Strategy

Community Schools Models

What is it?

Community schools are public schools that partner with local organizations to provide services and support that are tailored to community needs. By leveraging resources from community organizations, community schools serve as neighborhood hubs for social services and integrated student support. Community schools focus on supporting the whole child and offer services such as counseling, tutoring, medical care, before and after school care, and transportation assistance. 

What is the evidence base?

Community schools improve student and school outcomes. In particular, they meet the academic needs of low-achieving students in high-poverty schools. Students who receive community-based resources in school demonstrate improvements in attendance, behavior, social functioning, and academic achievement. Additionally, the family and community engagement component increases trust among students, parents, and staff. 

• Maier, Daniel, and Oakes_2017_Community Schools as an Effective School Improvement Strategy: A Review of the Evidence
• Jenkins and Duffy_2016_Community Schools in Practice: Research on Implementation and Impact

What are the common community school examples?

• Beacon Community Schools (BCS) – Youth Development Institute
• Communities in Schools, Inc.
• New York City Community Schools Initiative
• University Assisted Community Schools