A case study of partnerships in practice

Despite calls for partnership from government, human service organizations, researchers, consumers and providers, there is very little literature about partnership. This research attempts to better understand the concept of partnership through a case study of Waterloo Regional Homes for Mental Health Inc., an organization which is implementing partnership oriented practices. Data collected included 11 key informant interviews, a review of documents, and process notes. Findings were organized around definition, facilitative and impeding factors, and outcomes of partnership. Defining values of partnership which emerged were collaborative interaction, power-sharing, shared decision-making, stakeholder involvement, resource sharing, shared responsibility, and equality. Facilitative and impeding factors centred around attitudes/personalities, relationships, and strategies. Attitudes which impeded partnership were described as labeling, stigmatizing, and reflecting limiting assumptions about people. Facilitative personality traits were cooperation, openness, risk-taking, and an innovation orientation. Strategies which enable partnership included developing shared values and goals, reducing competition and territorialism, dealing with conflict through compromise, sharing information, and effective communication. Outcomes included changed people, changed relationships, changed services, and changed organizations. Social change is discussed as a long-term outcome of partnership

Who Comes Back? Exploring Reengagement within the School Year

Engagement, dropout, and reengagement within the school year are explored using records and survey data for students in grades seven through twelve. Reengagement is defined as returning to school after an episode of dropout and remaining continuously enrolled until the end of the school year. An episode of dropout is considered to be 20 consecutive unexcused absences. The inquiry explored factors that differentiate students who reengage from end-of-year dropouts or students who never return to school. Using both descriptive and predictive analyses, three key findings emerged. First, students who reengage after an episode of dropout have higher proportions of behavioral incidents, enrollment in low-track coursework, being overage for grade and the lack of course failure. Second, the only school-level predictor of significance in predicting reengagement is the school performance rating. Third, the results from this research are not consistent with existing literature about between-years students who reengage two to twelve years after dropping out. This research details the challenges of using with-year data, drawbacks of using advanced modeling techniques with limited data, and potential misuses of early warning systems. The research was exploratory and as such has substantial limitations including extensive missing data and measurement concerns with the student survey. In spite of the challenges, limitations and weak predictive models, continued research is recommended in this area because little research is available about what factors predict student reengagement with school. More research is needed to understand reengagement with school in order to close resistant racial and socioeconomic achievement gaps

Erickson G: Truancy in Denver: Prevalence, effects and interventions. 2006 [http://www.schoolengage ment.org/TruancypreventionRegistry/Admin/Resources/Resources

(NCSE) is an initiative of The Colorado Foundation for Families and Children (CFFC). NCSE strives to build a network of key stakeholders who share the belief that improving school attendance and school attachment promotes achievement and school success. NCSE was established as a result of more than a decade of educational research about youth out of the educational mainstream conducted by CFFC. The impact of this work has been the development of significant investments of state funds to reduce suspensions expulsions and truancy. Over five years ago, CFFC began working with the OJJDP, US Department of Justice to assist in the planning and implementation of pilot demonstration projects across the country. As projects developed, CFFC became the national evaluator of this five-year truancy demonstration project. The culmination of ten years of program experience and research has identified truancy and school engagement as the centerpiece of NCSE’s work to improve outcomes for youth who ar

Building Value‐Based Partnerships: Toward Solidarity With Oppressed Groups

We propose a value‐based conceptualization of partnership, defining partnership as relationships between community psychologists, oppressed groups, and other stakeholders, which strive to achieve key community psychology values (caring, compassion, community, health, self‐determination, participation, power‐sharing, human diversity, and social justice). These values guide partnership work related to the development of services or supports, coalitions and social action, and community research and program evaluation. We prescribe guidelines for building such partnerships and conclude by considering some of the challenges in implementing value‐based partnerships