Strong local community connections and commitment can provide one of the biggest boosts to rural school turnaround efforts¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · qualitative r1 · q2
Currency · newest study 2014 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? The CST handbook chapter holds that the strength and commitment of local community members can provide one of the biggest boosts to rural turnaround, since strong connections among staff, parents, and community members support the school and its students' motivation and success. → Rural Turnaround: Challenges and Opportunities 2014

Evidence¶

Rural Turnaround: Challenges and Opportunities 2014¶

Rural Turnaround: Challenges and Opportunities. (2014). WestEd R&D Alert, Vol. 15, No. 1. https://centeronschoolturnaround.org/journeys

q2 · i? · qualitative · r1

The CST handbook chapter on rural turnaround argues that people are at the heart of rural communities and schools: a rural school is often a community gathering place and "point of pride for the community," and community investment "can help tremendously to support student motivation and success."

"The strength and commitment of local community members in a rural area can provide one of the biggest boosts to school turnaround efforts. There are likely to be strong connections and ample opportunities for interaction among staff, parents, and community members, which can provide important support to a school."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Schools with strong essential supports were more likely to sit in communities with strong social capital, low crime, and low density of abused or neglected children — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it
• School improvement is related to staff interactions, staff relationships with families, and ties to the broader school community — a broader claim this one bears on
• Committee members hold that driving systems-level change requires actively and directly engaging local communities rather than passively asking for feedback — related
• School reform efforts often narrowly focus on instruction, curriculum and pedagogy while overlooking organizational and community conditions — related
• LSC parent and community members make a substantial time commitment to their schools, beyond formal council duties — related
• Limited human capital is one of the biggest challenges in rural school turnaround, making SIG staff-replacement requirements often neither possible nor desirable — related
• A field guide asserts that authentic family–school partnerships benefit student achievement and argues that without staff training and coaching the school–family divide persists — related
• Families appreciated school engagement efforts, but some family and community members expressed dissatisfaction with their inclusion in school governance — related
• Connecting CT education to real community opportunities is powerful for teachers and students — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Teachers' ability to deliver strong instruction depends substantially on the school context, family resources and challenges, and the larger community — a broader claim this one bears on
• Principals credit LSCs with helping initiate new school-community partnerships, supporting the claim that LSCs build social capital in urban neighborhoods — related