Community Schools: A "Whole Child" School Improvement Strategy
A “whole child” school improvement strategy where students, families, and community members are embraced as full partners in every aspect of decision-making that affects the conditions for teaching and learning.
A New Approach to Education
According to the California Department of Education, community schools “ensure that students, families, and community members are embraced as full partners in every aspect of decision-making that affects the conditions for teaching and learning.” They aim to address not only academic needs but also social, emotional, and health-related aspects of students’ lives, ensuring that they are safe, engaged, and valued.
Research shows that they help improve not just academic outcomes, like better grades, higher graduation rates, and lower absenteeism, but also contribute to the overall well-being of students and their families. By providing equitable access to resources, students have better opportunities to develop social and emotional skills, preparing them for success both inside and outside the classroom.
Core Pillars
These pillars help ensure that students have the resources and support they need to thrive academically and socially. By bringing in community resources, such as mental health services and after-school programs, these schools address barriers to learning and make sure every student can reach their full potential. There are about 8 to 10 thousand community schools across the country and this number continues to grow!
Active family and community engagement
Integrated student support
Expanded learning time and opportunities
Collaborative leadership and practices
Succsess stories
Thomas and Birney Elementary Schools
“My hope is that every school becomes a community school. If it’s done how it’s supposed to be done, we will look back and say that the community schools model helped change the city.”
Tashon Smallwood
Community Schools Coordinator, Thomas Elementary
At Birney Elementary, the implementation of the community school model has led to nearly doubling parent engagement opportunities, with a goal to increase that by another 25% this year.
Birney Elementary also identified critical needs through listening sessions and surveys of their stakeholders. “We were able to identify that some basic needs were not being met [such as clothing]. So we started a clothing closet [at the school],” shared Carlos Corona, Birney Elementary’s Community Schools Coordinator.
“Our students need more than just educational support. Is there any support that we can offer at home? Are they getting the right nutrition?” These are questions Tashon Smallwood, Community Schools Coordinator at Thomas Elementary is asking.
Food insecurity, a critical need identified at Thomas Elementary through strategies such as surveys and listening sessions, has been addressed by partnering with a local church to provide monthly food distributions. As a result, families have been able to rely on regular support to meet their basic needs, ensuring students are better prepared for success in the classroom.
How does the CCT Help?
Listening Sessions and Focus Groups
Listening Sessions and Focus Groups
Community Schools Trainings
Community Schools Trainings
Contact Carlos Huerta, CCT’s Executive Director, at carlos.huerta@fresno.edu to learn more about community schools.
Community Schools Updates
Community Schools: A New Approach to Education
“My hope is that every school becomes a community school. If it’s done how it’s supposed to be done, we will look back and say
