This paper is intended for use by district and charter representatives interested in establishing a new collaboration or in increasing the effectiveness of an existing collaboration. The paper presents our methodology, an overview of the nature of district-charter collaborations, and a framework based on lessons learned from leaders involved in various capacities over the last 15 years of these efforts. The framework focuses on six factors critical to enabling a successful collaboration: ❯ Identify the motivations for a district-charter collaboration ❯ Identify and articulate a theory of change ❯ Identify desired outcomes from the start ❯ Create conditions for success ❯ Anticipate and plan for potential challenges ❯ Go for a quick win early to energize the collaboration. At the end of each section, we present a set of reflective questions we believe charter and district leaders should ask themselves to enable successful collaboration.

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