Eric.ed.gov – Implementing Cross-Sector Collaboration through the District-Charter Collaborative: A Case Study of Promising Practices

District-Charter Partnerships (DCP) is an initiative that is part of the Equity and Excellence for All agenda established by Mayor De Blasio. Its goal is to support meaningful collaboration between the district and charter sector in order to increase educator capacity and student learning in all New York City public schools. The District-Charter Collaborative (DCC) is one of the principal programs under the DCP umbrella. Spearheaded by the NYC Department of Education’s (DOE) Office of School Design and Charter Partnerships and Office of Leadership, the program brings quads of schools (2 district and 2 charter) together to engage in structured collaboration through the creation of professional learning communities (PLCs). These PLCs aim to improve practice in one of the following Learning Focus Areas (LFAs): math instruction, supporting English Language Learners, restorative behavioral practices, and supporting students with disabilities. This case study highlights promising practices for one key element of DCC — interschool collaboration. To better understand how schools implemented interschool collaboration in DCC, researchers in the DOE’s Research and Policy Support Group engaged in a two-year qualitative investigation that involved observations of DCC activities; interviews with principals, teachers, and facilitators; and an analysis of artifacts from quads’ work.