Standards

Transforming the High School Experience

The Challenge 

In 2008, the Alliance for Excellent Education was awarded a grant from the James Irvine Foundation to examine high school reform efforts in California to help inform the national dialogue on how to better prepare students for the rigors of college and career, while simultaneously increasing the high school graduation rate. 

The project specifically looks at the Linked Learning approach, which is grounded in a set of four guiding principles that focus on preparing students for postsecondary education and career; connecting academics to real-world applications; leading students to the full range of postsecondary opportunities; and improving student achievement. 

The Linked Learning movement in California grew out of an effort to address the poor and inequitable student outcomes that have persisted throughout the state for decades—a trend that plagues every state in the union. 

Collaborative is supporting the Alliance in the organization’s efforts to draw out the applicable lessons from California’s efforts to transform the high school experience and determine how best to share those implications with national stakeholders to help inform federal policy.

Our Approach 

Collaborative worked in partnership with the Alliance, the James Irvine Foundation and ConnectEd—a group charged with advancing practice, policy, and research for Linked Learning—to develop a comprehensive and effective communications plan to help inform national education stakeholders of the impact of California’s Linked Learning Approach. 

The efforts focused on a two-day rollout to Congressional staff, officials from the Obama administration and the larger policy community both to inform them of the specifics of the Linked Learning approach, but also to connect the approach to the larger implications for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Action. 

Collaborative helped to develop a Hill briefing that included a broad range of stakeholders from California, including representation from the state department of education, the state teachers’ union, a local chamber of commerce, a community-based advocacy group, and a district implementing Linked Learning.

Our Impact 

Collaborative moderated a well-attended Hill briefing that included representatives from the James Irvine Foundation, ConnectEd and other supporters who shared their on-the-ground experience in building support for and implementing the Linked Learning approach in California. The briefing was held before a range of audience members, including Congressional staff, officials from the Obama administration, state education officials, local education agency staff, national education groups and the press. The briefing resulted in a lively discussion in which panelists shared their viewpoints, experience and knowledge on what is happening in high school reform in California and how it applies to federal policy. 

Date Added: Mar 24, 2010
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Grant Process Documentation and Feedback Study

The Challenge 

JC Penney Afterschool Fund supported a grant to the United Way of America and the Forum for Youth Investment to help local United Ways undergo community-wide visioning around out-of-school time (OST) using the Ready by 21 Framework. The pilot grant required two local United Ways to participate in community-wide youth development data collection, program mapping, as well as learn new ways to get leaders from all sectors to work together in the community.

This capacity-building money is a boon to local United Ways and can help target and move an agenda for a pressing community need, such as increasing OST supports for children and youth. Although, this work has the potential to be leveraged across all local United Ways only if both United Way of America and Forum for Youth Investment understand the process that both sites embarked on, what worked and what could be improved.

United Way and the Forum asked Collaborative to document the important lessons learned by telling the story of these two local United Ways.

Our Approach 

In close collaboration with the United Way of America, the Forum for Youth Investment and the two local sites in Richmond, VA and Kansas City, MO, Collaborative:

  • Reviewed project materials about the grant, as well as materials from both local sites.
  • Developed an interview guide to structure the conversation in a way that would help pilot grant leads be reflective and open about the grant and how it impacted their organization and the community.
  • Identified fourteen individuals (seven in each community) to interview.
  • Wrote a report that included how the local effort unfolded, successes and challenges experienced, results achieved due to the efforts in each community, and lessons learned for other collaborative efforts.
Our Impact 

United Way of America and the Forum for Youth Investment can use this specific feedback about what worked and what needs to be improved to make this partnership and community-level work increasingly successful. As Collaborative began learning about the work from the different sites, we were able to pull themes and common threads to help United Way better understand how its local organizations are situated in communities and able to impact and drive change. Eventually, United Way and the Forum can think about how to replicate this model across the nation, and through this report they have tactical, specific improvements and recommendations for moving the work forward.

Date Added: Mar 13, 2010
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The National AfterSchool Association Hosted 2009 Convention

The Challenge 

The National AfterSchool Association (NAA) wanted to bring together afterschool professionals from across the nation to share best practices and to learn about new resources in the field.

Our Approach 

Having assisted with workshop coordination at the 2008 Convention, Collaborative had the experience, insight and creativity to successfully support the NAA's 2009 convention. Collaborative coordinated the workshop planning and preparation, as well as the Web site development, convention registration, exhibition sites, specials events, plenary sessions, networking events, site visits and participant activities.

Our Impact 

Speaker management included scheduling both the keynote speakers and workshop sessions.  This year's convention featured the following keynote speakers:

  • Sir Ken Robinson, an internationally recognized leader in the development of creativity, innovation, and human resources
  • General Colin Powell, former Secretary of State
  • Jeff Corwin, host of Animal Planet's The Jeff Corwin Experience

Collaborative facilitated the request for proposal process for workshop presenters.  With our strategic knowledge of the afterschool field, we reviewed proposals and selected content. The workshops were carefully planned to ensure an exciting and diverse suite of offerings. 

