Short-term and longer-term state steps to scale community schools to all high-poverty schools¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 1 claim (1 mixed) · 1 study (1 review), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description¶

The report recommends a sequenced set of state actions: during the COVID-19 recovery, support districts and tribally controlled schools to "blend and braid" state and federal funds, position community schools as hubs for cross-agency coordination, develop targeted educator professional learning (including micro-credentials modeled on the NEA's Community Schools Improvement Science Micro-Credentials), and collect outcome plus process and implementation data. Longer term, it recommends reinstating K–5 Plus and expanded learning time funding, establishing regional technical assistance, and creating incentives for local nonprofit and business partnerships so every school with at least 80% low-income students has sustainable community schools infrastructure including a full-time coordinator.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Sufficient resources, blending and braiding of multiple state and federal programs and funding, technical assistance for full implementation, and guaranteed accountability

Constraints¶

• The report states the current recession precludes big new investments now, and that 2020 funding of $3.3 million is far too little to support all schools seeking grants

Target Learners¶

• students in schools where at least 80% of students come from low-income families
• districts, tribally controlled schools, and Bureau of Indian Education schools

Target Learning Goals¶

• mitigating barriers to school success associated with poverty
• expanded and enriched learning time
• integrated health and social supports

Affordances¶

• Community Schools Four Pillars Framework

Claims¶

• New Mexico LESC study: community schools operating more than 5 years with full pillar implementation showed better-than-average achievement growth [~W]

Related Strategies¶

• Sequenced multi-year investment plan across teacher and principal pipelines, early childhood, high-poverty schools, funding, and assessment and accountability to achieve Leandro compliance
• Provide sustainable, dedicated funding for community school coordinators plus technical assistance and capacity-building
• Phased policy agenda for building a statewide pathways system: immediate low-cost COVID-recovery steps followed by longer-term investments

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Oakes, J., & Espinoza, D. (2020). Community schools the New Mexico way. Learning Policy Institute. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/improving-education-new-mexico-way