Being a source of funds is clearly a legitimate role and probably the first that comes to mind. In many communities, schools find that they cannot support innovative work by relying solely on public funds. Businesses and other organizations are often in a position to provide instructional materials and to support professional development in public schools. Businesses are often able to leverage additional resources that might not be available to a school district by itself. This grant also provided funds for materials and new programs in assessment.
Businesses also can play other roles.
Using the prestige and credibility of their corporate voices, businesses can be powerful advocates for local initiatives. Several years ago, MISE staff served on the committee that developed New Jersey's science curriculum standards. MISE staff now is involved in the development of professional teaching standards for the state's teachers. Businesses use data to evaluate their success, and a growing number of high-performing school districts are doing the same. Because Merck is a company of scientists, we have approached our partnership with school districts as a scientific investigation.