Standards for Community School Initiatives 2017files.constantcontact.com/b14ce16e301/2ed57938-73d...STANDARDS FOR COMMUNITY SCHOOL INITIATIVES ... higher education, public agencies,

STANDARDS FORCOMMUNITY SCHOOL INITIATIVES

2017

Copyright 2017 Institute for Educational Leadership

ESTABLISHING THE STANDARDSThe Coalition for Community Schools (an initiative of the Institute for Educational Leadership), the California Community Schools Network (sponsored by Partnership for Children and Youth), and Illinois’ Federation of Community Schools worked together to host and facilitate regional and national convenings with a diverse range of community school practitioners to discuss and identify the core operating components of community school initiative implementation. The following implementation standards reflect shared lessons from the community school initiative efforts around the country.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThese standards represent a significant development for the community schools field. Together, individuals and organizations representing different roles in a community school worked to create a set of standards that are based on best practice. The Coalition’s various networks, capacity building partners, and Steering Committee all played important roles in the development of these standards. In particular, the Coalition for Community Schools would like to thank our partners at The Opportunity Institute, the Partnership for Children and Youth (California), and the Federation for Community Schools (Illinois) who helped us lead stakeholder engagement sessions, in California, Illinois, and at the Community Schools National Forum, so that these standards truly represented work in the field. A special thank you to Hayin Kim for her partnership and for sharing our vision.

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STANDARDS FOR COMMUNITY SCHOOL INITIATIVES

Establishing the Standards and Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Front Cover

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Standards for Community School Initiatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

1. Community-Wide Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

2. Coordinating Infrastructure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

3. Planning, Alignment, and Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

4. Systems-Level Community Partnership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

5. Personnel Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

6. Data and Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

7. Supportive Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

8. Financing and Resource Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

9. Continuous Improvement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

10. Communications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Standards for Community School Initiatives 2017 Self-Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

About Us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Back Cover

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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A Community School Initiative is a cross-sector enterprise intended to create a network of community schools from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade in a single attendance area or linked across one or more school districts. The initiative works to align family, school, and community assets to create community schools—public schools that are hubs of their neighborhood, uniting families, educators and community partners to provide all students with top-quality academics, enrichment, health and social services, and opportunities to succeed in school and in life.

The Standards for Community School Initiatives are designed to engage and support the community schools movement as a standards-driven, evidence-based strategy to promote equity and educational excellence for each and every child and to strengthen families and communities. A complementary set of school-level standards are also available and should be used together with these systems-level standards.

The Coalition for Community Schools, Partners-for, the California Community Schools Network (sponsored by Partnership for Children and Youth), and the Illinois Federation of Community Schools worked together to host and facilitate regional and national, convenings with a diverse range of community school practitioners to discuss and identify the core operating components of community school implementation, including 1) core evidence-based programming, 2) staffing infrastructure, 3) organizational and leadership conditions, 4) funding resources necessary to support implantation with fidelity, and 5) organizational level student level outcomes, indicators, and measures. The following implantation standards reflect shared lessons from the community school efforts around the country.

INTRODUCTION

http://www.communityschools.org/standards/

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In the spirit of continuous improvement and stakeholder engagement, we recognize that while these standards were reviewed and amended by hundreds of expert practitioners, there may be areas that need additional refinement. Please provide your feedback at [email protected] to let us know how these standards support your work and how they might be strengthened.

GOALSThe goal of the initiative standards is to identify specific actions that school systems and community partners—families, community and faith-based organizations, local government, higher education, public agencies, law enforcement, United Ways, and others—must take together and individually to create the condition that enable a network of community schools to thrive.

Broadly stated, an initiative works to organize community schools across a school district and community by:

• Growing shared ownership for the community school strategy across stakeholder groups; • Instilling community school principles and practices deeply in the people and organizations who are vital

parts of a community’s educational pathways; and • Sustaining community schools by generating financial support, advocating for needed policy changes, and

building political will.

BACKGROUNDThe community school strategy makes explicit that in order to significantly improve academic and developmental outcomes for children that families, schools, and community partners must work together. Joint efforts are essential to make learning student-centered and ensure that all students have an equitable opportunity to learn and thrive.

While the rationale behind community schools is simple, actual implementation requires a transformational shift in the way public school systems function and the way community partners interact with public schools and school systems. It demands change in all adults working with children and youth.

Community schools leaders and practitioners have spent years honing their practice and identifying what works, where it works, and under what conditions, at both the school and systems levels. These voluntary standards draw on that experience and offer a touchstone of our collective wisdom.

The standards define best practices. We recognize that creating a community school initiative is a developmental process, so school districts and community partners should not be surprised if they are not at high levels of performance on every standard. However, using the standards as a self-assessment tool, community school initiative leaders can identify specific issues where action is needed to improve their performance.

