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A Ten-Year Initiative in State/Local Collaboration that Brings Together Education and Human Services |
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THE POLICYMAKERS' PROGRAMThe Policymakers' Program, funded by the Danforth Foundation from 1993-2002, was designed to help state policymakers - governors, legislators, agency officials, and local community service providers - develop the leadership skills and tools needed to redesign health, social service, and education systems. The goal was to obtain better results for children, especially children who are most vulnerable, and their families.The program was a coordinated effort that included technical assistance for data collection, systems analysis, and strategic planning to help key state and community leaders assess needs. Participants received assistance in developing a comprehensive plan to improve academic and social outcomes for their state's children and families. Fifteen states - Alaska, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and Vermont - participated in the full range of activities offered through the Policymakers' Program since the program began in 1993. Evaluations show that the Policymakers' Program contributes to a state's ability to bring about change through activities such as the following:
These contributions have been very important but, by themselves, are not sufficient to transform fragmented and bureaucratic social systems into enterprises that help local communities improve the life chances of children. In piecing together the successes that have been achieved across participating states, it is increasingly evident that improvements occur community by community. They occur when people work together across service sectors in harmony with the local context. Effective state policies support collaborations across education, health, and social service sectors and support these efforts in local communities. Good policies also help local communities receive good information about student achievement and specific demographic conditions - and assist local citizens in developing, carrying out, and monitoring action plans based on this data.
This Web SiteThis web site contains a two volume report of the first five years of the Policymakers' Program and a single volume for the final five years. Volume I of the five-year report explains why and how the Policymakers' Program was created, how it operates, and lessons learned. The Executive Summary of Volume I, available in its entirety at this website, provides an orientation to the program. Volume II provides detailed information on how the program was implemented. It is accompanied by tools for those who might want to replicate it, including letters inviting participation, meeting agendas, and a variety of frameworks related to large-scale institutional change.The volume for the final five years provides an overview of major program accomplishments and lessons learned. It also includes reports on the work in two communities -- Barre, VT and Nashville, TN. The Microsoft® Internet Explorer® 6.0 browser, available free from the Microsoft website, was used to test this site. Navigate around the site by clicking on the buttons, tabs, and scrollbars. Use Internet Explorer for the highest fidelity.
Documents AvailableThe entire set of Policymakers' Program documents are downloadable as Adobe® Acrobat® PDF files from this site. To read these files, you will need the Adobe® Acrobat® reader, available free from Adobe®. Using the Acrobat Reader these files appear and print exactly as they do in the printed documents. The "Contents" button provides access to all the Policymakers' Program documents.
Further InformationFor additional information about the Policymakers' Program, contact one of the following:
Debbie Miller, Program Director
Robert Palaich
Julie Bell
Dane Linn
Robert Koff
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