The Role of Community Schools in Accelerating Learning and Learning Loss Recovery

In this March 2, 2021 GLR Learning Tuesdays webinar, José Muñoz, who serves as the director of the Coalition of Community Schools at the Institute for Educational Leadership, described the four pillars of the community schools strategy ― collaborative leadership and practices; expanded and enriched learning time and opportunities; active family and community engagement; and integrated student supports ― stressing that it engages those who are closest to the issues in coming up with the solutions. Muñoz outlined the evidence supporting this approach and the significant return on investment it generates, sharing highlights of how community schools in various communities were able to pivot to respond to the challenges posed by the pandemic. He also explained how school districts can utilize existing CARES Act funding to create or scale community schools, adding that significant increases in federal funding have been proposed in Congress. 

Explaining that community schools reflect the New Mexico Public Education Department’s commitment to “raising children first and test scores second,” Katarina Sandoval shared how the governor and state legislators enacted legislation to support the scaling of community schools in 2013. After 12 percent of all public schools applied for community school funding in the first year, the state moved to increase its investments in the strategy with a proposed $20 million state investment this year. Recognizing that many states and localities do not have funding streams dedicated to support this strategy, Sandoval offered ideas on how teachers, parents or other interested community members could begin putting the pieces in place to establish a community school.

Jill Pereira of United Way of the Greater Leigh Valley described how local partners launched a community schools strategy in four high-need school districts in 2004, with a goal of addressing systemic integration of community resources into schools. She explained how this strategy aligns with and complements the Lehigh Valley Reads campaign, noting that it provides a vehicle for campaign partners to test out new ideas and strategies before scaling them across the 23 districts engaged in the campaign. Beginning with a relatively small private investment of $100,000 in 2004, Pereira shared how partners had leveraged the AmeriCorps and  AmeriCorps VISTA programs and engaged corporate partners to sustain and scale the strategy, eventually receiving a Full-Service Community Schools grant in 2018. 

Pereira was joined by Deb Bowman, the Community Schools Coordinator in the Bangor Area School District, a rural district in the Lehigh Valley. Bowman provided an on-the-ground perspective, sharing how she engages students, families and partners and coordinates services to meet the needs of area residents, including creating dental, vision and medical vans to deliver health care services at schools. Reflecting on the evolution of the strategy since its launch in 2008, Bowman shared how some teachers and others were skeptical of the approach early on, viewing it as “one more thing they would have to do,” but now strongly embrace it and view it as an asset and support.