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keywords:

Collaboration, Community Engagement, Trauma-
Responsive, Partnership, Whole Child  

 
abstract
Two different community-engaged groups in 
Indianapolis, Indiana, recommended trauma-responsive 
school communities to address barriers to student 
learning. Before merging their work, both groups 
represented collaborations of university academics; 
K-12 educators; dental, mental, and basic health 
providers; service organizations; youth development 
specialists; and public school parents. The conclusions 
from the collective work were clear: address the social/ 
emotional and mental health, trauma and violence, 
chronic absenteeism, and social media distractions 
of students or fail to impact learning and youth 
development success. Central to the conclusions was the 
collaborative nature of the community-engaged studies, 
input from the field, survey respondent discussions, and 
analysis of the findings. A culminating report, Closing 
the Gap between School & Community Partnerships: 
An assessment of schools in Indianapolis, recommends 
adopting whole-child approaches, strength-based family 
engagement, community school models, and increased 
public school funding to address the barriers identified 

from survey responses of 354 educators throughout 
the city of Indianapolis. This paper focuses on how the 
collaborative, community-engaged process led to the 
report findings, lessons learned, recommendations, and 
next steps.

 
introduction
Two different groups studying how poor health 
outcomes and related factors can serve as a barrier to 
learning in Indianapolis recognized an opportunity to 
share data and collaboratively identify recommendations 
for action to close the gap between schools and 
community resources. A university-facilitated 
group studied health factors for five distinct school 
communities on the Indianapolis Near-Westside, 
while the other community organization-led group 
surveyed hundreds of educators throughout the city to 
see what their schools needed to help address barriers 
to learning. Both groups identified social, emotional, 
mental health, trauma, and related chronic absenteeism 
as root cause preventing optimal learning conditions 
for children and families of the Indiana state capital. 
Once the two groups merged, they shared findings, 
data, and discovery, setting out together to deepen their 
understanding of the information through collaborative 
analysis, community-based discussion, and targeted 
informant interviews. By sharing expertise, resources, 

Closing the Gap between Schools and 
Community: University/Community 
Collaboration Addresses Identified 
Barriers to Student Learning 

Author
KATE ROELECKE,  MPH, CHW, CYC-P, Director of Strategy and Operations, Marion County Commission on Youth 
JIM GRIM,  MA, Director of University/Community School Partnerships, Office of Community Engagement, IUPUI 
SILVIA GARCIA,  PhD, Director of Research and Assessment, Office of Community Engagement, IUPUI 

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and community access, their collaborative study guided 
research-based recommendations for change.   
 
The Marion County Commission on Youth, Inc. 
(MCCOY) brought survey responses from 354 
educators throughout the city to the collaboration. 
At the same time, the Indiana University Purdue 
University Indianapolis (IUPUI) team from Family, 
School, and Neighborhood Engagement in the campus 
Office of Community Engagement provided research 
data analysis and recommendation considerations, 
experienced community discussion facilitation, and 
established deep school/community relationships. The 
collaboration between the two groups strengthened the 
work beyond the earlier separate endeavors.   
 
In this article, we define the two partnerships, how their 
eventual collaboration strengthened the study, and share 
the results. We conclude with the recommendations for 
change. 

 
the two partnerships 
In August 2019, two partnerships that worked to 
understand and bring attention to the health needs 
of youth in Marion County began collaborating to 

summarize the results of their findings and jointly 
recommend solutions to the issues found in their 
respective assessments. The following sections describe 
the two partnerships – MCCOY’s Education Action 
Team and the Culture of Health Leadership Team 
facilitated by IUPUI – and their work before joining 
forces. Figure 1 below shows the collaboration timeline 
and this article's organization. 

 
mccoy’s education action team  
MCCOY is Central Indiana’s primary youth-focused 
intermediary organization, championing the positive 
development of youth through leadership on key issues 
and support for the youth worker community. Since 
2009, MCCOY has convened the Early Intervention 
Planning Council (EIPC), a group of diverse 
stakeholders and community leaders appointed by the 
City-County Council, the Indianapolis Mayor’s Office, 
and other relevant agencies. The overarching goal of the 
EIPC is to reduce the number of children entering the 
Marion County child welfare and juvenile legal systems 
by improving the coordination of and access to youth 
programs and resources. The Education Action Team 
is a subset of the EIPC formed in 2017 to support the 
education of school leadership and staff on prevention 

