1. What is Partners in School Innovation?
2. What is PartnersSI's mission?
3. What is PartnersSI's strategic vision?
4. What is your impact on student learning?
5. How is PartnersSI unique?
6. How does PartnersSI transform schools and districts?
7. How do you select partner schools?
8. What is the role of a School Innovation Partner?
9. How long do your partnerships with schools last?
10. What are the main challenges facing low-income, low-performing schools?
11. How is your organization funded?

What is Partners in School Innovation?
Partners in School Innovation is a leading nonprofit organization committed to transforming America's urban public schools and eliminating the achievement gap. top

What is PartnersSI's mission?
PartnersSI's mission is to transform teaching and learning in the lowest-performing American public schools so that every child, regardless of background, thrives in school. top

What is PartnersSI's vision?
Partners in School Innovation is becoming a leader in the education reform space and, more specifically, in school and district transformation. We envision a thriving system of urban public schools that fosters the growth of all of its students and works to eliminate the achievement gap by creating vibrant places to teach, learn and grow, with rigorous standards and an unwavering focus on results. top

What is PartnersSI's impact on student learning?
The primary way we measure our impact is by looking at student achievement outcomes. On the 2011 administration of the California Standards Test-English Language Arts (CST-ELA), PartnersSI schools had an average of 5.4 percentage-point growth in students testing at or above proficient, more than triple the California average of 1.6 percentage-point growth and more than double our partner districts' average of 1.9 percentage-point growth. top

How is PartnersSI unique?
While our strategies have evolved over the years, we continue to fill a unique space in the education reform community, distinguished by the following qualities:
1) Multi-year partnerships: We work side-by-side with our school and district colleagues over a 3-5 year period.
2) Focus on existing human capital: We work to strengthen the capability of those teachers and leaders who are already in the system.
3) Data-driven, results-oriented, continuous improvement: We build the capability of teachers and leaders to use data to set goals, plan, implement, assess, reflect and adjust in cycles of inquiry and continuous improvement.
4) Sustainable systems change: We build essential knowledge and skills at multiple levels to ensure improvement practices are aligned, embedded and sustained across the system. top

How does PartnersSI transform schools and districts?
PartnersSI staff work alongside our school and district colleagues to achieve significant gains in student achievement as well as build the organizational capacity required to sustain these results. We partner to:
1) Build a strong core instructional program, ensuring that all students learn at high levels;
2) Create an integrated system for professional learning so that all teachers are able to deliver excellent instruction;
3) Strengthen leaders' ability to focus on student outcomes and align school resources, structures and ways of working to achieve their goals.

We work in partnership with school and district leaders to create vibrant school environments where teachers can continually grow as professionals and students of color and English learners can excel as young scholars, college- and career-bound. top

How do you select partner schools?
We partner with schools that serve students of color, English Learners and economically disadvantaged students. We look for schools that are committed to getting results for their students of color and closing the achievement gap. We also respond to direct inquiries from interested school districts, school principals and staff. top

What is the role of the School Innovation Partner (SIP)?
The School Innovation Partner supports and guides teachers through a continuous learning process using the Results-Oriented Cycle of Inquiry. The SIP also works in close collaboration with the principal to develop and work toward measurable student achievement goals, articulate a coherent schoolwide improvement plan, monitor student learning on a daily basis and regularly evaluate schoolwide progress.top

How long do your partnerships with schools last?
Our partnerships with schools typically last three to five years, during which we use an "apprenticeship model" to build sustainability for continuous improvement. In the first years of the partnership, we provide a great deal of direction and guidance and explicitly teach teachers and leaders new ways of working. As they continue to develop their skills and gain competency, we consciously shift to a coaching and advising role. At the close of the partnership, our teachers and leaders will have internalized the knowledge, skills and confidence to sustain the work without the external support. top

What are the main challenges facing low-income, low-performing schools?
Typically, a low-income, low-performing urban school is overburdened because:

• There is a lack of resources.
• There is a disproportionate number of inexperienced teachers and teachers with emergency credentials.
• Teachers are overburdened and lack the time to strategically reflect on their teaching in order to accelerate learning for their students.
• Teachers receive limited support and attend one-shot professional development opportunities that fail to coach them on how to use what they've learned back in the classroom.
• Teachers and staff lack access to rigorous and systematic data, as well as the technology and support to effectively analyze data with the intention of improving teacher practice.
• Principals have tremendous demands placed on them, leaving them with little time to devote to instructional leadership.
• There is a lack of school leadership committed to student-centered decision-making, where equitable teaching and learning outcomes guide all decisions, including those related to instruction and resource allocation. top

How is your organization funded?
Earned income from schools and districts make up approximately 54% of the costs of our service. Contributed income from community foundations, corporate donors and individual donors make up the rest of the costs of service. top