BEST Practice #3:
Internal/External Relationships

Optimal Internal/External Relationships

A school community that has positive relationships and good communication has the best chance for improving student academic performance. Developing and maintaining relationships with parents, municipalities, business partners, and non-profit organizations leads to motivated staff and students, creates opportunities to celebrate student and employee success, and brings the community together.

BEST Practice #3 Resources:

Parent Resources:

http://academics.browardschools.com/HeadStart-Services/Parent-Information

The BEST Blueprint & AdvancED Accreditation Standards Correlation:

Standard 1 - Purpose and Direction:

By increasing internal and external relationships, BCPS ensures the communications of the district’s purpose and direction to those within the system as well as to the community at large. The BEST blueprint is a roadmap of four best practices that emphasizes the district’s culture of shared values and beliefs about teaching and learning to students, staff and the community.

Standard 2 - Governance and Leadership:

To ensure a responsive educational system, human resource, community engagement, and instructional policies and practices are designed, implemented and maintained to ensure that the leadership at all levels are autonomous and able to meet goals for student achievement and instruction.  Through ongoing training, professional development and community outreach, internal and external relationships are strengthened to ensure effective and successful daily operations within schools and the communities they serve, as well as across the district.

Standard 3 - Teaching and Assessing for Learning:

Internal and external relationships are consistently examined through parent surveys, town hall and zone meetings, parent nights and through the involvement of district staff in various committees within our community.  Schools consistently engage families in meaningful ways in their children’s education and keep them informed of their children’s learning progress through newsletters, daily agendas, student progress notes, parent links and conferences.

Standard 4 - Resources and Support Systems:

By increasing internal and external relationships, BCPS ensures the effective communication of the district’s purpose and direction to those within the system as well as to the community at large. The district works diligently to ensure that resources are available and are managed effectively to maintain safe and clean facilities, and to provide a healthy environment for students, staff and community members.  As part of the BEST Blueprint, district employees will continue to communicate and demonstrate a commitment to student achievement through: ongoing dialogue within and amongst schools; long-range planning that includes community input and outreach; and engagement for parents and community stakeholders.

Standard 5 - Using Results for Continuous Improvement:

Through enhanced internal and external relationships, the district is able to gather and monitor comprehensive information about student learning and school performance.  Through PLC’s, and the RtI process qualitative and quantitative data are collected, analyzed and communicated internally and externally to ensure a cohesive and systematic process for meeting student, staff and community needs.