Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of using the collaborative assessment framework to assess and inform collaborative strategy development to address environmental threats to academic achievement. It first established a statistical relationship between external factors (i.e., crime and poverty) and academic achievement. It then examined current strategies designed to mitigate these threats and identified factors to inform ideal collaborative strategies. It accomplished this through the development and use of an analytic framework—the collaborative assessment framework—that includes five factors (contemplation, conversation, criteria, capacity, and consent). Theoretical Framework. This research examined participant perspectives on current and ideal strategies through the theoretical lenses of the collaborative assessment framework. The framework was developed from several theories related to institutionalism, organizational design, organizational culture, strategy development, and democratic and collaborative governance. Methodology. This qualitative, embedded single case study examined the feasibility of the collaborative assessment framework to assess and inform collaborative strategy development in a large school district in Southern California. A survey instrument was used to determine participant perspectives on threats to academic achievement and to identify existing strategies to mitigate these threats. Interviews of 19 participants from the school district and city and county governmental organizations elicited perspectives on current strategies and ideal strategies to mitigate threats to academic achievement. Findings. The collaborative assessment framework revealed current strategies are characterized by limited conceptions of the problems, isolated silo-based perspectives, passive responses, operational inefficiencies, and administrative inaction in the legislative, political, and social realms. The framework elicited the following factors needed for ideal strategy development: proper research to develop a detailed understanding of complex problems, robust communication with public and private stakeholders, proactive searches for people in need, mechanisms to facilitate collective action, public influence in strategy development and implementation, organizational adjustments to facilitate collaboration, and active participation in legislative, political, and social processes. Conclusions. This study adds to the body of knowledge by creating and examining a new framework for collaborative strategy assessment and development (i.e., the collaborative assessment framework). It also establishes a statistical link between environmental factors (i.e., crime and poverty) and educational outcomes.