Collaborative also assisted NAA in the planning and execution of site visits and networking events. Site coordination occurred for the following:

  • Forums with a special speakers and panel discussions
  • Informal networking events and receptions
  • Facilitated discussions on timely afterschool topics
  • Invitation-only focus groups and research-based discussions
  • Membership meetings

Convention registration was a coordinated effort among NAA, Meetings Management Group (MMG), and Collaborative.  NAA supplied the content, MMG provided experienced management of convention planning, and Collaborative coordinated the efforts, fielded questions, and designed and maintained the convention Web site.

Date Added: Mar 13, 2010
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Collaborative Creates Case Studies About Achievement Gains in Mathematics

The Challenge 

The National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform sought to incorporate the recommendations of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel into their Mathematics Improvement Toolkit, and demonstrate how schools were putting these recommendations into practice.

Our Approach 

Collaborative designed interview protocols, focus group guides, and observation rubrics to help facilitate the effectiveness of site visits at the three schools from the National Forum's Schools to Watch program. 

Once on-site, Collaborative led teams:

  • Making classroom observations
  • Interviewing teachers and administrators
  • Conducting student focus groups

 

Once the observations were complete, Collaborative assisted with:

  • Aligning the findings to the Math Panel recommendations
  • Drafting and editing the case studies
  • Presenting highlights of promising practices from these schools in a special section of the Mathematics Improvement Toolkit Web site
Our Impact 

These case studies outline the achievement gains in schools that have implemented recommendations from the 2008 National Math Panel Report.  Through these focused case studies, Collaborative provided real-world context and useful models for schools struggling to improve mathematics achievement in the middle grades.

Date Added: Mar 13, 2010
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Clear Vision for the Future of Nashville Public Schools

The Challenge 

The Superintendent and Board of Education for the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools wanted to create a clear and coherent vision that is easily understood and actionable.

Our Approach 

Collaborative researched Nashville's community aspirations and attitudes by doing the following:

  • Completing a comprehensive review of existing public opinion data on Nashville and education in Nashville
  • Conducting focus groups to listen for how the community talks about and engages the issues of education and community
  • Conducting focus groups with principals and teachers to understand their priorities and their hopes for the vision

After gathering this initial information, Collaborative designed and facilitated working sessions with the Board of Education:

  • Articulating an initial vision for schools and educational change
  • Refining and shaping the vision based on feedback
  • Writing and presenting the final vision to the Board for consideration
Our Impact 

The Board of Education was noted in local news for its productivity and ability to come together and work towards common goals. 

Date Added: Mar 13, 2010
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Dynamic, Online Professional Development Promoted throughout Arkansas

The Challenge 

The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) wanted to increase user registration and activity on Arkansas IDEAS, its premiere online professional development portal for educators.

Our Approach 

Our approach was to create a series of promotional materials, Web site content, and implementation strategies that the ADE could distribute to a variety of prospective users.

Our first step was to create materials that demonstrate the benefits of IDEAS to district and school administrators. Once they understood the value of the online portal, they could then promote it within their district or school. We created a promotion plan and an implementation strategy that ADE staff could use to talk about and promote IDEAS with administrators at the district and school level.

Next, we developed an implementation plan for administrators, to help them introduce and promote IDEAS in their school or district. The plan is accompanied by supporting resources including IDEAS talking points, sample email language, a PowerPoint presentation and a promotional poster. We recommended all of these resources be available to administrators in a centralized location on the IDEAS Web site.

Our Impact 

To measure the impact of these promotional activities, we recommended that ADE staff track their efforts and monitor Web site traffic and email click through rates to track ongoing promotional efforts against goals. The intent is to be strategic about outreach efforts and to consistently monitor, adjust and improve the process to achieve desired results.

Date Added: Mar 13, 2010
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Using Interactive Technology to Communicate Critical Information on Access and Equity in Public Education

The Challenge 

The Schott Foundation conducted a detailed study on the state of public education in the United States, resulting in the release of the report Lost Opportunity: A 50 State Report on the Opportunity to Learn in America. The report explores disparities in quality and proficiency, as well as access and equity in public education. The Foundation wanted to take the findings from their printed report and make them available on their Web site in a user-friendly format.

Our Approach 

Our approach was to present the information in an interactive, online map of the United States. Individual states are colored along a spectrum of performance, from red (poor performance) to blue (high performance). This color-coding approach enables visitors to view comparative snapshots of state performance in public education. Users click individual states to view specific data on access, or the chance that a disadvantaged student will have access to a high performing school compared to a white, non-Latino student; proficiency, or the percentage of eight graders who scored proficient or above on the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) reading exam; and cost, or the total economic burden carried by state taxpayers because of inequity.

Our Impact 

This work supports The Schott Foundation's national Opportunity to Learn initiative. As the initiative expands and gains traction, the information found in the map will be essential to communicate the current disparities found in public education and motivate key stakeholders to drive change.

