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Investments in the community schools strategy have increased in recent years as has the research on major state and district community school initiatives. Findings show that community schools are linked to improved student attendance, achievement, and school climate.
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New Mexico’s investment in community schools is improving student outcomes, school climate, and family engagement. Key to this success are state funding for coordinators, professional development, and technical assistance. Lessons from three case studies offer insights for sustaining and strengthening the model.
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In consultation with over 700 practitioners, nonprofit leaders, teachers, coordinators, researchers, and policymakers, among others, a national collaboration known as Community Schools Forward developed a framework with six key integrated practices for high-quality community school implementation.
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New Mexico supports community schools statewide, including in Roswell, where a middle and high school have created a nourishing school climate and culture by providing culturally responsive and restorative spaces, opportunities for student voice and engagement, and a social safety net to address out-of-school learning barriers.
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This rural New Mexico district implemented the community schools strategy in 2021, emphasizing project-based learning, family and community engagement, and physical and mental wellness. Since then, attendance at school events has dramatically increased, chronic absenteeism has decreased, and the graduation rate has increased.
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Since adopting a community school strategy in 2018, Los Padillas Elementary School has seen improvements in school climate, chronic absenteeism, attendance, academic performance, teacher retention, and enrollment. Their approach centers on culturally relevant and community-connected learning.
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In 2022, nearly 13.8 million students were chronically absent—missing 18 days of school or more. Students miss school for a wide range of reasons, and frequent absences can cause students to fall behind. Community schools are a research-based strategy that schools can adopt to address the issues underlying chronic absenteeism.
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The number of chronically absent students has been increasing, and these students are more likely to fall behind academically, disengage socially, and drop out of school. Well-implemented community schools address the underlying causes of absenteeism and offer a comprehensive and multilayered approach to improving student attendance.
Emily GermainLaura E. HernándezSarah KlevanRebecca S. LevineAnna Maier
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There has been a significant decline in school attendance since the onset of the pandemic. This is concerning since chronically absent students are more likely to fall behind academically, disengage socially, and drop out of school. Community schools are a promising strategy to mitigate chronic absenteeism and its underlying causes.
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Many states are considering community schools as a way to address student mental health and chronic absenteeism and support learning recovery. Aided by the federal Full-Service Community Schools grant program, states can support systemic approaches to expand community schools by leveraging a range of federal, state, local, and private funds.
