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A RESOURCE GUIDE FOR
UNDERSTANDING COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
     Equity and Community Schools

               October 2012




                Prepared by:

               Iris Hemmerich
           Urban Strategies Council
Equity and Community Schools


Table of Contents

A Resource Guide for Understanding Community Schools .......................................................................... 2
   Updating the Resource Guide ................................................................................................................... 4
   Additional Community School Resources ................................................................................................. 4
Our Community School work with Oakland Unified School District ............................................................. 5
Equity Frameworks and Tools: Literature Review ........................................................................................ 6
   Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 6
   Review ....................................................................................................................................................... 6
        1.      How Disparities are Documented ................................................................................................. 6
        2.      Target Populations ........................................................................................................................ 7
        3.      Changes in Subpopulations Over Time.......................................................................................... 7
        4.      Addressing Disproportionality....................................................................................................... 8
   Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................. 9
        1.      Challenges ..................................................................................................................................... 9
        2.      Promising Practices ....................................................................................................................... 9
        3.      Concluding Remarks ...................................................................................................................... 9
Equity Frameworks and Tools: Annotated Bibliography ............................................................................ 11
   1.        Equity Frameworks.......................................................................................................................... 11
   2.        Equity Tools ..................................................................................................................................... 13




                                                                       1
                                                    ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012
A Resource Guide for Understanding Community Schools
INTRODUCTION

Urban Strategies Council has collected and reviewed more than 175 evaluations, case studies,
briefs and reports for use by those considering or planning a community school or community
school district. Our intention is to provide interested individuals and stakeholders the
resources they need to better understand the unique structure and core components of
community schools. The promising practices, recommendations, tools and information shared
in this document have been culled from documents representing the last 20 years of research
and documentation of community schools across the United States.

We highlighted 11 content areas that we believe to be the most foundational for understanding
community schools. Within each of the content areas, you will find:

   1. A literature review: The literature reviews for each content area are organized
      around core questions and provide a synthesis of the most commonly identified
      solutions and responses to each question, as well as highlights, promising practices,
      challenges and recommendations.

   2. An annotated bibliography: We gathered and annotated literature in each of the
      content areas to underscore key themes, some of which include: best practices,
      exemplary sites, models and tools. The annotations vary by content area in order to
      draw attention to the most pertinent information. For example, the Evaluations content
      area includes annotations of the evaluation methodology and indicators of success.

The 11 content areas include the following:

   1. Community School Characteristics
      Provides a general overview of the structure, function, core elements, programs and
      services of a community school.

   2. Planning and Design
      Explores the general planning and design structures for community schools, and
      discusses the initial steps and central components of the planning and design process, as
      well as strategies for scaling up community schools.

   3. Equity Frameworks and Tools
      Examines literature and tools that can be adapted to an equity framework for
      community schools. We included equity frameworks and tools that explore
      disproportionality and the monitoring of disparities and demographic shifts.




                                                 2
                              ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012
4. Collaborative Leadership
   Addresses how to build, strengthen and expand the collaborative leadership structure at
   community schools. Collaborative leadership is a unique governance structure that
   brings together community partners and stakeholders to coordinate a range of services
   and opportunities for youth, families and the community.

5. Family and Community Engagement
   Explores how community and family engagement operates as well as the challenges for
   actualizing it at the site level. Family and community engagement is a unique
   component of community schools in which the school, families, and community actively
   work together to create networks of shared responsibility for student success.

6. Data Collection and Analysis
   Addresses the outcomes measured at community schools, methods for collecting data
   at community schools, and short and long term indicators.

7. Assessment Tools
   Includes tools used to measure outcomes at community schools.

8. Community School Evaluations
   Provides evaluations of community school initiatives with special attention paid to
   methodology, indicators of success, findings and challenges.

9. Community School Funding
   Explores how to leverage revenue streams and allocate resources at community schools.

10. Budget Tools
    Includes tools that support the process of budgeting and fiscal mapping.

11. Community School Sustainability
    Explores promising practices for creating sustainability plans, partnership development
    and leveraging resources for the future.




                                              3
                           ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012
UPDATING THE RESOURCE GUIDE

Urban Strategies Council will continue its efforts to update the Resource Guide with the most
current information as it becomes available. If you know of topics or resources that are not
currently included in this guide, please contact Alison Feldman, Education Excellence Program,
at alisonf@urbanstrategies.org. We welcome your ideas and feedback for A Resource Guide for
Understanding Community Schools.


ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY SCHOOL RESOURCES

National:

The Coalition for Community Schools
http://www.communityschools.org/

The National Center for Community Schools (Children’s Aid Society)
http://nationalcenterforcommunityschools.childrensaidsociety.org/

Yale University Center in Child Development and Social Policy
http://www.yale.edu/21c/training.html

Regional:

The Center for Community School Partnerships, UC Davis
http://education.ucdavis.edu/community-school-partnerships

Center for Strategic Community Innovation
http://cscinnovation.org/community-schools-project/about-cscis-community-schools-
project/community-school-initiative-services-coaching-and-ta/’




                                                  4
                               ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012
Our Community School work with
                       Oakland Unified School District
Urban Strategies Council has a long history of working with the Oakland Unified School District
(OUSD) to support planning for improved academic achievement. Most recently, we helped
develop and support the implementation of OUSD’s five-year strategic plan, Community
Schools, Thriving Students. Adopted by the Board of Education in June 2011, the plan calls for
building community schools across the district that ensure high-quality instruction; develop
social, emotional and physical health; and create equitable opportunities for learning. Urban
Strategies Council has worked with the school district, community members and other
stakeholders to support this system reform in several ways:

   Community Schools Strategic Planning: Urban Strategies Council facilitated six School
   Board retreats over a 14-month period to help develop the strategic plan. As part of that
   process, the District created 14 task forces to produce recommendations for the plan, with
   Urban Strategies Council facilitating one task force and sitting on several others.
   Full Service Community Schools Task Force: Urban Strategies Council convened and co-
   facilitated the Full Service Community Schools and District Task Force, which created a
   structural framework and tools for planning and implementation, and produced a report
   with a set of recommendations that formed the foundation of the strategic plan.
   Community Engagement in Planning: Urban Strategies Council partnered with the district
   to educate and engage more than 900 school and community stakeholders on how
   community schools could best serve them.
   Planning for Community Schools Leadership Council: Urban Strategies Council has been
   working with OUSD’s Department of Family, School and Community Partnerships to lay the
   groundwork for building an interagency, cross-sector partnership body that will provide
   high-level system oversight and support, and ensure shared responsibility and coordination
   of resources towards the vision of healthy, thriving children supported through community
   schools.
   Convening Workgroups: Urban Strategies Council continues to partner with the District to
   convene and facilitate several workgroups developing specific structures, processes, and
   practices supporting community school implementation, as well as informing the eventual
   work of the Community Schools Leadership Council.
   African American Male Achievement Initiative: Urban Strategies Council is a partner in
   OUSD’s African American Male Achievement Initiative (AAMAI), a collaboration supporting
   efforts to close the achievement gap and improve other key outcomes for African American
   males in OUSD. Urban Strategies Council has developed data-based research; explored
   promising practices, programs and policies inside and outside the school district; analyzed
   the impact of existing system-wide policies; and developed policy recommendations to
   improve outcomes in various areas identified by the AAMAI Task Force.
   Boys and Men of Color: Urban Strategies Council is the Regional Convener for the Oakland
   Boys and Men of Color site, which adopted community schools as a vehicle to improve
   health, education and employment outcomes for boys and men of color.

                                                 5
                              ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012
Equity Frameworks and Tools: Literature Review

Introduction

Community schools aim to provide a range of opportunities so that all students, regardless of
race, socio-economic or family circumstances, can learn and achieve to high standards.
Although the concept of equity is implicit in the community school strategy, there is no explicit
equity framework to undergird the strategy’s development and implementation. In fact, the
majority of community school evaluations fail to discuss the progress of the student
subpopulations that experience disparate academic outcomes. An equity framework is thus
needed to assess the disparities in opportunities and outcomes of all students so that they truly
can succeed regardless of race, socio-economic or family circumstances. We used four central
research questions to guide the literature review of equity frameworks and tools:

    1.   How are disparities being documented?
    2.   Are there target populations?
    3.   Does the framework or tool address changes in student subpopulations over time?
    4.   How is the framework or tool being used to address disproportionality?

Published research on relevant equity frameworks and tools from 2009-2012 has been included
as part of this literature review. In our research, we included a range of material that could be
applied or adapted to the community school strategy. Unfortunately, as very few schools have
intentionally used an equity framework, we were only able to include one framework that
pertained directly to full service community schools. Overall, there appears to be a dearth of
research on how to unify an equity framework with existing, successful data disaggregation
practices.

