NEA Foundation Supports Closing the Achievement Gaps Research in Connecticut

On September 9, 2008, the NEA Foundation announced its partnership with the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education to fund and run the research component of the Connecticut Alliance for CommPACT Schools, a collaboration of six state educational organizations to help the state’s most challenged public schools close the achievement gaps, by placing educators at the center of reform. 

On that day, nine bi-partisan legislative leaders, including Senate President Pro Tempore Donald Williams, Jr. and Speaker of the House James A. Amann, stood with the NEA Foundation and its partners in front of a packed news conference at the Connecticut state capitol building to publicly endorse this work.  The Foundation’s $250,000 grant was matched by $700,000 in funding from the Connecticut state government and the University of Connecticut. 

Since then, the NEA Foundation, the Neag team, and their local and state partners have been providing extensive support within and across the CommPACT network through research, assessments, and professional development for teachers. Researchers will design and implement a five-year evaluation of the CommPACT initiative with the ultimate goal of applying both state and nationwide what is learned about closing the achievement gaps in districts serving high percentages of low-income and minority students.

The CommPACT Schools initiative is a groundbreaking approach to improving high-need urban schools. A CommPACT school is an existing public school reorganized by teachers and administrators to increase organizational responsiveness and to maximize shared decision-making and collaboration in service of expanded student learning and a reduced achievement gap.   To be considered for acceptance as a CommPACT site, 90 percent of the school’s staff must agree to become a CommPACT School, and school administrators, superintendents, and the local union representatives must agree to support the school. 

The name "CommPACT" symbolizes a shared commitment by key school partners including community members, parents, administrators, children, and teachers.

Designation as a CommPACT School means that district leadership and union membership can provide school faculties increased flexibility on issues of governance, budgeting and curriculum so that school communities can implement evidenced-based and context-specific decisions to increase student achievement. And each CommPACT school receives technical service from Neag School faculty. 

At the close of the 2009 academic year, despite only being a nine months into the CommPACT Initiative, advancements are beginning to emerge. Several of the eight schools have forged new and innovative relationships with their district offices and local unions, allowing them to implement strategies directly aligned with the learning needs of their students. 

School communities have engaged in rigorous analyses of their strengths and limitations, ultimately identifying a small number of high-leverage areas of focus.  Each of the CommPACT Schools has begun to implement improvement strategies, programs and practices that are supported by research.  In addition, the University of Connecticut has begun to infuse these schools with resources, from student interns to research supported literacy models.  One of the most impressive changes to date is the unprecedented improvement of parent and community engagement the schools are beginning to experience. 

The CommPACT Schools initiative will provide further evidence of the NEA Foundation’s central working hypothesis that significant change can occur through a strong collaborative relationship among the teachers’ association, the school district, and community partners.  By funding the evaluation of this work, the NEA Foundation hopes to assure that the lessons learned through practice and research will be shared with schools throughout Connecticut and that local efforts can inform state policy.

Click here to view videos of educators who are participating in the program.