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Chapter Summary
The Building Partnerships and Leveraging Resources (P & R) Work Group set out to support some of the core goals outlined in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) during the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) 2003 meeting by determining how best to support improved student learning and overall quality of education through technology by implementing strong, effective partnerships. These partnerships will range in scope and may include other state department divisions, corporations, non-profit organizations, regional agencies, or other states.
Objectives
- To develop strategies that will maximize a state's ability to form partnerships with corporations.
- To initiate or strengthen partnerships among inter- and intra-state agencies and to build partnerships across states that will inform and further education through technology.
- To develop a set of guiding principles, tools, and case studies for building productive partnerships and effectively leveraging resources.
Key Questions
- What are the essential attributes of meaningful partnerships?
- What are strategies for establishing and maintaining sound partnerships?
- What are key questions to ask in order to identify the needs for and desired outcomes of potential partnerships?
- What are examples of partnerships that work?
NLI Work Group Process
Addressing core goals outlined in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), the Building Partnerships and Leveraging Resources (P & R) Work Group collaborated during the State Educational Technology Directors Association's (SETDA) 2003 National Leadership Institute (NLI) to determine how best to support improved student learning and overall quality of education.
The P & R Work Group believes technology is essential to furthering education as NCLB stresses expanded local control, thereby allowing for varying allocation of resources. Implementation of creative partnerships and effective leveraging of resources will, ultimately, result in increased equity and maximized outcomes for all students.
Members of the P & R Work Group participated in a consensus-building process during SETDA's NLI. They began by sharing ideas that informed the Work Group's efforts. Early discussions included:
- Understanding the notion of partnerships and how they can improve technology integration to further education.
- Building a knowledge base of strategies for forming mutually beneficial partnerships.
- Learning how to leverage resources more effectively in a time of reduced funding.
- Discussing case studies of successful partnership approaches and models.
- Partnerships with corporations and foundations - small and large state-wide projects and programs that are implemented with for-profit local and national organizations, libraries, museums, public broadcasting agencies, etc. (See the Louisiana Case Study Illustration).
- Partnerships within state agencies - reaching out to ÒtraditionalÓ divisions within state departments such as reading, math, assessment, Title I, and professional development in order to enhance new and existing programs with the use of technology (See the New Mexico Reading First Case Study Illustration).
- Partnerships among and across states - using consortia buying and regional organizations, and national associations to share best practices state-to-state (See the South Dakota MAPLE Project Case Study Illustration).
SETDA Tools to Assist States
During the NLI, the Work Group developed the following tools for educators to use when considering new partnerships or evaluating existing relationships, regardless of whether the partnership is internal, external or a combination of various partners:
- Partnership Attributes - a high-level guide for evaluating relationships, including a list of essential tenets for effective partnerships.
- Strategies and Key Questions - in matrix and list format, created to help states analyze all aspects of building a successful partnership.
- References comprised of in-depth case studies, promising statewide practices, and readings.
