Transcript Document
Elements of Effective Networks
and Coalitions
Travis Merrigan
Jenee Myers Twitchell
March 28, 2012
WCAN State Conference
Who are we?
Travis Merrigan
Eastern WA WCAN
7 years in college admissions
Jenee Myers Twitchell
University of Washington Dream Project
PhD Student; dissertation work on
postsecondary success coalitions
Who are you?
Region
K-12, Post-secondary, Non-profit, Gov’t
Length of CAN engagement
What this presentation and isn’t
Is:
What we know and don’t know about networks in
general
Discussion of why this is complex work
Challenges for networks
Hunches about best practices
Is NOT:
A handbook for how to create the perfect network
A set of Dos and Don’ts for networks
What we know about networks
Types of local coalitions and networks
Promise Neighborhoods/Strive Networks
• Wohlstetter (et al), Social Science Quarterly, 2004
Collective impact work
• Kania & Kramer, Stanford, 2011
School-community partnerships, schooluniversity partnerships
• Honig & McDonald, “From Promise to Participation”
(White Paper), 2005
What makes CANs special
Less known about CANs
Fewer formal policy levers
Working under conditions of ambiguity
Roles and timelines
Promising new research
• Domina, Educational Evaluation and Policy
Analysis, 2009
Contexts
Organizations represented
Urban vs. Rural
Multi- and Single-district
Leadership capacity
Organizations represented:
Volunteer, ad-hoc, range of formality
Representatives:
CBOs/College Access Intervention Programs
School staff
District leaders
City leaders
State education organization leaders
Funders
University, college, and CC representatives
Backbone organizations
Urban & Rural Contexts in WA
Proximity to colleges/universities
Number of districts/schools served
Number of community partners
Ways of gaining legitimacy
Turf wars
Multi- vs. Single-District
One main contact for K-12 school change
vs. multiple
One set of policies vs. multiple
Flood of resources vs. a lack of resources
Leadership Capacity
Attendees’ ability to affect change in
home organization
Is CAN work part of ‘day job’?
Example
What we’ve learned in the field
and from our research…
Networks are hard work
Collaboration ≠ easier work
True collaborations reorient organizations, not
just surface-level meetings and conversations
Coalitions impact postsecondary success more
than individual organizations alone
Common, Promising Strategies
Right leaders at the table for every meeting
Boundary spanners (specialized knowledge)
Overcome ambiguity through ‘low-hanging fruit’
College Bound Scholarship & FAFSA
Building trust across organizations
Scripts and stereotypes
Vocabulary matters
Questions
What rang true for you?
Is there anything that you would add to
“what is promising” or “what is
challenging” about this work?