Date Added: Mar 13, 2010
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Creating Gold Standards for High School Internships with the National Academy Foundation

The Challenge 

The National Academy Foundation (NAF) is an acclaimed national network of high school career academies predominately based in urban districts. These schools-within- schools have rigorous, career-themed curricula created in partnership with current industry and educational expertise. NAF's work has shown that work-based learning opportunities are essential to helping youth succeed as adults in the world of work.

NAF sees high school internships as one component of a continuum of work-based learning experiences, and believes that it should be the pinnacle of years of carefully planned work-based learning opportunities. However, no standards for high school internships existed to clarify the kinds of high quality experiences that youth, school personnel and partners, and employers should aspire to when creating, implementing and evaluating internship experiences. NAF needed a clear document stating the gold standards for high school internships.

Our Approach 

Collaborative Communications Group worked with NAF and its partners to create a standards document that would be useful to youth, schools and employers. NAF began the process by convening a Career Academy and Internship Task Force of national experts in work-based learning. Collaborative provided direction on the meeting agenda, materials and purpose; attended and documented the meeting in Oakland, CA; and identified the most relevant themes from the daylong discussion. We also attended a convening of employers in the Los Angeles area and gatherings of educators and intermediaries who deliver work-based learning activities to further test the identified themes.

Our process of creating the standards document included receiving continuous feedback from NAF staff, the Task Force and the field. When a change in scope resulted in the need for a slightly different product, we adeptly changed our approach to deliver a document that would be most useful to the organization in continuing to solicit feedback and funding to obtain support nationwide.

Our Impact 

Collaborative produced Preparing Youth for Life: The Gold Standards for High School Internships, a document that lays out the vision for high school internships, and pushes the discussion about how to achieve this vision in practice.  NAF is using it as a tool to lead internal and external discussions about expectations for high school internships at all stages of implementation.

This project also helped Collaborative continue to grow our partnership with and knowledge of NAF. We have compiled educational resource maps in New Orleans and Los Angeles, and for the state of California.

Date Added: Mar 13, 2010
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Turning Research into an Online Application for The Wallace Foundation

The Challenge 

The Wallace Foundation sponsored a detailed study that collected cost data on 111 out-of-school time programs and created a complex statistical model to allow readers to create tailored estimates for their own program, given a small set of parameters. Users needed to develop these estimates by working them out themselves. The challenge was to make this more accessible and easily used.

Our Approach 

Our approach involved creating an online interactive calculator (much like an online mortgage calculator) in partnership with Forum One Communications. The calculator also guides users to resources helping them to budget for and plan their programs. As a result the hard work of The Wallace Foundation can potentially reach a much wider audience than a simple written report was likely to do.

Our Impact 

Collaborative also helped launch this project, sending out emails to over 10,000 recipients. The Wallace Foundation received over 7,000 visits to the cost calculator in just the first week after launch. Collaborative had additional plans for promoting this tool among the after school community. The online tool earned a 2008 World Wide Web Awards Gold Award for its clean and organized design, user friendliness, and quality and informative content.

The Cost Calculator was also profiled in The Communications Network, an online publication that focuses on communications practices in philanthropy. The article applauds Collaborative's innovative, online solution and thoughtful dissemination practices.

Date Added: Mar 13, 2010
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The Civic Index for Quality Public Education

The Challenge 

Public Education Network (PEN) wanted to investigate and strengthen the influence that communities have in improving public schools. As a result, PEN embarked on the design of an innovative Civic Index for Quality Public Education to give LEFs and communities a new tool for articulating their priorities for schools and engaging with each other about making progress.

Our Approach 

Collaborative worked with PEN to produce part of the content for the Civic Index for Quality Public Education. This first-of-its-kind, comprehensive, online tool includes a national poll that measures public attitudes toward education. It assesses 10 scientifically-based categories of community support determined by the public and experts to be critical factors outside the school needed to support and sustain quality schools. The 10 categories are:

•    Tolerance and Inclusiveness
•    Officeholder Leadership
•    Parent Involvement
•    Media Coverage
•    Youth Development and Involvement
•    Business Involvement
•    School Board Elections
•    Community Organizations
•    Use of Data
•    Higher Education

The tool helps to tailor community engagement efforts for maximum impact in communities. Collaborative built strategies for engaging the public through public conversations, coalition building, town meetings and forums, and building stakeholder groups to advance recommendations. As a result, we researched and wrote two sections in the Index—Media Strategies and Strategies to Engage the Public. Our staff wrote, edited and revised content to ensure it would be accessible and relevant to users in communities across the country.

Our Impact 

The Civic Index was released at the National Press Club in Washington, DC in June 2008, along with results from its national poll on how well the nation is supporting our public schools. Read more about the Civic Index on PEN’s Web site. At the time of release, eight cities and counties were using or would soon be using the Index to develop a local report card and work with their communities to improve their Index score in areas that need improvement.

Date Added: Mar 12, 2010
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