Figure 1  
Partnership Timeline

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and early intervention protective factors, trauma-
informed care, and cultural competency. Individuals on 
the action team represent multiple local school districts 
(MSD Warren Township, MSD Lawrence Township, 
MSD Decatur Township, Indianapolis Public Schools, 
the Mayor’s Office of Education Innovation), IUPUI, 
and multiple community organizations (the Marion 
County Public Health Department, Communities In 
Schools of Indiana, Peace Learning Center, and Jameson 
Camp among them). The team meets monthly to review 
progress and act on various projects to impact the 
education system and positive youth development. In 
2019, after successfully facilitating poverty simulations 
for school and community partners, the team determined 
that an assessment of school needs would be necessary 
to identify the most appropriate steps to move forward.  

 
culture of health leadership 
team 
As one of five communities across the country 
participating in a Culture of Health Project with the 
Coalition for Community Schools and the Robert 
Wood Johnson Foundation, IUPUI’s Culture of Health 
Leadership Team was formed in 2017 by Family, 
School, and Neighborhood Engagement in the Office 
of Community Engagement at IUPUI. The Culture of 
Health project provided a framework to refocus attention 
on the health of youth, families, and neighbors of the 
Indianapolis Near-Westside school communities in a 
then-federally funded full-service community schools 
initiative through the Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center. 
It also studied how area partners and service providers 
deliver health promotion and disease prevention 
opportunities, particularly the university health-focused 
schools near the target neighborhoods.   
 
The collective study began in March 2017 by 
forming a leadership team of invested health-related 
representatives from across the city, totaling about 50 
individuals. Nearly half of them were from the health 
schools on IUPUI’s campus, including the Indiana 

University Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, 
Social Work, Education, Health and Human Sciences, 
and Optometry. The leadership team also included 
representatives of IPS, Peace Learning Center, Eskenazi 
Health, Marion County Public Health Department, 
Shalom Health Services, IUPUI Center for Service and 
Learning, Office of Community Engagement, Mary 
Rigg Neighborhood Center, MCCOY, and area parents.  
 
The leadership team focused on the communities of IPS 
participating in the Near-Westside Community Schools 
Initiative: Stephen Foster School 67, William Penn 
School 49, Matchbook Learning at Wendell Phillips 
School 63, Daniel Webster School 46, and George 
Washington High School. Early on, the team determined 
it should adopt the terms “wellness” and “wellbeing,” a 
nuance that helped drive the quest to determine where 
efforts might best address the state of health in the area. 
The team met every other month to devise strategies 
to address an Action Plan collectively developed at 
a two-day retreat early on in Washington D.C., with 
representatives of the Coalition for Community Schools 
and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to foster safe 
and supportive learning environments to strengthen 
social, physical, and emotional wellbeing for all school 
community members.  
 
how the partnerships 
approached their studies 
Before the merger, both groups collected data to 
inform their actions. Between 2017 and 2019, the 
Culture of Health Leadership Team held discussions 
with professional medical informants, including the 
Chief Medical Officer of Eskenazi Hospital, the county 
hospital on campus. In 2019, the leadership team also 
launched a Health Survey for Families. Meanwhile, 
MCCOY’s Education Action Team launched an 
online survey of school personnel throughout the city. 
Following, we describe the methodology used by each 
partnership.

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the culture of health 
leadership team health survey 
for families  
Conversations about the Health Survey for Families 
started in 2018 when one of the group members reported 
the results of a survey with health input by families of 
Stephen Foster School 67. By January 2019, one of 
the leadership team members, an independent family 
engagement consultant, said she wanted to survey 
families again about health and solicited assistance 
in updating the questionnaire. The Culture of Health 
Leadership Team and Near-Westside Community 
Schools collectively developed the survey for families. 
The paper survey was administered to families at three 
of the five school sites: William Penn School 49, Daniel 
Webster School 46, and Matchbook Learning at Wendell 
Phillips School 63.   
 