HOW THIS DOCUMENT IS ORGANIZEDEach standard is organized into two levels—the standard and related elements. Each standard addresses a broad category of community schools implementation. The elements within each standard reflect specific features of high-level implementation. A full list of standards and their resources are available at www.communityschools.org/standards. A glossary can be found at the end of the document.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.communityschools.org/standards

http://www.communityschools.org/standards

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COMMUNITY SCHOOLS GUIDING PRINCIPLESSeven principles guide the community schools approach to school transformation, and provide a framework that undergirds each of the community school implementation standards.1

1 . PURSUE EQUITY—Educational excellence and equity are inseparable. Community schools work actively to identify and confront policies, practices, and cultures that that keep students of different backgrounds and races from achieving equitable outcomes. Community schools proactively and intentionally empower those typically disempowered by barriers to participation.

2 . INVEST IN A WHOLE-CHILD APPROACH TO EDUCATION—Meaningful teaching and learning embraces but goes beyond mastery of core academic subjects to include youth development principles; holding high expectations for children, youth, and adults; and developing their social-emotional, health, critical thinking, and problem solving skills.

3 . BUILD ON COMMUNITY STRENGTHS TO ENSURE CONDITIONS FOR LEARNING—Community schools utilize the assets of the entire community—including the gifts of people who live and work there, parents, families, residents, and community partners to create the optimal learning conditions for each student.

4 . USE DATA AND COMMUNITY WISDOM TO GUIDE PARTNERSHIPS, PROGRAMS, AND PROGRESS—Reliable and community-specific data, coupled with the wisdom of youth, families, and residents, guides how educators and community partners work together to achieve measurable results.

5 . COMMIT TO INTERDEPENDENCE AND SHARED ACCOUNTABILITY—Student success requires explicit investment in collaborative planning and implementation between educators and community partners and across program areas and disciplines. Mutually agreed upon results and related indicators, as well as written agreements enable educators and community partners to hold each other accountable.

6 . INVEST IN BUILDING TRUSTING RELATIONSHIPS—Deep collaboration takes dedicated effort and time and becomes evident in the daily formal and informal social exchanges within a school community and between the school and the broader community. Trusting relationships fuel school transformation by helping to create a nurturing, safe, respectful climate where caring adults, families, and students come to rely on each other as part of a shared approach to student success.2

7 . FOSTER A LEARNING ORGANIZATION—Improved student learning depends on a school community where educators and community partners work together towards continuous improvement. Time and support are available for individual and collective reflection and adjustment, as well as shared learning and professional development, to facilitate responsiveness to student needs.

In combination—and when guided by a coherent and rigorous vision of how students, schools, and communities can thrive—these principles provide a strong foundation for the pursuit of the community school strategy.

1 Adapted and revised from the Coalition for Community School’s core operating principles. http://www.communityschools.org/

aboutschools/faqs.aspx#FAQ5

2 Bryk and Schneider (2011)

http://www.communityschools.org/aboutschools/faqs.aspx#FAQ5

http://www.communityschools.org/aboutschools/faqs.aspx#FAQ5

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SUMMARY OF STANDARDS FOR COMMUNITY SCHOOL INITIATIVES1 . COMMUNITY-WIDE LEADERSHIP: Nurtures shared ownership and accountability.

2 . COORDINATING INFRASTRUCTURE: Facilitates coordination of school district, local, and state government, community, and other systems-level resources.

3 . PLANNING, ALIGNMENT, AND INTEGRATION: Incorporates assets and responds to needs.

4 . SYSTEMS-LEVEL COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS: Contribute to improved results.

5 . PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT: Facilitates collaboration between school and community partner staff.

6 . DATA AND RESULTS: Guides initiative-level partners in decision making.

7 . SUPPORTIVE POLICY: Strengthens, expands, and deepens community schools across and within organizations.

8 . FINANCING AND RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT: Diversifies funding, sustains and grows community schools, and supports coordination of the community school initiative.

9 . CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT: Deepens the impact of the community school initiative.

10 . COMMUNICATIONS: Raises the visibility and understanding of the community school strategy.


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1. Community-Wide Leadership: Nurtures shared ownership and accountability .

1.1. A representative cross-sector community-wide leadership group, including representatives from the school district, system-level partners (e.g., families, unions, community organizations, government, United Ways, higher education, business, community- and faith-based organizations), and under-represented groups, is responsible for overall vision, policy, and resource alignment.

1.2. Members of the community-wide leadership group have the authority to make decisions (e.g., funding, personnel) within their home organizations that can positively impact the community school initiative.

1.3. Public systems leaders are organized into a formal collaborative vehicle to support community schools (e.g., children and youth cabinets).

