Educating Community Through Partnership at Ball State University:

Exploring a university’s role in local schools

Gilbert Park, PhD

Ball State University

Overview

• History of Partnership• Board of Trustees• Academic Innovation Council (AIC)• Community Engagement Council (CEC)• Professional Development School

Liaisons• How to Get Involved

History of Partnership

• Mearns shared a radical plan

• Come May, General Assembly adopted legislation to grant BSU oversight of MCS

• July 2018, BSU & MCS partnership

Partnership Timeline:

2017

September 2017• BSU installed Geoffrey S. Mearns as the institution’s 17th

president.

• The Mearns/Proud Family Scholarship

• “Better Together” initiative and mentality

December 2017• The state placed the “distressed” Muncie Community

Schools (MCS) under direct, state-government control.

Partnership Timeline:

2018

May 2018

• Indiana General Assembly adopted IC 20-23-18, to authorize Ball State oversight of MCS & grant relief

July 2018

• Muncie Community Schools welcomed a new, seven-member Board of Trustees

• Ball State named Susana Rivera-Mills provost and executive vice president for academic affairs

May 2018

• Partnership raised $3 million in community support & it is now more than $4 million

August 2018

• Enrollment for the 2018-19 school year was 5,066 students

November 2018

• MCS welcomed Bradley DeRome as the district’s chief financial officer.

December 2018

• The board awarded MCS faculty and staff monetary stipends in recognition of their service and contributions to the district.

• Ball State empowered a group of passionate community members to head a Community Engagement Council (CEC

Partnership Timeline:

2019

January 2019• Ball State and MCS established the Joint BSU-MCS Academic

Innovation Council.

• “We Thank You Appreciation Luncheon” February 2019• The Academic Innovation Council established a national panel

April 2019• A team of Ball State faculty and students conducted a Strengths,

Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) assessment in the district.

May 2019

• “Dreams for Our Schools” community forumJune 2019• MCS held robust summer professional development for teachers and

staff

Partnership Timeline:

2019Cont.

July2019

• The MCS Board of Trustees appointed its first director of public education and CEO (superintendent) Lee Ann Kwiatkowski

• The board also voted to boost the starting salary

• Muncie native Charles “Chuck” Reynolds joined the MCS leadership team as associate superintendent

August 2019

• Ball State launched a streamline process

• MCS approved a new background check policy.

September 2019

• The MCS-Ball State partnership held a two-day Academic Innovation Summit

Partnership Timeline:

2020

May 2020• Created the Academic Innovation Plan web page

June 2020• MCS Strategic Plan and Academic Innovation and Financial

Viability Plan

Partnership Accomplishments

• Enrollment stabilizes• Philanthropic support• Teacher appreciation• Volunteer efforts• Academic Innovation Council

Board of TrusteesAppointment process

• Began May 2018 after approval from Gov. Holcomb

• BSU gathered applications from the public

• Finalists were introduced in at a forum in June

• BSU Board of Trustees selected 5 board members at MCS that President Mearns recommended

• President Mearns selected two other members recommended by the mayor & the Muncie City Counsel

Academic Innovation Council (AIC)

What does this group do?

• Engage and embrace the ideas of all stakeholders

• Develop strategies and wrap-around services

• Embolden Muncie Community Schools educators

• Sustain a user-friendly process

• Celebrate and share the transformative work

• Build community around and support for Muncie’s school system

Executive Leadership

Team(AIC)

GUIDES THE OVERALL CHARGE OF THE AIC

MEMBERS• Susana Rivera Mills, Ball State provost• Anand Marri, Dean of Teachers College and Professor of

Educational Studies

• Kendra Lowery, Assistant Dean for School Engagement and Assistant Professor, Educational Leadership

• Lee Ann Kwiatkowski, Director of Public Education and Chief Executive Officer

• Chuck Reynolds, Associate MCS Superintendent

• Jim Williams, chair of the MCS Board of Trustees

College Representatives

(AIC)

WORK WITH FACULTY & STAFF TO BRAINSTORM IDEAS, LEARN MORE, OR DISCUSS QUESTIONS

MEMBERS

• College of Communication, Information and Media – Kate Elliott, Lecturer of Journalism

