School-Community Learning Partnerships:

Essential to Expanded Learning Success

 For the past decade the 21st Century Community
Learning Centers initiative has asked schools to work
in partnership with community- and faith-based
organizations to support children’s learning during
the hours after school and during the summertime.
Consequently, there has been tremendous growth
across the nation in intentional efforts to forge
meaningful partnerships between schools and
afterschool and summer programs.
Increasingly, the field is recognizing that these
partnerships are essential to efforts to
expand when, where, how, and what students learn
(Little, 2011).
This article begins with an overview of the benefits
of school-community partnerships to students,
schools, and community organizations. It then
examines the role of partnerships in the 21st Century
Community Learning Centers initiative, reviewing
national data on the numbers and kinds of partners
that 21st Century Community Learning Centers
nationwide are engaging with to support student
success. The article concludes with a discussion of
four features of effective learning partnerships.
The Benefits of School-Community Partnerships

• When schools and community organizations work

together to support learning, everyone benefits.
Partnerships can serve to strengthen, support, and
even transform individual partners, resulting in
improved program quality, more efficient use of
resources, and better alignment of goals and curricula
(Harvard Family Research Project, 2010).
• First and foremost, learning partnerships can support student outcomes
(Little, Wimer, & Weiss, 2008).

• For example, the Massachusetts Afterschool Research Study found that

afterschool programs with stronger relationships with school teachers
and principals were more successful at improving students’ homework
completion, homework effort, positive behavior, and initiative. This may
be because positive relationships with schools can foster high quality,
engaging, and challenging activities, along with promoting staff
engagement (Miller, 2005)
In addition to supporting student learning directly, partnerships can
have additional benefits to students and their families. They can:
• provide continuity of services across the day and
year, easing school transitions and promoting
improved attendance in after school programs
• facilitate access to a range of learning opportunities
and developmental supports, providing opportunities
for students and teachers alike to experiment with
new approaches to teaching and learning
•facilitate information sharing about
specific students to best support individual
learning; and
•provide family members with alternative
entry points into the school day to support
their student’s learning
Learning partnerships can also greatly benefit schools.
They can
• complement the academic curriculum with a wider
range of services and activities, particularly enrichment
and arts activities that may not available during the
school day
• support transitions across the school years, particularly
the critical middle to high school transition, which
research indicates is a key predictor of high school
graduation (Neild, Balfanz, & Herzog, 2007)
• reinforce concepts taught in school without replicating the
school day, often exposing classroom teachers working in the
after school program to new pedagogies;
• improve school culture and community image through
exhibitions and performances that help “shine the light” on
students whose talents may not be apparent in the classroom;
and
• gain access to mentors, afterschool staff, and other resources
to support in‐school learning and improve the teaching and
learning in the classroom itself
Finally, learning partnerships with schools can
strengthen and support community partners. They can
• help gain access to and recruit groups of students most
in need of support services
• improve program quality and staff engagement,
particularly when there is crossover between school
and community organization staff
• foster better alignment of programming to
support a shared vision for learning, one which
aligns curriculum to support state and local
standards; and
• maximize resource use such as facilities, staff,
data, and curriculum
 The Role of Partnerships in 21st
Century Community Learning Centers
• Partners provide vital in-kind services and supports, as
well as real dollars, which add significant value to the
work of 21st Century Community Learning Centers.
As centers consider bringing on more partners it is
important that project and site directors understand
how to develop and cultivate effective partnerships.
The next part of this article discusses the features of
effective partnerships.
Features of Effective School-
Community Partnerships
•There is emerging consensus on an inter-
related set of features that help promote
and sustain healthy school-community
partnerships (Harvard Family Research
Project, 2010)
 A shared vision for learning and
developmental outcomes for students.
• This vision acknowledges the critical, complementary roles
of schools, community partners, and families. A shared
vision also helps partners avoid working against each other
and instead pursue a common vision of student success.
When school leaders embrace a vision for student success
that considers students’ physical, emotional, and social well-
being in addition to academic outcomes, the partnership is
more likely to be successful than when competing agendas
operate during the expanded learning day
 A diverse set of partners with effective communications
mechanisms and relationships among multiple staff at
multiple levels.