Parents completed 80 surveys, 30 at Matchbook 
Learning, 31 at William Penn, and 19 at Daniel Webster. 
The survey collected information about health and 
safety issues in the neighborhood, the use of medical 
care facilities in the neighborhood, transportation 
to medical care facilities, primary health and safety 
concerns about children, and community resources used 
in the previous month.

mccoy’s education action team 
online survey for school 
personnel 
The Education Action Team at MCCOY developed a 
strategy to identify the needs of school personnel to 
provide targeted programming and capacity building 
to meet youth needs. The assessment began with an 
online survey released in April 2019 targeting schools 
in Marion County and nearby suburbs to identify 
challenges and seek feedback about the resources and 
support schools need.   
 
K-12 teachers, administrators, and support staff from 
MSD Decatur Township, MSD Warren Township, and 

Indianapolis Public Schools participated in the survey. 
The surveyed population also included charter, private, 
and suburban schools. In total, 354 responses were 
collected and distributed as follows: Decatur (201), 
Warren (81), IPS (26), and the remaining (46) were from 
charter, private, and suburban schools.   
 
The survey covered topics affecting students and their 
behaviors, practices, and programs in schools, barriers 
to learning, needed resources, and the value of school/
community relationships in addressing the identified 
challenges. While the short-term intent of the survey 
was to identify collaborative actions the team could 
initially carry out to support school personnel through 
professional development opportunities, the results 
identified needed long-term systems changes that could 
improve student outcomes and support school personnel 
through the education process. 

results obtained by each 
partnership  

the culture of health 
leadership team health survey 
results 
Participants in the Health Survey for Families were 
asked to select the option that concerned them the 
most about their children’s health and safety. The three 
highest priorities were crime in the neighborhood, 
bullying, and the need for mental health counseling. 
Other essential concerns identified the need for healthier 
food access, the lack of activities for youth to do in the 
summer, and the need for a mentor or other positive 
adult in each child’s life. Another question in the survey 
asked about the top three health and safety concerns 
that could be better in the neighborhood. Bullying was 
mentioned with significant frequency.  

 
In addition to the survey results, multiple professional 
health informant presentations and interviews helped 

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the Leadership Team determine that trauma-responsive 
school communities could best address the barriers to 
health and student learning. The team discussed the 
findings with representatives of each of the five school 
communities — just before merging the work with 
MCCOY because of similar assessment findings and to 
reach a greater geographic area.    
 
Along the study journey, the team determined some key 
lessons: 

  • Public health is complex, 

  • Cultural norms are difficult to change, and 

  • Trauma is a root cause of most of the health issues for 
youth and families of the Indianapolis Near-Westside. 
 
Subsequent action focused on: 1) the development of 
trauma-responsive school communities and 2) onsite 
healthcare access for students in the one school without 
it, Daniel Webster School 46. Addressing the social/
emotional needs of students and their families is an 
emerging interprofessional response to trauma that is 
exasperated by high rates of crime, drug abuse, and 
related negative family outcomes demonstrated by 
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) findings both 
here and throughout the country (Medina et al., 2020). 

mccoy’s education action team 
needs assessment results 
MCCOY’s survey respondents identified five key issues 
impacting student success: social-emotional health, 
chronic absenteeism, trauma and violence, social media 
and internet use, and mental health (Marion County 
Commission on Youth [MCCOY], 2021). While not 
the only challenges facing students, survey respondents 
identified these issues the most. In addition, statistical 
analysis found significant differences in responses 
depending on the roles of respondents within the 
schools (teachers, support staff, or administrators) and 
the types of schools respondents worked at (charter, 
Indianapolis Public Schools, private, suburban schools 

outside Marion County, or townships) (MCCOY, 
2021). Respondents were also asked to identify 
resulting behaviors from these issues (such as substance 
use, fighting, aggressive behavior, or absenteeism), 
finding significant differences based on the type of 
school (township, suburban, private, or charter). 
Survey respondents also listed the types of policies, 
practices, or programs they implement in their school 
to address these and other related issues and identified 
the additional resources needed for students, families, 
teachers, and administrators. When asked about the 
barrier to accessing these resources, the most frequent 
response was lack of funding or financial limitations 
(MCCOY, 2021).  

