The driving premise behind this Annenberg funded report is this: Districts need help in meeting the student achievement goals now being established by state and federal policies. This study emerged out of the Annenberg Institute's National Task Force on the Future of Urban Districts, which is seeking to help create "smart districts," which "incorporate some of the functions of a traditional district, eliminate others, and involve a much wider spectrum of community members, organizations, and agencies than is typically the case now." According to "Reforming Relationships," school districts realize they need the help on a range of public, quasi-public, private for-profit, and nonprofit organizations, which are lumped together as reform support organizations (RSOs). The study focuses on five partnerships between districts and RSOs in Flint, Michigan; Durham; Kansas City; Hamilton County (Chattanooga) Tennessee, and Cleveland. These case studies show how both community based organizations and national foundations partner with urban school districts to affect real change. Outside organizations can play an important role in getting reforms started, but according to the authors, sustained reform "is primarily a local endeavor that involves district persistence, local capacity, and adequate resources." It also requires a superintendent who can provide the vision and fortitude to stay the course despite resistance. There is much to study in this report; check it out for yourself by surfing to http://www.schoolcommunities.org/images/RR.pdf.
