NEWSLETTER
The May 2003 issue of Staying In Touch 26.61 Kb, the project's newsletter, is now available for download with Acrobat Reader.
You can also view past issues of the newsletter by clicking here.

The Center has given grants to Minnesota communities and schools, along with technical assistance to communities and schools around the country wishing to make comprehensive changes in their educational programs. Projects in this program are funded through the Blandin Foundation, the Annenberg Foundation and Minnesota Initiative Funds and share many of the following characteristics:

• Contribute to strengthening the social and economic vitality of their communities.
• Provide their program as a choice for both students and teachers involved.
• Are planned, implemented and sustained by a broad-based team of educators, students and community representatives.
• Develop strong parent-educator-community partnerships.
• Encourage greater community use of school facilities and equipment, and educator expertise.
• Use the world as a place in which to learn.
• Include cross-age, interdisciplinary learning opportunities.
• Combine classroom work and community service.
• Promote a multicultural, gender-fair curriculum.
• Create individualized or personalized learning plans for each student.

To date, over 80 Minnesota communities have been given planning or implementation grants to develop newmodels for public education. Blandin and Annenberg Foundation grants through CSC to these communities total $766,750. In addition to cash grants, CSC assists grant recipients through:

• Workshops for Grantees. We convene representatives from each project receiving CSC funds twice each year for planning, renewal and networking. Projects are asked to send teams to these workshops including parents, administrators, teachers, community people and, in the case of secondary schools, students.
• Outreach coordinators. CSC staff are based in northwest Minnesota (rural Waubun) and northeast Minnesota (rural Grand Rapids). Each works closely with several planning and implementation sites.
• Evaluation and Assessment. We work with each of our implementation sites to help them assess progress toward the CSC goals mentioned above. Assessment tools include standardized tests, surveys we have developed and "authentic assessment" measures. Some of these are drawn from measures being used in school reform efforts around the country.

A major evaluation of this project found encouraging results. To see this report, follow the link: Strengthening Schools and Communities through Collaboration. Strengthening Schools and Communities through Collaboration. 607.42 Kb

To view the Report: (if you don't have Acrobat Reader installed)