my work is on target and bringing positive results for students' success, but I can prove it. The staff of NNPS is "top of the class." They give me individual attention tailored to my needs. When there are days that I wonder why I do my work, I just log on to the NNPS website, call up, or turn to an NNPS publication, and I find the will to continue.
. . .We continue to increase attendance of parents at school events. We have improved the relationship between staff and the families they serve. Teachers have learned useful strategies and make greater effort to reach out to all parents. Most importantly, we continue to make gains in student achievement. Our ability to work together to support our students is very definitely a great part of our success.
Also see Local District B’s history of Partnership District Awards in 2000, 2001, and 2002 and examples of Promising Partnership Programs on the website, www.partnershipschools.org, in the section Success In the Spotlight.