Review

    1. How Disparities are Documented

Most research identified data systems as the primary vehicle for tracking disparities. The Urban
Strategies Council and the Promise Neighborhood Institute at PolicyLink identified the practice
of data disaggregation as an effective means to document disparities at both full service
community schools and promise neighborhood schools. Both organizations suggest that schools
build out school and community data systems in order to understand the school demographics,
drive decision-making in planning and evaluation, and identify populations experiencing
inequitable opportunities and outcomes1.


1
 McAfee, Michael, Junious Williams, Alison Feldman, Sarah Marxer, Rebecca Brown, Carla Dartis, Alicia Olivarez
and Iris Hemmerich. “Concept Paper: Building an Equity Framework for Full Service Community Schools and
Promise Neighborhood Schools”. Urban Strategies Council and the Promise Neighborhood Institute at PolicyLink,
May 2012. Web. 20 May 2012.
                                                        6
                                   ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012
Other data systems, such as Early Warning Indicator and Intervention Systems, were identified
as promising methods for documenting academic disparities and identifying “at-risk” students.
The warning systems use student-level data and specific indicators to calculate potential risk for
academic failure. Accessible, student-level data is then used to engage parents, inform targeted
interventions and support, and track students’ responses to interventions2.

Of the data systems used at community school sites, the Cincinnati Learning Partner Dashboard
used by the Cincinnati Community Learning Centers3 stood out as a comprehensive tool for
documenting disparities. Individual student data is disaggregated by multiple priority factors
and assessed in relation to rates of participation in specific community school programs. This
data disaggregation allows for the centers to evaluate not only individual student success, but
the success of each respective community school program. Although the concept of equity is
somewhat embedded in this approach, the Learning Partner Dashboard is not accompanied by
an equity framework.

    2. Target Populations

The bulk of research referred to low-income people and people of color as the target
populations in need of supports and services. In the equity tools and frameworks explicitly
referring to school settings, “at-risk” students, low-income students and students of color were
the most commonly targeted populations. The “at-risk” category, however, often served as an
umbrella category that encompassed low-income students and students of color. For databases
such as the Early Warning Indicator and Intervention Systems and the Cincinnati Learning
Partner Dashboard, academic and behavioral indicators (such as standardized test scores, GPA
and disciplinary referrals) were used to constitute the category “at-risk”.

    3. Changes in Subpopulations Over Time

None of the frameworks or tools discussed how to address student demographic changes over
time. What many of the equity frameworks and tools did establish, however, was a set of
indicators to determine which individual students experience disparate academic outcomes
regardless of demographic shifts. The majority of these indicators did not base the “at-risk”
category upon historically underserved populations. Instead, it seemed more prevalent to
couple specific indicators with data disaggregation practices to identify disparities. The lack of
documentation of demographic shifts, however, raises the question of how community schools
will respond to a constantly evolving demographic landscape in which new knowledge and
culturally appropriate supports must be accessed.


2
  National High School Center. “Early Warning System High School Tool.” National High School Center, 2011. Web.
13 March 2012.
<http://betterhighschools.org/EWS_tool.asp>.
3
  Mitchell, Dr. Monica. “Community Learning Centers: Year in Review 2010-2011.” Cincinnati Public Schools,
INNOVATIONS in Community Research, 2011. Web. 19 December 2011.
<http://news.cincinnati.com/assets/AB1820921121.PDF>.
                                                        7
                                     ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012
4. Addressing Disproportionality

Both PolicyLink reports (“America's Tomorrow: Equity is the Superior Growth Model” and
“California's Tomorrow: Equity is the Superior Growth Model”) identify people of color as being
disproportionately left behind in the workforce. Furthermore, the reports identify people of
color as earning disproportionately smaller incomes, accumulating disproportionately less
wealth, and facing disproportionately smaller college-going rates4.

The reports argue that in the near future, the U.S. will be (and California already is)
predominantly people of color. PolicyLink argues that in order to advance economic growth,
these disparities need to be addressed through an equity-driven growth model. The three areas
of the equity-driven growth model are: 1) rebuilding our public infrastructure; 2) growing new
businesses and new jobs; and 3) preparing workers for the jobs of tomorrow. Although
referring to the economy and not community schools, the model is adaptable to community
schools.

