Academy for Community Schools Development ACSD John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities San Mateo County Coastside Redwood City

Academy Session 7 The Road to Sustainability

Outcomes for the Day Learn and reflect on best practices Use multiple data points to identify and prioritize key issues Network and learn from one another Agree on a process to move forward

Ice-Breaker In your team, prepare to share (in 2 minutes or less): Two major highlights or accomplishments Your biggest challenge this academic year

What is sustainability? Sustainability is a system of strategic thinking and effective action designed to institutionalize supportive practices and to secure the range of resources needed to achieve specific results.

…as applied to community schools Sustainability is a system of strategic thinking and effective action designed: To institutionalize supportive school and CBO partnership practices; and For the partners to secure the range of resources needed to accomplish desired results of promoting children’s learning and development by strengthening their key webs of support (schools, families and communities).

Key Elements of Sustainability 1. Vision 2. Results orientation 3. Strategic financing orientation 4. Adaptability to changing conditions 5. Broad base of community support 6. Key champions 7. Strong internal systems 8. Sustainability plan

1. Vision Know what you want to sustain Know how your initiative fits within the larger community Know what you mean by sustainability --Scope of activities --Scale of operation --Timeline

2. Results Orientation Adopt a results framework Be clear about the results you want to achieve for children, families, community and community systems Use indicators to track status of children and families across the community Use performance measures to track your own work and improve performance

3. Strategic Financing Orientation What are the expected fiscal needs? Make the best use of existing resources (funding and in-kind) Maximize available sources of revenue Create greater flexibility in categorical funding Create public-private partnerships Explore new state and local revenue sources

4. Adaptability to Changing Conditions Monitor announced opportunities for funding Consider new ways to frame your work to interest different funders Identify opportunities to improve policy climate Participate in collaborative advocacy to encourage change Work to improve ability to participate in these efforts

5. Broad Base of Community Support Develop a plan to create a desired identity Nurture a community presence and support Encourage family involvement Support public education and engagement Build partnerships that foster collaboration rather than competition

6. Key Champions Identify key decision makers and opinion leaders Develop an effective outreach plan Cultivate a broad base of champions --Elected leaders --Business leaders --Peers --Community leaders --Philanthropists

7. Strong Internal Systems Know and involve the people you need to carry out your mission (staff, board, volunteers, etc.) Develop strong fiscal management, accounting, information, and personnel systems Use those systems to review strategies, make changes as needed

8. Sustainability Plan Develop a comprehensive plan that takes account of short- and long-term needs Identify challenges and/or obstacles Identify strategies to garner needed resources and overcome challenges Identify and communicate with key partners

For further information, contact: The Finance Project Sustainability Planning Workbook

Sustainability Guiding Questions 1. What does sustainability mean to our site? 2. What would sustainability look like at our site? 3. What is core and must be sustained?

The road to sustainability will be different for every community school, BUT there are some common milestones* everyone will pass. *research from HSFO and UCLA,

Research shows these elements are needed 1. Supports and services to children, youth and families are provided in a facility that has adequate space, is comfortable and is accessible by children and families. 2. An initiative coordinator (at least one FTE recommended) builds communication between policy makers and those providing supports and services to improve and sustain services and supports for children and families. Collaborative Agenda

(Research shows…continued…) 3. Combined resources of families, communities, counties, cities, nonprofits, businesses, schools and districts are committed for long term support of children, youth and families. 4. Continuous efforts to measure and demonstrate the results of a successful Community Schools initiative are evident and being shared with collaborative partners, including families.

(Research shows…continued…) 5. An active collaborative demonstrates leadership and involvement in administration, evaluation and improvement. This includes authority to make policy decisions. Representation includes children, families, community organizations, businesses, schools, and agencies. 6. Community initiatives are to ensure a continuous, seamless focus on shared goals and strategies.

Where is your community school on the road to Sustainability? Self-Assessment

Sharing Back Strengths Challenges

The road will be different for every collaborative, BUT there are some common milestones everyone will pass.

To complete the journey you will need to: 1. Know where you are going; 2. Know your partners’ incentives; 3. Have access to decision makers; 4. Establish the importance of what you are doing; 5. Advocate for resources; 6. Have technical knowledge about resources.

Know where you are going Are mission and vision statements in place? Do you have a shared plan for integration? What are your resources? Where are the gaps? Know your partners’ incentives What results do partners need to see? Does your evaluation reflect those needs? Are your partners getting what they need? To complete the journey, Cont.

Have access to decision makers Who has the power to commit resources? How can your collaborative connect with them? Advocate for resources Do decision makers understand how THEY benefit from your collaborative? Can they contribute more to get even better results? To complete the journey, Cont.

Establish the importance of what you do Can you show how and why collaboration and integration are a priority to your partners? Are delivery of supports and services and collaborative leadership shared by all partners? Know the resource$ available How is funding funneled to your partners? Is your collaborative included in any integrated service (e.g., Mental Health reform, Child Welfare redesign) Where are the gaps? Missing partners? To complete the journey, Cont.

