All students need to go through transitions: from grade to grade, school to school, and from school to life in their communities. Families and schools need to work together to prepare students for these transitions. Youth with disabilities face more challenges than others when they try to go through these transitions. Supports are provided to youth with disabilities in the transition period to help them to develop self-advocacy, independent living, and career skills.

What is the ROI of a community school coordinator? The community school strategy has proven effective in improving academic outcomes for students, and it is well accepted among community school practitioners that a crucial piece of this strategy is the Coordinator. The Coordinator is the person who oversees the implementation of the strategy and shares responsibility for the outcomes. A recent study found that each $1 invested in the coordinator returns about $7 net benefits.

What’s “Deeper Learning?” The Hewlett Foundation defines it as “an umbrella term for the skills and knowledge that students must possess to succeed in 21st-century jobs and civic life. At its heart is a set of competencies students must master in order to develop a keen understanding of academic content and apply their knowledge to problems in the classroom and on the job.”

The Community Schools Standard 7, “Powerful Learning: Engaging Students as Independent Learners” notes that quality teaching and learning incorporate “a focus on real-world issues and enable young people to be problem solvers in their own communities” through project-based learning, engagement with the community leaders and residents, and solutions-generation. In this webinar, we will address three underlying questions: What experiences do students need inside the community school classrooms in order to address real-world issues? How do community school educators as knowledge-facilitators support students to build their own power to address issues affecting their communities? What does responsive teaching and learning look like inside the classroom to develop students’ own voice and agency?

An annual March for Children and Youth Month playbook to concentrate advocacy efforts amount national, state and local partners.

Press release applauding the new Every Student Succeeds Act that replaces No Child Left Behind contains key provisions that advance the vision of community schools. The bill’s passage is a pivotal moment for the community schools movement. It empowers State and district leaders to rethink strategies to support all students to succeed and to see their communities as vital partners in that effort.

December 10, 2015, press release applauding the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) that President Obama signed into law today includes the Full Service Community Schools program, marking a big win for community school supporters.

This webinar will focus on Title IV of ESSA and opportunities for community-school partnerships, especially in the following funds and programs: the Student Success and Academic Enrichment block grant, 21st Century Community Learning Centers, Full Service Community Schools, Promise Neighborhoods, and Statewide Family Engagement Centers.

Based on existing research and best practices, the Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships (Version 2) is designed to support the development of family engagement strategies, policies, and programs. It is not a blueprint for engagement initiatives, which must be designed to fit the particular contexts in which they are carried out. Instead, the Framework should be seen as a compass, laying out the goals and conditions necessary to chart a path toward effective family engagement efforts that are linked to student achievement and school improvement.

A comprehensive nation-wide survey served as a catalyst for a deeper examination of regional and district family engagement practices that highlight systemic exemplars and strategies from across the country.