The concept paper by Urban Strategies Council and the Promise Neighborhood Institute at
PolicyLink attempts to adapt this model into equity-driven educational practices. It frames
equity around the disproportionately high negative outcomes in achievement and graduation
for students of color5. The paper borrows from the principles in PolicyLink’s framework for an
equity-driven growth model and similarly argues that ignoring inequities in educational and
health outcomes places everyone’s future success and well-being at risk. In this adapted
framework, disproportionality is addressed through the embedding of equity into educational
practices. This is described as taking place through: (1) defining equity and educating the
community on its importance; (2) building data systems to support equity and effectively use
data; (3) establishing explicit equity outcomes and accountability for achieving them; (4)
engaging the community and ensuring leadership is representative of the community; (5)
focusing on increasing equity and achievement; (6) applying targeted universalism6; and (7)
continually assessing for and addressing equity.




4
  Truehaft, Sarah, Manuel Pastor and Angela Glover Blackwell. “America's Tomorrow: Equity is the Superior Growth
Model.” PolicyLink, 2011. Web. 20 March 2012.
<http://www.policylink.org/site/c.lkIXLbMNJrE/b.7843037/k.1048/Americas_Tomorrow_Equity_is_the_Superior_
Growth_Model.htm>.
5
  McAfee, Michael, Junious Williams, Alison Feldman, Sarah Marxer, Rebecca Brown, Carla Dartis, Alicia Olivarez
and Iris Hemmerich. “Concept Paper: Building an Equity Framework for Full Service Community Schools and
Promise Neighborhood Schools”. Urban Strategies Council and the Promise Neighborhood Institute at PolicyLink,
May 2012. Web. 20 May 2012.
<http://www.urbanstrategies.org/programs/schools/docs/Equity%20Framework%20Concept%20Paper_5.9.12fina
l.pdf>.
6
  Targeted universalism is an approach coined by Professor john powell which suggests we use targeted strategies
to reach universal goals.
                                                        8
                                     ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012
Conclusion

   1. Challenges

The main challenge in the area of equity frameworks and tools is simply that there is limited
existing information. We have yet to discover a community school initiative that has developed
and employed an equity framework as part of its strategy. The problem may be that existing
community school initiatives are not transparent about this information on publicly accessible
sites. After various phone calls to community school leaders, however, we find it more likely
that the majority of community school initiatives have an implicit, rather than explicit,
understanding of equity.

Another challenge with embedding an equity framework into educational practices is
committing to follow through with the necessary structural changes. For instance, schools must
determine what kind of data they need to collect and whether it is the responsibility of the
partnering agencies or school sites to perform data entry and analysis. This role may require a
data manager who uses an equity lens to monitor student, program and service data and
coordinate the access and shared use of data with agencies, schools, students and families.

   2. Promising Practices

The Early Warning Indicator and Intervention Systems have been identified as promising
practices in the areas of academic intervention and parent engagement, which are important
components of educational equity. Using this system to disaggregate student-level data has
proven to be successful in tracking “at-risk” students and coordinating the appropriate support
and interventions. The comprehensive disaggregation of data can also help community school
leaders identify inequitable patterns and work to address them.

In terms of an equity framework, the Urban Strategies Council and the Promise Neighborhood
Institute at PolicyLink developed an initial framework for embedding equity into educational
practices. The framework includes seven recommendations which have been previously listed
under the section: ‘Review: 4. Addressing Disproportionality’.

   3. Concluding Remarks

The community school strategy strives to provide all children with the opportunities and
support they need to be successful in school and in life. When designing the steps to
accomplish such a mission, it is easy to neglect the systemic barriers, structural racism, cultural
differences and unique histories that shape each child’s experience of the world. These are
questions that are difficult to address but cannot be ignored at a time when particular groups
of students are consistently underachieving relative to their peers. Without an equity
framework to undergird the community school strategy, there is nothing to hold the school, its
leaders and partners accountable to the advancement and success of those students left the

                                                   9
                                ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012
farthest behind. An equity framework is necessary to ensure that children are provided with the
specific, targeted support and interventions they need so that they may all succeed at high
levels.




                                                10
                              ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012
Equity Frameworks and Tools: Annotated Bibliography

   1. Equity Frameworks

California's Tomorrow: Equity is the Superior Growth Model
Truehaft, Sarah, Jennifer Tran, Chione Flegal, Ruben Lizardo, Judith Bell, and Manuel Pastor.
PolicyLink. Web. 20 March 2012.
<http://www.policylink.org/atf/cf/%7B97c6d565-bb43-406d-a6d5-
eca3bbf35af0%7D/CA_ESGM_FINAL.PDF>.