Redwood City and Coastside Resource and Funding Models

CUNHA AND COASTSIDE BUDGET AND RESOURCES Major Strategies or Activities Source of Funding or In- Kind Contribution AmountRestrictionExpected Timeframe Funding Is Available Community School Coordination and After school Programming Enhancement CUSD In Kind and Gardner Center Re-direct from Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health $30,000 + $14,000 Funding Ends July 2005 Coordination and Leadership = District and School Administration In kind from CUSD and Cunha $14,000Ongoing Family Support Services Coordination: Crisis intervention, Resource and Referral – primarily through Cunha School Counselors In kind from Cunha and CUSD $18,500Ongoing Mental Health and Group Services Previous relationship with FOCYS, Pyramid Alternatives, Coastside Mental Health for Special Education Only Not available and Nothing Currently Pending Substance Abuse Prevention and Case Management Services, Public Health Nurse Human Services Agency and Health Department funding with some CUSD Matching $5000

CUNHA AND COASTSIDE BUDGET AND RESOURCES Major Strategies or Activities Source of Funding or In-Kind Contribution AmountRestrictionExpected Timeframe Funding Is Available Police LiaisonCity of Half Moon Bay2 hrs per Extended Day Programming, Facilities, Staff Time – Partnership with Boys and Girls Club Mixed Private and Foundation Funding $150,000 Extended Day Academic Support including Math and Reading Support and Homework Club Title I, CUSD Funds and Matching County Grant $30,000 Breakfast ProgramPrivate Individual and Business Donations Competitive and Developmental Sports Programs Cunha Booster Club with CUSD Match $60,000 Bi-Lingual Parent and Community Liaison Peninsula Community Foundation/Title 1 $34,000 Special Events and Academic Support Education Foundation Private Funds Varies by Year Supplementary School Activities Funding Cunha PTA~ $33,000 Additional Programming and Capacity Building Money Re-direct from Lucile Packard Foundation $10,000

Strategic Approaches to Funding 1. Optimize the efficiency of existing resources Redeployment Co-location Streamline administration and management

Strategic Approaches to Funding, cont. 2. Maximize public revenue Leveraging Administrative Claiming Utilize subsidies and reimbursements Grant writing to access public funds

Strategic Approaches to Funding, cont. 3. Increase flexibility in categorical funding Coordination Pooling Decategorization Master contracting

Strategic Approaches to Funding, cont. 4. Building public-private partnerships Partner to leverage funds Maximize non-monetary resources Foster leadership and champions

How do you find out about new resources and sustainability strategies?

Free Webcasts Evaluation for Sustainability Marketing for Sustainability Click on downloadable documents

A Model Collaborative Whether ad hoc or ongoing, committees: Allow issues to be researched and fleshed out in small groups before presentation to the full collaborative; Ensure the participation that builds long- term commitment; and Lead to a better use of collaborative partners’ time.

A Sustainability Work Group… The Group should include: a diverse and well represented mix of the organizations and groups on your collaborative; especially, parents and children; business office representatives from the school district, city or county; school site representatives. …will move your collaborative through the steps to sustainability and report their findings and recommendations to the full collaborative.

The Work Group’s Functions include: Ensuring the community assessment, and its updates, draw a complete picture of the available resources, gaps, partners’ needed results, funding mechanisms and funding cycles of those resources; Understanding the nuts and bolts of a variety of public and private funding and communicating needed information to the collaborative; Reviewing and revising MOUs

As well as... Monitoring the fiscal health of collaborative grants: the expenditure of those grant funds as well as the commitment of all the resources integrated through the initiative; Researching potential new partnerships and funding resources.

Questions?

Redwood City Key Findings Research Findings were consistent with what we were hearing and experiencing Many findings are addressed in site work plans Validating of our direction and focus Strong, Open Feedback and Communication Structures in Place

Redwood City Key Findings Support partner agency involvement in planning, sharing of information and understanding of roles Common understanding and shared vision across sites will strengthen site work Provide meaningful roles for parents and youth Need for a more coordinated, connected effort across sites - Community Schools Work Group

Redwood City Key Findings Leader with teaching and administrative staff in communicating vision and clarifying roles Support to Community School Coordinator Understanding and moving towards shared leadership Principals Taking a Leadership Role

Redwood City Key Findings Agreement about authentic participation Defining roles and responsibilities Developing school-wide approach - infusing best practices in everyone’s work Comprehensive Approach to Parent and Youth Engagement/Leadership

How’d we do…? Learn and reflect on best practices Use multiple data points to identify and prioritize key issues Network and learn from one another Agree on a process to move forward Wrap Up

Academy for Community Schools Development ACSD John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities San Mateo County Coastside Redwood City