• Strong and sustainable partnerships need relationships that are built

at multiple levels (for example, at the district, school, and classroom
levels) and among multiple school staff, including district and
nonteaching staff. Working with partners at different levels helps the
afterschool and summer programs become integral to the daily life
and culture of the school at all levels, from the principal to the
custodian. In addition, relationships at various levels can help
mitigate the effects of staff turnover at other levels; for example,
strong relationships with teachers can help sustain the partnership in
the event of a change in principals
 Intentionally blended staffing with role clarity to promote
understanding of how the work is relevant to all.
• For afterschool and summer programs, this means hiring staff who
have legitimacy in the school building and who are skilled at building
relationships with school staff. Some programs do this by hiring
licensed teachers, people who “speak the same language” as school-
day teachers, can substitute and consult in classrooms, and can
participate in professional development activities. Hiring licensed
teachers who also teach at a host school facilitates information
sharing and forges connections with other teachers who might not
otherwise make time for “outside” programs or services. Blended
staffing may also mean a liaison who serves an important bridging
function between the school and the afterschool or summer program
• One feature of a strong collaboration is the ability of
partners to access information and data from each
other, including, if possible, student-level academic
data (e.g., test scores and grades). Afterschool and
summer programs can use these data both to track and
strengthen student performance and to demonstrate
the impact of their services. In addition to getting data
from schools, some programs provide their own data
to schools to promote reciprocal data sharing
• As efforts to expand learning opportunities and time
continue to grow under a variety of approaches and models
—whether afterschool, summer learning, expanded or
extended learning day or year, or out-of-school time—it is
important that all these efforts build on the strong base of
effective partnerships already present among schools and
afterschool and summer programs, capitalizing in
particular on the rich history of partnerships advanced by
21st Century Community Learning Centers.
You never abandon us’: DepEd recognizes 139
partners for P21.8-B aid to learning continuity
BY CHARISSA LUCI-ATIENZA
Jun 1, 2021 00:16 AM
The Department of Education (DepEd) has recognized more
than 130 external partners for extending “exemplary
assistance" to the implementation of its Basic Education
Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP).
During the event with the theme “Celebrating Partnership Amidst
the Pandemic”, the DepEd awarded plaques of appreciation to 139
partner organizations for their unwavering support in basic
education especially in the implementation of the BE-LCP.
The Deped, citing the partnership data from the DepEd
Partnership Database System (DPDS), said "a total amount of P
21,891,547,312.20 worth of resources was received and reported
at the school level nationwide as of December 2020
"Of this amount, P7,134,704,779.00 was from Brigada Eskwela
(BE) activities, which highlighted partnership initiatives that
complement the Department's efforts to ensure that quality
education will continue despite the challenges brought by COVID-
19 pandemic.”
The DepEd noted that majority of its partners developed and
offered partnership projects for education, which are aligned with
the BE-LCP. These include their support for the implementation of
the BE.
Teachers’ Role in the 21 st

