Partners in Student Success

The Alliance for Public Schools partners with school districts to align student leadership development, family engagement programming, and community support with district priorities. Our work is designed to be practical, sustainable, and deeply connected to the needs of students and families.

Student Leadership Development

The Alliance supports districts in building authentic student leadership systems that inform decision-making and strengthen implementation of district initiatives.

In partnership with districts, we provide:

  • Design and facilitation of student advisory councils aligned to district goals.
  • Leadership development for student representatives serving in district-level and cross-school roles.
  • Data literacy training so students can interpret and communicate trends in attendance, behavior, academic achievement, and school climate.
  • Structures for two-way communication between district leadership and schools.

Through these systems, student leaders share school-level insights with district leadership, bring district priorities back to their campuses, and participate in convenings that build leadership capacity and connection across schools.

Building Community Support

The Alliance helps districts strengthen community partnerships and advocacy efforts that support public schools and advance student success.

This work includes:

  • Convening community partners, educators, students, and district leaders around shared priorities.
  • Supporting advocacy efforts on behalf of public schools, including local funding initiatives.
  • Engaging with state and national legislative efforts aligned to student success, equity, and strong public education systems.
  • Connecting community voices and resources to district goals in intentional and coordinated ways.

Building Community Support

The Alliance helps districts strengthen community partnerships and advocacy efforts that support public schools and advance student success.

This work includes:

  • Convening community partners, educators, students, and district leaders around shared priorities.
  • Supporting advocacy efforts on behalf of public schools, including local funding initiatives.
  • Engaging with state and national legislative efforts aligned to student success, equity, and strong public education systems.
  • Connecting community voices and resources to district goals in intentional and coordinated ways.

Family Engagement Programming

Families are essential partners in student academic success. The Alliance works with districts to design and implement family engagement programming that builds trust, increases access to information, and strengthens family capacity to support learning.

District partnerships may include:

  • Family education sessions focused on academic success, attendance, and student well-being.
  • Opportunities for families to engage directly with district priorities and school-based initiatives.
  • Support aligning district human and financial resources to better meet the needs of families.

Alliance-supported family engagement moves beyond communication toward shared responsibility for student outcomes.

Our Impact

“I have been inspired by my collaboration with the Alliance, beginning with our involvement in the National GradNation Campaign to raise high school graduation rates. This effort has yielded tremendous success in our district, with Hillsborough County Public Schools recently posting an 90.9 percent graduation rate-a more than 20-point increase over the duration of our student leadership efforts. While this achievement reflects the collective efforts of our schools and community, I know that the support of APS student leaders was integral to this success.”

Van Ayres, Superintendent – Hillsborough County Schools, Florida

“The event reinforced that when adults genuinely listen, students rise to the moment with insight, responsibility, and a strong sense of purpose.”

Stephanie Moore, Student Success Coach – Brandon High School

“The Alliance’s longstanding work with families brought clarity and direction to our efforts—allowing us to align both people and funding to more effectively support families and improve student academic outcomes.”

Dr. Shana Rafalski, Former Chief of Staff – Clark County School District, Nevada.

“I learned that being a leader doesn’t mean having all the answers—it means listening, asking for help, and working with others to make change happen.”

Avery S., Student Leader, Green Valley High School- Clark County, Nevada