New NNPS Inventory Helps District Leaders

"We continue to believe that NNPS is essential for districts to create systemic change in the ways parent involvement increases student success."
-Linda Ariyasu, Local District 4, LAUSD

NNPS guides district leaders to create systemic change by taking responsibility for district-level leadership on partnerships and direct facilitation of schools to support their programs of partnerships. Studies show that this dual focus on district leadership and facilitation improves the sustainability of school, family, and community partnerships so that student success increases over time.

Case in point: Analyses of UPDATE data show that district leaders that provide more support report that their schools implement more of the NCLB parent involvement requirements. More specifically, when a district has an organized program of partnerships and has district leaders who help schools involve families, the schools conduct more outreach activities to families. Better outreach to families on well-designed, goal-linked activities leads to improved student performance on standardized tests and increased student attendance. District leadership and facilitation proves to be a win-win situation for districts, schools, families, and their students.

How do you begin to put this research into practice? NNPS has a new tool to help called Lead and Succeed: A District Inventory of Leadership and Facilitation Strategies. The Inventory includes six common program development objectives and over 50 corresponding strategies to consider. The six objectives are listed below with sample leadership and facilitation practices for each.

Create awareness. Actively promote the partnership program to all key stakeholders, including teachers, administrators, families, and community groups.: Leadership: Convene a one-on-one meeting with the district superintendent to discuss the goals for the partnership program.; Facilitation: Meet individually with each school principal at the start of the school year to clarify the work of the district facilitator(s) and how the principal will support the program in their school.
Align program and policy. With support from district leadership, integrate the partnership program with district policies, requirements, and procedures.: Leadership: Write a district leadership plan for partnerships that includes district-level actions and direct assistance to schools-use this inventory as a resource.; Facilitation: Ensure that each school's policy on family involvement reflects the NNPS components.
Guide learning and program development. Organize and conduct professional development activities to assist schools in developing their partnership programs.: Leadership: Convene regularly scheduled cluster meetings for schools' ATP Chairs or Co-Chairs to share experiences.; Facilitation: Conduct a training workshop for all participating schools that includes how to link the Action Plan for Partnerships with the School Improvement Plan.
Share knowledge. Foster ongoing communication throughout the district to build knowledge about programs of school, family, and community partnerships.: Leadership: Write a regularly featured column on partnership programs for the district newsletter.; Facilitation: Host a mid-year meeting for schools to share best practices and solutions to challenges.
Celebrate milestones. Recognize school and district successes in partnership programs and practices and disseminate the successes widely.: Leadership: Send letters to principals thanking them for their support for partnerships.; Facilitation: Host an end-of-year celebration for all schools' Action Teams for Partnerships.
Document Progress and Evaluate Outcomes. Collect information to document activities and to assess progress in meeting district program goals, and assist each ATP to document and evaluate progress in implementing their Action Plans for Partnerships.: Leadership: Complete the District UPDATE survey that is required to maintain district membership.; Facilitation: Collect schools' Action Plans for Partnerships each year and use them to check schools' progress regularly.

To create systemic change on parent involvement, NNPS districts must ensure that they have an organized office for partnerships and that district leaders from that office directly assist schools in building their capacity and programs of school, family, and community partnerships. The dual focus of district leadership and facilitation will make partnerships linked to student success a well-established school improvement strategy.

NNPS members can download the complete Inventory by visiting www.partnershipschools.org, clicking on Districts and States, and then choosing the District Inventory button.