OUR WORK - Partners in School Innovation

OUR EVOLUTION
COMMITMENT TO CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
QUICK FACTS
• Founded by Julien Phillips
and Kim Grose in 1993
At PartnersSI, we systematically use what we learn from our hands-on
experience in schools, cutting-edge research, and effective school reform
examples to guide organizational progress. The chart below highlights key
developments that have strengthened our position as a leading provider of
services to improve low-performing schools and districts.
• Established as one of California’s first
AmeriCorps programs in 1994
• Partnered with 9 districts and 26 schools
serving over 1,000 teachers and 19,000
students since 1993
• More than 175 AmeriCorps members
– or Partners – have served over 400,000
hours in our schools
• Average length of partnership with a
school is over three years
Our program has evolved from focusing on discrete school-based projects to leading and
implementing systemic change from the classroom to the district office. In the last several
years, we have also strengthened our program in the areas of literacy at the classroom
level and results-oriented leadership at all levels. We are currently deepening our expertise
in effective teaching for English language learners as well as results-oriented leadership
at the district level.
Our partnership strategy has moved from serving individual low-performing schools to
forming integrated school and district partnerships focused on systemic and sustainable
improvement. We are currently developing district-wide systems for leadership and
teaching development together with our partner districts.
Our measures of impact previously provided inconsistent evidence of student learning
growth as measured by a range of local assessments. We now use standards-based
assessments and are demonstrating significant learning gains for African American and
Latino students in each of our partner districts. We are currently working with our schools
and districts to drive toward achieving gap-closing results, not just incremental growth.
Our school-site teams currently include a School Partnership Director (an experienced
education reform leader) and a team of AmeriCorps Partners, recent college graduates
committed to social justice and improving public education. As our program has become
increasingly reliant on teaching and leadership expertise, we recognize the need for team
members with significant education experience. Starting in 2006-07, School Improvement
Fellows, individuals with urban teaching and graduate research experience, will replace
AmeriCorps Partners. We want to express our great admiration for the AmeriCorps
program and tremendous gratitude to all past and current AmeriCorps Partners for
the proud legacy they leave.
4 | Innovation.Improvement.Impact.