The PolicyLink report details an equity-driven growth model for California that can also be
adapted to the community school strategy. The report makes the case that California’s new
economic growth model needs to embrace the state’s changing demographics to people of
color, and leverage its diversity as an economic asset. Four principles of implementing an
equity-driven growth model were discussed and include:

   1.   Choose strategies that promote equity and growth simultaneously;
   2.   Target programs and investments to the people and places most left behind;
   3.   Assess equity impacts at every stage of the policy process; and
   4.   Ensure meaningful community participation, voice, and leadership.

Furthermore, the report discussed three policy priorities for implementing an equity-driven
growth model, which are:

   1. Rebuild Our Public Infrastructure;
   2. Prepare Workers for the Jobs of Tomorrow; and
   3. Plan for Sustainable and Healthy Communities.


America's Tomorrow: Equity is the Superior Growth Model
Truehaft, Sarah, Manuel Pastor and Angela Glover Blackwell. PolicyLink, 2011. Web. 20 March
2012.
<http://www.policylink.org/site/c.lkIXLbMNJrE/b.7843037/k.1048/Americas_Tomorrow_Equity
_is_the_Superior_Growth_Model.htm>.

Although referring to an equity framework for economic growth, the PolicyLink report details
an equity-driven growth model that can also be adapted to the community school strategy. The
report makes the case that an equity-driven growth model will grow new jobs and bolster long-
term competitiveness while simultaneously ensuring that all (especially low-income people and
people of color) have the opportunity to benefit from and co-create that growth. The three
pillars of the framework for the equity-driven growth model are:

   1. Rebuilding public infrastructure;
                                                 11
                               ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012
2. Growing new businesses and new jobs; and
   3. Preparing workers for the jobs of tomorrow.


Concept Paper: Building an Equity Framework for Full Service Community Schools and Promise
Neighborhood Schools
McAfee, Michael, Junious Williams, Alison Feldman, Sarah Marxer, Rebecca Brown, Carla Dartis,
Alicia Olivarez and Iris Hemmerich. Urban Strategies Council and the Promise Neighborhood
Institute at PolicyLink, May 2012. Web. 20 May 2012.
<http://www.urbanstrategies.org/programs/schools/docs/Equity%20Framework%20Concept%
20Paper_5.9.12final.pdf>.

The concept paper builds out an initial equity framework around full service community schools
and promise neighborhood schools to address the disproportionate gaps in achievement and
graduation among student subpopulations. The document identifies practices for an equity-
driven approach to education, drawing heavily from the PolicyLink document “California’s
Tomorrow: Equity is the Superior Growth Model”. An initial set of recommendations are
developed that discuss how to embed equity practices into the development and
implementation of full service community schools and promise neighborhood schools. A
definition of equity as applied to full service community schools is also laid out.

       Best practices:
       Recommendations for embedding equity in full service community schools and promise
       neighborhoods:
       1. Define equity and educate the community on its importance
       2. Build data systems to support equity and effectively use data
       3. Establish explicit equity outcomes and accountability for achieving them
       4. Engage the community and ensure leadership is representative of the community
       5. Focus on increasing equity and achievement
       6. Apply targeted universalism
       7. Continually assess and address equity
       Tools: Equity Framework for Full Service Community and Promise Neighborhood Schools
       Aligned with Equity Driven-Growth Model (pg. 5-7)




                                                12
                              ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012
2. Equity Tools

On Track for Success: The Use of Early Warning Indicator and Intervention Systems to Build a
Grad Nation
Bruce, Mary, John M. Bridgeland, Joanna Hornig Fox, and Robert Balfanz. Civic Enterprises,
November 2011. Web. 13 February 2012.
<http://www.civicenterprises.net/reports/on_track_for_success.pdf>.

The report provides an overview of the Early Warning Indicator and Intervention Systems (EWS)
research informed by conversations with teachers, district and state officials, nonprofits
working with school systems to implement EWS, and leading researchers. It also outlines
emerging best practices and policy recommendations, so that advocates for children can apply
the best in data innovation to their work. EWS serves as an evaluation tool to aid the process of
accelerating high school graduation rates, improving college and work readiness, and ultimately
strengthening American competitiveness. The instrument uses “real time” or “near real time”
data to identify students who are off track, so that educators can appropriately support them in
advancing from grade to grade, and eventually in graduating from high school with their class.
Emerging best practices are identified for the planning and implementation of EWS and include:

