Building Strategic Partnerships

1. Building Strategic Partnerships • Month / Year This document was produced by American Institutes for Research under U.S. Department of Education contract number ED-ESE-15-A-0006/0001. The content of this document does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. government. This document may contain the views and recommendations of various subject matter experts as well as hypertext links, contact addresses and websites to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. The inclusion of links to resources and examples do not reflect their importance, nor is it intended to represent or be an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education of any views expressed, or materials provided. The U.S. Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any outside information included in this document. Authorization to reproduce this document in whole or in part for educational purposes is granted.

2. What words come to mind when thinking of stakeholder engagement as it relates to school improvement work? [Insert Polling Link Here If Using Polling Software]

3. Introductions • Please introduce yourself, sharing your: • Name • Organization • Role • Share one reflection from looking at the word cloud.

4. Design an engagement “map” outlining how and when to involve key stakeholders in meaningful, strategic, and ongoing dialogue that informs school improvement policies and processes.  Purpose

5. Participants in this workshop will: Review a framework describing types of stakeholder engagement. Discuss the current and desired state of stakeholder engagement in state and district improvement efforts. Review case studies and effective practices for stakeholder engagement. Develop a draft engagement map for state and district work in action. Activities

6. Agenda • Introductions • Understanding the Context • Identifying the Desired State of Engagement • Identifying the Current State of Engagement • Reviewing Case Studies and Effective Practices • Introducing the Mapping Process

7. Agenda, Continued Identifying Key Attributes of Effective Engagement 7. Identifying Desired Outcomes for Engagement 8. Mapping Stakeholder Engagement at the Innovating Level 9. Mapping Stakeholder Engagement at the Beginning Level 10. Completing Engagement Mapping 11. Planning Next Steps 12.

8. Norms for Interaction • Be present. • Share the air. • Assume goodwill. • Respect what is shared. • All perspectives are valid. • Others?

9. Understanding the Context

10. Goal • To involve key stakeholders in meaningful, strategic, and ongoing dialogue that informs school improvement policies and processes.

11. Why is engagement important? Who are your stakeholders? What do you hope to learn by engaging with your stakeholders? Discussion Questions

12. Types of Engagement International Association for Public Participation. 2018. Spectrum of Public Participation. https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.iap2.org/resource/resmgr/pillars/Spectrum_8.5x11_Print.pdf.

13. Activity • Stand next to the word that best describes the current type of engagement your organization uses in regard to school improvement work. • Share with each other why you chose that type.

14. Now, move to the type of engagement that you would like your agency or organization to have in your state’s school improvement efforts. • Share out why you chose that type. Activity

15. Identifying the Desired State of Engagement • Students Benefit From State-District Collaboration

16. What might be the authentic, collaborative approach for state-district collaboration described in the article? Why might the state and district have built this collaborative approach? How might the state and district have built this approach? How might they know the approach impacts student achievement? In 2025, a major state newspaper headline states: Students Benefit From State-District Collaboration

17. Activity • Each group will start by focusing on one of the questions. • Brainstorm answers to the question and place ideas on the chart paper.

18. Pass your chart paper to the next group. • Review the ideas written on the paper. • Add any other thoughts and ideas on the paper. Activity

19. You should now have your original question back. • Review all of the additional ideas added. • Share out two or three major ideas with the large group. • Discuss as a large group. Activity

20. Identifying the Current State of Engagement

21. SWOT • Internal • S—Strengths • W—Weaknesses • External • O—Opportunities • T—Threats

22. Activity • Start at your assigned poster (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, or threats). • Jot down your ideas for your category, focusing on current state and district engagement practices for school improvement. • Move to the next chart and continue to add your ideas on current state and district engagement practices for school improvement for each category.

23. Reviewing Case Studies and Effective Practices

24. Take out the reading reflection charts from the assignment. Share your notes with the group. Assignment Review

25. Case Studies • Read and reflect on case studies, taking notesin the notetaking guide in Handout 3. • Discuss notes with other participants. • Capture on chart paper and share with the whole group.

26. Types of engagement Desired state Current state Effective practices Review of the Morning

27. Introducing the Mapping Process

28. Identify the specific ways that states and districts can collaborate effectively to engage stakeholders and support school improvement. Determine discrete collaboration practices to support stakeholder engagement. What Is the Approach?

