Cradle to Career Alliance

Redefining the P-16 Alliance of Summit County

June 2011

Introduction

In Spring 2011, an effort began to take the P-16 movement in Summit County in a new direction. Efforts to improve the experience of education for students, advance student outcomes, and enhance the Summit County economy and society in general would require a more focused and strategic approach to P-16. New co-chairs of the P-16 Alliance of Summit County (David James, Superintendent, Akron Public Schools and David Jennings, Director, Akron-Summit County Public Library) were identified, and the evaluation of the P-16 process began. The document to follow is a working statement that defines the revised P-16 efforts in Summit County and is based on the work of the newly appointed P-16 co-chairs and members of the convening agency, Summit Education Initiative. The document will define P-16 in general and its history in Summit County, and offer suggestions for a revised name, structure and responsibilities for P-16 work in Summit County.

What is P-16?

P-16 is a comprehensive approach to education that became popular in the 1990s. It was driven by a number of challenges and pressures: demographic shifts, changes in the economy and in the workplace, and continuing advances in technology and telecommunications. The P-16 approach seeks to increase integration and connectedness among three largely disconnected levels of education: preschool, K-12 and postsecondary. The name P-16 is in fact derived from the span of education from preschool (P) through a four year college degree (grade 16). The P-16 perspective is novel in that it offers a more comprehensive approach to issues by addressing the entire span of education as a whole rather than separately focusing on the three levels of education.

To improve student achievement, the P-16 movement focuses on issues such as ensuring kindergarten readiness, alleviating transitions issues from one level of learning to the next, improving teacher education and professional development, and improving college readiness and college success.

(Summary based on:  Education Commission of the States. (2001). What Is P-16 Education? A Primer for Legislators – A Practical Introduction to the Concept, Language and Policy Issues of an Integrated System of Public Education. Van de Water, G. & Rainwater, T. Retrieved from http://www.ecs.org/html/Document.asp?chouseid=2428)

History of the P-16 Alliance of Summit County

In Fall 2005, the KnowledgeWorks Foundation took the lead in developing and pioneering P-16 councils in Ohio. The purpose of the KnowledgeWorks initiative is to look at gaps in the education pathway for Ohio students from preschool through post-secondary education. Inconsistency and gaps between levels of education have made it difficult for some students to move through the local educational system successfully. Obstacles can include: a wide gap between the curricula taught in elementary school and middle school; inconsistent academic expectations between middle school and high school; and high school classes that do not properly prepare students for college level courses. KnowledgeWorks issued invitations to 13 Ohio communities to consider forming P-16 councils and to submit a letter of interest. Summit Education Initiative (SEI) received the invitation and immediately convened a small group of leaders to address the P-16 issue in Summit County. These leaders represented the Greater Akron Chamber; the Akron Public Schools; the Akron Summit Community Action, Inc., The University of Akron, the Coventry Local Schools, the Barberton City Schools, the GAR Foundation, This City Reads!, and the Summit County Education Service Center. This group agreed to form the P-16 Alliance and, in 2006, received funding from KnowledgeWorks and Greater Akron Chamber to do so. The P-16 Alliance was thus begun as a coalition of member organizations who were committed to support efforts to improve educational outcomes for students and have a positive affect on the economy and civic life in Summit County.

There have been significant advances in program development in Summit County since the inception of the P-16 Alliance. Some of the outstanding programs initiated by SEI are SPARK Ohio, Destination College, and Summit Scholars. As more and more of the resources of SEI became engaged in program provision, it became clear that a reevaluation of the mission of SEI and the direction of the P-16 process needed to be conducted. In 2010, the SEI Board of Trustees underwent a strategic planning process, and a new direction for the agency was developed. SEI had grown into an organization that focused on the development of prototype programs to support children from early childhood through postsecondary education. Charting a Path for the Future: A Strategic Plan for Summit Education Initiative takes the agency in a new direction. SEI’s new focus is on being a leader in the conversation about improving educational outcomes for students and on having an impact on the economic prosperity and social health of our community. SEI will continue to convene education, business and civic leaders to identify and solve problems. The mission will continue to be identifying problems in the local educational pipeline, developing potential solutions to decrease the number of students who have difficulty navigating the system and ensuring that students are provided the skills needed to succeed farther along the educational pathway.  SEI will support efforts by its partners by providing expertise in research, grant writing, communication and coordination. It will, however, no longer develop and run pilot programs. This new direction defined by the SEI Board of Trustees necessitates an evaluation of the P-16 process in Summit County.

Redefining the P-16 Efforts in Summit County

In order to reinvigorate the P-16 efforts in Summit County, the name, vision, critical parameters, structures, composition, and lines of accountability must be redefined. These components of the alliance are fundamental and as such, were drawn from the history of the organization. Adjustments were made to reflect the new direction of SEI and to better facilitate a strategic approach to setting and accomplishing goals.

Name: As the redefining process for the P-16 Alliance began, the need for a fresh name that would represent the new direction of the efforts to improve education in Summit County became clear. The term P-16 is truly educational jargon that has impact mainly for educators. A fresh name that is more relatable to those for whom education is not their primary discipline would offer more of a communications advantage. The term “Cradle to Career” has often been used in place of the P-16 acronym as a more accessible alternative, and this term will be incorporated in the new name. Two options under consideration are: Cradle to Career Alliance or Cradle to Career Network.

Vision Statement: The vision was developed in 2006, and has not yet been updated to fit the current situation.

