How Does
Solid Foundation
Work?
Thank you for considering
Solid Foundation®
as your tool in building strong school
communities that support student success
Solid Foundation® is designed and developed by Academic Development Institute
Solid Foundation
A parent engagement process
within a web-based structure to
assess, plan, implement, and
monitor parent involvement at
the school level
Solid Foundation goes beyond compliance
Provides the School Improvement Team with a structured
process that increases parent involvement
Provides meaningful parent engagement goals and
activities that are linked to student achievement.
Assists schools in meeting all parent involvement
requirements of Title I and NCLB
Solid Foundation
Solid Foundation’s Cycle of Continuous Improvement
Assess
Implement
Plan
Solid Foundation
10 Efficient Steps to a Strong School Community
Assess
Step 1.
Hold Orientation Meeting
Step 2.
Complete School Information
Step 3.
Gather Key Documents
Step 4.
Complete Policy Analysis
Step 5.
Complete School Community Survey
Solid Foundation
10 Efficient Steps to a Strong School Community
Plan
Step 6.
Download Resource Manual
Step 7.
Create Needs Assessment
Step 8.
Create an Action Plan
Solid Foundation
10 Efficient Steps to a Strong School Community
Implement
Step 9.
Step 10.
Implement Action Plan
Monitor and Evaluate
Solid Foundation
Continuous cycle of continuous improvement
Re-assess
your progress
Plan
your revisions
Implement
the revised plan
Solid Foundation Delivers
Program monitoring at a glance
Solid Foundation
Features of the web based structure
Step by Step
Approach
Quality Resources
Self-Sustaining Methods
Flexible Options
External Partner (Support)
Site-Based Decision Making
Web-Based Monitoring
Solid Foundation Delivers
A two-year assessmentplanning-implementation cycle
for the School Improvement
Plan
Sample Time Line
Solid Foundation – Year 1
August 15
Complete
Orientation
Meeting
September 1
Complete School
Information
Form
June 1
Complete
Policy Analysis
Complete
School
Community
Survey
Complete
Needs
Assessment
Create
Action
Plan
Solid Foundation – Year 2
August 1
Implement
Action Plan
Aug –May
Implement and
Monitor Progress
September 1
Evaluate Progress and repeat
Solid Foundation process
How Solid Foundation Works
1. Partner Organization Enrolls in Solid Foundation
A Partner Organization can be a:
• School District
• Title I Director
• State Agency
• Regional Office of Education
• State System of Support
• Parent Information Resource Center (PIRC)
• Consultant
• Organization that agrees to receive Solid
Foundation training and work with the
designated school
How Solid Foundation Works
1. Partner Organization Enrolls in Solid Foundation
2. The External Partner is Enrolled & Trained
The External Partner is a
representative from the Partner
Organization that assists the school
team through the Solid Foundation
process.
How Solid Foundation Works
What assistance does the
External Partner Provide?
•
•
•
•
•
Orientation for the school team
Assists the team with assessment
and planning
Assists in developing the action plan
Builds capacity with training and
assistance
Monitors implementation progress
How Solid Foundation Works
1. Partner Organization Enrolls in Solid Foundation
2. The External Partner is Enrolled & Trained
3. External Partner Enrolls Participating Schools
Any school will benefit by using Solid Foundation’s
10 efficient and effective steps to building a strong
School Community.
If the Partner Organization is a state agency, the
agency might select schools “in need of
improvement” or Title 1 Schools.
How Solid Foundation Works
1. Partner Organization Enrolls in Solid Foundation
2. The External Partner is Enrolled & Trained
3. External Partner Enrolls Participating Schools
The School Principal
Directs the Process
The school principal, along with a schoolbased team, works with the External
Partner to implement Solid Foundation
strategies that increase parent
involvement.
How Solid Foundation Works
Who is the
School Team?
A school improvement team or other
team that includes the principal, teacher
representatives, parent representatives,
and parent facilitator.
Parents are an important part of this team.
Solid Foundation
• Recognized by the United States Department
of Education as a research-based parent
involvement tool.
•Designed, developed, and field-tested by
Academic Development Institute (ADI) in 18
states over 20 years.
•Effective in increasing academic achievement in
high-poverty schools.
“This is a valuable tool that should be
added to the toolbox of every school!”
Steve Fiechtner, Education Program Specialist
South Dakota Department of Education
Solid Foundation Offers
Three paths to meaningful parent engagement
Path 1
Your school team will conduct a
self-assessment, develop a plan, and
implement specific strategies that fit
your school’s purpose and plan
Solid Foundation Offers
Three paths to meaningful parent engagement
Path 2
Your School team will survey parents
and teachers (and students in high
schools), receive the resulting report
(School Community Index), conduct a
self assessment, develop a plan, and
implement specific strategies that fit
your school’s purpose and plan.
Solid Foundation Offers
Three paths to meaningful parent engagement
Path 3
Your school will implement the full Solid
Foundation comprehensive model over a two
year period guided by your site-based School
Community Council
“The most essential outcome of Solid Foundation is that it
creates or regenerates school ownership as a partnership
between the role players in the school and the home.”
John Cunningham, Title 1 Director
Alton, IL
We can help you to build strong school communities
within the schools you serve.
Denice Hildebrandt
Academic Development Institute
121 N. Kickapoo, Lincoln, IL 62656
1-800-759-1495 Ext. #10
[email protected]
Visit our websites for more resources:
http://www.families-schools.org
In Illinois
http://www.illinoisparents.org
View additional information
behind the Path tabs on the
websites:
Complete Program Description
Path 1 Booklet
Path 2 Booklet
Path 3 Booklet