Project Details

Agency Name: U.S. Department of Education (the Department)

Agency Type: Federal

Services: Technical Assistance

Client Goals

The Department engaged Safal in leading the National Charter School Resource Center (NCSRC) to provide specific technical assistance (TA) and disseminate best practices for the charter school sector. Over the course of the contract’s performance period, Safal provided ongoing support to the charter school program’s (CSP’s) grantees with the NCSRC functioning as a national platform and forum for dissemination of evidence-based practices in the charter school sector. The NCSRC facilitated open communication within the charter school sector and Safal conducted activities addressing the charter schools’ operation, oversight, funding, and facilities issues.

Safal Approach

Safal orchestrated the TA provided for all CSP grantees, including in-depth, targeted assistance to priority states and broader support to all State Education Agency/State Entity and Charter Management Organization grantees. The NCSRC addresses a broad substantive agenda, including organizational, policy, strategic, and programmatic practices. As part of the NCSRC contract, Safal created materials and designed events to develop an understanding of complex topics among diverse stakeholder audiences. This involved written publications on topics determined by the department, including over eight white papers, reports, and toolkits; three multimedia case studies; ten evaluations; two state-wide surveys; and multiple webinars and newsletters every year. Safal has built a wide network within the education space, which we tapped into both for obtaining subject matter expertise and for disseminating Safal produced NCSRC publications and events. Safal also built a data management tool to support the Department’s ability to manage and analyze CSP grantee data. The NCSRC work included designing and facilitating meetings and online communities and establishing a .gov website that houses research and publications pertinent to the field. Safal led the NCSRC and managed multiple sub-contractors and consultants on this complex project for five consecutive years.