Partnership for Excellence

Who We Are

In 1993, North Carolina's leading business CEOs, working in concert with educators, created a research and development project to significantly improve K-12 education. This research effort was designed to answer the question: "Can the principles of quality and the Baldrige framework improve public education in North Carolina?"

The initial results of the six pilot system partnerships (later expanded to twenty-six in 1996) were outstanding! Student achievement rose significantly, and employee morale/involvement exceeded expectations. With the business community as the major funding source through 1996, the impact of this effort was becoming a major tool for reform in education. As word spread, the demand for services continued to grow.

In 1997, the research and development effort concluded in the original partnerships. The CEOs, who initiated the effort created the North Carolina Partnership for Excellence. Its overriding goal was to offer services and support to any school system in North Carolina desiring assistance.

In 2006, the Board of Directors directed a name change to the Partnership for Excellence to promote the organization's vision and mission. The Partnership continues to help school systems raise academic standards, measure performance against those standards, establish clear accountability for results, and strengthen public confidence in the education system.

The Partnership for Excellence is a 501(c)3 private-public partnership funded by business/industry, foundation grants, and products and solutions offered to its clients and partners. The NC General Assembly provides specific support to the North Carolina school districts who are partners.

Management Philosophy

Strategic Direction: The Partnership has two priorities which reflect the needs and expectations of its primary customers. The priorities are:

Building Strategic Partnerships
Promoting Performance Excellence

Goals under each priority further define the needs and expectations.

Objectives:
Advocating for "Leaders at all Levels"
Being our partners best resource for deploying the High Performance Model
Providing information & learning opportunities about the High Performance Model

Business Definition (Our Purpose for Existing): To see the High Performance Model working at all levels of a school district to support high student performance. In order to move a good organization on the road to greatness it must be 1) driven by a system of core values based on best practices, 2) have a commitment to understanding and listening to customers, 3) have a goal-driven systems approach, and 4) promote leadership at every level of the organization.
(Four Drivers of the High Performance Model)

Key Business Processes:
Understand and anticipate customer needs and requirements
Acquire and/or develop products and services that support the High Performance Model
Deliver products and services
Support our partners and sustain the environment for continuous improvement

Key Products & Services:
Staff Development Modules
Materials (Books, Videos, Brochures)
Test Data Analysis (Breakthrough Performance Concept)

Partnership  Facts

• In 1993, a research and development project was created to improve K-12 education by asking the question: “Can the principles of quality and the Baldrige framework improve public education?”
• In 1997, the research and development effort concluded and the initiators created the North Carolina Partnership for Excellence.
• In 2003, the Partnership expanded to 26 school districts in NC and four national sites with a membership fee of 10cents per student.
• In 2006, the Board of Directors directed a name change to the Partnership for Excellence.
  
• The Partnership is a 501(c)3 private-public partnership.