 the collaboration 
Conversations about the two groups collaborating 
started in August 2019 after one of the Culture of Health 
Leadership Team members representing MCCOY 
presented the preliminary results of MCCOY’s 
assessment survey. The survey conducted by MCCOY 
drew similar conclusions as the Health Survey for 
Families and the leadership team conversations and 
studies around the main issues affecting youth health, 
such as mental health, trauma, social/emotional 
learning, and chronic absenteeism. The Culture of 
Health Leadership Team merged with the Education 
Action Team in early 2020 to continue the study, based 
on the shared focus on social/ emotional learning, 
mental health, chronic absenteeism, and creating 
trauma-responsive school communities. A strong 
collective of partners from different sectors formed as 
a result. Members of the Culture of Health Leadership 
Team collaborated with MCCOY’s Education 
Action Team (with representatives of multiple school 
districts throughout the city, mental health providers, 
Communities In Schools of Indiana, and other vested 
partnering organizations) to take a broader perspective 
beyond the Near-Westside of Indianapolis and explore 
the more expansive approach to collectively address  
 

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the social and emotional needs of students and families 
throughout Marion County.   
 
Once survey results were analyzed, the Education 
Action Team collaborated with IUPUI’s Office of 
Community Engagement to plan three community 
conversations with MSD of Decatur Township, MSD 
of Warren Township, and Indianapolis Public Schools. 
Participants featured teachers, administrators, and 
support staff, including guidance counselors and social 
workers. The conversations aimed to identify ways 
of strengthening the connection between school and 
community resources, professional development, and 
programs that address barriers to student success. 
Data also identified what school personnel wished for 
students – or what they wanted to see as a future result 
of education.   
 
Unfortunately, the community assessment process was 
interrupted by the onset of the public health emergency 
related to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. 
However, in April 2020, the team conducted three 
virtual key informant interviews via Zoom to dive 
deeper into key findings.   
 
Key informant interviews with a K-8 school principal, 
township administrator, and school-based mental health 
provider gave deeper perspectives into the experiences 
of the primary population of the assessment, especially 
as it relates to the community partnership that could 
facilitate systems-level solutions to address root causes 
of these issues. Findings that emerged from the key 
informant interviews suggested that programs and 
services implementing a case management model may 
struggle with the capacity to meet the needs of every 
student and family at the school while also operating 
under a completely different business model (such as 
Medicare reimbursement) than the school. Schools 
also struggle to engage families with external partners, 
highlighting the critical role trust and strengths-based 
practices play in supporting students and their families 
(MCCOY, 2021). Each interviewee was asked to share 

the single most impactful action we could collectively 
take to support students, and each shared the same 
answer: family engagement and support. Ironically, 
the most basic way of supporting a family may be 
connecting families to the resources and services they 
need most. However, this seems to be where schools 
lack the greatest capacity due to structural barriers 
that make it difficult for schools to maintain effective 
partnerships with community programs and services.   
 
When survey data was shared in November and 
December 2019 with community conversation 
participants of the three school districts, most said that 
the data reflected what they saw within their schools. 
In each conversation, participants shared they wanted 
more training and professional development to support 
students and address secondary trauma that teachers 
experience. Trauma-informed professional development 
and resources were emphasized, specifically regarding 
mental and social/emotional health. However, while 
popular, professional development may not be the most 
effective solution because of the complex and systemic 
nature of the challenges – something that participants 
recognized through community conversations. 
Participants acknowledged that schools attempted 
to address the symptoms of the issues rather than 

implement systemic strategies to address root causes. 
In the community conversations to identify potential 
solutions, environmental and policy strategies were 

A significant focus of the 
community conversations was 

trust as an integral part of engaging 
with students and their families. Research 

indicates that interactions promoting trust 
and self-regulation between students and 

teachers may mitigate the effects of poverty 
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identified mainly for chronic absenteeism, trauma, 
and violence but less so for strictly mental and social/
emotional health. A significant focus of the community 
conversations was trust as an integral part of engaging 
with students and their families. Research indicates that 
interactions promoting trust and self-regulation between 
students and teachers may mitigate the effects of poverty 
and other environmental influences (Adams & Forsyth, 
2013). Students in high-trust learning environments 
perceive more control over their learning (Tschanned-
Moran & Hoy, 2000).  