1.4. A shared vision built on community engagement and desired results drives the initiative.

1.5. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) defines the role, responsibilities, mechanisms for shared accountability and communications of the community-wide leadership group.

1.6. Members of the community-wide leadership group ensure broad stakeholder participation, developing trust and ownership for the community school vision.

1.7. The community-wide leadership group ensures adequate funding for the intermediary to carry out its core functions through public and private funding streams.

1.8. The community-wide leadership group specifies whether community school coordinators are to be employed by lead community partners, the school system, or through a mixed model.

1.9. The community-wide leadership group anticipates leadership transitions among key partners and takes appropriate action to ensure that community schools are considered in selecting new leaders.

1.10. The community-wide leadership group is connected to and aligned with other relevant community collaboratives (e.g., place-based initiatives, afterschool, cradle-to-career networks).

2. Coordinating Infrastructure: Facilitates coordination of school district, local and state government, community, and other systems-level resources .

2.1. An intermediary entity with visibility, credibility, capacity, and access is designated and empowered to manage the community schools initiative.

2.2. The intermediary organizes partners into working teams focused on key functions (e.g., strategy implementation, financing and sustainability, capacity building, data and evaluation, partnership development, key program areas).

2.3. The intermediary supports implementation of these systems-level standards.

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3. Planning, Alignment, and Integration: Incorporates assets and responds to needs .

3.1. A strategic plan is informed by a community assessment (assets and needs), student, educator, and family voices and the perspective of practitioners.

3.2. Mechanisms for consultation with stakeholders directly experiencing inequities—young people, families, community residents—are in place.

3.3. The strategic plans of system-level partners, including the school district(s), incorporate the community schools vision and strategy.

3.4. Policies and procedures support alignment of individual programmatic elements (e.g., social-emotional learning, PBIS, restorative justice) at the school level.

3.5. Policies and procedures of the school district, labor unions, and initiative-level partners align instructional content and methods with extended day, afterschool, and summer programming.

3.6. Regular review of MOUs and progress on the results or indicators framework ensures that the staffing and delivery of all partners’ activities at each school site are evidence-informed and well-integrated with school plans.

4. Systems-Level Community Partnerships: Contributes to improved results .

4.1. The school district, together with initiative-level partners and the intermediary, has a partnership-management process in place.

4.2. MOUs define the terms and conditions of an initiative-level partner’s relationship with the school district and specify how the partner’s work will contribute to specific results.

4.3. Systems-level and community partners meet all public and school district legal requirements to mitigate risk to students and families (e.g., liability insurance, criminal background checks, data access).

4.4. Orientation for new systems-level and community partners to the community school strategy is conducted as part of the onboarding procedure for new partners.

4.5. Leaders from the school district and all initiative-level partners and community partners convene at least twice annually to discuss community school operations; areas for possible change in policy, practice and procedures; and advocacy needs.

4.6. The school district has in place policies and practices to align and integrate the work of community partners with the district’s specialized instructional support personnel (e.g., social workers, counselors, psychologists, nurses).

4.7. Contracting procedures of school systems, other public funders and private organizations make partnership with neighborhood-based and culturally responsive organizations viable; support is available for these organizations financially and managerially.

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5. Personnel Management: Facilitates collaboration between school and community partner staff .

5.1. School district personnel policies authorize the position of community school coordinator, enabling principals to use school funds for that role.

5.2. Community school coordinators across the system are compensated equitably and within an agreed-upon salary range.

5.3. School district and community partners set clear qualifications for community school coordinators.

5.4. School district policies specify that the coordinator is expected to be part of the school site leadership team.

5.5. School district and community partners regularly review roles and responsibilities of school and community partner personnel.

5.6. Personnel policies of school districts, initiative-level partners, unions, and community partners clearly define roles, facilitate positive working relationships across shared staffs, and are consistent with collective bargaining and consultation agreements where applicable.

5.7. Community school principles are incorporated into the position descriptions of principals, teachers and other school personnel.

6. Data and Results: Guide initiative-level partners in decision making .

6.1. A community-wide results and indicators framework—incorporating academic and developmental factors and indicators for students, families, and the community—and an annual report are in place and made public.

6.2. The results framework, including data compiled from individual community schools on participation and performance, is used to make implementation decisions, track progress, keep partners accountable to one another, and support evaluation and continuous improvement.

6.3. School districts, initiative-level partners, and community partners have data-sharing systems and protocols in place to assure confidentiality and provide access to relevant individual student and aggregate school information using data from multiple school and initiative-level partners (e.g., health, mental health, child welfare, juvenile justice).

6.4. School districts, initiative-level partners, unions, and community partners use data to conduct needs assessments, target the needs of individual children, and ensure the quality and improvement of services.

6.5. Data is disaggregated to ensure equity (e.g., by free lunch status, race, gender, disability, English language learner, or immigrant status).

