Partnerships Strong partnership programs exist between the Community of Connected Schools and parents, businesses, social service and governmental agencies, arts associations, and the colleges and universities. Such cooperative endeavors are aimed at sharing resources and promoting student learning and school improvement. An important goal of the Community of Connected Schools is to prepare all students to be effective and contributing members of the nation's work force. Upon graduation, each student is prepared to pursue further academic education, career training, or enter directly into the work force with all the basic competencies required for success. To this end, career preparation is infused into the educational program at an early stage.
Students explore careers and develop career plans at the middle school, and early high school.
Many high school students enter into learning communities that provide a link between high school and partner agencies to prepare students to be successful in the realms of both work and higher education. Professional Development Preservice and inservice teacher preparation are addressed through a partnership, a collegium of excellence, between the University of South Florida and the school district. This partnership works towards developing highly competent teaching professionals through professional development schools, which utilize the Community of Connected Schools as an educational site. In addition, all professional development is focused on the concepts and skills one must learn and use to function in a Pasco 2001 school. The goal to develop and maintain a high performance environment is built on a commitment to both manage the quality of programs and services and to collaborate across all levels of the system.