29. Get at practical implementation and concrete descriptions of practices related to school and district improvement. • Harness the brain power in the room to capture a rich description of the desired stakeholder behaviors and actions that can support school improvement. Why This Approach?

30. Implementation Continuum

31. All stakeholders have clear, specific, and shared descriptions of what a desired implementation practice should look like for states, districts, and intermediaries. There are variations of a desired implementation practice in terms of the actions and behaviors across the implementation spectrum. The final engagement map serves as a flexible document that can evolve as practices mature. What Is the Outcome of Mapping Stakeholder Collaboration and Engagement?

32. Key attributes of effective engagement: The factors linked to effective engagement and collaboration based on evidence or participant experiences. Desired outcomes: The goal or potential impact of the engagement. Implementation continuum: Stakeholder actions and behaviors that build or evolve across each level of implementation. Components of the Engagement Map

33. Engagement Map

34. Identifying Key Attributes of Engagement • The factors linked to effective engagement

35. Key Attribute of Effective Engagement: The factors linked to effective engagement and collaboration based on evidence or participant experiences. Example: Relationships with influential stakeholders are maintained over time (beyond specific milestones or events) by state and district staff to ensure stakeholders feel meaningfully and intentionally involved in school improvement policies and processes. Defining Key Attributes

36. Work as a table to identify key attributes for authentic, innovative engagement. • Write your list on chart paper. • Connect each idea back to the research and effective practices we looked at in the morning. • Share out the list with the large group. Activity

37. Voting • Using your dots, vote for the top three key attributes that will help move to the desired state of engagement identified earlier in the day.

38. Top-Rated Key Attributes for Our Work

39. Identifying Desired Outcomes for Engagement • The goal or intended impact of engagement efforts

40. State and district staff work in active and engaging coalitions and with partners that are focused on meaningful issues that will impact student outcomes. State and district staff clearly and proactively define internal and external audiences in a way that is reflective of stakeholder needs, context, and ability. Sample Desired Outcomes for State and District Engagement Efforts

41. Engagement Map

42. Identify what the desired state or optimal implementation of each of the top key attributes for effective engagement might look like. Brainstorm three or four desired outcomes of optimal implementation for the top-rated key attributes. Write as statements in the “Desired Outcome” box on your engagement map template. Desired Outcomes

43. What outcomes would you expect to see if this key attribute were optimally implemented? What actions would need to be taken to achieve these outcomes? Guiding Questions and Prompts

44. Are the desired outcomes likely to be clear and easily understood by all stakeholders? • Are all stakeholders likely to have the same conception of optimal implementation of engagement practices? Share Out

45. Mapping Stakeholder Engagement at the Innovating Level

46. Implementation Continuum

47. Sample Innovating Descriptors for This Work • District • Self-monitors use of group agreements without facilitator support and proactively adjusts expectations as relationships deepen • Maintains level of engagement and works within agreed-on expectations with no assistance from the facilitator • Active problem-solving from a shared understanding of the expectation regarding their level of engagement • State • Self-monitors use of group agreements without any support from facilitator and proactively adjusts expectations as relationships deepen • Maintains level of engagement and works within those expectations with no assistance from the facilitator • Active problem-solving from a shared understanding of the expectation regarding their level of engagement

48. Activity • Work in pairs or groups of three to focus on one desired outcome. • Develop statements that describe behaviors and actions of “innovating” implementation, first for the district and then for the state. • Review the statements with the entire table and make any changes or clarifications.

49. Mapping Stakeholder Engagement at the Beginning Level

50. Sample Beginning Descriptors for State and District Engagement Efforts • District • Create agreements and identify a process for addressing breakdowns of the agreements. • Identify roles and define expectations for outcomes (e.g., sharing community perspectives, developing recommendations). • Clarify expectations for LEA and stakeholders level of engagement. Stakeholders can be internal (teachers, other staff) and external (parents, community members). • State • Create group agreements and identify a process for addressing breakdowns of the agreements. • Identify roles and define expectations for outcomes (e.g., sharing community perspectives, developing recommendations). • Agree on the expectations of engagement and the level of support required to meet expectations.