6.6. Evaluation, whether independent or internal, is designed to assess toward specified results or indicators as well as systemic effectiveness.

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7. Supportive Policy: Strengthens and expands community schools across and within organizations .

7.1. School boards, local government ,and system-level partners enact policies and procedures to support and sustain the community school vision and strategy.

7.2. The school district has administrative guidelines (e.g., custodial, transportation, partnerships, food, building hours, background checks) that facilitate the effective operation of community schools.

7.3. School district policy allows community partners to use school facilities at no charge to implement activities aligned with the agreed-upon results framework or school improvement plan.

7.4. A process is in place to address policy and procedural issues raised by individual community schools.

7.5. The local union’s collective bargaining agreement or consultation agreements support the community school strategy at both the site and systems levels.

7.6. There is advocacy capacity in the community to promote community schools policy and ensure accountability.

7.7. The local education agencies (LEAs) and state education agencies (SEAs) invests dollars for capacity building.

7.8. Community schools are defined as a LEA or SEA strategy for school improvement.

7.9. The state school funding formula incorporates costs associated with the implementation of community schools.

8. Financing and Resource Development: Diversifies funding, sustains, and grows community schools, and supports coordination of the community school initiative .

8.1. A long-range financing plan to harness diverse public and private funding streams and mobilize community resources is in place and is the responsibility of the members of the community wide leadership group.

8.2. Sustainable funding for community school coordinators is in place through public and private sources (e.g., ESSA funds from Title I, Title II, Title III, and Title IV and other public systems at multiple levels such as health, mental health, child welfare, juvenile justice, immigration, or domestic violence).

8.3. Local public procurement and private grant opportunities are aligned with the initiative’s results framework and link school and system-level partners.

8.4. A plan to mobilize the human capital of community members to support students and families in community schools is in place.

8.5. The school district and initiative-level partners work together to advocate equitable distribution of funding and other community resources.

8.6. Procedures are in place to ensure transparency in the use of public funds for community schools.

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9. Continuous Improvement: Deepens the impact of the community school initiative .

9.1. A community school coordinator preparation and professional development program is in place both in higher education institutions and through the community schools initiative.

9.2. Community school principles and practices are incorporated into professional development for staff of initiative-level partners and their grantees.

9.3. Community school principles and practices are incorporated in district-run leadership and professional development for principals, teachers, specialized instructional support personnel, and paraprofessionals.

9.4. Higher education institutions prepare principals, teachers, and individuals in other helping professions (e.g., health, counseling, juvenile justice, mental health) to lead and practice in community schools.

9.5. Community schools principles are incorporated in programs to grow new leaders in the community across sectors are cultivated to support the community schools vision.

9.6. Joint professional development for educators and community partner staff is available and policies are in place to encourage the participation of families.

9.7. Professional development for teachers and afterschool, summer, and extended day partners supports implementation of engaging learning experiences.

9.8. Leadership development is available for families to develop their knowledge, skills, and dispositions to make them knowledgeable about community school principles and practices.

9.9. Technical assistance supports planning, implementation, and continuous improvement at school sites.

10. Communications: Raises the visibility and understanding of the community school strategy .

10.1. The system-wide initiative has a name and inspiring logo that is recognized throughout the community.

10.2. A communications plan is in place to tell the story of the community schools initiative.

10.3. Data on community school results is packaged so it is transparent and accessible to all relevant audiences and the general public.

10.4. Open meetings and minutes present community-wide data, decision-making, and invite feedback.

10.5. An organizing group or organized constituency supports and advocates for community schools.

10.6. Community issues that impact schools (e.g., safety, housing, immigration policy) are tracked and considered for community-wide action.

10.7. Site visits to community schools for elected officials, potential partners, initiative leaders, family members, and residents are designed to build community support.

10.8. Communication about the initiative with the public via multiple media occurs regularly.

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COLLABORATIVE VEHICLE (1 .3): An organized group of leaders that are responsible for supporting the community school initiative, preferably a community-wide leadership group.

COMMUNITY PARTNERS (1 .8): At the school site level, results-focused partners are essential to a community school. Partners may include local community-based organizations, government agencies, school districts, institutions of higher education, businesses, and faith-based entities. Site-level community partners may also be initiative-level partners.

COMMUNITY SCHOOLS COORDINATOR (1 .8): The coordinator serves as a bridge between school and community, aligns the work of educators and community partners toward a common set of results, and supports a site leadership team.

COMMUNITY SCHOOLS INITIATIVE (2 .1, 9 .1, 10 .2): A community school initiative is a vertical network of schools from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade in a single attendance area, linked across one or more school districts. The networks use a community schools approach to align services, support, and enrichment opportunities with young people’s developmental needs and the school system’s academic objectives. They sustain these efforts through the policy and financial support of the school district and its public and private community partners.