   1. Put the student first. Data helps to identify students and craft interventions, but the
       success of the student is the ultimate goal;
   2. Use research-based indicators and thresholds and respond to student behavior well
       before triggers for more intensive interventions are reached;
   3. EWS can be implemented as early as the later elementary school years and should cover
       key transitions (i.e. sixth and ninth grade);
   4. Record data from the simplest and most direct source possible;
   5. Ensure data are entered by appropriately trained personnel following well-designed
       protocols. The quality and utility of a data system depends on the accuracy of the data
       stored within the system. Data must be consistently coded and coding protocols
       followed daily;
   6. Use the advantages of technology to compile information into easy-to-understand data
       presentations. Transparency and usability should be the goals for these reports;
   7. Explore issues of privacy. Ensure that children’s privacy is protected while also
       leveraging data to effectively promote their success;
   8. Teach people how to understand and use data and provide follow-up coaching for data
       use. Provide training and professional development to help educators and
       administrators learn how to leverage the power of data effectively. Compose a “support
       list” of students, revise it every few weeks, and act on that data;
   9. Provide local leadership for EWS. Every early warning indicator and intervention system
       needs a champion who will advocate for it constantly at the school, district or higher
       level;
   10. Have a development and implementation plan and timeline;
   11. Listen to the end-users and find out what they want before going too far. Convene focus
       groups and build up from a pilot; and
                                                 13
                               ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012
12. Integrate EWS into instructional improvement efforts and other student support
       services. High performing EWS link efforts to keep students on the graduation path with
       school-wide efforts to improve instruction.

Best practices for advancing the field of EWS are identified as well as recommendations for
policymakers trying to advance the use of EWS. Further resources for using EWS are provided in
the Appendices.

       Best practices: See 12 best practices above
       Exemplary sites:
       1. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri, MO
       2. Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, TN
       3. Chicago Public Schools, IL
       4. Knox County Schools, TN
       5. Philadelphia Education Fund, PA
       6. Diplomas Now (U.S.)
       7. Dropout Early Warning System, LA
       Models: The Civic Marshall Plan to Build a Grad Nation (Appendix I)


Early Warning System Middle Grades Tool
National High School Center, 2012. Web. 13 March 2012.
< http://betterhighschools.org/EWS_middle.asp>.

The National High School Center's Early Warning System (EWS) Middle Grades Tool enables
schools and districts to identify students who may be at risk for academic failure and to monitor
these students’ responses to interventions. It relies on student level data available at the school
or district including indicators for attendance, course failures, and behavior to calculate
potential risk for eventual dropping out. The intended purpose of the warning system is to
support students with an increased risk of academic failure and get them back on track for
academic success and eventual graduation. Links to other National High School Center Early
Warning System resources are also provided on the web page.

       Tools: Early Warning System Middle Grades Tool


Early Warning System High School Tool
National High School Center, 2011. Web. 13 March 2012.
<http://betterhighschools.org/EWS_tool.asp>.

The National High School Center's Early Warning System (EWS) High School Tool enables
schools and districts to identify students who may be at risk of dropping out of high school and
to monitor these students’ responses to interventions. It relies on student level data available
at the school or district including indicators for attendance, course failures, GPA, credit
                                                 14
                               ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012
attainment, and behavior to calculate potential risk for dropping out. The intended purpose of
the warning system is to support students with an increased risk of academic failure and get
them back on track for graduation. Links to other National High School Center Early Warning
System resources, such as the EWS Technical Manual, are also provided on the web page.

       Tools: Early Warning System High School Tool


Learning Partner Dashboard
 Cincinnati Public Schools, 2009. Web. 20 January 2012.
 <https://partnerdashboard.cps-k12.org/strive/>.

The Cincinnati Learning Partner Dashboard web page demonstrates how community schools
and their partners can collect and analyze more comprehensive information on students. It
provides an introduction to how the Dashboard functions and links to downloadable support
and technical assistance resources. The intended purpose of the Dashboard is to ensure that
students have access to coordinated and quality services to help them achieve success in
school.

