Welcome to Vermont's Rural Partnership

VERMONT RURAL PARTNERSHIP
DRAFT STRATEGIC PLAN

Revised August 16, 2001

I. Who We Are:

Mission: The Vermont Rural Partnership is a coalition of rural Vermont schools and their communities committed to working together to foster and sustain active participation of youth and adults to support and strengthen their communities.

The Partnership is a coalition of Vermont’s smallest, most rural, economically challenged schools and communities. The schools are located in seven counties and range in size from Belvidere school with 32 students K-6 to People’s Academy in Morrisville with 450. The mission is accomplished with the full engagement of community members and resources, the ability to network and learn from others within the Partnership, and the help of selected technical assistance partners.

II. What We Hope to Achieve:

Vermont Rural Partnership communities are committed to progress in the following areas:

·       A broad level of involvement from the community to school life.
·       Breadth and depth of involvement in strategic planning efforts to improve community viability.
·       The community becomes a laboratory for student learning and direct participation in the democratic process.
·       Interdisciplinary curricula that addresses community challenges, which builds on and utilizes the historical, environmental and people resources of the community, and is aligned with Vermont’s Framework of Standards.
·       The development of community assets, thereby enhancing the wellbeing of all members of the community.
·       Documented “stories” and locally generated information and knowledge which demonstrate the success of rural community-based education.
·       The promotion of youth leadership skills and active participation in school and civic decision making.

To achieve these outcomes, the Partnership works with a team of Resource Consultants knowledgeable in the areas of:

                                    student leadership
                                    curriculum of place
                                    service learning
                                    asset development
                                    community/school involvement and interaction
                                    assessment and documentation

III. How We Govern Ourselves

The Vermont Rural Partnership is formed as a genuine partnership based on consensus. Member schools provide governance and set policy for the organization through a Governance Board.

Governance Board Roles: The Governance Board works closely with Resource Consultants from the six disciplines to define vision, set policy, manage finances and evaluate the success of the organization.

Membership: Each member school/community has a vote on the Governance Board. The current number of school/community members is 18. Members remain members based on their commitment to progress in the partnership’s goals. Non member school/communities may petition the governance board to become members.

Meeting: The Governance Board meets in August, October, January and April.

Consensus and Voting: Participation is encouraged from all constituencies within each school/community, yet each school/community has only one vote. “Voting” is a call for consensus. Voting schools will indicate if they agree, are neutral, or disagree. Schools voting neutral or to disagree will be asked how the proposal can be modified to meet their concerns. If consensus cannot be reached after substantive discussion and three votes, then a simple majority will prevail.

Administrative Functions: Representatives from at least four member schools will form a working group with the Resource Consultants to facilitate administrative functions of the Partnership, including:

                        Coordination for the Partnership;
                        Retreat and conference planning;
                        Creating and monitoring the opportunities spread sheet;
                        Grantwriting and accessing new resources;
                        Communication and evaluation of projects.

Anticipated meeting times are in September, November, February/March and June.

The Partnership also has a part-time coordinator to carry out some of the administrative functions. This coordinator role can be rotated or shared at the governance board’s discretion.

Financial Management: The Vermont Rural Partnership is formed as a partnership and has not incorporated as a non-profit organization. The Governance Board will make arrangements with other non-profit organizations or school districts to manage funds for the Partnership. To date, the Snelling Center for Government, Vermont Community Foundation, and Vermont Rural Education Collaborative have served as fiscal agents.

IV. Substantive Work.

Each of the schools in the Vermont Rural Partnership works with Resource Consultants in the disciplines of student leadership; curriculum of place; service learning; community/school involvement and interaction; and assessment and documentation.
A. Develop Youth Leadership in Schools and Communities.

·       Skill Building Institutes to Build Student Leadership Capacity in Local Change Efforts
·       Cross School Sharing of Leadership Experiences
·       Develop Long Term Institutional Commitment to Building Student Voice.

B. Provide In-depth Curriculum of Place and Place-based Work;

·       Place-based Curriculum Inventory, Mapping, Analysis and Recommendations
·       School wide Professional Development/ Institutes on Curriculum of Place
·       Place-based Professional Development Course, Mentorship and Teacher Leader Program

C. Involve Community Members of All Ages to Create “Communities of Purpose;”

·       Facilitate Dialogue and Collaboration Between School and Community.
·       Build Leadership Capacity throughout School and Community

D. Develop Curriculum of Place and Provide Support for Service Learning.

·       Encourage the Incorporation of Service Learning Projects in the Curriculum.

