achievement gap

Collaborative serves the Aspen Institute’s Commission on No Child Left Behind on issues such as commission management, publication and content development, and strategic planning on the dissemination of the Commission’s materials.

Collaborative produced the Commission's final report and outreach materials, including research, writing, editing and design. The redesigned Web site aligned with the release of the report and supported every aspect of communications around the release including media outreach, production of press materials and event logistics.

After the report’s release, Collaborative designed a post-release strategy to keep the Commission’s recommendations fresh in the field and to continue to lead the dialogue around the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act. Collaborative provided consulting and support for advocacy strategies such as coalition-building, and on-going communications strategies such as research and regular e-mail alerts.

Collaborative has provided a spectrum of communications services in support of the Foundation’s efforts to create the strategy and infrastructure capable of engaging a state-based and national policy that ensure an opportunity to learn for all students. Our efforts have included the redesign of the Foundation’s Web site, which includes the creation of content management system and architecture that enables expanded grassroots advocacy and public engagement efforts. In addition, we have created federal policy recommendations, hosted Hill briefings, and conducted national and trade media to promote Lost Opportunity: A 50 State Report on the Opportunity To Learn in America.

In addition, we supported the agenda and partnership development of the Foundation’s 2009 Opportunity to Learn Summit, which included the participation of congressional, civil rights, research and philanthropic leaders, as well as a diverse group of stakeholders involved in civic engagement activities of students, practitioners and community leaders.

Collaborative has supported PEN in a number of ways over the past 10 years, including the design and redesign of local education funds in Hartford, CT, Newark, NJ, and the District of Columbia. In addition, Collaborative has facilitated planning teams for the organization’s annual conference; designed, facilitated and documented leadership symposia, initiative convenings and conference sessions; supported partnership development with national funders; and written extensively about the impact of local engagement efforts.

In addition to providing recommendations on the Foundation’s overall communications and knowledge management strategy, Collaborative supports the National Education Association Foundation primarily  through its Closing the Achievement Gaps Initiative. Since 2008, Collaborative has helped to design, facilitate and document the initiative’s annual convening that brings together school- and system-level practitioners, union leaders, and community-based leaders to work towards closing the achievement gap.

In 2009, Collaborative led the content creation and faciltiation of the advisory committee that oversaw the production of initiative’s publication that called for new and strategic roles for teachers unions in the creation and implementation of human capital management systems.

Collaborative has been called upon to provide trusted advice and consultation to United Way Worldwide on a wide variety of issues, including high-level executive consultation, strategic consulting, meeting facilitation, research and analysis, and production services.