School-Community Partnerships

The Wealth Academy School-Community Partnerships Planning Tool

Contents

AROUND AUSTRALIA 2

Australian Secondary Principals Association 2

Australian Professional Standard for Principals 2

Professional Practice: Engaging and working the community 2

National School Improvement Tool 2

School-community partnerships 2

Queensland Department of Education and Training 2

Parent and Community Engagement Framework 2

New South Wales Department of Education 2

School Excellence Framework 2

Victoria Department of Education and Training 3

Research 3

Partnerships between schools, businesses and communities reports and research 3

Step One: Understand the Background 4

Guiding Principals 4

National School Improvement Tool 5

Planning Checklist 6

Step 2: Describe the Partnership Parameters 7

Step 3: Plan Collaboratively 9

Meeting 1 9

Meeting 2 10

Meeting 3 11

Meeting 4 12

Step 4: Evaluate and Review 13

NOTES: 14

The Wealth Academy School-Community Partnerships Planning Tool

AROUND AUSTRALIA

Australian Secondary Principals Association

The education of Australia’s adolescents is not only the responsibility of school principals, it is the responsibility of the entire community. The community must understand the emerging and changing nature of schooling and the work of principals. Australian education does not exist in a void, we must build partnerships into the global community.

Strategic Policy – Putting it all together

Australian Professional Standard for Principals

Professional Practice: Engaging and working the community

[Principals] build partnerships with the local community and external stakeholders so they are aware of the vision and values of the school and can contribute to its success.

Principals draw on expertise from other organisations to enhance and enrich the learning experience for students and their families

http://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-standard-for-principals

National School Improvement Tool

School-community partnerships

The school actively seeks ways to enhance student learning and wellbeing by partnering with parents and families, other education and training institutions, local businesses.... All partners are committed to the common purposes and goals of partnership activities. Procedures are in place to ensure effective communications and to monitor and evaluate the intended impacts of the school’s partnerships.

https://www.acer.edu.au/school-improvement

Queensland Department of Education and Training

Parent and Community Engagement Framework

The education of our students is a shared responsibility, benefiting all students, our society and economy as a whole. Therefore, parents and broader communities have a reciprocal responsibility to engage with schools. Schools are better able to support student achievement by developing strong engagement with and between students, teachers, parents and carers, support staff, and community, industry and business groups.

http://education.qld.gov.au/schools/parent-community-engagement-framework/about/

New South Wales Department of Education

School Excellence Framework

The school is recognised as excellent and responsive by its community as a result of its effective engagement with members of the local community such as parents, families, local media and business organisations.

The school leadership team makes deliberate and strategic use of its partnerships and relationships to access resources for the purpose of enriching the school’s standing within the local community and improving student outcomes.

https://schoolsequella.det.nsw.edu.au/file/b214a08b-5c9d-4ca2-9eb7-caaf7e6e53a0/1/School_Excellence_Framework.pdf

Victoria Department of Education and Training

Forming effective partnerships between early childhood services, schools, training providers and the wider community helps to improve the learning and development of children and young people.

http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/partnerships/Pages/default.aspx

South Australia

Local partnerships work to provide improved outcomes for children and young people by:

· providing joint solutions to shared problems enabling young people to more easily overcome barriers to their learning and better achieve their potential

· greater links with local businesses, services, non-government organisations and local government agencies

· enhancing professional development of leaders and staff

· greater support for children and young people with a local partnership/community

https://www.decd.sa.gov.au/sites-and-facilities/local-partnerships

Research

Partnerships between schools, businesses and communities reports and research

https://www.education.gov.au/partnerships-between-schools-businesses-and-communities-reports-and-research

The Wealth Academy School-Community Partnerships Planning Tool

Step 1: Understand the Background

This planning tool is aligned to three major documents that inform the establishment of school-community relationships and partnerships. They are:

· The Guiding Principles for School-Business Relationships

· The National School Improvement Tool

· ASPA’s Strategic Policy: Key Partnerships

Guiding Principals

In 2011 the Business-School Connections Roundtable recommended that principles be developed to provide general guidance for schools and businesses in relationships.

These Guiding Principles for School-Business Relationships are the result. They are relevant for informal school-business relationships through to complex partnerships with formal governance arrangements, detailed documentation and long-term projects.

The principles were developed through a comprehensive consultation process around Australia with schools, businesses, education departments, industry bodies, parent bodies and broker organisations.

The principles have been endorsed by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.

