School-Business Partnerships: What Works?
Seven Strategies for Success

Why are some school partnerships are more effective than others? The Daniels Fund recently explored what works and which challenges get in the way. The new findings identify seven specific strategies for successful partnerships.

The report, School-Business Partnerships: What Works? offers educators, business leaders and administrators practical advice about creating successful and lasting school-business partnerships to improve schools and increase student achievement.

The sense of urgency to turn around low-performing schools and ensure all students achieve at high levels has never been greater. Increasingly, businesses and other partners are stepping up to help students learn. The stakes are high. These students are their future work force.

A partnership between a school and a business can be useful to both partners if the right components are in place.

Schoolhouse Communications, which conducted the research for the Daniels Fund, reviewed more than 40 Web sites; interviewed nearly 40 educators, business leaders and partnership experts; and conducted focus groups of principals, business representatives and district stakeholders in Denver, Colorado, where the Daniels Fund is headquartered. The research indicated that effective programs share common characteristics whether they are in Los Angeles; Denver; or Granite, Utah.

Seven Strategies for Success:

1. Ensure student learning and achievement are the focus of every partnership. Each school’s partner should offer assistance that complements, not disrupts, school improvement efforts. Discuss how the partnership will enhance student learning and how you’ll measure progress.

2. Develop a well-defined and well-managed program that supports school-based partnerships. Most successful, long-lived partnership programs have a formal structure – written guidelines; a partnership handbook; comprehensive databases; evaluation tools; recognition programs; and policies about such issues as confidentiality, commercialism and safety.

3. Make strategic matches between schools and businesses that advance the school’s improvement goals. Conduct an inventory of your school’s needs, and explore companies that are a good fit. For example, a high-tech business might tutor students in math and science, enhancing its future work force.

4. Set clear expectations for schools and businesses. Partners work more effectively when they agree upfront on expectations, roles and responsibilities.

5. Provide training for school staff and business employees. Hold an introductory meeting with partners to exchange information, and train school staff and volunteers.

6. Create a meaningful process for communicating about the program and recognizing the contributions of business partners. Develop guidelines for recognizing and communicating with partners. Be clear about the public recognition they will receive for their efforts.

7. Regularly monitor and evaluate each partnership and the overall program. If there are clear definitions of what success looks like, it’s easier to evaluate whether the program is successful.

When done well, school-business partnerships offer major benefits for schools, students and their partners. While partnerships are hard work, the benefits of a well-organized program are worth the effort. The good news is that staying focused on the seven strategies for success will lay a solid foundation for long-term, meaningful partnerships.

For more information, including tools, more tips and sample practices, read The Daniels Fund Seven Strategies Report.

About The Daniels Fund: The Daniels Fund, founded in 1997 through the generous legacy of cable entrepreneur Bill Daniels, is the largest foundation in the Rocky Mountain region. The Fund operates the Daniels Fund Grants Program and the Daniels Fund Scholarship Program in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.