Twenty-three NNPS members earned 2009 Partnership Awards. Eleven schools, six districts, five organizations, and one state department of education—more sites than in past years—were recognized by NNPS for excellent work and clear progress in their plans and activities for school, family, and community partnerships.
Three district winners also had schools that won awards – a pattern that reflects the shared leadership and shared work of active district leaders and active school-based Action Teams for Partnerships. These were Frances Howell School District, MO, with Frances Howell Middle School; Naperville Community Unit School District 203, IL, with Highlands and Prairie Elementary Schools; and Pasco School District, WA with James McGee, Longfellow, Mark Twain, Robert Frost, and Whittier Elementary Schools. Other Partnership District Award winners were Hampton City Schools, VA, Middletown Public Schools, CT, and Virginia Beach City Public Schools, VA. Other Partnership School Awards were earned by Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, Bellflower, CA, Roberts Elementary School, Wayne, PA, and Sudlersville Elementary School, Sudlerville, MD.
This year, three Parental Information Resource Centers (PIRCs) and two other organizations earned awards for leadership in planning and guiding districts and/or schools in developing their partnership programs. The Partnership Organization Awards were earned by the Arizona PIRC, Maryland PIRC, and North Dakota PIRC, and to Frances Marion University Center of Excellence, Florence, SC, and Starting Point, Cleveland, OH. The Partnership State Award for 2009 went to the California Department of Education for its on-going efforts to improve policies and to organize state leadership to support and encourage districts and schools to conduct goal-linked partnership programs.
Award Rewards
All programs received an award plaque and one free registration to an NNPS professional development conference. Eight of the programs received cash prizes of $500 for sustained work and progress. This year, with support from a grant to NNPS from the MetLife Foundation (see article on p. 1), three awardees, Frances Howell and Pasco School Districts and Frances Marion Center of Excellence were selected as NNPS 2009 Conference Partners, with their travel and expenses paid. The leaders of these programs will co-facilitate sessions at the fall Leadership Development Conference with NNPS Facilitators. Joyce Epstein, Director of NNPS, explained: “This is an exciting addition to our awards program, and will enable these leaders to serve as teachers and to share their expertise with other conference attendees.”
Award Requirements
The award applications included information and artifacts that showed how each location was working to meet challenges to involve more families and produce results for students. Their work included essential elements of leadership, teamwork, written action plans, implementation of plans, adequate funding, evaluation, support from colleagues, funding, and networking. See pictures of the Partnership Award winners in this issue, and read about their programs at www.partnershipschools.org in Success Stories. Award criteria also are on the website.