  
 
 

Note: The culminating report by the collaborating 
group with the Marion County Commission on Youth 
link:  https://mccoyouth.org/closingthegap/ 
 
A collective culminating report with MCCOY, Closing 
the Gap between School & Community Partnerships: 

An assessment of schools in Indianapolis, outlined the 
assessment process, key findings, and recommendations 
to create stronger connections between schools and 
community resources that support student success. 

 
agenda for change 
Throughout the assessment, we contemplated how the 
challenges were interwoven and systemic. A thorough 
literature review of the five key issues identified – 
social and emotional health, chronic absenteeism, 
trauma and violence, social media and the internet, and 
mental health – highlights critical data, and research 
findings point to the complexity of each issue and the 
overlapping systems and risk factors that impact them 
(MCCOY, 2021). While many schools implement 
programs to impact critical youth development and 
education issues, the approaches can only be sustained 
if key personnel, resources, and funding are available. 
Skill-building programs must be components of multi-
level approaches implemented at every level of the 
education process (Slade & Griffith, 2013).   
 
Based on the findings, the assessment report structures 
recommendations around the socioecological framework 
to influence various levels of change within the 
educational system – from individual behavior and 
attitude changes to modifying the interactions between 
schools’ staff, students, and families, and finally, 
changes to the social and physical environments and 
policies. The recommendations called for schools to 
adopt a whole child, strength-based approach and the 
community school model, supported by increased 
investment in public education.   
 
The whole-child approach positively impacts students’ 
individual experiences and development. The approach 
is integrated throughout various levels of the education 
system (curriculum and instruction, school climate 
and structures, professional development, and student 
learning) to “influence long-term success rather than 
short-term achievement” among students (Association 

Figure 2 
Collective Final Report 

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for Supervision and Curriculum Development [ASCD], 
n.d.). Specifically, solutions and strategies are driven 
by indicators to track outcomes ensuring students are 
healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and academically 
challenged (ASCD, 2012).   
 
Family engagement was emphasized throughout the 
community conversations and prioritized as a critical 
action amongst the key informants we interviewed for 
our assessment. Research links family engagement to 
better student behavior, higher academic achievement, 
and enhanced social skills (Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention [CDC], 2018). However, trust 
is essential to effective family engagement, and our 
team identified strength-based approaches as effective 
strategies for improving trust between school personnel 
and families. Based on research from the Search 
Institute’s framework for developing relationships, a 
strength-based approach to family engagement includes 
acknowledging family strengths and assets, respecting 
and learning from differences, and authentically sharing 
in decision-making (Early Childhood Learning and 

Knowledge Center, 2022). Strength-based approaches 
improve the relationships between school personnel and 
families, which may positively impact engagement with 
community partners offering necessary resources and 
services.   
 
The Community School Model applies the whole-child 
approach at a whole-school, whole-community level. 
Within this model, schools, families, and communities 
work together to support student academic success, 
positive youth development, strengthen families, and 
improve communities (Lubell, 2011). Community 
services and resources are coordinated, integrated, 
and delivered through the facilitation of a Community 
School Coordinator. At the same time, Community 
School Councils engage families and community 
partners to develop a shared vision and supported 
pathways for student success (Medina, 2020). This 
collective framework establishes schools as resource 
hubs within the community to achieve better student, 
family, and neighborhood outcomes (Potapchuk, 2013). 

