Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Many localities in the United States are attempting to improve outcomes for children and youth through place-based collaborations among school districts, private schools and charter schools, early childhood education providers, higher education, general purpose government, businesses, philanthropy, and social services agencies. These efforts build from two ideas – the value of public-private partnerships and the importance of wraparound support services for children and youth – that have enjoyed periodic attention in the past but typically have not had staying power beyond a few years. Several contextual and design factors suggest that the current cycle of cross-sector collaborations may manage longer-than-expected sustainability; these factors include more consensus around the need for locally-developed, population level solutions to systematic educational disparities, more guidance and support from national networks, and improved use of data for continuous improvement. On the other hand, threats to sustainability include fatigue and weariness of the effort it takes to collaborate, as well as political conflict and the unavailability of resources to support collaboration.

In this paper, we present the results of case studies of eight cross-sector collaborations (in Providence, RI, Buffalo, NY, Nashville, TN, Savannah, GA, Milwaukee, WI, Minneapolis, MN, Oakland, CA, and Portland, OR). The case studies are based on data gathered by research teams who made 1-2 extended visits to each site and conducted program observations and over 275 interviews with participants and stakeholders.

Findings suggest that cautious optimism about the viability of collaboration may be warranted. The implementation of programmatic interventions appears to be a long-term developmental process, probably requiring more time than the usual window of opportunity social programs are given for making an impact. These initiatives reflect fragile partnerships that may implode from the logistical or political weight they carry; on the other hand, they also show promise of serving as a productive and trustworthy venue that is an alternative to past toxic dynamics and that can protect local actors and organizations from some of the rough bumps of downward cycles of politics, conflict, and disinvestment.

While some evidence of legitimation and institutionalization appears to be emerging, however, most collaborations face very tenuous fiscal environments that could threaten their viability. Moreover, while these collaborations offer supplements to traditional educational resources and programs, they are not substitutes for the necessary elements of adequate educational services. If cross-sector collaborations are expected to compensate for the inadequacies of local base education funding, they are likely to suffer the same fate as in prior eras: a burst of hopeful energy followed by disappointment and disinvestment. We conclude the paper with suggestions about financing and cost effectiveness of future cross-sector collaborations.