Strengthening Partnership Effectiveness in Boston Public Schools: Lessons on Partnership Definitions, Standards and Teams

Abstract

This capstone chronicles my leadership in piloting, designing, and creating both a district-wide and school-based partnership definition along with partnership effectiveness elements and standards for the Boston Public Schools (BPS). From July 2015 to March 2016, I accomplished these tasks by using two guiding frameworks: the user-centered design processes known as Design Thinking and the Strategic Triangle. The Design Thinking process enabled me to collect and understand perspectives from multiple district stakeholders while designing and piloting initiatives. The Strategic Triangle leadership framework enabled me to optimize my leadership and garner buy-in while leading changes within the Boston Public Schools.

To guide my efforts I asked one central question: How could I advance BPS’ work to design a process to create a school-based partnership definition and to test these standards at one of the district’s pilot schools? To answer this question, I have included encounter descriptions, findings, analysis, and recommendations about the leadership strategies I used to develop BPS’ new school-based partnership definition and standards. I’ve also included the development of a district wide definition and a school-based definition of partnership, along with the development of a team of leaders to support the design and pilot of the BPS’ partnership initiative. Additionally, I have included analytic evidence of how the pilot fared at the pilot school.

In the Introduction, I present background information about BPS’ current strategic plan and specific initiatives regarding school-based partnerships. Within the Review of Knowledge for Action, I present relevant research that informed my theory of action, which guided my BPS’ work. Within my overview of the actual work, I include the following phases: (a) building strategic relationships; (b) developing effectiveness quality standards; (c) designing a partnership assessment tool; (d) coordinating and conducting the pilot; and (e) collecting feedback on the efficacy of BPS’ partnership tool, definition and standards.

In my Outcomes section, I offer my perspective on what worked well and what didn’t, along with questions raised during the process. Finally, I share implications for myself, for BPS, and for the educational sector–that are outgrowths of my capstone analysis and my residency leadership experiences.