Coalition Development Services

A state's decision to establish a mathematics, science, and technology (MSTE) coalition is followed by an initial period of development that lasts about two years. During this period, core leadership of the coalition must both (a) take actions to implement an agenda with a long-term objective of affecting education policy and (b) attend to the formal establishment of a nonprofit organization. Actions must be carefully selected and executed in order to establish the coalition's sense of purpose, productivity, and legitimacy. Development of a formal organizational structure, including a strategic plan for achieving the coalition's mission, is necessary to sustain the coalition through political cycles and changes in the organization's leadership.

Services during this period are designed to help keep the coalition focused on systemic change - on improving the system and not just one or more of its parts. Systemic change is a model of educational renewal that is characterized by continuous, coordinated improvement of all of twelve basic components of a system of MSTE: coherent education policy, content standards, assessment standards, alignment of K-12 and higher education, teacher preparation, teacher professional development and evaluation, school leadership, instructional materials, equitable learning opportunities, public understanding and engagement, system accountability, and broad-based state leadership.

Actions that have proved effective in helping a coalition's diverse business-education-policy leadership base to work through this "period of adjustment" include, but are not restricted to, some combination of the following.

• Assist coalition leaders in assessing the strength of the current policies, programs, and projects in improving twelve basic components of the state's system of MSTE.
• Help leaders to create a long-term strategic plan that encompasses all components of the state's system of MSTE and focuses on improved education policy.
• Engage leaders in aligning existing resources with the strategic plan.
• Help create short-term plans to address "neglected" components of the system.
• Assist leaders plan outcomes-focused meetings both to build the organization's formal structure and to implement its strategic plan.
• Broker design and execution of leadership seminars linked to the coalition's strategic plan.
• Provide materials and organizational contacts to assist in organizational development and formal establishment as a nonprofit.
• Broker assistance by the leaders of established state coalitions.
• Broker links with state affiliates of national organizations interested in improving MSTE.
• Supply information on public and private funding resources.
• Represent the state coalition before national funders.
• Assist in developing techniques for documenting and assessing the coalition's progress.
• Review coalition products and strategies.
• Provide on-line and teleconference conferencing on coalition-defined issues.

These services are provided by NASSMC staff, by members of existing state coalitions, and by representatives of organizations that are partnering with NASSMC. They have been financed through a combination of federal agencies, private foundations, and state sources.