Century Learning
• The teachers are facilitators of the learning. The
focus of a 21st century teacher is on student by
developing higher order thinking skills, effective
communication, collaboration, and other skills
that they need in the 21st century. The teachers
must develop new teaching strategies that are
radically different.
• Educational Technology in broader terms mean to
organize the knowledge for the achievement of
purposes, or making tool/technique. In this fast
changing world, the education plays a major role in
empowering students to engage with challenges. The
21st century is rapidly changing one in every dimension
of human (economically, socially, technologically). Due
to the rapid changes complex problems are faced by
educationists, policy makers, managers and teachers as
well. Teachers of 21st century have to create students
of 21st century with soft skills.
• The 21st century teachers need teaching skills content
mastery as well as integrating teaching with technology. The
teacher development programs are much important. The
impact of good teaching is increasingly cited as a major
determinant of economic well-being of society. A useful &
productive system of teacher compensation function as an
important lever for attracting well-qualified and highly
motivated people to the teaching profession. The quality of
teachers determines the quality of education and linked with
nation’s development. With the emerging technologies, the
teaching-learning is transforming from teacher-centered,
lecture based to student-centered learning environment.
Characteristics of 21st Century Teachers
• Teachers of 21st century have to take in account the
needs of their students, prepare them to meet the
challenges of future. Teacher’s work is considered
complex and demanding. For creating a high quality
professional teaching force, it is important to have
high quality professional teacher’s development
program. The developmental program must
incorporate use of technology integration in teaching.
• Learner-Centered Classroom and Personalized
Instructions The days of spoon-feeding have ended
now, as students have access to any possible
information. It is desirable to give personalized
instructions to students as they differ in personalities,
goals, aims, needs etc. By allowing students to choose
on their own their intrinsic motivation increases and
make more efforts to learn on their own.
• Students as Producers These days students are treated
as digital natives and producers of any digital content.
Students are laced with recent and best tools,
although they seldom use it beyond communicating
with family & friends. Every student has expensive
devices which have capabilities to produce blogs,
infographics, tutorials. Students are still asked to
switch off these devices and work on handouts.
• Project-Based Learning These days’ students
conduct their research, contact experts,
create final projects and share all using
devices in hand. They only need guidance
from teachers. Students compare
information from different sources, give
feedback to peers, convey own ideas so on.
• Learn New Technologies The main requirement for
providing quality education is the integrating technology
with teaching to create learning environment which
fulfill the needs of a group of students. It is useful for
students to have own hand on experience. As
technology is developing day and night, learning a tool
once for all is not an option. The new Research on
Humanities and Social Sciences technology is new for
the beginners as well as experienced teachers.
•Go Global Today it is possible to have
first-hand experience of other
countries. By teaching students use
the tools in their hands to visit any
corner of this world, make us more
knowledgeable and sympathetic.
• Be Smart and Use Smart Phones Students are to be
encouraged to view their devices as worthy tools
which assist knowledge (not distraction). Teaching
students how to find answers they need and to be
independent. The benefit for teacher is the
personalization, and the freedom for students to
access resources. This often encourage individual
learning and allow students to choose what their own
suitable approaches.
• Blog. Blogging is one of the professional activities. The use of
blogs in educational setting produces several benefits. Blog
can be used as a platform to post homework, assignments,
projects, ask to help, share resources so on. As blogging is
purely a writing activity, but it requires reading, reading
more books, other blogs, articles so on. It also leads one’s
own professional development. The blogging promotes
critical and analytical thinking, increases access, social
interaction with others. “You don’t have to be great to start,
but you have to start to be great!” Zig Zagler
• Go Digital. Another important attribute is to go paperless.
Today’s students are deeply involved in the digital world.
Social networking, online games and tools as mobile
phones, iPods are everyday use of students. Very often
there is digital disconnect in learning environment. One
can organize teaching resources and activities on one’s
own website and Integration of technology take learning
experience to different levels. Sharing links & discussing
topics online. Teachers need to make a shift to become
mentors, coaches and even artists.
• Collaborate. Technology provides powerful new tools
to assist communication beyond classroom. It let
collaboration between students and teachers. To make
classroom activities resemble with real world by
creating digital resources, lectures, presentations, and
projects together with other teachers and students.
The teacher’s plays the role of a facilitator of
collaboration between local, national and global
communities.
• Use Twitter Chat. The most efficient and
cheapest way to arrange one’s own professional
development, share research and ideas is twitter
chat. It is one of the ways to stay updated with
current issues in the field. Going to conferences
is no longer the only way to meet others or build
professional learning networks.
• Connect. Teacher often talk about how
helpless they fell when it comes to reach
out to students. Technology allow us to
connect anyone, anywhere, anytime. It
connects with like-minded individuals.
Simply connect vis social media: follow, join,
ask.
• Build Positive Digital Footprint. Become proficient with
technology. Build a positive digital footprint. Living in this time
gives us an opportunity to contribute and share our unique
point of view. To maintain professional behavior both in class
and online helps in building positive digital footprint & describe
proper actions for students. Teachers guide students how to
use social media, how to produce, publish important content,
create sharable resources. The digital literacy is very often
defined as ‘literacy in the 21-century’. “A journey of a thousand
miles begins with a single step.” Lao-tzu
• Innovate. The main aim behind any innovation in
technology is to provide comfort, productivity and
better life. Teacher have to expand teaching toolbox
and try new applications example replacing textbooks
with web resources, teaching with social media.
Students love using Facebook for class discussions &
announcements. They appreciate new knowledge not
new tools. They love new, more interesting &
productive ways of using new applications.
• Keep Learning Day by day new ways and technologies keep emerging.
One has to adapt with new emerging technologies and learning them.
Teachers have a vital role to play. Thus, the former president, Dr. A.P.J
Abdul Kalam believes that teachers have tremendous responsibility in
shaping the life of an individual. The teacher is the backbone of
society. “The teacher shares the responsibility of reconstructing a
society. He acts as a social reformer. Quality teachers for quality
education and many events are taking place around the world to
promote that ideal from the grass roots on up to the highest levels of
government.” UNESCO
Changing Role of teachers in the 21st century

• For changing the globalizing world, the role of the teachers is essential
to improve the sustainable education. At the same time, inspiring and
guiding the students in increasing employability skills with the digital
tools is the prerequisite for a teacher. Thus a teacher in the twenty-first
century will be a digital teacher. Teachers are not the facilitator for
learning of the students only, and now they are responsible for training
the students for increasing employability skills, expanding the mind,
growing digital citizenships, critical thinking, and creativity as well as
sustainable learning. Thus, the winning of the students is the win of
the teachers.
1. A Planner for 21st Century Careers
American Philosopher Nancy Kassebaum?
If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of
tomorrow.
2. A Resource Provider
Don’t limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time.
— Rabindranath Tagore
3. A digital Instructor for Different Ways of Learning
4. Learning Facilitator
5. A Technology Lover for Learning
6. A digital Learner for the lifetime
Henry Ford. Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at
twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The
greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.
Thank you for listening!

May God bless us all!