Community Partnerships for Adult Learning
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Supported by the Office of Vocational and Adult Education
at the U.S. Department of Education
Commitment Comes in All Shapes and Sizes
Executive Summary
Introduction
The Community Partnerships
A Commitment to Learners and the Community
Strategies for Leveraging Resources
How Leveraging Resources Increases Capacity
Many Models, Many Partners
Issues For The Future
Conclusion
Endnotes
Appendix A: Partnership Nomination and Selection Process
Expert Panel
Nomination and Selection Process
Community Research
Site Visits
Appendix B: Partnership Highlights
Complete Report (PDF, 928kb)
Return to Summary

APPENDIX A: PARTNERSHIP NOMINATION AND SELECTION PROCESS
Nomination and Selection Process

The selection process for the twelve community partnerships to be featured on the C-PAL website involved extensive research on effective partnerships and potential nominees. This included:

  • A scan of the general literature on effective partnerships, not necessarily those involving adult education, since there is little research available with that specific focus.

  • Discussions with community-based education and community-based adult education experts about characteristics of successful community partnerships.

  • A discussion about effective community partnerships with C-PAL's expert panel.

  • Development of a set of nomination guidelines based upon the partnership literature and input from experts. These were reviewed by state directors of adult education, the C-PAL expert panel, and others who nominated communities.

  • Nomination of 70 community partnerships by OVAE staff, state directors of adult education, adult education researchers, practitioners, and organizations.

  • Review of the initial nominations by OVAE and others in the field of adult education. Some nominations were eliminated based on this review.

  • Research on each site through the Internet, e-mail, and telephone interviews.

  • Thirty of the most promising sites were asked to submit more detailed information about their partnership activities and results.

  • Eighteen of the 30 sites were recommended to OVAE, based on the guidelines and including different types of programs (ABE, ASE, EL, correctional education, family literacy, workplace literacy).

  • Selection by OVAE of 12 of these 18 nominees for site visits and written profiles.

In the nomination process, the quality of services provided to adults, evidence of positive effects on learners, and the size and location of the community were also considered. The goal was to identify a broad range of partnerships and communities whose promising practices would be of interest to adult educators and their partners around the country.