The HS Alliance developed a partner matrix in 2002 in order to more critically examine both the individual and collective efforts of HS Alliance partners. The intent was not to evaluate any organization or its individual efforts, but to provide an overview and a preliminary analysis of common practices and focus areas in secondary school reform that may help guide the objectives and activities of the HS Alliance.

Each HS Alliance partner describes a commitment to three overarching goals:

• fostering high achievement,
• closing the achievement gap, and
• promoting the civic and personal growth of students and adults in the high school.

While all of the partners share these three broad goals, their strategies and specific areas of focus may differ. For example, while the primary work of one partner organization might be to advocate for policies that support small learning communities, the work of another partner organization might center on researching and designing professional development practices.

To distinguish and assess the similarities and differences among the work of the partner organizations, the HS Alliance Steering Committee previously identified four strategies and seven focus areas. These strategies and focus areas serve as the horizontal and vertical axes, respectively, for the Matrix of Partner Initiatives (shown below).

Blank Matrix:
The strategies and focus areas of the matrix are highly interpretive, particularly when applied to the broad-based national agendas of many of the partner organizations. To develop an analysis that is both useful and revealing, the strategies and focus areas require careful and scrutinizing descriptions. It is also important to note that while some partner organizations intend to affect a wide range of areas or utilize a variety of strategies, other partner organizations are designed to concentrate on a single focus area or utilize a particular strategy.

Description of Strategies:
The term “strategy” refers to the primary approach(es) of the partner organization. Organizations might engage in more than one primary strategy or might utilize a strategy that is not represented on the matrix (e.g. coalition-building).

• Research: The organization conducts original research, analyzes or synthesizes existing research, and/or engages in the evaluation of programs or practices. This does not include the use of research to support other primary efforts (e.g. research-based policy advocacy or practice), nor does it include the internal evaluation or assessment of an organization’s own programs and practices.
• Policy: The organization engages in the analysis, advocacy and/or creation of local, state or federal policy. This does not include other organizational efforts that may indirectly inform policy.
• Practice: The organization designs and implements programs and practices, including training and technical assistance activities, which provide direct services to districts, schools, students and/or other members of school communities. This includes the work of an organization’s affiliate sites but does not extend to broad-based, national “capacity-building” efforts. Financial and other indirect forms of assistance are also not included in this definition.
• Public Engagement: The organization educates and informs a broad-based public about related issues, and/or engages broad public participation in related efforts. This includes public education campaigns and wide-ranging efforts to expand participation beyond membership or constituency. This does not include hosting forums or conferences or publishing organizational materials, research or reports unless they are created specifically to inform a broad-based public audience and/or aimed explicitly at increasing public involvement.

Description of Focus Areas:
The term “focus area” refers to the primary issues or topics of an organization. Organizations may have one or more focus areas, as well as additional areas not represented on the matrix (e.g. school governance/decision-making)

• Innovations and Restructuring: The organization focuses on the restructuring, reorganization and/or management of high schools in innovative ways, i.e. whole-school change models, small learning communities and academies, charter schools, etc.
• Standards and Assessment: The organization focuses on developing and/or evaluating standards and assessment tools for various aspects of teaching and learning, i.e., aligning standards with testing, analysis of standards, etc.
• Preparation of teachers, administrators and community workers: The organization focuses on developing and training a new generation of high school teachers, administrators, counselors and community workers, i.e. principal leadership, professional development of teachers, etc.
• Relevance of learning experiences: The organization focuses on increasing the relevancy and applicability of school-based learning to students’ real-world experiences and future aspirations, i.e. experiential learning, student-centered learning and other innovative curricula, school-to-work, career academies and apprenticeship programs, etc.
• Alignment of secondary and post-secondary education: The organization focuses on improving student preparation and access to post-secondary educational opportunities, i.e. high school-college “bridge” programs, school-university partnerships, alignment of college admissions with K-12 curricula, etc.
• Active, powerful, knowledgeable communities: The organization focuses on building collaboration between school and community and/or increasing out-of-school learning and development opportunities, i.e. school-community partnerships, community development and youth development programs, etc.
• Personalization and social supports for youth: The organization focuses on expanding social support networks and opportunities for student engagement, achievement and college and career success, i.e. special and extended-day programs, small learning communities, etc.