COMMUNITY WISDOM (PRINCIPLE 4): Residents, neighbors, families, and local businesses have valuable knowledge about their neighborhood and schools’ strengths and needs. When given a voice, communities offer essential information that can better inform community school development.

GLOSSARY

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CONDITIONS FOR LEARNING (PRINCIPLE 3): Schools, together with their communities, must work to fulfill six conditions for learning that we have identified as necessary for every child to succeed, based on an analysis of research. These conditions are:

• Early childhood development is fostered through high-quality, comprehensive programs that nurture learning and development.

• The school has a core instructional program with qualified teachers, a challenging curriculum, and high standards and expectations for students.

• Students are motivated and engaged in learning, both in school and in community settings, during and after school.

• The basic physical, mental and emotional health needs of young people and their families are recognized and addressed.

• There is mutual respect and effective collaboration among parents, families and school staff. • Community engagement, together with school efforts, promotes a school climate that is safe,

supportive, and respectful and connects students to a broader learning community.

CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE ORGANIZATIONS (4 .7): Culturally responsive organizations “are respectful of, and relevant to, the beliefs, practices, culture and linguistic needs of diverse consumer / client populations and communities whose members identify as having particular cultural or linguistic affiliations by virtue of their place of birth, ancestry or ethnic origin, religion, preferred language or language spoken at home. Cultural responsiveness describes the capacity to respond to the issues of diverse communities. It thus requires knowledge and capacity at different levels of intervention: systemic, organizational, professional, and individual.”1

DATA PROTOCOLS (6 .3): Data sharing agreements that dictate the permissions and use of data systems.

DATA SYSTEMS (6 .3): Technology that enables data collection and sharing between school and partner staff.

DEVELOPMENTAL RESULTS AND INDICATORS (6 .1): While all results and indicators can contribute to academic outcomes, developmntal, “non-academic,” refers to all the results and indicators that do not specifically measure academic outcomes. Examples include school climate, student engagement, and family engagement.

ELEMENT: Within each standard, the elements reflect specific features of high-level implementation.

INITIATIVE-LEVEL PARTNERS (3 .5): At the systems level, leaders of major public systems (e.g., education, health, mental health, juvenile justice, immigration, domestic violence), large private institutions (e.g., health and hospital systems, higher education consortia), networks or coalitions of community-based organizations, teacher unions, and United Ways. These groups have resources—human, financial, and political—that should be mobilized as part of a community school initiative. Initiative-level partners may also be site-level partners.

1 Curry-Stevens, Ann, Reyes, Marie-Elena (2014). Protocol for Culturally Responsive Organizations. Coalition of Communities of

Color. Retrieved from http://www.coalitioncommunitiescolor.org/research-data-tools/protocolfororgs

http://www.coalitioncommunitiescolor.org/research-data-tools/protocolfororgs

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INTERDEPENDENCE (5): Community schools are a results-focused partnership strategy where the work of each partner influences that of other partners and the school.

INTERMEDIARY ENTITY (2 .1): An intermediary entity is an organization that provides planning, coordination, and management. Leadership powers the work by ensuring communication between the community-wide leadership group and school-site leaders and by facilitating operational functions at all leadership levels and across school sites. It convenes school and community partners, provides strategic planning, and ensures that what happens at the community leadership level empowers students, families, and practitioners at school sites. The intermediary entity can be a school district, community-based organization, institution of higher education, funder, working group composed of key leaders and managers from one or more partner agencies, government agency, or another respected, trusted, and visible organization in the community.

JOINT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (9 .6): Professional development opportunities are available to school and partners and are offered by either entity.

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU) (1 .5): A memorandum of understanding is an agreement between two or more parties.

NEEDS AND ASSET ASSESSMENT (3 .1, 6 .4): This assessment identifies the needs of students, schools, families, and the community, as well as the assets of individuals, formal institutions and agencies, and informal organizations in the community that can be mobilized to meet these needs.

PARTNERS: See glossary definitions for the difference between “community partners” at the school site level and “initiative-level partners.”

PARTNERSHIP MANAGEMENT PROCESS (4 .1): A strategy for identifying, formalizing, and holding partner organizations accountable.

PROGRAM ELEMENTS (3 .4): Every community school offers a variety of programming aligned to its specific needs and goals. There are common programmatic elements that most typically occur in all community schools including student centered learning and development, health and social services and supports, and family and community engagement.

RESULTS AND INDICATORS FRAMEWORK (6 .1): Results and indicators are bservable information that measures or identifies a particular result the community school is working toward. Examples include attendance rates, school climate, and immunization rates.

