The document provides information about navigating relationships and partnerships with Chicago Public Schools (CPS). It discusses that each CPS school has at least one designated Site Coordinator who acts as the main point of contact for community partners and helps coordinate programs at the school. It also outlines best practices for building relationships with school staff, maintaining professionalism, designing effective programming, and using assessment to improve services for students.

1. NAVIGATING CPS

2. CIS of Chicago Site Coordinators
Who serves as a direct contact when communicating and scheduling services with
schools?
Navigating the nation’s third-largest school system can be a challenge for even the most
sophisticated and well-intentioned service providers. Fortunately, CIS of Chicao is expert at
forging productive working relationships between schools and community partners. At each of
our 125 school partners, there is at least one designated Site Coordinator. This full-time school
faculty member is responsible for accessing and coordinating needed programs, evaluating the
effectiveness of programs, and reporting back to CIS of Chicao on school needs and
partnership connections. Site Coordinators are typically social workers, guidance counselors,
assistant principals, and lead literacy teachers. Communication with Site Coordinators and
other necessary school personnel are critical to effectively coordinating school-based
programming and will help you build long-term relationships with a range of external partners.
Some important things to discuss with Site Coordinators:
● Program referral details
● School interests
● Program and plan logistics
● Opportunities to meet school staff members and introduce your organization
● Appropriate consent forms needed, when necessary
● Assessment and follow up plans
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3. Best Practices for School-Based Delivery
• CIS of Chicago has more than twenty five years of experience helping schools and
community organizations develop dynamic partnerships. During this time we have
learned many important lessons about how agencies can increase the impact of their
work with students, parents and teachers. It is our pleasure to share many of these
insights with you.
• Of course, your organization may already engage in many of the best practices
discussed in this document. Our goal, therefore, is to recognize the efficacy of
practices you already implement, as well as introduce new ideas that will further
enhance the strength of your work in schools across Chicago.
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4. Building Relationships
Strong relationships with school personnel (including the principal, assistant principal, site
coordinator, social worker, teachers and office staff) are important and often critical to the success of
school and community partnerships. School faculty can provide valuable perspective regarding school
priorities, challenges and strengths.
● Become familiar with school community by meeting with administrators and staff. Request a
recent school newsletter or other school publications.
● Utilize time spent in the main office to observe interactions between administrators, staff,
students and parents, and to engage office staff in conversation.
● Clearly communicate the goals of your program to relevant school staff.
● Broaden interactions with faculty to better understand school needs and priorities. Offer to
attend a faculty meeting to introduce yourself, the agency and the program.
● Explore ways of making meaningful connections between the goals of your program and the
goals of the school(s) you serve.
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5. Professionalism
Children are impressionable so it is important to project a professional image when working with
them. A high level of professionalism can assist the relationship-building process. Key ingredients of
professionalism, such as follow-up and follow-through, are crucial to creating trust with a school.
● Confirm the presentation one to two days prior.
● Arrive at least ten minutes prior to a scheduled presentation time.
● Maintain consistent communication with school staff.
● Project a professional image with business casual attire and appropriate language during a
presentation.
● Be prepared to share program and topic area information with the school community.
● Be prepared to share organizational information if asked (e.g., newsletters, annual reports,
brochures, business cards).
● Wear agency name badge and, if possible, agency attire to identify yourself with the agency.
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6. Curriculum Design and Delivery
The design and delivery of school-based educational programs can have an impact on their
effectiveness. Students will benefit more from programs if certain considerations are taken into
account.
● Communicate goals and expectations to students at the beginning of a presentation, clearly
stating learning objectives.
● Customize instruction to different learning styles and abilities through differentiated
instruction (e.g., the inclusion of audio-visual aids, group discussion formats or learning
manipulatives).
● Assess student learning throughout the presentation, restating key concepts and reframing
ideas.
● Integrate participatory learning opportunities in the session to help students more deeply
understand new concepts and relate them to their lives.
● Conclude by revisiting the objectives to informally gauge comprehension.
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7. Common Core Learning Standards
The new Common Core State Standards establish clear expectations for what students should learn in
English language arts and mathematics at each grade level. The standards are high, clear, and uniform
to ensure that students are prepared for success in college and the workforce.