       Tools: Cincinnati Learning Partner Dashboard




                                                15
                              ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012

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Equity and Community Schools

  • 1. A RESOURCE GUIDE FOR UNDERSTANDING COMMUNITY SCHOOLS Equity and Community Schools October 2012 Prepared by: Iris Hemmerich Urban Strategies Council
  • 2. Equity and Community Schools Table of Contents A Resource Guide for Understanding Community Schools .......................................................................... 2 Updating the Resource Guide ................................................................................................................... 4 Additional Community School Resources ................................................................................................. 4 Our Community School work with Oakland Unified School District ............................................................. 5 Equity Frameworks and Tools: Literature Review ........................................................................................ 6 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 6 Review ....................................................................................................................................................... 6 1. How Disparities are Documented ................................................................................................. 6 2. Target Populations ........................................................................................................................ 7 3. Changes in Subpopulations Over Time.......................................................................................... 7 4. Addressing Disproportionality....................................................................................................... 8 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................. 9 1. Challenges ..................................................................................................................................... 9 2. Promising Practices ....................................................................................................................... 9 3. Concluding Remarks ...................................................................................................................... 9 Equity Frameworks and Tools: Annotated Bibliography ............................................................................ 11 1. Equity Frameworks.......................................................................................................................... 11 2. Equity Tools ..................................................................................................................................... 13 1 ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012
  • 3. A Resource Guide for Understanding Community Schools INTRODUCTION Urban Strategies Council has collected and reviewed more than 175 evaluations, case studies, briefs and reports for use by those considering or planning a community school or community school district. Our intention is to provide interested individuals and stakeholders the resources they need to better understand the unique structure and core components of community schools. The promising practices, recommendations, tools and information shared in this document have been culled from documents representing the last 20 years of research and documentation of community schools across the United States. We highlighted 11 content areas that we believe to be the most foundational for understanding community schools. Within each of the content areas, you will find: 1. A literature review: The literature reviews for each content area are organized around core questions and provide a synthesis of the most commonly identified solutions and responses to each question, as well as highlights, promising practices, challenges and recommendations. 2. An annotated bibliography: We gathered and annotated literature in each of the content areas to underscore key themes, some of which include: best practices, exemplary sites, models and tools. The annotations vary by content area in order to draw attention to the most pertinent information. For example, the Evaluations content area includes annotations of the evaluation methodology and indicators of success. The 11 content areas include the following: 1. Community School Characteristics Provides a general overview of the structure, function, core elements, programs and services of a community school. 2. Planning and Design Explores the general planning and design structures for community schools, and discusses the initial steps and central components of the planning and design process, as well as strategies for scaling up community schools. 3. Equity Frameworks and Tools Examines literature and tools that can be adapted to an equity framework for community schools. We included equity frameworks and tools that explore disproportionality and the monitoring of disparities and demographic shifts. 2 ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012
  • 4. 4. Collaborative Leadership Addresses how to build, strengthen and expand the collaborative leadership structure at community schools. Collaborative leadership is a unique governance structure that brings together community partners and stakeholders to coordinate a range of services and opportunities for youth, families and the community. 5. Family and Community Engagement Explores how community and family engagement operates as well as the challenges for actualizing it at the site level. Family and community engagement is a unique component of community schools in which the school, families, and community actively work together to create networks of shared responsibility for student success. 6. Data Collection and Analysis Addresses the outcomes measured at community schools, methods for collecting data at community schools, and short and long term indicators. 7. Assessment Tools Includes tools used to measure outcomes at community schools. 8. Community School Evaluations Provides evaluations of community school initiatives with special attention paid to methodology, indicators of success, findings and challenges. 9. Community School Funding Explores how to leverage revenue streams and allocate resources at community schools. 10. Budget Tools Includes tools that support the process of budgeting and fiscal mapping. 11. Community School Sustainability Explores promising practices for creating sustainability plans, partnership development and leveraging resources for the future. 3 ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012