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN (7 .3): Schools are responsible for developing an annual plan that describes their instructional choices, education resources and supports, staffing decisions, and partnerships that they are required by districts or states to complete. The plan includes target goals and may include a theory of change. It guides the implementation of learning and other activities in the school.

SHARED ACCOUNTABILITY (1 .5, PRINCIPLE 5): Clear, mutually agreed-upon results drive the work of community schools. Data helps partners measure progress toward results, and agreements enable them to hold each other accountable and move beyond “turf battles.”

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SHARED OWNERSHIP (1): Together, partners engage in collaborative decision making and take ownership of their efforts to help all students succeed. School and community partners share resources, information, and accountability for results with the intention of fundamentally transforming the current education system. They develop a balance of power and equal voice among partners, even though their resources may not all carry the same dollar value.

SHARED VISION (1 .4): Each partner, member of the school staff, and participating family and community member has contributed to and embraces the ideas and goals of the community school.

STANDARD: A standards addresses the broad category of community schools implementation.

SUSTAINABILITY (2 .2): Durability of community schools grows out of an infrastructure that supports a collaborative system based on a long-term vision, continually measures progress against a clear set of benchmarks, and develops the ability to finance the functions of community schools. To ensure continuation and deepening of the work, community schools marshal the capacity to capture and retain the political support of key sectors of the community—parents and residents, voters, taxpayers, and policymakers.

TRUSTING RELATIONSHIPS (PRINCIPLE 6): Trust is essential to a thriving community school. Partner and school leaders depend on one another to meet obligations, to respect one another’s work, and to help one another improve. Trusting relationships are built from working together, addressing conflicts, transparency, and regular and open communication.

WHOLE-CHILD (PRINCIPLE 2): Children come to school with a wide variety of strengths and needs. Research has demonstrated that a variety of factors contribute to a child’s growth and success including health, mental health, youth development, social emotional learning, family life, and academics. Community schools must be attentive to all off these factors in orders to help the whole-child.

WORKING TEAMS (2 .2): School system personnel, initiative-level partners, and other stakeholders may create groups to work on particular areas relevant to achieving community school results such as attendance, behavior, or family engagement.

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Each community school develops along a continuum. These standards are designed to help community school initiatives determine for themselves to what extent and how well they are implementing the various components of being a community school initiative. The Coalition for Community Schools, an initiative of the Institute for Educational Leadership, has designed this self-assessment so that community school initiative leaders can reflect on their development, assess progress, and plot a course for continuous improvement.

HOW TO USE THIS SELF-ASSESSMENTThe Coalition recommends asking people representing different roles in your community school initiative—district official, partner, principal, coordinator, parent, educator, and others—to take this self-assessment and to think hard about their development by scoring their community school initiative on each standard and element as well as writing notes about their perception of progress within each standard. Then, you should sit down together and discuss what you and your colleagues and partners think you are doing well, and about what areas you think you could improve. Together, you will discover a new path that brings all the assets of your community together to create community schools where children learn and thrive.

STANDARDS FOR COMMUNITY SCHOOL INITIATIVES 2017 Self-ASSeSSment

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1. Community-Wide Leadership: Nurtures shared ownership and accountability.

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1.1. A representative cross-sector community-wide leadership group, including representatives from the school district, system-level partners (e.g., families, unions, community organizations, government, United Ways, higher education, business, community- and faith-based organizations), and under-represented groups, is responsible for overall vision, policy, and resource alignment.

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1.2. Members of the community-wide leadership group have the authority to make decisions (e.g., funding, personnel) within their home organizations that can positively impact the community school initiative.

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1.3. P ublic systems leaders are organized into a formal collaborative vehicle to support community schools (e.g., children and youth cabinets). 1 2 3 41.4. A shared vision built on community engagement and desired results drives the initiative. 1 2 3 41.5. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) defines the role, responsibilities, mechanisms for shared accountability and communications of the community-wide leadership group.

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1.6. Members of the community-wide leadership group ensure broad stakeholder participation, developing trust and ownership for the community school vision.

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1.7. The community-wide leadership group ensures adequate funding for the intermediary to carry out its core functions through public and private funding streams.

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1.8. The community-wide leadership group specifies whether community school coordinators are to be employed by lead community partners, the school system, or through a mixed model.

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1.9. The community-wide leadership group anticipates leadership transitions among key partners and takes appropriate action to ensure that community schools are considered in selecting new leaders.

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1.10. The community-wide leadership group is connected to and aligned with other relevant community collaboratives (e.g., place-based initiatives, afterschool, cradle-to-career networks).

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Overall Rating 1 2 3 4

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2. Coordinating Infrastructure: Facilitates coordination of school district, local and state government, community, and other systems-level resources. In

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2.1. An intermediary entity with visibility, credibility, capacity, and access is designated and empowered to manage the community schools initiative. 1 2 3 42.2. The intermediary organizes partners into working teams focused on key functions (e.g., strategy implementation, financing and sustainability, capacity building, data and evaluation, partnership development, key program areas).