By emphasizing depth over breadth, the Common Core ensures that students have comprehensive
understanding of key concepts. Illinois adopted the Common Core in 2010 and teachers and
administrators across the state are fully implementing the new standards during the 2013-14 school
year.
● Develop programs in consideration of Common Core learning standards and communicate the
programs’ relationship to those standards.
● Look to the CCLS for guidance on curriculum content in order to make the program
appropriate for different age groups.
● In preparation for school-based outreach programs, communicate with the relevant classroom
teacher to determine ways to tie the presentation to what the students are currently learning.
● Create opportunities for teachers to integrate your program or service into their own
curriculum (e.g., worksheets to extend student learning after a program has ended).
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8. Cultural Relevance
Cultural relevance is a key aspect in ensuring a program is a good match for the school. Programs
should be respectful of cultural diversity and a school’s demographic background in order to be
effective.
● In preparation for a program, discuss the various cultures present in a school with school
personnel in order to make any necessary programmatic modifications.
● When appropriate, acknowledge the diverse make-up of a student audience, referencing
factors such as race, economics, gender, immigration status, sexual orientation or disability
status.
● Provide relevant examples of culturally diverse individuals.
● Modify material and/or presentation, when possible, with regard to the demographics of your
audience.
● Accommodate English language learners by including an interpreter, providing visual aids
and allowing extra time for discussion.
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9. Assessment
Assessment helps to identify the impact of a program or service. Effective assessment tools and
methods help agencies and schools to determine what aspects of a program worked well and which
should be targeted for improvement.
● Develop assessments that provide easy-to-understand quantitative and qualitative feedback.
Incorporate surveys, observations and anecdotes.
● Share assessment results with the school administration, classroom teacher and CCIS.
Request time to review the results with school personnel (e.g., principal, teachers, Local
School Council).
● Discuss successes and challenges from both the school and agency perspectives.
● Utilize assessment data from schools to customize programming and improve future service
delivery at the school.
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10. Who’s Who In the Schools
Before presenting your program, it’s a good idea to know the lay of the land at your
typical Chicago public school. Who are the key decision makers that will help your
program be successful? With whom should you consider touching base to get a better
understanding of the students, parents and teachers you’ll be serving? Use this Who’s
Who guide as a starting point for learning more about some of the important people
who make every Chicago public school function each day.
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11. School Administration
Principal: Principals are schools’ key decision makers. Most Chicago public schools
elect their principals via a local school council (see LSC, below). Principals are
typically the instructional leaders at their school, making key decisions about things like
curriculum, lesson plans, and school scheduling. They are also responsible for hiring
teachers, overseeing the school budget and making other key decisions that impact the
overall academic program of the school.
Assistant Principal: Most elementary schools have one assistant principal. High
Schools can have as many as three. Assistant principals handle a range of
responsibilities. They are often a school’s primary disciplinarian. They may also
evaluate teacher performance, distribute text books, and oversee much of the daily
functioning of a school, particularly when the principal is out of the building.
School Secretary/Clerk : Most schools have a number of people who work in the
office; however, there is usually one lead secretary who acts as the gate keeper to the
principal. Make a good impression on this key office staff member, and you may find
that your phone messages are promptly returned and that your requests for setting up a
meeting with the principal are fulfilled.
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12. Support Staff
Case Manager (CM): Case managers’ main responsibility is to coordinate a range of services for
special education students. In particular, case managers must assemble a team of support staff
members (e.g., social workers, nurses, psychologists) to evaluate students for initial placement in
special education. With the help of the full support team, case managers also conduct annual re-
evaluations of students already receiving special education services. Some schools have one staff
member who works exclusively as case manager; other schools combine the CM role with other
designated school positions, such as guidance counselor or social worker.
School Counselor: Most schools have at least one counselor; large high schools may have multiple
counselors to work with students in different grade levels. Elementary school counselors perform a
wide range of tasks. They may create a school’s master course schedule and plan and implement
school-wide standardized testing schedules.
