Hi everyone again. Wanted to add to my previous response by providing these questions that are part of the Community Partnerships for Adult Learning Self-Assessment Tool, http://www.c-pal.net/assessment/index.html. These were developed after scanning the partnership literature and synthesizing what we learned from the partnerships C-PAL visited. Hope they further clarify what "selecting the right partners" means.

Thanks to all. Kathy

I. Selecting the Right Partners
I.1. Does the partnership include all organizations/individuals necessary to carry out its goals?

I.2. Do the types of partners align with the central mission of the partnership (i.e., business partners are key members of partnerships focused on workforce development)?

I.3. Do all partners share a high level of commitment to adult learners and a client-centered approach to service?

I.4. To foster stability and continuity in the partnership, does the partnership  include a mix of large stable organizations and smaller, more flexible ones? 

I.5. Are partners able to set aside their own agendas, when necessary, to respond to the needs of the learners and the community?

I.6. Are partners open-minded and willing to consider different approaches to accomplishing their tasks?

I.7. Do partners respect and trust each other?

I.8. Are partners’ roles and responsibilities clearly defined and accepted by all partners?

I.9. Do partners strive to be flexible and entrepreneurial so they can adapt to changes in the economy, workforce demands, funding, and leadership?

I.10. Are partners represented by individuals with the authority to speak for their organizations?

I.11. Are the leaders of partner organizations committed to the partnership to the extent that they secure buy-in from their staff and dedicate staff time to partnership activities?

I.12. Does the partnership build on the strengths and resources of partners and established relationships in the community? 

I.13. Are community members who will be served by the partnership involved in the development of programs and services? 


On Friday, June 29, 2007 5:08 PM, David J. Rosen <djrosen at comcast.net> wrote:

>Message from Barbara Hofmeyer:

>

>From: "bhofmeyer" <bhofmeyer at niesc.k12.in.us>

>Date: June 29, 2007 9:13:55 AM EDT

>Subject: Re: [SpecialTopics 397] Re: Day Three: Developing and  

>Sustaining Community Literacy Coalitions

>

>Kathy,

>

>You mentioned selecting the right partners. Can you elaborate?

>

>Barbara Hofmeyer

>

>> On 28 Jun 2007 16:55:17 -0400, Kathy Chernus wrote

>>> Hi David and everyone, I’ve inserted my comments below some of the

>>> questions you posed.  Out-of-town so apologize for the delay in

>>> responding.  Kathy

>>>

>>> • How do providers approach potential partners (other providers,

>>> businesses, social services, local government)?

>>>

>>> One of the biggest challenges of the providers we worked with is not

>>> knowing how to approach businesses.  Most of the providers in the

>>> partnerships we studied wanted guidance on how to approach

>>> businesses.  We’re in the process of developing a guide for

>>> businesses that may have an interest in becoming involved in

>>> community-based literacy with help from a group of businesses that

>>> have a history of supporting adult and family literacy. The group

>>> confirmed that adult education programs don’t know how to approach

>>> them.  Here are some of the benefits they’ve experienced from

>>> partnering with adult and family literacy partners that could be

>>> used to approach prospective employer-partners:

>>>

>>> Š Employers can see an increased employee retention rate, as well as

>>> other positive effects on the bottom line, as a result of on-site

>>> training and education. In addition, educated employees provide

>>> fewer problems for managers (I’ll check with Johns Hopkins Hospital

>>> and Health System to see if we have permission to share their data

>>> with the listserv. I understand that CVS has data as well). Š

>>> Partnerships with adult education providers help businesses get a

>>> better understanding of the types of skills enhancement their

>>> workers need. In the past, they had difficulty articulating or

>>> addressing the discrete skills required for employees to do their

>>> jobs successfully. Through partnering, they can tailor adult

>>> education services for workforce. Š The National Association of

>>> Manufacturer’s Improving Workplace Opportunities for Limited English

>>> Speaking Workers report found that the entire company benefits from

>>> ELL instruction, not just the employees who receive training. The

>>> report is available at http://www.nam.org/s_nam/sec.asp?

>> CID=201493&DID=229873

>>> Š Many companies find that partnering is good for sales and

>>> marketing, in terms of enhancing the customer base and getting the

>>> company’s name out in the community. Š Partnering can also improve a

>>> company’s perception in the community by associating the company’s

>>> name with a positive cause. Š Partnerships with larger programs or

>>> businesses can strengthen small and emerging adult education  

>>> programs.

>>>

>>> Another related issue is the importance of selecting the right

>>> partners (happy to share what we learned at a later time, if

>>> anyone’s interested).

>>>

>>> • How do local partnerships generate the financial support they need

>>> to meet the literacy needs of their communities?

