Attachment_E_MNP20_Theory_of_Change.pdf

Advocacy Develop education policy recommendations for the legislature, state agencies, and Governor’s Office Produce an annual report detailing the accomplishments, recommendations, and ongoing priorities of the partnership Participate in state-level activities as advocates for P-20 specific strategies Provide testimony to the legislature

Equity-Centered Action Utilize the MNP20 equity planning tool to ensure active embedding of equity strategies in the partnership’s work Utilize the MNP20 equity assessment rubric to analyze outcomes, impact, and growth opportunities of equity strategies in the partnership’s work

Collaboration Convene partnership members multiple times a year for sharing, planning, and strategy development Support the incubation and acceleration of innovative and promising practices through action, joint resource development, and knowledge sharing Provide information, updates, and education to members through partnership meetings, trainings, and other gatherings, to strengthen a shared base of knowledge Share member organization priorities Convene subcommittees and work groups of the partnership to develop and implement projects and initiatives Engage students, teachers, families, and community members as participants in projects and initiatives of the partnership

Data-Proven Practice Engage in active data analysis from a multi-organizational, P-20 focused lens through the regular convening of the MNP20 data committee Identify data trends that would benefit from further analysis, action, and prioritization by

MNP20

Collect, monitor, and report on key statewide education and workforce indicators and progress toward the state postsecondary attainment goal Develop recommendations and implement strategies to further strengthen Minnesota’s data practices and research-based action

Connection Facilitate statewide gatherings on timely P-20 topics that bring together practitioners, leaders, and policymakers for ideation, collaboration, and strategic action Provide connection between organizations, agencies, institutions, and other key stakeholders working across shared priorities Serve as an intermediary support for organizations working on P-20 related projects, through facilitation, capacity building, and shared resource development Engage statewide and national content experts in MNP20’s work, and engage MNP20 in statewide and national initiatives

MNP20 Core ActivitiesMNP20 Core Activities

Strategic Responsibilities North StarInputs Core Activities Ultimate Outcomes

Continually improving economic and social mobility for all Minnesotans

MNP20 will advocate for changes in policies to advance shared priorities across Minnesota’s learning and workforce landscape.

MNP20 will prioritize efforts to strengthen equitable systems and outcomes from birth through adulthood.

MNP20 will catalyze and support inter-and intra-organizational and agency convening, planning, and strategy development.

MNP20 will develop, measure, track, and report key metrics related to academic and career readiness and Minnesota’s statewide economy to drive collective action.

Expanded access to high-quality early childhood care and education programs for all learners 0-5

Increased postsecondary access and learner supports

Improved postsecondary outcomes

Increased labor market alignment & industry-informed connections in education systems

Improved career outcomes for learners

Increased readiness for post-high school education and career

Educational opportunity gaps for historically marginalized and excluded populations are closed

Increased collaboration within and across sectors

Strengthened transitions across the full learner lifespan

Improved percentage of early learners demonstrating kindergarten readiness

Committed Executive Committee

Sufficient Funding and Staffing for MNP20

Access to Data

Diverse & Engaged Members

Authentic Inclusion of Student, Practitioner, and

Community Voice

Advocacy

Equity-Centered Action

Collaboration

Data-Proven Practice

Connection

Overarching Equity Goal:

All of Minnesota’s learners have unvaried access to high-quality supports and learning experiences, regardless of circumstance or demographics.

Overview of Inputs In order to be well-positioned to do its work effectively, the Minnesota P-20 Education Partnership (MNP20) must work to cultivate and have access to the five inputs listed in the theory of change. These “inputs” can be understood as the necessary pre-conditions for success or what MNP20 will need and utilize to be able to facilitate its activities with quality.

Overview of Core Activities The activities the MNP20 commits to do each year have been organized across five core themes: advocacy, equity, collaboration, data-proven practice, and connection. As a multi-sector independent coalition, adhering to these core themes is essential to the MNP20’s ability to live into its mission and vision. Each of these activities is in alignment with the commitments of the MNP20, which have been laid out in the MNP20’s Mission, Vision, and Commitments document.