They also may handle the enrollment or transfer of students, update student records, and in some
cases, serve as the school’s case manager. Providing actual counseling services to students may or
may not be a significant part of their job. High school counselors share many of the job responsibilities
of their elementary school counterparts. However, they also tend to provide more one-on-one
counseling for students, as well as advise them about college and career opportunities.
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13. Support Staff
Nurse: The majority of nurses in CPS work at two or three different schools throughout the year; a small
number are assigned to work every day at one school. Whether part-time or full-time staff members, school
nurses’ primary responsibility is to ensure that all students have updated physical examinations, dental
check-ups and immunizations.
Nurses also help evaluate students for participation in special education programs, as well as administer
basic first-aid to sick/injured children during the course of the school day.
Social Worker: Like nurses, social workers often serve two or three schools. A few are assigned to work
at one school. Regardless, social workers are responsible for supporting the social and emotional wellbeing
of students and their families. Social workers may work individually with students, conduct support groups
with multiple children, or provide counseling for entire families. When necessary, social workers also
provide crisis intervention for students, families and teachers. As part of the school support team, social
workers often are included in the special education evaluation process.
School Psychologist: School psychologists play a major role in the special education evaluation process.
For each new student recommended for admittance to special education, psychologists administer a series
of cognitive and behavioral tests. The results of these tests, combined with input from other support staff
members, determine whether students qualify for special education services. Most school psychologists,
particularly at the elementary school level, serve a number of schools in a particular area of the city.
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14. Academic Leaders
Department Chairperson (DC): As the name suggests, a department chair leads a team of school
staff members who work in a particular academic, counseling or vocational discipline. For example, a
high school might have one English teacher serve as DC for a 15-teacher English department. Duties
performed by this chairperson might include reviewing teachers’ lesson plans, mentoring new
teachers, coordinating curriculum and learning objectives across grade levels, and developing
interdisciplinary learning units. Many high schools are organized by departments and as such have
multiple DCs. The same is true for some large elementary schools.
Lead Teachers (LT): Lead teachers are similar to department chairpersons in that they plan
curriculum and support teachers on a grade level-wide or even school-wide scope. However, unlike
department chairs, who usually lead a particular academic or vocational subject area, lead teachers, do
not necessarily have a particular curricular focus. A veteran sixth grade teacher, for instance, might be
the LT for a group of fellow sixth grade teachers. On the other hand, some high schools designate lead
teachers to direct an entire small school within the larger building. Lead teachers are found in both
high school and elementary school settings.
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15. Other Key Staff
Physical Education/Health Teacher: Students at many Chicago public schools have physical
education (PE) once a week. It is not unusual for PE teachers to instruct all of a school’s students
during the course of a school year. At some schools, students engage in physical activity and learn
about various health topics during PE class. As part of the health curriculum at some schools, PE
teachers also teach students about a range of safety and prevention education topics, such as violence
prevention, substance abuse awareness and understanding eating disorders.
School Community Representative (SCR): The SCR is usually a resident of the local school
community – a parent or grand parent of a current student, a neighborhood activist, alum of the school
– who serves as a liaison between the school staff and the surrounding neighborhood.
School/Community Reps often focus on helping schools increase parent involvement. They may lead
monthly parent meetings, contact parents to obtain consent forms for students to participate in
upcoming field trips or medical services, serve as point persons for sharing information about local
resources, and represent the views of parents in formal school planning processes.
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16. Special Teams
Local School Council (LSC): Local School Councils function as the site-based management team for
most CPS schools. Their primary responsibility is to select the school’s principal, renew the
principal’s contract, approve the School Improvement Plan for Advancing Academic Achievement
and approving the school’s budget for the school year. Elementary school LSCs are comprised of the
principal, along with representatives for parents, students and community members. High schools add
an additional student representative.
School-based Problem Solving Team (SPST): Each school has a SPST. The role of the team, which
is usually comprised of school administrators, social workers, teachers and other members of the
support staff (see above), is to design and implement innovative interventions for academically
struggling students. The interventions and strategies designed by the team are meant as an alternative
measure to initiating the special education referral process. The SPST’s focus on developing creative,
flexible plans for promoting student achievement make it a potential venue for agencies to target their
student support services.
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