E. Provide Support for Asset Development in the Community.

·       Each School Will Complete an Assets Survey on a Biannual Basis
·       Results of Asset Survey Will Be Used to Initiate Projects and Build Community Assets.

F. Conduct Assessment and Documentation.

·       Each School Will over Time Develop a Portfolio to Showcase Their Work.
·       Portfolios Will Highlight Student Work, Community Contributions, Depth and Breadth of the Work, and Youth Partnerships.
·       Portfolio Entries Will Be Assessed by Rubrics and Will Be Used for Self Assessment and Improvement as Well as External Documentation.

G. Provide Professional Development and Governance Support.

·       Professional Development Exchanges
·       Alternate Student Leadership Options
·       Locally Generated Curriculum of Place Development.

V. Challenges:

Key challenges faced by the Partnership include:

                        A. Assessment and Evaluation.

                        B. Funding of Workplan.

                        C. Governance Model Refinement.

                        D. Communication within the Partnership Schools.

                        E. Dissemination of Results.

                        F. External Policies that Affect the Partnership.

                        G. Appropriate Size and Make-up of Partnership.

                        H. Participation.

A. Assessment and Evaluation. The Partnership member schools are participating in a new model to improve school/community well being. Individual activities and the cumulative integration of the six discipline areas must be assessed and evaluated to determine their impact. Assessment can include outcomes of activities and initiatives as well as the need to refine inputs, such as to refine programs or deepen professional development and institutional commitment. Evaluation is a more formal defined measurement of the progress made by the Partnership.

Strategy:

Institute a process of program reflection, outcomes assessment and evaluation. Create a fluid, singular vision between the discipline areas of student leadership, curriculum of place, service learning, asset development, community/school involvement and interaction; and assessment and evaluation.

                                    Initiatives:

1. Reflection. Each member school works with resource consultants to reflect on activities and outcomes. This team proposes opportunities and enhancements for next year’s programs. The Partnership as a whole reflects on its organizational process. Feedback loops are devised to discuss how the Partnership functions as a whole and how each school fits into the Partnership.

2. Integrate Disciplines. Convene member schools and resource consultants to address how better to integrate the disciplines.

3. Professional Development. Continue and refine professional development work in and between member schools into a seamless whole. Create ongoing retreats and mini institutes embedded in the work of the member schools.

4.     Assessment and Evaluation. Each School will develop a portfolio to showcase their work. The portfolio will be comprised of 1) student work; 2) community contributions; 3) depth and breadth of work; and 4) youth partnerships. The portfolio will develop over time. Technical assistance will be provided for portfolio development. The portfolio will be used as a self assessment tool and to showcase the work externally.

B. Funding of Workplan. Funding needs for the Partnership are relatively modest on a per school basis but significant for a program serving 18 schools and communities. Each of these schools are from some of the most economically disadvantaged areas of the state. Additional funding is not likely to come from within individual schools. Securing large amounts of funding from foundations or other sources requires significant time for development of ideas and cultivation of the donor.

Strategy:

Secure Funding for Operations of the Partnership.

1. Define Budget and Workplan. Board and Resource Consultants clearly define annual work plan and budget needs to carry out work plan. Budget includes substantive work in schools, conferences, and administrative/organizational work.

2. Identify Likely Funding Sources. Research foundation and public funding sources that are good matches to fund activities of the Partnership. Work with Rural Schools Trust to identify funding sources. Investigate opportunities for member schools to apply for 21st Century Schools grants or other technology grants.

3. Build Alliances with Likely Funding Sources. Find means to keep likely funding sources informed and committed to the Partnership. Recruit key funders to host a funders forum related to the work of the Partnership.

4. Contract with Grants and Fundraising Consultant. Identify and work with a grant writing and fundraising consultant who will implement the fundraising strategies of the Partnership.

C. Governance Model Refinement. The Governance Model is in need of further development. The Vermont Rural Partnership is experiencing the tension between the dispersed responsibility of a Partnership model and the need to have cohesive policies, strategies and implementation mechanisms. Leadership from member schools is dedicated, yet there are strong competing demands of providing day to day leadership within the school. The time and attention that can be applied to Partnership governance is limited.

Strategy:

Develop mechanisms for the smooth operation of the Partnership.

         Initiatives:

1. Create a Membership Model of Governance. Each school is a member of the Partnership and has a seat on the board of directors. Board members are stewards of the Partnership’s mission and set goals for the Partnership that agree with the mission. The board appoints a working group of four members to work with resource consultants to develop an annual work plan, long range plan, and to oversee the operations of the Partnership. The board reviews and approves the work plan and budget.

