| Effective partnerships for education reform "require that schools view parents and communities not simply as customers or clients but as partners in the educational process" (Sanders, 2009, p. 1695). In 2012, seven Seattle area school districts and the Puget Sound Educational Service District (the PSESD) were awarded funding for the Road Map Region "Race to the Top" District Grants (RTT D) to reduce the achievement gap in schools and improve postsecondary readiness across the region. A very critical part of RTT-D's work included funding for the development and support of partnerships between community-based organizations (CBOs) and schools or school districts. RTT D is driven by the principles of "Collective Impact" which emphasizes the importance of abandoning "individual agendas in favor of a collective approach to improving student achievement" (Kania & Kramer, 2011, p. 36).;Using collective impact as a guiding framework, this study sought to better understand the partnerships between CBOs and schools and/or school districts in an effort to close achievement gaps in the Seattle area under RTT-D. Data for this study came from interviews from two time points approximately one year apart, and one online survey conducted as part of a formal evaluation of RTT-D; an evaluation in which I am deeply involved. A total of 44 individuals released their interview data and a total of 59 individuals released their survey data for use in this study.;Findings for research questions were discussed thematically based on interview and survey trends in three distinct sections: (a) Impact of RTT-D on Partnerships and Collaboration, (b) Systems Change, and (c) Sustainability. Key words: Collective impact, systems thinking, reform efforts, school and community-based organization partnerships, partnership best practices. |
