The Partnership's Mission & Goals
The Stark Education Partnership, Inc. was founded in 1989 in the wake of a landmark study of the Canton City Schools by the Research Triangle Institute.

Coming just a few short years after the publication of A Nation At Risk, that study prompted the business and philanthropic communities of Stark County, Ohio to create a new organization to support the ongoing efforts of schools and community to design and maintain a world-class educational system.

For over a decade, the Stark Education Partnership* has worked as one of the largest local school reform support organizations in the United States. While the scope of the partnership is a single county, Stark is one of the most populace counties in Ohio. In terms of population, it is about one-tenth the size of the state of Kentucky and nearly half the size of states like Montana or North Dakota.

Nearly 150 schools serve a student population of over 70,000 and five institutions of higher education enroll another 13,000.


Our Vision
The vision of the Stark Education Partnership is one shared in collaboration with our educators, students, and community: We believe that Stark County will become a place renowned for excellent schools, superior teachers, stellar academic achievement and dynamic support for quality education, second to none in the country.


Our Mission
The mission of the Stark Education Partnership is to act as a reform support organization to mobilize private sector resources to help districts and schools build the capacity to initiate and sustain changes resulting in high student achievement.

Our Goals. The Partnership…

• Has pledged to work with county, state and national partners in public, private and non-profit sectors to assist and support collaborative efforts to improve educational achievement for all children.
• Is working with Canton City Schools to advance the instructional leadership goals of the Timken Regional Campus (TRC) project.
• Will work with the Stark County Educational Service Center (SCESC) and the Canton City Schools in developing best practices, continuous improvement and alignment the New Standards for Ohio Schools.
• Will work to develop a strong collaborative relationship with the Ohio Department of Education.
• Will work in collaboration with county and regional foundations and corporations to engage the higher education community in Stark County in discussions on key instructional leadership issues facing local school districts.

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