Abe Fernández & Sarah Jonas

Community Schools 101:Community Schools 101:The Nuts & Bolts of Community SchoolsThe Nuts & Bolts of Community Schools

“We ignore family, community and the economy at our peril

in education reform.”

Paul BartonEducational Testing Service

Community Schools 101

By the end of this session, participants will: Be able to refer to several definitions of a

community school Understand the four capacities and have

examples of each from the field Assess the developmental stage of their

community school(s) Know how to use Stages of Development to

inform their CS planning

A Strategy, Not a Program

A strategy for organizing the resources of the community around student success…

Pat Harvey, Former SuperintendentSt. Paul Public Schools

What is a Community School?

A community school is both a place and a set of partnerships between the school and other community resources. Its integrated focus on academics, services, supports and opportunities leads to improved student learning, stronger families and healthier communities.

Coalition for Community Schools

Another Definition…

A Community School is characterized by:

Extended Services Extended Hours Extended Relationships

CAS Developmental Triangle

core

inst

ruct

iona

l pro

gram

educational & cultural enrichm

ent

services that remove barriers to learning

Several well-known models:

Beacons Bridges to Success Children’s Aid Society Communities in Schools Healthy Start Polk Brothers Full-Service Schools Schools of the 21st Century (Yale University) WEPIC (University of Pennsylvania)

Critical Capacities

Effective community schools continually develop a set of four key capacities:

1.Comprehensiveness2.Collaboration3.Coherence4.Commitment

1. Comprehensiveness

Programs, services and opportunities respond to a wide spectrum of identified needs by marshalling a full complement of partnership resourcesWhole Child Developmental ApproachNeeds Assessment & Resource AllocationAsset-based, High-quality Program Development

2. Collaboration

All stakeholders are involved in meaningful, permanent roles – including educators, parents, students, funders, community members, providers, policymakersEngagementPartnership DevelopmentShared Leadership

School-Based Teams• Needs Assessments• Implementation• Outcomes

Principal, Community School Coordinator, School Staff, Teachers, Providers, DHS Staff, Partners, Parents, Community Members

Systemic Managers• Partner Coordination• Protocol Development• Data Sharing

KSSN Project Director, Agency Managers, School District Managers, Site Supervisors, Program & Service Provider Managers

Leadership Team• Shared Vision• Policy Alignment• Resource Development

Kent County Admin, School District Leadership, Kent Health Dep’t, DHS, Network 180, Spectrum Health, Major Donors, Kent ISD, DA Blodgett

Technical Assistance

(CAS)

Kent School Services Network

Evaluation(PPA)

3. Coherence

Activities and programs are coordinated and integrated with effective management and accountabilityProgram Integration and OversightSchool/Partner RelationshipsCoordination

Chronic Early Absence Chronic early absence occurs when K-3rd graders miss

10% or more days (nearly a month) in a school year including excused and unexcused absences.

National research found that this level of school absence was associated with lower academic performance, truancy and dropout, delinquency and substance abuse.

Hedy Chang

4. Commitment

Sustainability planning activities are employed from the startShared Vision and Results FrameworkBuilding Public Will and ParticipationStrategic FinancingEvaluation and Capacity-Building

Community SchoolsCommunity Schools

Let’s talk commitmentLet’s talk commitment

Lisa Villarreal, Lisa Villarreal,

Program Officer for EducationProgram Officer for Education

San Francisco FoundationSan Francisco Foundation

Shared Vision and ResultsShared Vision and Results

• What expectations do funders have for community schools?

• How are community schools leveraging funding streams and sources to fund this work?

Building Public Will and Building Public Will and ParticipationParticipation

• What role can advocacy play in the sustainability of community schools?

• Are there examples to learn from?

• How do you market a strategy?

EvaluationEvaluation

• What data should community schools collect and report on to position themselves for more funding and broad community support?

Capacity BuildingCapacity Building

• What skills/capacities are generally lacking in the community schools field that, if developed, would advance the movement?

The Moral Imperative for The Moral Imperative for Community SchoolsCommunity Schools

“I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day

for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and

freedom for their spirits. …our lives begin to end the day we become silent about

things that matter”~ Dr.Martin Luther King Jr.

Stages of Development in a Community School

Exploring Emerging Maturing Excelling

Self-Assessment

Working in pairs, discuss the following:1. Which capacity would you most like to

further develop?2. What actions could you take to move to

the next stage within that capacity?

LESS IMPORTANT

MOREIMPORTANT

EASIER

HARDER

Action Planning through the Stages

Quick Wins

CoreStrategy

William Potapchuk

Final Words:Our Three Mantras

It’s all about relationships Everything has to be negotiated—all

the time For community schools to work, the

partners have to have the word “yes” written in their hearts

nationalcenterforcommunityschools.org