Closing the Achievement Gap: The Anatomy of Influence

by Tory Read

Jan 1, 2008

Looks at Casey's efforts to influence the education policy environment by gathering evidence of proven and promising practices, engaging target audiences, and delivering accessible messages. Profiles influence tools that have led to concrete results.
  • Successful Strategy: Recommendations made in reports that examine special education policy and practice have been incorporated into legislation.
  • Successful Strategy: Education Trust, a Casey grantee, trains parents to understand and use federal laws and student achievement data to advocate for quality public schools at the local level.
  • Successful Strategy: Four cities have improved teachers' union contracts.
  • Successful Strategy: With funding from Casey and others, a grantee has directly influenced charter law revisions in multiple states and has also developed recommendations to improve the charter provisions in the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
  • Observation: Building public will (e.g., mobilizing citizens to learn about and urge policymakers to take action on an issue) is an effective way to create pressure on public officials for change.
  • Observation: Getting people together to network, brainstorm, and share best practices via conferences, meetings, workshops, and trainings is another effective way to spread the message.
  • Observation: Face-to-face meetings are an essential component of any influence strategy. Serving on boards is one way to spread the message in person.
  • Observation: In politics, immediate imperatives shape decision-making. Give policymakers actionable ideas because they want to know what they can do right now.
  • Observation: Collaborate with other groups with overlapping interests.
Closing the Achievement Gap: The Anatomy of Influence

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  • Copyright 2008 Annie E. Casey Foundation.

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