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2.3. The intermediary supports implementation of these systems-level standards. 1 2 3 4


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3. Planning, Alignment and Integration: Incorporates assets and responds to needs.

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3.1. A strategic plan is informed by a community assessment (assets and needs), student, educator, and family voices and the perspective of practitioners.

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3.2. Mechanisms for consultation with stakeholders directly experiencing inequities—young people, families, community residents—are in place. 1 2 3 43.3. The strategic plans of system-level partners, including the school district(s), incorporate the community schools vision and strategy. 1 2 3 43.4. Policies and procedures support alignment of individual programmatic elements (e.g., social-emotional learning, PBIS, restorative justice) at the school level.

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3.5. Policies and procedures of the school district, labor unions, and initiative-level partners align instructional content and methods with extended day, after school and summer programming.

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3.6. Regular review of MOUs and progress on the results or indicators framework ensures that the staffing and delivery of all partners’ activities at each school site are evidence-informed and well-integrated with school plans.

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4. Systems-Level Community Partnerships: Contributes to improved results.

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4.1. The school district, together with initiative-level partners and the intermediary, has a partnership-management process in place. 1 2 3 44.2. MOUs define the terms and conditions of an initiative-level partner’s relationship with the school district and specify how the partner’s work will contribute to specific results.

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4.3. Systems-level and community partners meet all public and school district legal requirements to mitigate risk to students and families (e.g., liability insurance, criminal background checks and data access).

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4.4. Orientation for new systems-level and community partners to the community school strategy is conducted as part of the onboarding procedure for new partners.

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4.5. Leaders from the school district and all initiative-level partners and community partners convene at least twice annually to discuss community school operations; areas for possible change in policy, practice and procedures; and advocacy needs.

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4.6. The school district has in place policies and practices to align and integrate the work of community partners with the district’s specialized instructional support personnel (e.g., social workers, counselors, psychologists, nurses).

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4.7. Contracting procedures of school systems, other public funders and private organizations make partnership with neighborhood-based and culturally responsive organizations viable; support is available for these organizations financially and managerially.

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5. Personnel Management: Facilitates collaboration between school and community partner staff.

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5.1. School district personnel policies authorize the position of community school coordinator, enabling principals to use school funds for that role. 1 2 3 45.2. Community school coordinators across the system are compensated equitably and within an agreed-upon salary range. 1 2 3 45.3. School district and community partners set clear qualifications for community school coordinators. 1 2 3 45.4. School district policies specify that the coordinator is expected to be part of the school site leadership team. 1 2 3 45.5. School district and community partners regularly review roles and responsibilities of school and community partner personnel. 1 2 3 45.6. Personnel policies of school districts, initiative-level partners, unions, and community partners clearly define roles, facilitate positive working relationships across shared staffs, and are consistent with collective bargaining and/or consultation agreements where applicable.

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5.7. Community school principles are incorporated into the position descriptions of principals, teachers, and other school personnel. 1 2 3 4


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6. Data and Results: Guide initiative-level partners in decision making.

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6.1. A community-wide results and indicators framework—incorporating academic and developmental factors and indicators for students, families, and the community—and an annual report are in place and made public.

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6.2. The results framework, including data compiled from individual community schools on participation and performance, is used to make implementation decisions, track progress, keep partners accountable to one another, and support evaluation and continuous improvement.

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6.3. School districts, initiative-level partners, and community partners have data-sharing systems and protocols in place to assure confidentiality and provide access to relevant individual student and aggregate school information using data from multiple school and initiative-level partners (e.g., health, mental health, child welfare, juvenile justice).

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6.4. School districts, initiative-level partners, unions, and community partners use data to conduct needs assessments, target the needs of individual children, and ensure the quality and improvement of services.

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6.5. Data is disaggregated to ensure equity (e.g., by free lunch status, race, gender, disability, English language learner, immigrant status). 1 2 3 46.6. Evaluation, whether independent or internal, is designed to assess toward specified results or indicators as well as systemic effectiveness. 1 2 3 4


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7. Supportive Policy: Strengthens and expands community schools across and within organizations.

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7.1. School boards, local government, and system-level partners enact policies and procedures to support and sustain the community school vision and strategy.

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7.2. The school district has administrative guidelines (e.g., custodial, transportation, partnerships, food, building hours, background checks) that facilitate the effective operation of community schools.

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7.3. School district policy allows community partners to use school facilities at no charge to implement activities aligned with the agreed-upon results framework or school improvement plan.

