Positive Student Outcomes In Community Schools

Download or read book Positive Student Outcomes in Community Schools written by Sebastian Castrechini and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a nation where 42 percent of children live in low-income families, too many schools face the challenge of teaching students burdened with unmet needs that pose obstacles to learning. Community schools that align schools and community resources are a promising strategy for improving student outcomes by providing wraparound services that meet the social, physical, cognitive, and economic needs of both students and families. And while much of the current literature on community schools focuses on highlighting policies and practices to support the implementation of community school models, very little research examines how community schools affect student outcomes. Since 2007, the John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities (JGC) at Stanford University has partnered with the Redwood City School District (RCSD) in Redwood City, California, south of San Francisco, to conduct research on participation and outcomes for students in the Redwood City School District's community schools. This local initiative includes five community schools, with students in grades K through 8, that provided more than 250 programs, services, and events in the 2010-11 school year. The purpose of this paper is to provide an in-depth analysis of one district's community schools using quantitative data to show how students and families use services at these schools and how those services work together to positively affect student outcomes. The main findings from this analysis are: (1) Supplemental programs provided at Redwood City School District community schools reached more than 70 percent of the students enrolled at those schools; (2) English learner students with consistent program participation over time showed gains in English language development scores; and (3) Community school programs were linked to positive attitudes about school for middle school students. This report, by focusing on the experience of the Redwood City School District, seeks to inform community school efforts in other parts of the country with insights into potential ways that community schools interact with students and families to improve student outcomes. Community school results framework mapped to indicators and potential data sources is appended. (Contains 7 figures and 36 endnotes.).