What are the OSLN Co-Investment and Network Engagement Core Principles?

Strategic Intent

The OSLN is a co-investor with regional STEM Partnership Hubs to support the development of STEM Platform Schools, resulting in high-quality STEM education opportunities for students within the STEM Partnership Hubs, and, ultimately, across the state. Our co-investment approach is grounded in a collaborative, network-centric strategy that identifies and connects lead STEM education innovators in Ohio to help them succeed and extend their impact. Participants in the network uphold the following four strategic goals as vital to the growth and development of a viable Ohio economy and education system for its youngsters:

• Double the number of college graduates in STEM fields in the state of Ohio by 2015, with a special emphasis on increasing the number of low-income and minority college graduates.
• Dramatically increase the number of individuals choosing a career in STEM fields.
• Develop STEM secondary schools and programs that reduce achievement gaps and enhance student learning in higher level STEM skills.
• Provide a STEM innovation and knowledge network engaging all of Ohio’s formal and informal education assets in the continuous improvement of STEM curriculum, instruction, assessment, teacher quality, leadership and community engagement.

Value Proposition

The OSLN offers the following features of a value proposition:

• A source of flexible investment resources to amplify and accelerate the impact of STEM schools and Hubs.
• Targeted and shared technical assistance as the work evolves.
• A network R&D infrastructure and embedded network staff to coordinate, capture and communicate information and innovations in a fast and meaningful fashion.
• Support and amplification from the power of a statewide network of regional leaders and lead innovators in K-12, higher education, and business to define and advance a coherent
  STEM learning agenda.

Co-Investment and Network Engagement Process

The OSLN co-investment and network engagement process is designed to amplify and accelerate the work of STEM schools and Hubs. The process involves three initial steps:

1. The OSLN briefs regional stakeholders connected to HB 119 funded STEM schools.
2. The OSLN provides a term sheet template as a scaffold for an agreement between a STEM Partnership Hub and OSLN.
3. Through a timeline agreed upon by the STEM Partnership Hub and the OSLN, the agreed-upon template is converted into an agreement for signatures among the STEM Hub Partners (CEO-level or equivalent) and Battelle as the fiscal agent of OSLN.

Our goal is to achieve a strong, clear and reciprocal agreement between STEM Partnership Hubs and OSLN. Upon a signed agreement, Battelle will generate a letter that delivers the initial part
of the co-investment dollars to the hub-identified fiscal agent.

Network Participation Commitments

The OSLN co-invests in partners that agree to:

• A core set of processes for guiding and accelerating the development of STEM platform schools and Hubs, where these processes are designed to adapt over time as knowledge is
  captured and translated to improved practices.
• A set of functional agreements to support engagement and fidelity across the network.
• The co-creation of agile support systems and structures designed to continuously sense/act on knowledge captured as the work evolves (e.g., embedded network staff).
• Participation in an open, inclusive culture with high expectations for optimal impact and mutual benefit.

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