Building Community Schools Systems

Removing Barriers to Success in U.S. Public Schools

By Abel McDaniels

If the United States is ever to fulfill its promise of full equality for all citizens, its public schools need to work for all children. The community schools strategy rethinks public schools in order to provide children in low-income communities with a high-quality education. It centers public schools as hubs for communities and combines a rigorous, relevant educational program with extended learning opportunities, family and community engagement, and an infusion of social services. Many community schools are operated at the individual school level, often with the assistance of intermediary nonprofit organizations but with little school district involvement. However, in order to educate students in low-income communities at high levels, school districts should and can play a larger role in coordinating and supporting community schools. District engagement can strengthen individual schools and, perhaps even more importantly, help bring this promising strategy to scale. This report details the evolution of community schools initiatives, gives detailed examples of successful community school models, and concludes by discussing policy recommendations that district leaders looking to implement a community schools approach should keep in mind.