Spring, 1998 No. 4 National Network of Partnership Schools
Districts and States in Network Strengthen Leadership
in 1997-98Data from the first 7 states and 26 districts in the National Network of Partnerships Schools reveal that leaders are making progress in developing state-level and district-level programs of partnership, and in helping schools to improve their programs of home-school-community connections. Questions on the '97 UPDATE asked about use of Network services, staff, budget, and time allocations, leadership activities, ratings of program quality, levels of support for partnerships, and challenges to progress.
Analyses of data from districts reveal that (a) adequacy of funds, (b) support from colleagues, and (c) use of services provided by the National Network are positively related to the strength of district leadership, the extent of help districts give to schools, and the overall quality of districts' programs. Districts report significantly more help from their states when the state departments of education also are members of the Network, as shown in this table:
Kind of State Support
Provided% Districts in States
IN the Network% Districts in states
NOT IN the NetworkNO Help from state 16.7
70.0
Technical assistance 75.0
10.0
General state funds 50.0
20.0
Special grants 33.3
0
State policies 25.0
0
States reported that their biggest challenge in developing partnership programs is lack of coordination across departments or divisions within the state department of education (67%). Districts reported that their greatest obstacle to more rapid program development is lack of time (54%) to assist all schools' Action Teams with this work. It will be important to learn how these and new states and districts in the Network progress in solving these and other challenges during the 1997-98 school year.
'97 UPDATE data indicate that although every state and district is meeting the Network's requirements in different ways, all are using a common theory, research-based framework, and the services of the National Network of Partnership Schools to guide their work.
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