School-Community Partnerships: Purpose and Outcomes Essay

Introduction

Schools that seek improvement of the educational process often establish collaboration with external organizations or individuals whose impact might be beneficial. Such partnerships are particularly useful when an educational organization needs some contribution from an outer party within a specific field of expertise for a systematic change (Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA, n.d.). The work with a community enables the school to cooperate with “parents, youth, community residents, and/or institutions to alter existing power relationships and policies and create more accountable, equitable, and high-quality schools for all students” (Renee & McAlister, 2011, p. 3). Thus, the implementation of the change plan aimed at increasing teachers’ readiness to provide first aid to students at GEMS World Academy needs to establish a partnership with a community organization specializing in medical care.

The Partnership’s Purpose and Mission

Community engagement has a significant impact on a school’s performance and ultimately affects students’ success. To validate the necessity of collaboration with a community organization, it is vital to understand the needs that a school faces. GEMS World Academy’s performance analysis showed that the majority of faculty staff lack competence in providing first aid to students. The safety and wellbeing of the pupils are one of the primary values of the educational institution. Moreover, a school administrator is a leader whose primary responsibility is to promote success for all pupils by collaborating with neighborhoods (Owens & Valesky, 2007). Thus, the school has an urgent need for reforming the current situation to ensure teachers’ readiness to prioritize students’ health issues. Overall, the partnership should be strategic and adhere to collaborative leadership (Anderson-Butcher, Lawson, Bean, Boone, & Kwiatkowski, 2004). Such an approach will ensure benefits for both, the educational organization and its partner.

School change is a complicated procedure that needs to be carried out on multiple levels. It incorporates “not only the practical business of curriculum and teaching, but also many layers of power, politics, beliefs, and culture” (Renee & McAlister, 2011, p. 7). Consequently, it is essential to engage in inter-organizational relationships to facilitate the effectiveness of the school reform. The purpose of the partnership between the school and the community-based healthcare organization is to implement a training program for the teachers working at GEMS. It will allow for reducing the number of cases when a child is exposed to pain while waiting for a medical professional to provide primary help. The training sessions should be focused on the learning of theoretical background and practicing skills of first aid techniques. The mission of the collaboration is to enhance students’ safety at school and improve the level of expertise in faculty that will result in the overall advancement of the school performance.

Analysis of the Outcomes and the Impact of the Partnership

In case of successful establishment of productive partnership relations with a healthcare institution and its professionals, the outcomes will provide multiple benefits for the school and the medical organization. According to VanderWielen et al. (2014), the research of interprofessional collaboration initiated by medical students suggested that the cooperation based on multiple professions provided more natural transformations in required areas. Similarly, the anticipated outcomes of the analyzed partnership model will be positive for both parties. Firstly, the school will be provided with highly-professional training services aimed at teaching skills of first aid. Secondly, the healthcare organization might benefit from students’ and teachers’ volunteer work at its facilities. This connection will positively impact the school due to the improvement of the faculty’s performance. The teachers will acquire new skills necessary for their everyday work in school and, from a long-term perspective, will be able to teach children to provide first aid themselves. However, it is essential to take into account possible challenges that the administration of the school might face when seeking connections with a community organization.

The Understanding of Critical Connections Between Schools and Communities

The literature review and the description of the partnerships between a school and a healthcare facility enlarged the scope of my understanding of the importance of the connections between the educational organization and community. According to the Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA (n.d.), “schools are more effective and caring places when they are an integral and positive part of the community” (p. 6). Research shows that throughout history, school and neighborhoods interactions have led to significant shifts not only in the work of the organizations but also in the life of society (Renee & McAlister, 2011). Also, as Renee and McAlister (2011) claim, the very participation of members of a community in the decision-making process can positively contribute to the public perception of any reform. Thus, when a change plan is implemented in school, it is vital to coordinate the actions of the administration with parents and involved community services to intensify the scope of reform and ensure its efficacy. Besides, the partnership presents beneficial opportunities not only for schools but also for organizations they collaborate with. Thus, such cooperation allows for focusing on urgent issues and improves the community’s wellbeing in general.

Conclusion

To sum up, effective contemporary school reforming is impossible without the multifaceted connections with outside parties, stakeholders, and communities. When isolated, a school might omit some crucial factors that provide perspectives for a complex change in school performance. In the case of GEMS World Academy change implementation, the partnership with a healthcare facility will present benefits for improving teachers’ readiness to provide first aid to students. Besides, this type of collaboration will enhance the connection of the school with the community.

Reference

1. Anderson-Butcher, D., Lawson, H., Bean, J., Boone, B., & Kwiatkowski, A. (2004). Implementation guide: The Ohio community collaboration model for school improvement. Columbus, OH: The Ohio Department of Education.
2. Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA. (n.d.). School-Community Partnerships: A Guide. Los Angeles, CA: Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA.
3. Owens, R. G., & Valesky, T. C. (2007). Organizational behavior in education: Adaptive leadership and school reform (9th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
4. Renee, M., & McAlister, S. (2011). The strengths and challenges of community organizing as an education reform strategy: What the research says. Nellie Mae Education Foundation.
5. VanderWielen, L. M., Do, E. K., Diallo, H. I., LaCoe, K. N., Nguyen, N. L., Parikh, S. A., … Dow, A. W. (2014). Interprofessional collaboration led by health professional students: A case study of the inter Health Professionals Alliance at Virginia Commonwealth University. Journal of Research in Interprofessional Practice and Education, 3(3), 1-13.