>>>

>>> They pool their funds, apply jointly for grants, and collaborate on

>>> fund-raising events. They take advantage of their links to different

>>> funding sources and leverage these to obtain other dollars.  The

>>> types of funds leveraged include: Workforce Investment Act of 1998

>>> (WIA) Title II (the Adult Education and Family Litearcy Act);  WIA

>>> Titles I, III, and IV; TANF funds; the Elementary and Secondary

>>> Education Act (NCLB); the Department of Housing and Urban

>>> Development’s “Neighborhood Networks” program; and other federal

>>> funding through the U.S. Departments of Labor and Health and Human

>>> Services; state funds; local public funds; private foundation

>>> grants; business support; and charitable contributions.  Partners

>>> may continue to seek grants individually but they try not to compete

>>> with one another.  Partnerships can obtain funds unavailable to them

>>> as individual organizations.

>>>

>>> An example of a community-based literacy program that pools their

>>> funds is the Cedar Riverside Adult Education Collaborative in

>>> Minneapolis.  It combines funds from the state (client contact hours)

>>> , local funders, and private foundation grants into a fund for adult

>>> education services for an East African refugee neighbhorhood.

>>>

>>> Sharing a fiscal agent is another way that some community

>>> partnerships leverage funds.

>>>

>>> • How do providers sustain partnerships over the long haul?

>>> Providers are able to sustain partnerships by keeping their focus

>>> clearly on community needs, adapting to changing workforce demands,

>>>  and shifting funding sources as necessary. An example is Project

>>> ACHIEVE, a partnership between Jefferson County Public Schools Adult

>>> and Continuing Education and the Metro Louisville Community Action

>>> Partnership (CAP) in Louisville, KY that has been serving adults on

>>> public assistance since 1989.

>>>

>>> • How do community-based literacy efforts survive transitions in  

>>> leadership?

>>> The leadership of the community partnerships we studied usually

>>> consisted of a visionary, dynamic leader and in some cases an

>>> advisory board.  One of the questions we asked during our site

>>> visits was what would happen to the work of the partnership if the

>>> leader(s) left the position.  One advisory board felt that the

>>> community would sustain the partnership, regardless of the leader,

>>> that any of the advisory member could assume the leadership role

>>> because it is a shared effort, everyone is equally responsible.

>>> Further, they said the strong coordination among the partners is

>>> what makes it a sustainable effort.  However, not all partnerships

>>> agreed; surviving the transition of a strong leader is one of the

>>> big challenges partnerships face.

>>>

>>> • How do community literacy coalitions or partnerships assure the

>>> quality of instruction? Is this an issue?  If so, what are some ways

>>> quality gets addressed?

>>>

>>> They develop curriculum jointly and share professional development

>>> based on the needs of the community they serve. Providers are able

>>> to expand the formal and informal professional development

>>> opportunities available to their staff by sharing expertise and

>>> instructional materials.

>>>

>>> For example, Nine Star Enterprises, a private, nonprofit

>>> organization that provides comprehensive adult education services

>>> partners with Cook Inlet Tribal Council (CITC), a nonprofit arm of

>>> one of the thirteen Native Alaskan Corporations that serve Native

>>> Alaskans and Pacific Islander communities throughout the state. CITC

>>> provides a range of services, including adult education, work-

>>> readiness training, and social services. Nine Star and CITC began a

>>> partnership to help clients take greater advantage of these

>>> services. Nine Star and CITC also share professional development.

>>> CITC staff help train Nine Star instructors on cultural issues, and

>>> CITC staff can attend any of Nine Star’s professional development

>>> programs.

>>>

>>> •  What steps can we take to ensure that adult learners and other

>>> residents in the learners' communities are providing leadership to

>>> community literacy initiatives?

>>>

>>> Some of the community-based literacy efforts we studied included

>>> current and past adult learners on program and partnership advisory

>>> groups.  They also involve them in community instructional

>>> activities.  In Holyoke, MA, the Juntos partnership hosts an annual

>>> Learner-Teacher Day to bring learners, instructors, and

>>> administrators from all six partners together with community

>>> representatives, such as the mayor and superintendent of schools, to

>>> discuss community issues. Adult learners along with their

>>> instructors are involved in planning and carrying out all the

>>> activities during the event.

>>>

>>> • What are some good examples of community literacy coalitions?

>>> The twelve partnerships the C-PAL project studied, plus six we

>>> didn’t have funding to study as comprehensively are good examples.

>>>  I’ve cut and pasted brief descriptions of each of the twelve plus

>>> their links, in case anyone would like to learn more about them.

>>>

>>> Nine Star Enterprises, Anchorage, Alaska. Nine Star is a private,

>>>  nonprofit corporation that provides comprehensive adult education

>>> services over a vast geographic area in collaboration with a variety

>>> of partners. http://www.c-pal.net/profiles/alaska.html

>>>

>>> The Workforce Alliance for Growth in the Economy (WAGE), El Dorado

>>> (Union County), Arkansas. WAGE provides employment-related education

>>> to adult learners and upgrades the skills of incumbent workers

>>> through partnerships with business and many community agencies and

>>> organizations. http://www.c-pal.net/profiles/arkansas.html

>>>

>>> READ/San Diego, San Diego, California. READ is a library-based

>>> volunteer program that provides literacy services, primarily through

>>> tutoring, across San Diego city and county in collaboration with a

>>> host of community partners. http://www.c-pal.net/profiles/ 

>>> california.html

>>>

>>> The Palm Beach County Literacy Coalition, Palm Beach County,

>>> Florida. The Coalition promotes literacy services, coordinates

>>> activities, and operates a literacy hotline with the help of many

>>> partners across the county. Darlene has provided additional

>>> information on the Coalition in her postings. http://www.c-

>> pal.net/profiles/florida.html

>>>

>>> The Houston County Certified Literate Community Program (CLCP),

>>>  Houston County, Georgia. The CLCP coordinates, promotes, and

>>> advocates for adult literacy services in this rural county by

>>> working with partners from nearly every sector of the community.