The Marion County Public Health Department Smilemobile Provides Dental Care for Students at Indianapolis Pub-
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Each of the recommendations will only be sustained 
if an increased investment in public education exists. 
During the 2017-2018 school year, Indiana ranked 
47th in average per-pupil funding and 34th in average 
teacher salary nationwide (National Education 

Association, 2019). Our assessment identified the 
systemic and interwoven challenges resulting from 
decades of financial disinvestment – challenges 
teachers and other school personnel must navigate 
daily. Moreover, public education underfunding is not 

equitably distributed, sustaining the systemic racist 
practice of segregation within our education systems 
(EdBuild, 2019). To equitably impact student outcomes 
and academic success at the systems level, we must 
advocate for revised public education funding systems 
and historical increases in investment from our local, 
state, and federal policymakers.

from research to action 
The success of the assessment and subsequent report 
has inspired the expanded Education Action Team to 
continue collaborating on multiple projects to further the 
report recommendations. Next, we discuss the initiatives 
being implemented in part by this foundational 
collaboration.  

Strength-based approaches 
improve the relationships between 

school personnel and families, which may 
positively impact engagement with com-

munity partners offering necessary resources 
and services. 

Wayne Township Fire Department Personnel Discuss 
Fire Safety with Students of Matchbook Learning at 
Wendell Phillips School #63, A Model Community 
School in Indianapolis  

During the 2017-2018 school 
year, Indiana ranked 47th in av-

erage per-pupil funding and 34th in 
average teacher salary nationwide (Na-

tional Education Association, 2019). Our as-
sessment identified the systemic and inter-

woven challenges resulting from decades of 
financial disinvestment – challenges teachers 

and other school personnel must navigate daily. 
Moreover, public education underfunding is not 
equitably distributed, sustaining the systemic 
racist practice of segregation within our educa-
tion systems (EdBuild, 2019). 

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school-based community 
health worker pilot project 
In 2020, MCCOY and IUPUI began conversations 
with a participating K-8 school principal within 
Indianapolis Public Schools about addressing chronic 
absenteeism exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. 
Together, they successfully submitted multiple 
proposals —Title II funding by the Indiana Criminal 
Justice Institute beginning in January 2021, Title 
V funding by the Indiana Department of Health in 
October 2021-September 2023 — to pilot a school-
based community health worker (CHW) program in 
the school to reduce chronic absenteeism by engaging 
families and connecting them to community resources 
and services. This is one of the most ambitious projects 
to date resulting from our Closing the Gap assessment, 
as we continue to develop and evaluate the program 
to show the critical importance of school/community 
partnerships. This initiative involves several West Indy 
neighborhood partners, including Eli Lilly & Company, 
West Indy Development Corporation, West Indy Public 
Library Branch, West Morris Street Church, Gleaners 
Food Bank, Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center, and 
Ingredion Corporation.  

closing the gap case studies 
While the assessment we completed centered on the 
needs of schools, we identified significant strengths and 
assets throughout the assessment process. The Education 
Action Team is developing case studies of effective 
school/community partnerships to remain strengths-
based. Examples include implementing in-school mental 
health services, a district-supported family resource 
center, access to university optometry and dental 
services, Communities in Schools of Indiana, and a two-
generation approach by an Early Childhood Education 
Center. The case studies will highlight innovative ways 
schools partner with community services and inspire 
other communities to develop partnerships.  Case studies 
will be published on MCCOY's website dedicated to 

the Closing the Gap initiative. Printouts will be shared 
at relevant events and shared digitally with schools and 
relevant community partners when appropriate. 

closing the gap community 
conversations 
In addition to the case studies, the Education Action 
Team has secured funding to hold additional community 
conversations to continue the Closing the Gap initiative. 
We are still working the details out but plan to do four 
community conversations focused on the four key 
recommendations of the support. Stipends are being 
provided to support family and youth participation, and 
a local consultant has been contracted to support this 
effort. The goal is to identify actions that individuals, 
communities, and schools can take to implement the 
recommendations of the report further. The additional 
community conversations will focus on the assessment 
findings and recommendations designed to result in 
further clear action steps and projects that various 
community partners can take to improve the connections 
between Marion County schools and community 
services and resources. The community conversations 
will culminate in a symposium, bringing together 
partners and experts to identify innovative solutions 
to the complex challenges identified throughout the 
assessment.  

