Partnership Collections An Introduction Partnership collections are sets of materials and resources to support your work around issues that we all care about, those issues that benefit our children and youth. All collection materials have been reviewed and approved by the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs for accuracy and quality content. With these collections, you can help disseminate accurate information to a broader audience without having to wait for a formalized training opportunity. This work is about people helping people.
Bridging tools to… Translate research to practice Build understanding Use common language Use by any stakeholder Engage all stakeholders We refer to collection materials and resources as bridging tools; tools that translate research to practice and that speak to practice that informs research. They have been developed and are shared as a means of supporting all education stakeholders (educators, families, agencies, higher education, etc.) to have access, build common language and understanding, and to engage in the work of educating America’s children. You do not have to be a trained professional development provider to make connections and share information with others with these downloadable materials.
To provide information… Fact Sheet Glossary Resource Guide PowerPoint with Presenter Guide Four tools within each collection are intended to provide avenues for sharing information on the topic. We will take a brief look at each and its purpose.
Fact Sheet Tools and materials available in the collection Each fact sheet is one page in length and briefly lists the tools and documents available in that particular collection. And, with each tool or document listed, there is a brief description of what it is or what it contains.
Glossary User-friendly, plain English, definitions Collection glossaries are written in plain, user-friendly English, to bridge the gap between technical terms and access by the public. For example, in the Specialized Instructional Support Personnel glossary you will find several therapy and technical terms that often elude many of us. A glossary is available for each topical collection.
Resource Guide Relevant resources, annotated for ease of use Partnership resource guides are annotated lists of relevant and up to date information on the topic addressed in any particular collection. While the focus has been on identifying reliable websites, some resource guides also include a few articles and books.
Power Point with Presenter Guide Critical information and supports for the presenter Early in our work, the Partnership heard clearly from the field that a most useful tool for them would be user-friendly Power Points to present information on topics critical to education today. With each Power Point presentation there is a presenter guide which supports any person interested in the topic to provide information to others without having a background as a professional development facilitator.
To initiate discussion… Needs of the Field Grounding Assumptions Guiding Principles Three collection documents provide foundations for beginning engagement.
Needs of the Field Gaps between current practice and vision of effective implementation in the future Needs of the Field documents were created by groups of individuals from among the Partnership’s members. These 50 plus organizations and technical assistance center representatives explored the vision of the future in relation to current status of the field; then, identified processes that need to be in place to reach that vision.
Grounding Assumptions Fundamental concepts that ground implementation of the work Partnership grounding assumptions describe the fundamental assumptions that ground implementation of the the work related to a specific topic. These documents can be used as models for groups at local and state levels.
Guiding Principles Role definition and guidance in content development Created by a group of cross-stakeholders, guiding principles define roles and guide the content development of documents that are made available in the Partnership collections.
To engage deeply… Essential Elements Dialogue Guides When a group is ready to work at deeper levels of engagement, the essential elements document and a selection of dialogue guides are available to support consensus-building, shared-decision making, and action-planning.
Essential Elements Parameters of working together An essential elements document sets the parameters of creating a community of practice that honors and respects all stakeholders, their contributions to the work, and expectations for continuing the work together.
Dialogue Guides Focused interactive conversations Education stakeholders (from families and practitioners, to professional associations and higher education, to policymakers and legislators) can interact in focused conversations by reading together a brief text on the topic and using the dialogue guide starter questions that pull out the relevant issues in a policy or research brief.
To grow the work nationally… Your voice The more you engage with the Partnership, the more we learn, and the better able we are to support your work in the field. At the end of each collection page you will find an invitation to share with us how you are using the materials and any suggestions for improvement. Your experiences help the Partnership and our members understand issues and perspectives; and, your suggestions help us better support your work.
Looking at each component… Fact Sheet Glossary Resource List PowerPoint with Presenter Guide Needs of the Field Grounding Assumptions Guiding Principles Essential Elements Dialogue Guides Your Voice We encourage you to explore each of the topical collections and discover how they intersect with the work you are doing, or the work you plan to be doing in the future.
Access to all collections is at the upper right corner of the Partnership homepage. Additionally, you can find short audio/video clips that give you a more in-depth look at each type of document. And, please, let us know how we can be of support.