>>> http://www.c-pal.net/profiles/georgia.html

>>>

>>> The North Idaho College Adult Education Center, Coeur d’Alene,

>>> Idaho. The Center is responsible for adult education services for

>>> five rural counties and forms the hub of wide-ranging partnerships

>>> supporting adult education, workforce development, and family

>>> literacy programs. http://www.c-pal.net/profiles/idaho.html

>>>

>>> Jefferson County Public Schools Adult and Continuing Education

>>> (JCPSAE), Louisville, Kentucky. JCPSAE is at the heart of a many-

>>> layered partnership with business, higher education, and other

>>> community organizations and agencies in Jefferson County.

>>> http://www.c-pal.net/profiles/kentucky.html

>>>

>>> Juntos, Holyoke, Massachusetts. Juntos is a six-member partnership

>>> that provides adult basic education, adult secondary education,

>>>  English literacy instruction, college transition, computer and

>>> family literacy, and vocational training and job search services to

>>> local adults. http://www.c-pal.net/profiles/massachusetts.html

>>>

>>> Cedar Riverside Adult Education Collaborative_Partnership,

>>> Minneapolis, Minnesota. This partnership provides English language

>>> instruction, family literacy services, and other support services to

>>> a community of East African (mainly Somali) immigrants in a public

>>> housing facility. http://www.c-pal.net/profiles/minnesota.html

>>>

>>> The Decker Family Development Center, Barberton, Ohio.  Decker was a

>>> three-way partnership among a hospital, a university, and a public

>>> school system providing comprehensive literacy and support services

>>> to a high-poverty community. The Decker Center closed its doors in

>>> 2004 after a valiant effort to secure sufficient funding.

>>> http://www.c-pal.net/profiles/ohio.html

>>>

>>> The Donald H. Londer Center for Learning, Portland, Oregon. The

>>> Londer Center, part of the Department of Community Justice (DCJ),

>>>  provides literacy and other services to prepare ex-inmates for

>>> successful reintegration into their communities by working with

>>> other DCJ programs and community agencies and organizations. Carole

>>> Scholl provided an update on Londer in her posting. http://www.c-

>> pal.net/profiles/oregon.html

>>>

>>> The Midlands Literacy Initiative (MLI ) (now the Education, Jobs &

>>> Life Skills Community Council of the United Way of the Midlands),

>>>  Richland, Fairfield, Lexington, and Newberry Counties, South

>>> Carolina. The MLI is a coalition that works closely with business to

>>> design and provide workforce literacy programs and with other

>>> partners to provide literacy services to adults and families in this

>>> four-county area. http://www.c-pal.net/profiles/southcarolina.html

>>>

>>> The six partnerships described in mini-profiles include:

>>>

>>> Tucson, Arizona

>>> Pima College Adult Education and its partners serve more than 7,000

>>> adult learners yearly, providing comprehensive adult and family

>>> literacy services in a variety of sites across Pima County.

>>> http://www.c-pal.net/profiles/mini/pima.html

>>>

>>> Indianapolis, Indiana

>>> Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana and its partners provide

>>> comprehensive education and job training services to adult learners

>>> and youth across central Indiana. http://www.c-

>> pal.net/profiles/mini/goodwill.html

>>>

>>> Greensboro, North Carolina

>>> The Greensboro Public Library and its partners formed Community of

>>> Readers, a literacy coalition, to provide literacy services, career

>>> counseling, and computer instruction to adult learners and to raise

>>> community awareness of literacy issues and needs. http://www.c-

>> pal.net/profiles/mini/greensboro.html

>>>

>>> Durham, North Carolina

>>> The Literacy Center is a community-based volunteer organization that

>>> provides literacy services to adults, families, and children in

>>> partnership with other community organizations and in a variety of

>>> sites across the city. http://www.c-pal.net/profiles/mini/durham.html

>>>

>>> Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

>>> The Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council provides literacy services

>>> to adults and families by working with a broad cross-section of

>>> community partners. http://www.c-pal.net/profiles/mini/gplc.html

>>>

>>> Austin, Texas

>>> The Skillpoint Alliance is a non-profit organization uniting

>>> industry, education, and the community to provide education,

>>> workplace literacy and preparation, computer instruction, and

>>> customized industry-based training to the emerging, transitional,

>>>  and incumbent workforce in central Texas. http://www.c-

>> pal.net/profiles/mini/skillpoint.html

>>>

>

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