CPS

Section I: Organization Information

Agency Mission: Talent abounds in every community; access to opportunity does not. Community Partnership school seeks to meet talent with opportunity by providing low-wealth, low-income families in North Central Philadelphia and beyond with an exceptional independent school alternative.

Name/Title of Contact: David Kasievich, Director of Development

Address: 1936 N Judson St, Philadelphia, PA 19121

Phone Number: 215 235 0461

Website: http://www.communitypartnershipschool.org/

Email: e.jones@cps-pk5.org

Total number of agency staff members: Full time: 16, Part time: 11

Agency Budget: 1.27 million

Section II: Community Need

Please state in measurable and quantifiable terms the specific community need that the Philly Fellow will address, including the number of people in the community directly affected by the problem.

The need for quality school alternatives in North Philadelphia, specifically in the Strawberry Mansion area in which our school is located, is great. 66% of adults in our zip code area do not have a high school diploma and 96% lack a bachelor’s degree. The average SAT verbal score for students attending neighborhood high schools is 300 points (out of 800). Additionally, just two years ago, more than 75% of the students in our neighborhood who did actually graduate from high school failed some portion of the annual standardized test administered state-wide that spring.

Describe how your agency addresses this need, and how the new capacity created by this fellow will help alleviate the problem.

CPS is an urban school offering low-wealth, low-income parents/guardians a high-quality, affordable elementary school alternative for their children. Creating high quality early childhood and elementary programming has become a cause celebre for many in our nation - educators, politicians, and regular everyday people alike. Now in our fourth year, and with double the budget and infrastructure with which we started, we face the challenge of expanding judiciously, depending heavily on grants and private donations, during a time of economic challenge in our city and nation as a whole. A Philly Fellow would work primarily with our administrative staff, particularly in the advancement area, helping us develop systems for broadening the reach of our reputation and nurturing our current pool of contributors.

Describe the level of community involvement in the fellow’s project.

In addition to serving as an invaluable member of our team, Fellows can expect to collaborate with CPS parents and guardians, students, Board members, volunteers, and vendors under the primary guidance of our Directors of Development and Enrollment.

Section III: Job Description

Please outline in list form the fellow's duties and responsibilities.

• Manage the school’s volunteer program
• Work in coordination with Development staff to train, place and track all CPS volunteers
• Work closely with the Directors of Development and Enrollment to develop, implement, sustain and oversee an effective communications program that advances the mission of the school including web based communication, strategic use of mass media, and collaborations with partner and peer institutions

Please outline in list form the skills/qualifications a fellow should have to succeed in the position.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to convey information clearly for varied audiences
• Strong organizational skills with ability to manage multiple priorities and projects simultaneously
• Highly skilled at appropriating web based/electronic tools and applications
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity and social justice

Please describe your agency's plan to orient and train the fellow.

The Fellow will spend his/her first three weeks on the job in training with the Development and Enrollment staffs prior to Labor Day. During the week leading up to Labor Day, the Fellow will participate in all orientation activities scheduled for new staff members, as well as regular pre-school faculty/staff meetings. After Labor Day, students return and the regular school-year, as well as the Fellows regular day-to-day tasks, will begin in earnest.

Section IV: Project Plan

Please describe the proposed project goal(s) you expect the fellow to achieve. These should relate to your community need and reflect the long-term impact of the fellow’s project.

- CPS will increase the number of weekly volunteers from 15 to 30 (50% increase)
- A short-term volunteer experience will be created and conducted for four corporations and four non-corporate groups (universities, non-profits, etc.)
- Four volunteer orientation programs will be organized, supported, and/or implemented - All CPS Students will be surveyed and data will be collected showing the impact of CPS volunteers. One final report will show the direct impact volunteers have on our students
- A Capstone Project: Philly Fellows will leave CPS with a plan for communications and volunteering for the following academic year

Section V: The Nitty Gritty

Will fellow be working at the same address listed above?

Yes

Please describe the fellow's work environment.

Fellow will have a shared office.
Fellow will share desk.
Fellow will share computer.

Please list the name and title of the fellow's immediate supervisor.

David Kasievich, Director of Development

Please approximate the percentage of time fellow will work:

Independently: 25%
As a team member in a group setting: 50%
As a team leader in a group setting: 25%

Travel:

Will the fellow be expected to travel as part of the position?

Yes

If so, how often and where?

Aside to and from work, the fellow will occasionally travel to specific special event sites.

Will the fellow need the following to carry out the position?

A driver’s license: No
Their own car: No

Section VI: Supervision/Resources

Please briefly describe plans for supervision of fellow:

The fellow will report directly to the Director of Development, while collaborating closely with the Director of Enrollment. The Directors of Development and Enrollment report directly to the Head of School and the fellow can expect regular contact with the Head of School.

What methods, information, or data will you use to evaluate the fellow’s success in their position and your agency’s success in meeting your community need?

• All staff members – Philly Fellow included in this case – are expected to participate in CPS’ Evaluation for Growth which begins with individual goal setting in the fall. Individual staff member goals are framed by institution-wide goals and on-going individual goals conversations are facilitated by the staff member’s direct supervisor.

• In order to assess, specifically, the Fellow’s role as Volunteer Coordinator, the Director of Development will request, in the spring, feedback from volunteers regarding the Fellow’s performance using an evaluation tool that is standard for CPS employees.