• College of Health – Shannon Powers, Associate Teaching Professor of Kinesiology

• College of Fine Arts – Kevin Gerrity, Associate Professor of Music Education

• College of Sciences and Humanities – Bryan Byers, Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology; and Lynne Stallings, Associate Professor of English

• Miller College of Business – Kelsey Brasel, Assistant Professor of Accounting

• R. Wayne Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning – Jennifer Warrner, Associate Teaching Professor of Construction

• Teachers College – Ruth Jefferson, Associate Professor of Special Education

• University Libraries – Lisa Jarrell, Head of Educational Technology and Resources Collection

Professional Development

School Liaisons

Collaborate with schoolsPartnerships managed by Ball State’s Office of Teacher Education Services and Clinical Practice (OTES):

• East Washington Academy: Lynette Varner• Grissom Elementary School: Dixie Denton• Longfellow Elementary School: Eva Zygmunt

• Muncie Central High School: Cresta Hancock• Northside Middle School: David Roof• North View Elementary School: Rebecca Brown

• Southside Middle School: Erik Shaver• South View Elementary School: Angela Stefanski• West View Elementary School: Amy Leitze

AIC Accomplishments

in 1st Year:

• Stabilized enrollment,• Established a strong governance structure,

• Garnered more than $5 million in pledges and grants,• Launched new academic and enrichment programs and

services,• Strengthened relationships with community partners, and

• Enhanced professional development for MCS administrators, teachers, and staff.

• "It will take all of us to create a learning environment where our children can excel, not just academically but in all aspects of their physical and emotional well-being. There is much work to be done, but the level of engagement I have witnessed so far gives me confidence that MCS is ready to be a model of excellence locally, regionally, and nationally."

—Susana Rivera-Millshead of the Academic Innovation Council and provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Ball State

Community Engagement Council (CEC)

• Advocates for MCS• 3 Committees:

• Fundraising• Advocacy• Volunteerism

• Work alongside teachers, parents, & BSU to meet these goals

• Follow for more at: CEC Facebook

Professional Development School Liaisons

Oversee the Clinical Practice Network (CPN) for Ball State• teacher candidates

link theory & practice with high-quality clinical experiences and effective teacher educators

Schools & Liaisons

Work with faculty liaison who collaborates on field experiences Burris Laboratory School

EARLY LEARNING CENTERS

• Huffer Memorial Children’s Center (Liaison: Emily Hoffman)

• Mitchell Early Childhood and Family Center (Liaison: Seongmi Lim)

MUNCIE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

• East Washington Academy (Liaison: Lynette Varner)

• Grissom Elementary School (Liaison: Dixie Denton)

• Longfellow Elementary School (Liaison: Eva Zygmunt)

• Muncie Central High School (Liaison: Cresta Hancock)

• Northside Middle School (Liaison: David Roof)

• North View Elementary School (Liaison: Rebecca Brown)

• Southside Middle School (Liaison Erik Shaver)

• South View Elementary School (Liaison: Angela Stefanski)

• West View Elementary School (Liaison: Amy Leitze)

Partner Schools &

Organizations

• ALDINE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, ALDINE, TEXAS

ANDERSON COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

• Anderson High School

• Highland Middle School

CARMEL CLAY SCHOOLS

• Forest Dale Elementary

• Orchard Park Elementary

• COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION OF SOUTHERN HANCOCK COUNTY

COWAN COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

• Cowan Elementary

CUMNS KIDS

DALEVILLE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

• Daleville Elementary

EAST ALLEN COUNTY SCHOOLS

ELWOOD COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

• Elwood Intermediate School

HUNTINGTON COUNTY COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

• Roanoke Elementary School

MSD WAYNE TOWNSHIP

• Rhoades Elementary

ST. MARY AND POPE JOHN PAUL II SCHOOLS

• St. Mary Elementary School

• Pope John Paul II Middle School

SELECT INDIANAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

MINNETRISTA GATHERING PLACE

WES-DEL COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

• Wes-Del Elementary

Get Involved

• Enroll• Propose a project• Volunteer