The Role of Community Partnerships in Enhancing ALS Program Effectiveness and Sustainability

Abstract

This study examined the role of community partnerships in the perceived effectiveness and sustainability of the Alternative Learning System (ALS) in three learning centers in the Schools Division of Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines. Using a descriptive-evaluative, mixed-methods approach, the study purposively involved 78 respondents comprising three ALS coordinators, 45 learners, and 30 community representatives. Structured four-point perception surveys, semi-structured interviews, and partnership-document review were used; frequencies, percentages, weighted means, and qualitative thematic interpretation informed the analysis. Community partners included local government units (36.67%), nongovernmental organizations (26.67%), the private sector (23.33%), and religious organizations (13.33%). Respondents rated community partnerships highly effective for program delivery (overall weighted mean = 3.70), with access to learning materials and technology receiving the highest indicator mean (3.82). Their contribution to program sustainability was likewise assessed to a very great extent (overall mean = 3.70), with formal agreements receiving the highest rating (3.85). Among the 33 coordinators and community representatives represented in the challenge table, political seasonality (84.85%), limited budgets (75.76%), and short-lived support (66.67%) were the most frequently reported concerns. The findings informed a proposed Community-Integrated Sustainability Framework (CISF), emphasizing formal agreements, diversified support, stronger employment linkages, and continuity mechanisms. The study contributes a localized stakeholder-management approach for sustaining alternative basic education; findings represent respondent perceptions rather than causal estimates of learner outcomes.