Read more: www.education.gov.au/partnerships-between-schools-businesses-and-communities-reports-and-research

The Wealth Academy School-Community Partnerships Planning Tool

National School Improvement Tool

The Wealth Academy refers to the expectations of Domain 9 School-community partnerships to help schools and local businesses to establish appropriate, effective and efficient partnerships. /

Australian Secondary Principals Association: Strategic Policy – Key Partnerships

Find out more:
www.aspa.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/strategic-policy-putting-it-all-together.pdf /

The Wealth Academy School-Community Partnerships Planning Tool

Planning Checklist

The following checklist is drawn from the three documents mentioned earlier.

Its purpose is to help school leaders ensure planning with partners is aligned to the necessary policies and frameworks

Big picture / Yes / No
There is a need for financial life skills education across our community. / Yes
The need for financial life skills education is supported by national and international research. / Yes
There is an opportunity to integrate this into existing school programs. / Yes
Considerations /
· Builds partnerships with suitable local businesses to improve opportunities and outcomes for students
· Identifies potential community partners on the basis of their capacity to contribute to improved student achievement and/or wellbeing
· Involves partners in collaborative planning
· Invites senior leadership people from the partner organisations to be involved
· Ensures there is clarity around partner roles and responsibilities
· Makes major partnership decisions collaboratively and partnership activities are designed to make better use of partners’ expertise
· Regularly monitors progress and achievements
· Commits adequate resources to ensure the effectiveness and success of the partnership
· Collects evidence to evaluate whether partnerships are having their intended impact in improving student outcomes
· Ensures their partnerships are sustainable and become an accepted part of the culture community

Step 2: Describe the Partnership Parameters

School: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Partner/s ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

School contacts.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Partnership details
Commencement / …..
Duration / 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020
School’s partnership goals / ….
Partner’s partnership goals / ….
Meeting times (Collaborative planning; consider off-site meetings) / Semester 1: … / Semester 2: …
Partner roles / expectations
1. Name / [Insert name] role is to provide support in the focus areas of ….
2.
3.
Common expectations / All partners will:
· Direct all correspondence to the designated school contacts
· Have proof of their state-based Working with Children card
· Not contact students or their families directly as part of this partnership activity
· Inform the school immediately if there is any situation which they may be concerned about
·
P&C Meetings
Many partners want to be considered part of the school-community and are willing to attend P&C meetings when able. Indicate when and where P&C Meetings are held in the school.
Staff
When appropriate, staff may want to connect with school partners. Please determine your own protocols for communication and interaction between staff and community partners.

Step 3: Plan Collaboratively

Meeting 1

Date / Time: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Venue: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Participants: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

(Note: Especially in the short term, when the partnership is new, keep activities simple. It is important that the first activities are supported to be successful so that momentum is encouraged.)

Partnership activities / Resourcing, Scheduling, Partner support
School suggestions
Partner suggestions

Outcomes:

The Wealth Academy School-Community Partnerships Planning Tool

Meeting 2

Date / Time: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Venue: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Participants: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

(Note: Especially in the short term, when the partnership is new, keep activities simple. It is important that the first activities are supported to be successful so that momentum is encouraged.)

Partnership activities / Resourcing, Scheduling, Partner support
School suggestions
Partner suggestions

Outcomes:

The Wealth Academy School-Community Partnerships Planning Tool

Meeting 3

Date / Time: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Venue: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Participants: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

(Note: Especially in the short term, when the partnership is new, keep activities simple. It is important that the first activities are supported to be successful so that momentum is encouraged.)

Partnership activities / Resourcing, Scheduling, Partner support
School suggestions
Partner suggestions

Outcomes:

The Wealth Academy School-Community Partnerships Planning Tool

Meeting 4

Date / Time: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Venue: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Participants: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

(Note: Especially in the short term, when the partnership is new, keep activities simple. It is important that the first activities are supported to be successful so that momentum is encouraged.)

Partnership activities / Resourcing, Scheduling, Partner support
School suggestions
Partner suggestions

Outcomes:

The Wealth Academy School-Community Partnerships Planning Tool

Step 4: Evaluate and Review

We suggest that an evaluation of the program occurs at two levels.

· Level 1 is a review of the partnership. Reference to the National School Improvement Tool will provide criteria to review the effectiveness of the partnership.

· Level 2 is a review of:

o student and parent exposure to The Wealth Academy’s resources

o movement in student learning and community engagement in response to that exposure and involvement.

Note:

· Keep the evaluation simple. Focus on proactive ways to improve.

· The Wealth Academy, with academic partners, will be providing some simple online survey tools that schools may wish to use, later in 2017.

Evaluation Instruments / Resourcing, Scheduling, Partner support

The Wealth Academy School-Community Partnerships Planning Tool