The following resources might be helpful to school districts and the community partners who work with them.

Why Governments and Investors Choose Pay for Success  Pay for success (PFS) has merits that make it appealing to many stakeholders: it can save governments money, shift the risk of ineffective programs to third-party funders, provide multiyear funding for service providers, and generate a modest return for investors. But these benefits are paired with significant challenges, such as long planning periods and investor returns that may not be commensurate with the risk. Given these considerations, it is fair to ask, “Why does anyone want to do this?” This brief presents insights on the motivations and perceptions of risk from several PFS investors and government stakeholders and concludes with recommendations on how PFS project champions can leverage partner motivations to help move projects forward.

How rural poverty is changing: Your fate is increasingly tied to your town  The geography of poverty in rural America is changing fast.

Putting Students At The Center  Coalition for Community SchoolsCommunities In Schools and StriveTogether are launching the Students at the Center Challenge, with support from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and the Ford Foundation. The initiative will award funding to communities that demonstrate the potential to move toward a student-centered learning system. This approach emphasizes the needs and interests of students over institutions, combining quality educational opportunities with health and wellness services, mentoring, college readiness activities and work-based learning experiences.