Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 38, September 20, 2024
2.1. A community school is any public school
which services PreK-12 students that participate in a community-based effort to
coordinate and integrate services through partnerships with community-based
organizations. It is both a place and a set of partnerships between the school
and other community resources. Its integrated focus on academics, health and
social services, youth and community development and community engagement leads
to improved student learning, stronger families and healthier communities.
Schools become centers of the community and are open to everyone - all day,
every day, evenings and weekends.
2.2. A community schools coordinator is the
key to a community school. The local board of education should hire or identify
a community school coordinator or work with a lead partner agency to identify
or provide the coordinator. The coordinator works to create and strengthen the
relationships between the school and community to develop a continuum of
community-based and integrated services.
2.3. The framework of a fully developed
community school concept is needs driven and strives to include the following:
Engaging Instruction, Expanded Learning Opportunities, College, Career,
Citizenship, Health and Social Support, Community Engagement, Early Childhood
Development, Family Engagement and Youth Development Activities. All community
schools services provided in the school setting should be regular, ongoing and
evidence-based or promising practices.
2.3.a.
Engaging Instruction: Community schools offer a personalized approach.
Opportunities and supports within community schools are tailored to remove
barriers that prevent a student from learning while also instilling the skills
they will need for their health, safety, wellbeing and academic success.
Community schools partner with community organizations such as local career and
technical, community colleges, higher education institutions, healthcare
including community mental and oral health, businesses and others.
2.3.b. Expanded Learning Opportunities:
Community schools utilize innovative approaches which expand learning
opportunities through community partnerships that may occur during academic
breaks and before, during and after school.
2.3.c. College, Career and Citizenship:
Partners and supports in community schools are carefully selected with the goal
of developing students with the skills which will not only guide them through
their post-secondary and professional career, but that will ultimately make
them well-rounded and engaged citizens. Community schools partner with local
career and technical, community colleges, higher education institutions, and
others to prepare students; they provide students with engaging and meaningful
instruction; and they create service-learning and other youth development
opportunities that train students to be active citizens.
2.3.d. Health and Social Support: Community
schools focus on health and social supports by utilizing existing professional
support services in innovative ways and by bringing community health providers
and agencies into schools. They offer families support on a consistent
basis.
2.3.e. Community Engagement:
Community schools are built on the community's strengths and focus on improving
the well-being of the entire community. To make this happen, community school
leaders must seek and act on community input. In thriving and sustainable
community school initiatives, community stakeholders help develop the vision of
a community school and oversee its implementation. Shared ownership with the
community paves the way for joint accountability and success, and serves as a
vehicle for advocacy on behalf of the community school. Community engagement is
what separates community schools from wrap-around services.
2.3.f. Early Childhood Development: Community
schools continue to demonstrate that they are an ideal setting for integrating
high quality early learning and child development in PreK-12 systems. Community
schools provide a seamless alignment of early learning and education to ensure
the health, cognitive and social emotional needs of young children and their
families are met.
2.3.g. Family
Engagement: Community schools recognize that parent and family engagement is
critical. Community schools consistently and sustainably increase parent
participation in the education of their children and in their schools by
empowering families providing them with a variety of integrated student and
community supports. Community schools are the hub and cultural center of many
neighborhoods. They offer families activities such as homework help,
performances, art exhibits and more. All of this helps increase family
engagement.
2.3.h. Youth
Development Activities: Community schools provide opportunities and outlets for
young people to explore their interests and grow into highly-skilled, creative
and well-rounded adults. In a community school, community partners design all
types of innovative, fun and educational activities for students - from
gardening programs to mentoring and internships. Young people have such varied
interests and inspiring creative skills.
2.4. Memoranda of Agreement: Community
schools consist of many partners. A Memorandum of Agreement between all
partners should be in place to assist with describing the roles of each partner
and how the services will be coordinated.
2.5. Outcomes: Community schools always start
with a set of results based on identified needs they want to achieve. Using a
results framework, they then organize the community around agreed-upon results
and identify the resources to achieve them. Outcomes likely will include long
and short-term goals.
