Provide external partners with adequate, sustained financial resources proportionate to their school-improvement scope¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The report shows that funding for external partners was modest relative to their tasks: in 1999 partners received on average about $160,000 to work with an average of four to five schools, and per-school funding represented only about 1.2 percent of elementary schools' operating budgets. Funding also declined sharply after 1999. The article notes the Challenge initially limited partners to 10 percent of grants for their own expenses and later recognized that "to be more effective, the partners themselves required more resources," relaxing that requirement.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Sustained multi-year implementation grants so partners can support several years of activity.

Constraints¶

• Average funding of about $160,000 was roughly enough for two professional staff members across a partner's schools, limiting reach and depth of support.

Target Learners¶

• Students in Chicago public schools

Target Learning Goals¶

• School improvement support
• Instructional improvement

Affordances¶

• Annenberg Network External Partner Strategy

Related Strategies¶

• Align resources with coherent improvement goals and engage constructively with the school system
• Successful external partners act as staff advocates and buffers who reduce teacher vulnerability

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Karin Sconzert, Mark A. Smylie, & Stacy A. Wenzel. (2004). Working for School Improvement: Reflections of Chicago Annenberg External Partners. Consortium on Chicago School Research. https://consortium.uchicago.edu/publications/working-school-improvement-reflections-chicago-annenberg-external-partners