Overview of Strategic Responsibilities (Core Actions) By carrying out its activities with fidelity, the MNP20 allows for four key strategic responsibilities to become an observable reality in Minnesota.

Specifically, the strategic responsibilities can be understood as the specific actions that the MNP20 believes to be possible as a result of its activities and are four necessary precursors to promote the equity-centered ultimate outcomes the MNP20 hopes to help realize in the state.

Overview of Ultimate Outcomes The MNP20 is only one collective entity amongst a large and diverse set of organizations and agencies committed to improving the lives and learning experiences of all Minnesotans, birth through adulthood. As such, it is critical to note that these ultimate outcomes are not achievable by the MNP20 alone. However, by working in partnership with Minnesota’s education and workforce leaders, these outcomes are the specific changes that the MNP20 strives to help bring about in the state.

Overview of North Star No mission-oriented entity can operate without a clear foundational goal. The MNP20’s “north star”, or the critical goal against which the rest of the theory of change has been created, is to improve economic and social mobility for all Minnesotans. The MNP20 does not simply imagine a future in which educational attainment is an end in and of itself, but rather a future in which attainment is an input that grants all Minnesotans an ability to freely engage as productive members of society and have access to the learning experiences necessary for them to cultivate, strengthen, and expand the skills and knowledge that lead to self-fulfilling and family-sustaining employment.

Equity: The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) defines the term “equity” as fairness and justice and is distinguished from equality: Whereas equality means providing the same to all, equity means recognizing that we do not all start from the same place and must acknowledge and make adjustments to imbalances. The process is ongoing, requiring us to identify and overcome intentional and unintentional barriers arising from bias or systemic structures.

Historically marginalized and excluded populations: According to the University of Minnesota College of Continuing and Professional Studies, marginalized populations are groups and communities that have experienced or continue to experience discrimination and exclusion (social, political and economic) because of unequal power relationships across economic, political, social and cultural dimensions,” (The National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health) including, but not limited to:

African American, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Immigration status People with both visible and hidden disabilities People of all sexualities, gender identities, and expressions First-generation college students Nontraditional college students

This term also recognizes issues of access and climate for individuals who might encounter barriers based on their religious expression, age, language, national origin, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, or veteran status.

Industry-informed connections: The decisions employers make in hiring, compensating, and promoting workers must be transparent to those working to provide meaningful programming to learners within education and workforce systems and agencies. Ensuring students’ equitable access to earning high-value industry-backed credentials is a critical step toward enabling learners’ economic and career success, and research suggests that such work requires committed partnership between K-12, postsecondary, workforce development, and industry leaders and that no one sector can be responsible for success alone.

Labor-market alignment: Credentials, including sub baccalaureate certificates and degrees, have “currency” in two primary ways: they (1) help an individual find employment or advance in the workforce and/or (2) accelerate a student’s progression into and through postsecondary education and training.

From an attainment perspective, it is critical that states place a strong focus on the credentials that provide the greatest value to students and employers.

Learner lifespan: The term learner lifespan commonly refers to the full portion of an individual's life during which they engage in learning activities, acquire knowledge, and develop their skills. It is inclusive of continuous learning and personal growth from early childhood through adulthood and into later stages of life. Key aspects of the learner lifespan include: early childhood learning, formal education in K-12 and postsecondary, lifelong learning and continuing education, professional development, and personal enrichment.

https://www.naceweb.org/about-us/equity-definition https://ccaps.umn.edu/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/glossary https://ccaps.umn.edu/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/glossary https://nccdh.ca/glossary/entry/marginalized-populations https://nccdh.ca/glossary/entry/marginalized-populations https://edstrategy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ESG-Credential-Currency-Full-Report.pdf