|
Over the years, community schools have sprouted in a rather dramatic and ad hoc manner and now the term is being used by more and more sites. With a view to moving forward, it is time to clarify the concept, place it into the context of school improvement and institutional transformation, and analyze what has developed. This report explores:
- the concept of community schools
- the state of the art
- guiding frameworks for designing interventions at a community school
- the process of school-family-community collaboration
- considerations for moving forward
- [PDF download]
The report offers a general conceptual overview and a snapshot of practice considerations and concerns. It highlights the importance of adopting a unifying concept for the work and the necessity of reframing how the many interventions can be woven together to develop a comprehensive system of learning supports. It also reports what district superintendents say about what would help them in developing a comprehensive system for addressing barriers to learning and teaching at every school. As a beginning response to district needs, it highlights a range of resources that have been developed specifically to enhance school improvement policy and practice to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to succeed at school.
This report is from the Center for Mental Health at UCLA and the intent is to use this report as the beginning of a superintendents' initiative across the country designed to stimulate discussion, sharing, learning, and systemic changes related to addressing barriers to learning and teaching.
[PDF download]
The School Mental Health Project/Center for Mental Health in Schools has seen an increased stream of statements related to the ESEA reauthorization calling for "a comprehensive approach" to student supports. Too often, however, what is being identified as comprehensive is not comprehensive enough, and generally the approach described is not about developing a system of supports but a proposal to enhance coordination of fragmented efforts. Many times the emphasis is mainly on health and social services, usually with the notion of connecting more community services to schools. Although this work is important, most proposals to improve supports still fail to escape old ways of thinking about what schools need both in terms of content and process. The Center for Mental Health in Schools has put together a brief of what does and doesn't constitute a comprehensive approach.
[PDF download]
This provides an explanation of what community schools are, the importance of partnerships and how these partnerships are at the core of community schools, organized around a common goal: to help students learn and succeed and to strengthen families and communities.
Learn More »
This report, released by the Coalition for Community Schools, synthesizes research from the fields of health, mental health, youth development, family and community engagement and community building and demonstrates the connection to student learning. Based on the research, it presents five conditions for learning that need to be in place for children to succeed at high levels. It features evaluation data from 20 different community school initiatives and synthesis of their combined results. By integrating existing community resources with the assets of the school, 15 community schools highlighted in the report produced remarkable improvements in efficiency and results.
Learn More »
There is an increase in the quantity and quality of research that shows the positive contributions that partnership programs can make to student achievement. The school reform debate must include serious consideration of the evidence and then act on what has been learned. Many policymakers, administrators, and funders ask for evidence that parent involvement helps student achievement, including test scores. This report shares this evidence.
[PDF download]
This report helps dedicated educators and community individuals understand and respect the assets and talents that each brings to the goal of improving student learning.
[PDF download]
This report describes why community schools are important, addresses the initial questions and concerns in creating community schools, explains promising approaches, and concludes with a list of resources to help organizations build more effective community schools.
Learn More »
This resource defines the concept of a community school and discusses program areas found in a community school, the positive results achieved in existing community schools, and ways to finance a community school. It also highlights nine successful community school programs, including elementary, middle, and high schools.
Learn More »
|