                                    2. Governance Board Operations. The consensus voting method of governance board meetings needs to be clarified and become the standard for board decision making.

                                    3. Seasonal Calendar of Work. Set a work schedule for the board to develop policy and review program and funding opportunities.

                                    4. Membership “Dues.” Member schools and communities receive the benefits of being a part of the Partnership, including participation in Partnership initiatives and access to small grants funding. Members schools need to define more clearly the responsibilities that they take on as members. Member responsibilities will serve as membership ‘dues.’

5. Implementation Functions. Examine staffing work that needs to be done and ways Partnership members can take on implementation roles. Determine a balance between services that can be efficiently delivered by member schools, and those services which require a dedicated staff person.

D. Communication within the Partnership Schools. The 18 Partnership schools have historically been independent from each other with few opportunities for sharing experiences. However, the Partnership schools have many resources within the membership that could benefit other member schools.

Strategy:

Strengthen the Partnership as a Support System.

                                    Initiatives:

1. Maintain List Serve. Identify means for each school to disseminate information from the list serve to appropriate places in the school.

2. Develop Resource List. Partnership schools have staff, students and community members with a breadth of knowledge who are working on similar issues. Compile a resource contact list of individuals and their specialties. Make this list available at schools and conferences. List could include other Rural Trust Schools.

3. Banners. Investigate the feasibility of having Partnership banners at member schools. Banners will help build identity within the school for the Partnership as well as identity with the greater group.

4. Liaison. Designate a liaison within member schools to facilitate communication regarding Partnership opportunities.

5. Publications. Continue and expand publications that tell the story of the Partnership and its members.

         6. Conferences. Continue conferences for Fall Retreat; Spring Small Schools Conference; Youth Extravaganza; and Principals’ Retreat.

         7. Web Page. Create a web page with pertinent information for member schools to access readily.

E. Dissemination of Results. The Partnership schools are developing fantastic models for curriculum development in the six discipline areas and in ways to share learning between the membership schools. This learning should be made available to other schools, both for the benefit of other schools, and to demonstrate to funders that their investment in the Partnership is well worth while.

Strategy:

Seed the vision with other non-partner schools while preserving the integrity of the Partnership.

         Initiatives:

1. Develop an on line bank of curriculum units for schools within and outside the Partnership and state.

F. External Policies that Affect the Partnership. Some state, federal and private foundation policies and initiatives may be unproductive for the work of the Partnership and other small rural schools and communities. The Partnership can develop more support and funding opportunities by helping other entities better understand the work of the Partnership.

Strategy:

Advocate for Support at the Policy Level.

         Initiatives:

1. Board of Education. Try to recruit a member of a Partnership Community to become a member of the State Board of Education.

2. Education Department. Invite a member of the Education Department to Governance Meetings and Retreats.

3. Legislature. Communicate to legislative Education Committees the work of the Collaborative.

4. National Advocacy. Work with connections at Rural Schools Trust to advocate for efforts similar to the Partnership.

G. Appropriate Size and Make-up of Partnership. Member schools are comfortable with the current size. There is a concern that there is not a connection between membership elementary schools and the district high schools that their students attend. There are also a number of schools requesting membership to the Partnership. It is unclear how the Partnership can generate sufficient funds to enable their inclusion.

Strategy:

Maintain the 18 member size of the Partnership, with a mix of high schools and involvement of “receiving” high schools.

         Initiatives:

         1. Define Membership Selection Process. Define the process and criteria for admitting new members to the Partnership.

         2. Recruit High Schools. Attempt to recruit rural communities with high schools to fill three vacant membership spaces. (Hazen Union and Thetford Academy have been recruited).

         3. Connection with Receiving High Schools. Initiate dialogue with receiving high schools regarding the work of member schools/communities, and the opportunities that could be provided for high schools that include some students from member communities.

H. Participation. Some schools do not participate in the Partnership at a level that will help them fully realize the benefits of the Partnership. Non-participating member schools weaken the value of the Partnership as a whole. Principals and other positions of leadership within member schools periodically change hands, weakening the institutional commitment to the Partnership.

Strategy:

Develop Process and Protocol for Schools Who Are in Trouble.

1. Assist Schools. Develop protocol for how to assist schools that are not participating in the activities of the Partnership at a level to be substantive Partners.

2. Orientation for New Principals and Teachers. Provide an orientation to the Partnership for new principals and key teachers when they take a new position at the member schools.

For more information on the Vermont Rural Partnership,
please contact: margaret.maclean@ruraledu.org

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