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Oakland Unified School District's long-standing community schools initiative offers lessons for districts implementing a community schools strategy, illustrating an approach focused on integrating whole child educational practices and providing sustained support through centralized district infrastructure.
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Examining how Oakland Unified School District successfully implemented a community schools approach, researchers found structures that support effective partnerships, Coordination of Services Teams, community school managers, professional learning and development, and family engagement.
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To help address long-standing social inequities, a growing number of states are investing in community schools. Community school initiatives in eight states point to three potential approaches other states can use to support community schools.
Michael GriffithDaniel EspinozaDion BurnsEmma García
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The tool is designed to cost out the elements needed to establish a community school relative to a typical public school, guiding users through several steps to help them estimate costs. The tool was designed with input from national and local community school practitioners, researchers, and policymakers.
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In AASA’s School Administration magazine, LPI’s Anna Maier explains what community schools are and how they build partnerships between community groups, families, and students. Examples from across the country show how superintendents and district staff can support networks of community schools as they work with educators and communities to reimagine schools.
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Community schools have proved to be a successful approach to educate and support the whole child through family and community engagement, enriched and expanded learning, and integrated student supports. An important element for states to consider when investing in community schools is the provision of technical assistance, which can play a key role in supporting high-quality implementation.
Lorea MartínezLaura E. HernándezMarisa SaundersLisa Flook
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Social Justice Humanitas Academy is a teacher-led community school that advances student learning and development through its mission to support students on their journeys toward self-actualization, social justice, and postsecondary success. It maintains a supportive and inclusive learning environment, engages students in social and emotional development and student-centered pedagogical strategies, and provides access to integrated systems of supports.
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A historic $3 billion investment in the California Community Schools Partnership Program provides an opportunity to transform schools into community hubs that deliver whole child education. Examining key elements of the new law, LPI and Opportunity Institute researchers lay out evidence-based principles of high-quality community schools implementation that are aligned with the science of learning and development and discuss the need for technical assistance.
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Felicitas & Gonzalo Mendez High School, a community school located in East Los Angeles, provides its students with rigorous and engaging academics in a nurturing and inclusive environment. Driven by a shared commitment to educational justice and building strong, community-grounded partnerships, the school prioritizes student engagement and leadership, both on and off the campus.
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Federal COVID relief packages have allocated more than $176 billion for pandemic-related education needs—the federal government’s largest single investment in schools. In a series of fact sheets, policy experts discuss how states and districts can develop, implement, and refine plans for these funds. One key strategy is investing in community schools, an evidence-based approach especially important for underserved students and families.
