Federation for Community Schools Board Presentation

1. Federation for Community SchoolsBoard Presentation Work Strategies August 28, 2008

2. AdvocacyStrategies The Advocacy Subcommittee is co-chaired by Sue Armato, Anita Banerji, and PAC Member Patrick Brosnan

3. Advocacy Strategies • Advocacy Strategy includes three distinct areas – State, Federal and Administrative Advocacy. • The following slides outline the key advocacy activities as defined through conversation with the Federation’s Program Advisory Committee (PAC) leadership team.

4. State Level Advocacy Identifying Champions & Showcasing Schools The Federation for Community Schools is scheduling legislative site visits for State elected officials to visit with community schools in their district late fall. We are aiming for 10 site visits and have reached out to 15 schools, as of now, that have previously expressed an interest in hosting site visits.

5. State Level Advocacy Creating Statewide Awareness & Raising Visibility with Policymakers The Federation will to get our Task Force legislation (SR0727) passed in the State House during this next session. The Senate sponsor for this resolution is Sen. Mattie Hunter. On the House side, Representative Cynthia Soto is the sponsor of the companion bill. This resolution resolves that the State Superintendent of Education shall appoint a task force on community partnerships to recommend strategic steps to establish effective community partnerships with local schools.

6. State Level Advocacy Establishing an Advocate & Funding Mechanism in ISBE The Federation plans to introduce a School Code bill in the Illinois Legislature, modeled after the increased funding strategy used by gifted education advocates. This bill would create an advisory council for community schools in ISBE that is charged with promoting the community school model within ISBE and the state including advocating for required funds

7. Federal Level Advocacy Identifying Champions & Spreading the Word First step is to fully educate and engage the Illinois delegation. The Federation has scheduled a Congressional briefing in the Rayburn Building on Capitol Hill at noon on Friday, October 3rd. We are working with Rep. Schakowsky’s office to coordinate logistics. We have invited all the IL Delegation Members’ education legislative assistants to this briefing to introduce ourselves and share with them what we do. We also plan to meet with staffers from the Department of Education that day.

8. Federal Level Advocacy Continuing to Spread the Word on the Hill Second step is to build a larger coalition of Congressional delegates aware of community schools. To accomplish this, the Federation will host another briefing on the Hill in early spring (post-election), with neighboring States, their delegation members and representatives of their community schools.

9. Federal Level Advocacy Monitoring 21st Century dollars The Federation, and its membership, will weigh in on 21st Century Community Learning Centers budget line, any proposed changes, and seek to increase this funding line which supports many community schools. This will be part of our focus at the DC hill briefings.

10. Federal Level Advocacy Increasing Dedicated Community School Federal Funding Work with the Illinois delegation to obtain their support and “ask” for an increase in the $5 million community school budget line established in this current year Federal budget by Rep. Hoyer.

11. Administrative Advocacy Rewarding Successful Lead Partners Currently lead agent partners who use 21st Century dollars to support their community schools are penalized (by losing points during the RFP process) when their schools start to make AYP (Annual Yearly Progress); Thus, undermining the success and steps forward made by the school becoming a community school. The Federation will work with ISBE to try to establish a merit-based points system that would assign more points during the 21st Century RFP process for those lead partner organizations who have led a community school from not making AYP to making it. This is a way of rewarding the successful partnerships by increasing the points allocated during the RFP process.

12. Administrative Advocacy Educating Government Agencies The Federation will continue to meet with, provide information to and organize member-based writing campaigns to ISBE board members as well as the Governor’s office and staff. This branch of state government can have a great impact on community schools if it can be moved. We will continue to dialogue with them.

13. Professional Development Strategies The PD/Research Subcommittee is co-chaired by Greg Hall and PAC Member Celia Lozano

14. Professional Development Strategies Goals/Outcomes Identified (from PAC PD/Research Subcommittee Chairs) Provide outcomes focused, evidence based tools that can help sites identify their developmental needs & strengths. Create shared expectations for accountability for Community School progress among our members. Serve as a resource for Illinois’ community schools by providing professional development opportunities and serving as a repository for related best practices and research.

15. Professional Development Strategies Develop a “How to” Manual Developing a concise “How to become a community school” manual (tool) so that anyone doing community school work can identify their work in the broader community school vision and have tools and best practices to help guide further implementation.

16. Professional Development Strategies Standardizing a Self-Assessment Tool Develop an approach for standardizing a system that would allow community schools to assess themselves and their own strengths and developmental needs as a community school. • Involve members in identifying and mapping community school outcomes into developmental stages that schools can use to find their work and think about how to move forward. • Use the process of development to engage Federation members in reflection and dialogue about their work to help prepare them for pathways to self improvement • Software tool that John Riding(MFS) has used for similar efforts that will guide us through this process.

17. Professional Development Strategies Finalizing the “Parthenon” Model Expanding and completing the “Parthenon” materials presented at earlier board meeting to support practitioners in defining effective program implementation and self evaluation toward quality improvement.

18. Professional Development Strategies Providing Limited Assistance to RCs Complete documents for Resource Coordinators: - First 40 days - RC job functions and how they relate to other roles and functions in a Community School

19. Communications Strategies The Communications Subcommittee is co-chaired by Melissa Trumbull and PAC Member Ernie Sanders

20. Communications Strategies Goals/Outcomes Support advocacy efforts by creating a public awareness campaign that educates the general public about Community Schools and the benefits they offer to children, families, and community members Create tools that can be used by Federation members to enhance their communications efforts

21. Communications Strategies Public Awareness Campaign Media relations plans Video/documentary Public Service Announcements Family of print materials Messaging & Branding

22. Communications Strategies Media Relations • Monthly press releases about community schools • Create relationships with media outlets (press releases one strategy)

23. Communications Strategies Community Schools Documentary • Work with the Chicago Video Project to create a film highlighting the work and positive outcomes of Community Schools • “Clippable” so pieces can be shown to certain audiences, or documentary can be used in its entirety • Range of audiences • Companion pieces that accompany documentary (i.e., discussion guides)

24. Communications Strategies Public Service Announcements All aimed at raising general public’s awareness about Community Schools, targeted for places that messages would “reach” the general public • TV spots • Radio spots • Print ads – on the el, bus, bus shelters, in newspapers, in magazines • Postcards, flyers, posters

25. Communications Strategies Messaging • Refining Federation documents to ensure messaging is consistent, ensure consistency across all communications tools, and across outputs from other content areas • Train stakeholder members on Community School messages – practice using “many voices, one message”

26. Communications Strategies Branding • Maintain a consistent “brand identity” for the Federation • Coordinate the placement of the Community School logo on all Community School Web sites, on plaques in their schools, on Community School-related communications, etc. • Ensure consistency across all communications tools, and across outputs from other content areas (i.e., Professional Development and Advocacy)