Partnership Model
Michigan’s Partnership Model of school reform was launched in the spring of 2017 to support the state’s lowest-performing schools and school districts. The Partnership Model focuses on building capacity to improve student outcomes by asking districts to carefully assess their own needs and challenges and then develop context-specific solutions in collaboration with a coalition of partners from the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), intermediate school districts, and local communities.
MDE has partnered with the Education Policy Innovation Collaborative (EPIC) at Michigan State University (MSU) to inform MDE and other state and local policymakers about the implementation and efficacy of the Partnership Model and the ways that the model can be improved to continue to serve Michigan’s students, families and educators.
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Reports: Partnership Model
The Education Policy Innovation Collaborative publishes reports on a rolling basis for our partners.
Student Attendance and Well-Being in Round 4 Partnership Districts
This report is to provides a baseline assessment of student attendance and well-being in Partnership districts and schools during the 2022-23 school year, as well as highlight the approaches educators in those districts and schools were taking to address challenges in those areas
In The Media: Partnership Model
Education Policy Innovation Collaborative’s Partnership Model research features in the media.
State education model helped low-performing schools weather pandemic
New research from Michigan State University’s Education Policy Innovation Collaborative, or EPIC, found that Michigan’s Partnership Model of School and District Turnaround appeared to be improving student achievement prior to the pandemic and may have helped to shield students in Partnership schools from some of the pandemic’s harmful academic effects.
Policy Briefs: Partnership Model
The Education Policy Innovation Collaborative publishes Policy Briefs on a rolling basis in conjunction with our partners.
Human Capital in Michigan’s Partnership Schools and Other Low-Performing Schools During the COVID-19 Pandemic
This policy brief examines teacher turnover and recruitment in Michigan’s Partnership schools and districts and other low-performing schools in the state during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Working Papers: Partnership Model
The Education Policy Innovation Collaborative publishes Working Papers on a rolling basis in conjunction with our partners.
The Role of School Climate in School Turnaround
In this working paper, we examine the extent to which elements of school climate may have contributed to the effects of a turnaround intervention in Michigan.
What’s Happening Around the Partnership Model
Student Attendance and Well-Being in Round 4 Partnership Districts
This report is to provides a baseline assessment of student attendance and well-being in Partnership districts and schools during the 2022-23 school year, as well as highlight the approaches educators in those districts and schools were taking to address challenges in those areas
The Infrastructure for Instructional Improvement in Round 4 Partnership Districts
This report offers major findings on the nature and enactment of educational infrastructure in Partnership districts and schools during the 2022-23 school year. These districts and schools were identified in November 2022—the fourth round of the Partnership Model—and wrote their Partnership Agreements throughout the remainder of the school year.
Human Capital Challenges in Round 4 Partnership Districts
The purpose of this report is to establish a baseline on the state of human capital in Round 4 of Partnership districts and schools during the year they were identified (2022-23).
Student Enrollment in the First Two Cohorts of Partnership Schools
In this report, we examine enrollment in the first two cohorts of Partnership schools and districts relative to other schools statewide over a 10-year period from prior to the COVID-19 pandemic through fall 2022. We study these trends overall and for the youngest students, who reached school age during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Partnership Model Presentations
EPIC Faculty Director Presents Year Four Findings to State Board of Education
EPIC Director, Katharine Strunk, presented findings from EPIC’s fourth annual Partnership Turnaround Report to member of Michigan’s State Board of Education.
Third Year Evidence from Partnership Model
This is the presentation for the third of four annual reports by EPIC as part of our multi-year evaluation of the implementation and efficacy of Michigan’s Partnership Model of school and district turnaround.
EPIC Director Presents Report Findings to MAISA
Katharine Strunk, Faculty Director of EPIC, presents findings from their Partnership Year Two report to MAISA including how the Partnership Model is affecting student outcomes, schools, and districts, the various challenges that persist, and mediating factors critical to successful turnarounds.
Second Year Evidence from Partnership Model
This is the presentation for the second of four annual reports by EPIC as part of our multi-year evaluation of the implementation and efficacy of Michigan’s Partnership Model of school and district turnaround.
EPIC Presentation: Partnership Turnaround – IPPSR Public Policy Forum
Panelists from the MDE and EPIC share their first year findings on Michigan’s ambitious, multi-layered program to keep low performing schools operating and improving. Researchers found encouraging progress and raised questions about the future.