addressing chronic 
absenteeism through systems 
change 
Chronic absenteeism is a symptom of some of the 
root causes we identified as challenges through our 
assessment (mental health, trauma, violence, and social/
emotional health). Yet, it is a symptom that has garnered 
significant attention in the post-pandemic education 
arena. MCCOY has convened a new workgroup of 
community stakeholders, with representation from 
the Indiana Department of Child Services, Marion 
County Prosecutor’s Office, Juvenile Probation, and 

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public schools, to identify ways of shifting the multiple 
systems addressing attendance from punitive to more 
restorative paradigms and practices.

lessons learned for effective 
collaborations 
Community-based partnerships are critical to building 
a community’s capacity to improve outcomes through 
community building and empowerment (Doyle et al., 
2019). Strategies for partnership development include 
community-based goals, strength-focused discussions, 
shared power, realistic expectations, and celebrating 
accomplishments (Chaskin et al., 2001; Glanz et 
al., 2015; Minkler, 2012). Additionally, it is helpful 
for researchers and community partners to establish 
shared operations practices and decision-making styles 
to overcome divides in organizational/professional 

cultures (Bstieler et al., 2017). Once combined with the 
Culture of Health group, the Education Action Team 
developed practices aligned with the research-based 
strategies to continue effectively collaborating beyond 
the assessment project. Most importantly, the identified 
critical ingredient to the collaborative process is trust.  

community-based goals: 
working together to build 
community capacity 
Developing shared definitions of issues, collectively 
searching for information, and collaborating to select 
and implement solutions are critical activities of 
community-building partnerships (Cox, 2000). Neither 
MCCOY’s Education Action Team nor IUPUI’s 
Culture of Health Leadership Team established goals 
in isolation. Instead, when the directions of their two 

Note: Drs. Barbara Maxwell and April Newton of the Indiana University School of Medicine (center) with Kate 
Roelecke of the Marion County Commission on Youth (right) assist students at the Indianapolis Public School 
Daniel Webster #46 Family Back-to-School Bash. Such engagement helps families to increase student attendance 
with a Community Health worker through the Marion County Commission on Youth's collaboration with Indiana 
University Purdue University Indianapolis.  

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separate projects began to overlap, the groups leveraged 
existing relationships to merge their efforts. The trust-
building amongst university and community partners 
is strengthened through reciprocal communication 
(i.e., consistent, timely, and adequate communication) 
(Bstieler et al., 2017). The Education Action Team 
and University partners frequently corresponded 
through various channels, including email, phone 
calls, and virtual- and in-person meetings. Partners felt 
comfortable asking clarifying questions and checking in 
frequently to move project activities along.  

strength-focused 
discussions: leveraging 
expertise and talent 
While our efforts centered around the needs 
assessments, the group intentionally collected data on 
existing strengths, assets, and resources of schools and 
community partners. This helped to identify potential 
leverage points for future collaboration. In discussing 
future action steps based on the assessment results, the 
group launched a series of case studies showcasing 
promising and effective school/community partnerships, 
highlighting the strengths of our communities rather 
than the deficits. Additionally, the team not only 
centered on identifying the strengths of the communities 
we were assessing, but we also leveraged the strengths 
and skills of the group, leaning on the expertise that 
partners brought to the table. Specifically, IUPUI shared 
the expertise of researchers to help analyze data and 
well-established school/community relationships, while 
school partners shared their expertise in school settings, 
adding to the space and time to hold community 
conversations mutually facilitated by IUPUI and 
MCCOY personnel. MCCOY coordinated efforts over 
the assessment study to keep the project on track and 
ensure that various community sectors were engaged 
throughout the process.  

