COMMUNITY SCHOOLS AN ESSENTIAL STRATEGY FOR STUDENT SUCCESS Martin Blank, President, Institute for Educational Leadership, Director Coalition for Community Schools

COMMUNITY SCHOOLS a RECIPE FOR SUCCESS The same “black box” of ingredients that makes the Mediterranean Diet so effective is the same recipe that community schools use. Community Schools are Smart Schools Community Schools help students learn Community Schools build strong communities

ORGANIZING FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT (BRYK ET AL)

 Shared vision and accountability for results  Strong partnerships  Leveraging resources  Alignment of school and community assets  High expectations for all  Community strengths  Respect for diversity  Local decision making COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORE PRINCIPLES 4

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KEYS AT THE SCHOOL SITE  Supportive Principal  Involved Teachers  Community School Coordinator  School Site Leadership Team  Results Focus  Engaged Partners

THEORY OF ACTION: A SCALED-UP SYSTEM OF COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

COMMUNITY-WIDE LEADERSHIP 8

SCHOOL-SITE LEADERSHIP 9

INTERMEDIARY 10  Develop clear criteria ◦ Legitimacy ◦ Credibility ◦ Community relationships ◦ Technical capacity ◦ Staff  Consider the range of possibilities ◦ Community planning councils ◦ Higher education institutions ◦ Local education funds ◦ Local governments ◦ Non-profit organizations ◦ School districts ◦ United Ways

FINANCING: THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL FORMULA  At the School Site  Partners: Financed by existing resources  School funded programs and personnel  Community school coordinator: Financing sources  Foundations and Corporations  United Ways  Local Government  School Districts  Higher Education Institutions  Leveraging Power: $1 to $3-7

THE SCALE UP SPIRAL 12  Overview  More on milestones  Stories from the field  How you know if you are making progress  Pitfalls

13 “WE TEND TO PUT CONSIDERATIONS OF FAMILY, COMMUNITY, AND ECONOMY OFF- LIMITS IN EDUCATION-REFORM POLICY DISCUSSIONS. HOWEVER, WE DO SO AT OUR PERIL. THE SERIOUSNESS OF OUR PURPOSE REQUIRES THAT WE LEARN TO RUB OUR BELLIES AND PAT OUR HEADS AT THE SAME TIME.” - Paul E. Barton

RESOURCES  Coalition Website  Scaling up Community Schools Guide ces/systems_web_guide.aspx  Martin Blank