Monday, October 20

11:15 - 12:15 pm

Eyes on Alignment: How Can Funders Encourage States to Get Serious about P-20 Systems?

Education Week and others have recently drawn attention to efforts in a number of states to align early education, K-12, and post-secondary systems to create a seamless experience for all students—one that increases the likelihood they’ll succeed in school and in life. The momentum is building: in 1996, only one state had a P-16 or P-20 council; by this year, that number has reached 40. Clearly, there’s been a sea change in how states view their role. Yet much of the hard work of actually coordinating these three distinct systems in fundamental ways lies ahead. What do these shifts and opportunities mean for those working at various points across the continuum—and for funders working to improve education access and quality at the early, secondary and post-secondary levels? What’s on the horizon for states as they seek to maintain the momentum they’ve begun to build—in many cases, with support from funders—and how can grantmakers push states to make the most of the opportunity at hand? Hear from Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, a visionary who’s been working at the forefront of the movement to align her state’s education systems, from early childhood through postsecondary education.  Organized by Tony Berkley, W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Janet Napolitano, Governor of Arizona

Organized Communities, Stronger Schools: The Promise and Practice of Community Organizing as a Tool for Improving Schools

In an era of strategic philanthropy, what role should community organizing play in school reform? Since the early 1990s, the number of grassroots organizers focused on school improvement—including community leaders, parents and often students themselves—has steadily increased, as has the sophistication of their strategies to build relationships with key decision-makers and to build public will for school- and district-level change. Despite the growth of organizing efforts, many remain skeptical about results, in part because little research has been done to measure their effects on student outcomes—until now. Come learn about hot-off-the-press research findings analyzing the impact of community organizing on schools—and on student outcomes. To what degree are grassroots organizing efforts contributing to school improvements and driving key policy changes? How effective are they in sustaining such change? And, most important, what effect are they having on student outcomes? Organized by Christine Doby, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation

Kavitha Mediratta, Annenberg Institute for School Reform | John Rogers University of California–Los Angeles

Roads to Prosperity: Schools as Catalysts for Comprehensive Community Change

Often, school redesign and community redevelopment take place on parallel, but disconnected, tracks—missing opportunities for deeper community change that would transform the context in which students and their families strive to succeed and prosper. How can school leaders and community developers work intentionally together within distressed, urban communities to help low-income families achieve social and economic mobility? Learn about the promise—and challenges—of a model for holistic community development that integrates schools, resident engagement, comprehensive social supports and housing to create meaningful opportunities for poor families. You’ll hear from a developer with nearly three decades of experience developing mixed-income housing communities in urban areas around the country and from his partner at the nonprofit organization that works with residents, neighborhood organizations and other stakeholders—including local education leaders—to concurrently rebuild communities’ “human infrastructure” by ensuring that such services as high-quality early, K-12 and adult education, family support programs, and economic development programs are also in place. What are the challenges and opportunities of utilizing an integrated approach to school and community development? What are new models for funding schools within the broader context of community revitalization? Organized by Salin Geevarghese, The Annie E. Casey Foundation

Richard Baron, McCormack Baron Salazar | Sandra Moore, Urban Strategies, Inc.