As we work toward our 2030 strategic plan to put 4 million more young people on a path to economic mobility, StriveTogether is collaborating with national policy partners to champion key initiatives. In the lead-up to our annual Cradle to Career Network Convening, we’ll be sharing insights and updates on our policy priorities for the upcoming legislative year. Together with our national policy partners and the Cradle to Career Network, we can create the systemic change needed to ensure every child succeeds.
This guest blog was written by April Shine, founder of Shine Strategies; Rob Watson, executive director of the EdRedesign Lab at Harvard Graduate School of Education and Tauheedah Jackson, deputy director of the EdRedesign Lab.
Policy implementation serves as the critical bridge between public policies (federal, state, and local laws, rules, regulations, and programs) and the frontline organizations and practitioners who execute programs and deliver services on the ground. Policy implementation puts policy into action; effective policy implementation ensures that the policy’s goals are achieved.
Federal policies such as Promise Neighborhoods, Choice Neighborhoods and Full-Service Community Schools have played a pivotal role in advancing the work of cradle-to-career place-based models on a national scale. However, the focus is now shifting toward state-level policies that can codify and institutionalize the field’s evidence-based practices to improve and sustain equitable outcomes across diverse communities.
At its core, state-level advocacy and policy represent the next frontier for cradle-to-career place-based strategies. This community-centered movement builds upon the foundations laid by the collective impact model, the establishment of StriveTogether, and the widespread adoption of backbone organizations and public-private partnerships across the nation. These elements have collectively contributed to a generation of best practices and compelling examples in the maturing field of cradle-to-career place-based partnerships.
Emerging examples from states like Washington, Minnesota and Maryland highlight the potential of state-level initiatives. Programs such as Washington State’s Regional Challenge Grant, Minnesota’s Educational Partnership Funding and Maryland’s ENOUGH Act showcase innovative approaches to fostering cradle-to-career pathways. Local leaders play a crucial role in ensuring that practices, policies and systems are thoughtfully designed and effectively implemented to enhance economic mobility for children across the United States.
The importance of local context cannot be overstated. Tailoring messaging and strategies to resonate with the unique characteristics of each community fosters engagement and efficacy. Context-specific implementation is responsive to diverse political landscapes and holds promise for bridging divides within communities.
This year, StriveTogether and The EdRedesign Lab at Harvard Graduate School of Education joined forces to launch the Policy Implementation Community of Practice (CoP), aimed at enhancing policy implementation to achieve better outcomes and creating more pathways to economic mobility for children. This initiative responds to requests from StriveTogether states that are pioneering in policy and advocacy efforts.
The Policy Implementation Community of Practice represents a pivotal step toward advancing cradle-to-career initiatives at the state level. By leveraging collective expertise and fostering cross-sector collaboration, this initiative aims to institutionalize best practices and drive systemic change. As the field continues to evolve, these efforts promise to create lasting impacts on educational outcomes and economic opportunities for children across the nation.
In its first seven months, initial learnings from the CoP underscore several critical factors for success:
- Strong relationships between public systems and communities are foundational to effective policy implementation. Place-based partnerships and other community stakeholders often have valuable insights into the specific needs, challenges and best solutions for implementing policies at the local level. By maintaining strong relationships with policymakers and public systems, they can influence the design and delivery of policies to lead to the desired results.
- Robust data infrastructure is essential for supporting evidence-based decision making as policies are implemented and refined. A strong data culture — where data is shared across institutions, accessible to all stakeholders and regularly analyzed — allows communities to assess whether policies are achieving their intended outcomes.
- Responsiveness to community needs is central to cultivating and sustaining trust — a cornerstone of successful partnerships. When public systems and policymakers show that they value and act on community input, it fosters trust and respect. Communities are more likely to support public policies when they feel heard and respected. With greater trust and participation, public systems can better align their policies with the actual needs and preferences of the community they are serving, leading to more effective and relevant solutions.
Through ongoing collaboration and shared learning, stakeholders can continue to build upon these foundations, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive, from cradle to career.
April Shine is a consultant for StriveTogether, leading the national policy implementation community of practice and the founder of Shine Strategies.
Rob Watson is the Executive Director of the EdRedesign Lab at Harvard Graduate School of Education, Lecturer on Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education and Co-founder & Board Chair of the Poughkeepsie Children’s Cabinet, a StriveTogether network member.
Tauheedah Jackson is the Deputy Director of the EdRedesign Lab at Harvard Graduate School of Education and Director of EdRedesign’s Institute for Success Planning.
