Getting Started

At the core of a successful Community Partnership School is a group of stakeholders working together to improve the school and outcomes for students, their families and the larger community. The model includes a long-term partnership among at least four core partners — a school district, a university or college, a community-based nonprofit, and a healthcare provider. The initial step should be a school system’s decision to fully commit to developing and implementing of a Community Partnership School, followed by identifying core partners with sufficient resources and a willingness to commit to a long-term partnership. Each partner must be willing to collaborate in sharing resources, problem-solving, and ensuring full integration of all services and activities into the school.

Before establishing a Community Partnership School, a systemic and comprehensive community assessment should be conducted to help inform which programs and partnerships will best address the needs of students, families and the community. The assessment sets the stage for developing both short- and long-term goals. Key components of a community assessment include conducting a resource inventory of existing programs and services, reviewing existing data, collecting new data through tools such as surveys and focus groups with key stakeholders, and analyzing the data to generate an action plan.

Implementing a Community Partnership School takes a strong and sustained commitment from all partners to their shared responsibilities. First, identify the people and organizations that will form your collaborative team. This should include a convening nonprofit partner, school principal and other district and school officials, university or college faculty and staff, healthcare organization, parents, students, funders, champions and other community members. The establishment of a leadership team and cabinet that meets on a regular basis will track progress, address critical issues and provide direction to leadership staff.

Once community partners are selected, begin by assessing and articulating the skills, expertise and resources that each partner brings to the table. As stakeholders collaborate on identifying programs and resources to be offered, they should also build an assessment component to identify and track key metrics such as attendance and impact of achievement. Additionally, it’s important to note that marketing and communications are critical to sustaining these initiatives. Share information about new programs, academic improvements and other key outcome measures through tours, presentations and media coverage. This helps funders, legislators, the media and business groups understand the value of a Community Partnership School approach.

Through the support of various sponsors and legislative leaders, the UCF Center for Community Schools can assist school districts and communities during the assessment and planning stages of a Community Partnership School transformation. This includes providing funding and coaching for a comprehensive planning effort.

There are four core positions key to developing and sustaining a Community Partnership School model. These core positions with salary benefits and support represent an annual investment of approximately $350,000. The core funding is sought to provide stability and a solid base for a Community Partnership School, but experience has shown that these core positions and the commitment of the right partners can also leverage more resources. The Community Partnership School cost-share model (25%) plays a critical role in maximizing funds. Research shows that leveraging public funds to attract private and in-kind investments significantly enhances program capacity and long-term impact.

Each Community Partnership School must develop a sustainability plan and recognize that while the amount of funding may fluctuate, the commitment of the core partners will ensure that the Community Partnership School continues and thrives.