shared power: data and 
information exchange 
This assessment would not have been successful 
without partners sharing power, specifically through 
their access to data and information. Multiple school 
partners shared survey tools to aid in the development 
of the initial online survey used in the assessment. 
Demographic data was readily available through the 
Indiana Department of Education website and database 
Insight Indiana. However, the informal information 
sharing during our monthly meetings opened doors of 
opportunity and unearthed key insights, guiding the 

assessment process and informing the development of 
our key recommendations. The conversations developed 
trust and a shared understanding of respect for the 
information provided, resulting in shared ownership of 
the process and the assessment findings.  

realistic expectations: 
navigating a global pandemic  
This project cannot be discussed without acknowledging 
the effects of the COVID-19 public health emergency 
(PHE) that brought the world to a standstill on March 
13, 2020. The Education Action Team had set goals and 
a timeline for completing the data collection phase of the 
assessment that was instantly interrupted by the onset 
of the global pandemic. As schools closed and much of 
the U.S. workforce sheltered at home, MCCOY staff and 
Education Action Team partners had to navigate how 
to work virtually from home – most for the first time. 
Practices and expectations had to change considering 

This assessment would not 
have been successful without part-

ners sharing power, specifically through 
their access to data and information. 



this PHE reality, resulting in overcoming challenges 
and finding improvements and hidden successes in the 
process. Key informant interviews were completed 
via Zoom, for example, making it easier to record and 
transcribe the interviews for analysis. Report writing 
was aided by the slowed-down nature of working 
through the pandemic. A significant amount of grace 
was afforded to MCCOY staff in the report-writing, 
perhaps driven by everyone’s adjusted reality due to our 
shared ongoing experience of the pandemic.   
 
The Education Action Team discussed how the overall 
assessment findings may or may not be impacted by 
the pandemic-driven school closures and interruption 
to the education system. The group concluded that 
while our assessment data was collected prior to 
pandemic closures and the challenges we identified 
were “pre-COVID,” the pandemic would exacerbate 
the challenges. Indeed, secondary data collected after 
schools returned, in most cases, to a full calendar year 
in 2021-2022 point to the same challenges being present 
in schools, but at more significant degrees (Middleton, 
2020; Curriculum Associates, 2021; Dorn et al., 2021; 
Indiana Department of Education, 2021). Chronic 
absenteeism is a prime example.  
 
One of the participants suggested next steps include a 
deep dive into absenteeism, which is often a symptom of 
a much larger set of struggles for families. The current 
attendance laws are outdated and do not accurately 
reflect the reality of the situation. It is frustrating for 
educators not to have real support for students and 
families in this area. Additionally, it could help to have 
easier access to services for students and families. When 
there are such services, it usually is either difficult to 
access them or the school is unaware of them.  

 
 
 
 

celebrating accomplishments: 
reflections and ‘what’s next’ 
conversations 
Reflecting on the assessment process and the success 
of the collaboration, one of the most significant factors 
identified by the authors was our sense of shared 
purpose and the mutual joy cultivated through this work. 
That joy and purpose continue through affirmation, 
validation, and celebration – whether through kind 
words and congratulations shared in an email, checking 
in on a personal level during meetings, or reflecting on 
our shared success by presenting together at a national 
conference (and simply enjoying attending a conference 
in-person). MCCOY, in convening several groups of 
community partners on various issues over its 30-year 
history, has learned that when groups succeed, no matter 
how large or small the endeavor, the efforts typically 
result in a “what’s next” conversation. Recognizing 
success and celebrating even the smallest of victories 
lets community partners know that their time and efforts 
lead to results, and the results have an impact. This 
builds momentum for the next project or initiative, 
enabling groups to scale their efforts.  

the magic ingredient to 
effective collaborations 
While not an original discovery, one significant 
finding deserves repeating: trust is the identified magic 
ingredient in collaboration at its best. Indeed, “through 
trust, information may become available that would 
otherwise be overlooked or not forthcoming, partners 
may choose to provide free information for which they 
would otherwise charge, and the sharing of information 
may eliminate duplication in collection and analysis” 
(Cox, 2000). The trust between the partnerships in this 
study supported data and information sharing, shared 
goals, resources, and expertise, and the ongoing culture 
of sincere mutual respect.

 

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54ENGAGE!  |  st u d e n t  vo i c e s 

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