Read Linda Darling-Hammond’s full article in Forbes here:
“Companion studies show how community schools work to leverage resources and opportunities. Community school coordinators who are part of the school leadership team are a key component. They work with educators, families, and community organizations to identify both local needs and resources, and then to tap and orchestrate these resources so that coherent programs of support are created and individual needs of students are readily met, without bureaucratic barriers.
A study of community schools that had dramatically reduced chronic absenteeism found that the combination of strong relationships with families, connectedness for students at school, restorative practices that increased community and reduced bullying, and the ability to tap supports for health, housing, nutrition, transportation, and other needs were all part of the solution. Reductions in absenteeism in community schools were even more strongly tied to achievement gains than in other similar schools because the schools were poised to build on these assets more productively.
The success of community schools rests in the trust and relationships they are able to build with families and communities—including those without economic advantages and those whose prior relationships with public schools have been strained—which, together, multiply the resources available to serve students’ needs and the shared knowledge needed to do so effectively.”