Partnerships:

Best Practices in Parent Center-State Collaboration to Improve Student Achievement

Presented at the 2006 OSEP Project Directors’ Conference

Collaboration• “Collaboration is not a simple process -

every step, from developing a shared vision to overcoming language and organizational gaps, is a series of give-and-take adjustments to normal operating procedure.”

• “Collaboration is not just plugging old skills into a new arena; it is an innovation & life-changing process simultaneously exciting & threatening, which makes personal & professional support essential.”

What is “Collaboration”?

• Altering relationships• Uniting organizations

and individuals for the purpose of achieving common goals that could not be achieved by any single individual or organization acting alone

Key Elements of Collaboration

• Agreed-upon and institutionalized mutuality & common goals

• Jointly developed structures & shared responsibility– Communication– Decision-making– Dispute resolution– Evaluation– Reporting

• Mutual authority & accountability for results

• Shared resources and rewards

Barriers to Collaboration

• Agency structure, routine, & culture

• Legislative mandates or limitations

• Professional and agency self-interest

• Inadequate understanding

• Resistance• Time!

Partnership-Promoting Attributes

• Ability to Listen• Consistency• Reliability• Accessibility• Positive self-image• Trust• Sense of competence• Effective interpersonal

skills• Success in prior

collaborations• Openness to others’

ideas

Building Blocks for Partnership

• Confidence: Feeling able to do it

• Motivation: Wanting to do it

• Effort: Being willing to work hard for it

• Responsibility: Doing what’s right

• Initiative: Moving into action

• Perseverance: Completing what you start

Building Blocks for Partnerships

• Caring: Showing concern for others

• Teamwork: working with others

• Common Sense: Using good judgment

• Problem-Solving: Putting what you know and what you can do into action

• Focus: Concentrating with a goal in mind

Essential Elements of the Framework

• Needs assessments

• Goal statements• Prioritization of

activities• Strategy

Development• Implementation

Plans• Evaluation tools

Communication Strategies

• Regular, two-way, meaningful

• Variety of tools• Establish opportunities to

share information• Provide clear information

on expectations• Disseminate information

on policies, procedures, activities

• Provide opportunities for frequent, periodic meetings

Conflict Prevention Strategies

• Understand differing roles & responsibilities

• Clarity on roles, functions, bottom lines, expectations

• Discuss issues as they arise; don’t let them fester!

• First seek to understand, then to be understood

Conflict Resolution Strategies

• Don’t take disagreements personally…and don’t personalize disagreements!

• Use a facilitator• Recheck & refocus on

the vision & the goals: keep your eye on the prize!

• Agree to disagree