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7.4. A process is in place to address policy and procedural issues raised by individual community schools. 1 2 3 47.5. The local union’s collective bargaining agreement or consultation agreements support the community school strategy at both the site and systems level.

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7.6. There is advocacy capacity in the community to promote community schools policy and ensure accountability. 1 2 3 47.7. The local education agencies (LEAs) and state education agencies (SEAs) invests dollars for capacity building. 1 2 3 47.8. Community schools are defined as a LEA or SEA strategy for school improvement. 1 2 3 47.9. The state school funding formula incorporates costs associated with the implementation of community schools. 1 2 3 4


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8. Financing and Resource Development: Diversifies funding, sustains, and grows community schools, and supports coordination of the community school initiative. In

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8.1. A long range financing plan to harness diverse public and private funding streams and mobilize community resources is in place and is the responsibility of the members of the community-wide leadership group.

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8.2. Sustainable funding for community school coordinators is in place through public and private sources (e.g., ESSA funds from Title I, Title II, Title III, and Title IV and other public systems at multiple levels such as health, mental health, child welfare, juvenile justice, immigration, or domestic violence).

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8.3. Local public procurement and private grant opportunities are aligned with the initiative’s results framework and link school and system-level partners. 1 2 3 48.4. A plan to mobilize the human capital of community members to support students and families in community schools is in place. 1 2 3 48.5. The school district and initiative-level partners work together to advocate equitable distribution of funding and other community resources. 1 2 3 48.6. Procedures are in place to ensure transparency in the use of public funds for community schools. 1 2 3 4


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9. Continuous Improvement: Deepens the impact of the community school initiative.

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9.1. A community school coordinator preparation and professional development program is in place both in higher education institutions and through the community schools initiative.

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9.2. Community school principles and practices are incorporated into professional development for staff of initiative-level partners and their grantees.

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9.3. Community school principles and practices are incorporated in district-run leadership and professional development for principals, teachers, specialized instructional support personnel, and paraprofessionals.

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9.4. Higher education institutions prepare principals, teachers, and individuals in other helping professions (e.g., health, counseling, juvenile justice, mental health) to lead and practice in community schools.

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9.5. Community schools principles are incorporated in programs to grow new leaders in the community across sectors are cultivated to support the community schools vision.

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9.6. Joint professional development for educators and community partner staff is available and policies are in place to encourage the participation of families.

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9.7. Professional development for teachers and afterschool, summer, and extended day partners supports implementation of engaging learning experiences.

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9.8. Leadership development is available for families to develop their knowledge, skills, and dispositions to make them knowledgeable about community school principles and practices.

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9.9. Technical assistance supports planning, implementation and continuous improvement at school sites. 1 2 3 4


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10. Communications: Raises the visibility and understanding of the community school strategy.

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10.1. The system-wide initiative has a name and inspiring logo that is recognized throughout the community. 1 2 3 410.2. A communications plan is in place to tell the story of the community schools initiative. 1 2 3 410.3. Data on community school results is packaged so it is transparent and accessible to all relevant audiences and the general public. 1 2 3 410.4. Open meetings and minutes present community-wide data, decision-making, and invite feedback. 1 2 3 410.5. An organizing group or organized constituency supports and advocates for community schools. 1 2 3 410.6. Community issues that impact schools (e.g., safety, housing, immigration policy) are tracked and considered for community-wide action. 1 2 3 410.7. Site visits to community schools for elected officials, potential partners, initiative leaders, family members, and residents are designed to build community support.

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10.8. Communication about the initiative with the public via multiple media occurs regularly. 1 2 3 4


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ABOUT THE COALITION FOR COMMUNITY SCHOOLSThe Coalition for Community Schools, an initiative of the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL), is an alliance of national, state, and local organizations in K–12 education, youth development, community planning and development, higher education, family support, health and human services, government, and philanthropy, as well as national, state,

and local community school networks. The Coalition advocates for community schools as a strategy to leverage local resources and programs, changing the look and feel of the traditional school structure to best meet the needs of children and families in the 21st century.

www .communityschools .org

ABOUT THE INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIPFor a half-century, the Institute for Educational Leadership has championed the need for leaders at all levels to shake off their institutional constraints and work across boundaries to address the needs of young people and their families. Bound by no constituency, IEL serves as a catalyst that helps policymakers, administrators, and practitioners at all levels

to bridge bureaucratic silos and undo gridlock to improve outcomes for all young people and their families. The work of IEL focuses on three pillars required for young people and their communities to succeed: Involving the broader community with public education to support the learning and development of young people; building more effective pathways into the workforce for all young people and supporting the transition to adulthood; and preparing generations of leaders with the know-how to drive collaborative efforts at all levels.

www .iel .org

ABOUT US

http://www.communityschools.org

http://www.iel.org

WWW.COMMUNITYSCHOOLS.ORG

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