The Cradle to Career Alliance is motivated by the vision of a future in which all Summit County children, adolescents, and young adults aspire to higher levels of educational attainment and receive the support they need to achieve ambitious educational goals through an effective collaboration of individuals, schools, businesses, and community organizations throughout the county. ( The original version used P-16 instead of Cradle to Career.)

Parameters: The focus of the Cradle to Career Alliance will continue to be on Summit County. Expertise from our region and beyond will be utilized, but the Alliance will work on behalf of the interests of Summit County.

Cradle to Career Alliance structureStructure: The Cradle to Career Alliance (the Alliance) will be a group of community leaders with particular expertise in education. The Alliance will oversee the work of six Work Groups.  Six critical transition points will be addressed by the Alliance: kindergarten readiness (preK to K), elementary, middle grades, high school to post secondary, adult life-long learning, and graduation to work place. There will be one Work Group for each of the six transition areas. Summit Education Initiative will serve as the convening and supporting organization for the Alliance and the Work Groups. Each Work Group is a coalition of representatives from interested community organizations that support specific common interests around one of the six transition areas.  Their work will be oriented towards alignment of resources and efforts across the county. In essence, the Work Groups will propel action on behalf of the Alliance.

Composition and Accountability, the Cradle to Career Alliance:  The Cradle to Career Alliance will be comprised of nine to ten members. There will be a chair (or two co-chairs) who will be a prominent leader in the education field in Summit County. There will be two members from the convening and supporting agency, Summit Education Initiative. The main body of the group will be comprised of six community members with expertise in one of the six transition areas. There will be one Alliance member for each of the areas and that Alliance member will serve as the chair for the Work Groups for their area of expertise. They will facilitate and lead the work of their Work Group based on the direction provided by the Alliance, and they will report that work back to the Alliance. This structure will allow for oversight by the Alliance and accountability of the Work Groups to the Alliance.    

Role and Responsibility: The Cradle to Career process in Summit County is comprised of several players and their role and responsibilities must be clearly delineated. Below are listed the key players in the process, the Cradle to Career Alliance, the six Work Groups, and the convener, Summit Education Initiative and their roles and responsibilities.

Cradle to Career Alliance Role
The Cradle to Career Alliance role is to oversee the identification of educational needs and implementation of solutions to address those needs in Summit County.

Cradle to Career Alliance Responsibilities

  • Appoint a group of individuals to form each Work Group. These individuals will have position, power, expertise, credibility, and leadership related to the transition area.
  • Establish a charge for each Work Group including the purpose and parameters of the work to be undertaken and a timeline for completion of that work.
  • Advise and recommend national, state and local resources of research and expertise that can be tapped by the Work Group.
  • Identify the Work Group chairperson who will lead in implementing the action plan and to report progress to ensure accountability.
  • Review and endorse the action plans that are formulated by each Work Group.
  • Oversee the work of the Work Groups providing feedback, guidance and direction as needed.
  • Communicate and advocate to key audiences the Work Group action plans that have been endorsed by the Alliance to generate support and alignment of local and regional resources.
  • Establish a procedure or criteria to determine when a new Work Group needs to be formed.
  • Establish a finance subcommittee to leverage resources to support the implementation of the action plans OR identify individuals in the community who are willing to work with the chair and others that are implementing the action plans.
  • Establish a marketing subcommittee to leverage resources to support the action plans OR identify individuals in the community who are willing to work with the chair and others that are implementing the action plans.

Work Groups Role

Work Groups Responsibilities

Each Work Group will develop a Needs Assessment for their areas. This process will begin with a review of the issues of concern in the transition point/area based on academic research and local data. Status report, goals and an action plan with timeline to address the identified needs.

A Status Report will be completed for each Work Group. The Work Groups will compile a list of the programs, and the program’s goals and outcomes that currently exist to address their areas of concern. This will help to identify best practices with in the community and opportunities for alignment of resources.

Goals will then be set based on empirical evidence, accounting for programs already in existence, and the historic goals set by the Alliance. The Work Groups will identify a set of no more than three goals to address the needs identified.

An Action Plan will be developed to include goals and strategies to meet identified needs and opportunities of the transition point/area. That plan will include the proposed goals and a set of steps for each goal with a progress indicator to measure movement toward the goal over a three (3) year period. The plan will be presented by the Work Group Chair to the Cradle to Career Alliance for approval.

After endorsement of the action plan, the Work Group Chair will facilitate the Implementation of the Action Plan. Key steps include:

  • Communicate the plan to key audiences and stakeholders;
  • Identify who will be responsible for particular goals/strategies of the plan;
  • Put in place accountability measures for the plan;
  • Develop a budget for the plan; and
  • Report progress of the action plan to the Cradle to Career Alliance on a quarterly basis.

Summit Education Initiative Role
SEI will provide the value-added service to launch and promote the work of the Cradle to Career Alliance and the Work Groups.

Summit Education Initiative Responsibilities

  • Facilitate the work of the Cradle to Career Alliance. This will include convening meetings, providing administrative support for meeting planning, and providing research needed to establish priorities, goals and conduct oversight of the Work Groups.
  • Facilitate the work of the Work Groups. Provide research and data surrounding the Work Group area, and provide funding assistance with grant writing expertise, act as a fiscal agent for collaborations, and provide administrative support as needed.
  • Publicize the work of the Cradle to Career Alliance to inform the public of the issues and garner public support for the work of the Alliance. This will include the development and dissemination of a Cradle to Career Alliance Annual Outcome Report.