  • 5. UPDATING THE RESOURCE GUIDE Urban Strategies Council will continue its efforts to update the Resource Guide with the most current information as it becomes available. If you know of topics or resources that are not currently included in this guide, please contact Alison Feldman, Education Excellence Program, at alisonf@urbanstrategies.org. We welcome your ideas and feedback for A Resource Guide for Understanding Community Schools. ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY SCHOOL RESOURCES National: The Coalition for Community Schools http://www.communityschools.org/ The National Center for Community Schools (Children’s Aid Society) http://nationalcenterforcommunityschools.childrensaidsociety.org/ Yale University Center in Child Development and Social Policy http://www.yale.edu/21c/training.html Regional: The Center for Community School Partnerships, UC Davis http://education.ucdavis.edu/community-school-partnerships Center for Strategic Community Innovation http://cscinnovation.org/community-schools-project/about-cscis-community-schools- project/community-school-initiative-services-coaching-and-ta/’ 4 ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012
  • 6. Our Community School work with Oakland Unified School District Urban Strategies Council has a long history of working with the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) to support planning for improved academic achievement. Most recently, we helped develop and support the implementation of OUSD’s five-year strategic plan, Community Schools, Thriving Students. Adopted by the Board of Education in June 2011, the plan calls for building community schools across the district that ensure high-quality instruction; develop social, emotional and physical health; and create equitable opportunities for learning. Urban Strategies Council has worked with the school district, community members and other stakeholders to support this system reform in several ways: Community Schools Strategic Planning: Urban Strategies Council facilitated six School Board retreats over a 14-month period to help develop the strategic plan. As part of that process, the District created 14 task forces to produce recommendations for the plan, with Urban Strategies Council facilitating one task force and sitting on several others. Full Service Community Schools Task Force: Urban Strategies Council convened and co- facilitated the Full Service Community Schools and District Task Force, which created a structural framework and tools for planning and implementation, and produced a report with a set of recommendations that formed the foundation of the strategic plan. Community Engagement in Planning: Urban Strategies Council partnered with the district to educate and engage more than 900 school and community stakeholders on how community schools could best serve them. Planning for Community Schools Leadership Council: Urban Strategies Council has been working with OUSD’s Department of Family, School and Community Partnerships to lay the groundwork for building an interagency, cross-sector partnership body that will provide high-level system oversight and support, and ensure shared responsibility and coordination of resources towards the vision of healthy, thriving children supported through community schools. Convening Workgroups: Urban Strategies Council continues to partner with the District to convene and facilitate several workgroups developing specific structures, processes, and practices supporting community school implementation, as well as informing the eventual work of the Community Schools Leadership Council. African American Male Achievement Initiative: Urban Strategies Council is a partner in OUSD’s African American Male Achievement Initiative (AAMAI), a collaboration supporting efforts to close the achievement gap and improve other key outcomes for African American males in OUSD. Urban Strategies Council has developed data-based research; explored promising practices, programs and policies inside and outside the school district; analyzed the impact of existing system-wide policies; and developed policy recommendations to improve outcomes in various areas identified by the AAMAI Task Force. Boys and Men of Color: Urban Strategies Council is the Regional Convener for the Oakland Boys and Men of Color site, which adopted community schools as a vehicle to improve health, education and employment outcomes for boys and men of color. 5 ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012
  • 7. Equity Frameworks and Tools: Literature Review Introduction Community schools aim to provide a range of opportunities so that all students, regardless of race, socio-economic or family circumstances, can learn and achieve to high standards. Although the concept of equity is implicit in the community school strategy, there is no explicit equity framework to undergird the strategy’s development and implementation. In fact, the majority of community school evaluations fail to discuss the progress of the student subpopulations that experience disparate academic outcomes. An equity framework is thus needed to assess the disparities in opportunities and outcomes of all students so that they truly can succeed regardless of race, socio-economic or family circumstances. We used four central research questions to guide the literature review of equity frameworks and tools: 1. How are disparities being documented? 2. Are there target populations? 3. Does the framework or tool address changes in student subpopulations over time? 4. How is the framework or tool being used to address disproportionality? Published research on relevant equity frameworks and tools from 2009-2012 has been included as part of this literature review. In our research, we included a range of material that could be applied or adapted to the community school strategy. Unfortunately, as very few schools have intentionally used an equity framework, we were only able to include one framework that pertained directly to full service community schools. Overall, there appears to be a dearth of research on how to unify an equity framework with existing, successful data disaggregation practices. Review 1. How Disparities are Documented Most research identified data systems as the primary vehicle for tracking disparities. The Urban Strategies Council and the Promise Neighborhood Institute at PolicyLink identified the practice of data disaggregation as an effective means to document disparities at both full service community schools and promise neighborhood schools. Both organizations suggest that schools build out school and community data systems in order to understand the school demographics, drive decision-making in planning and evaluation, and identify populations experiencing inequitable opportunities and outcomes1. 1 McAfee, Michael, Junious Williams, Alison Feldman, Sarah Marxer, Rebecca Brown, Carla Dartis, Alicia Olivarez and Iris Hemmerich. “Concept Paper: Building an Equity Framework for Full Service Community Schools and Promise Neighborhood Schools”. Urban Strategies Council and the Promise Neighborhood Institute at PolicyLink, May 2012. Web. 20 May 2012. 6 ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012
  • 8. Other data systems, such as Early Warning Indicator and Intervention Systems, were identified as promising methods for documenting academic disparities and identifying “at-risk” students. The warning systems use student-level data and specific indicators to calculate potential risk for academic failure. Accessible, student-level data is then used to engage parents, inform targeted interventions and support, and track students’ responses to interventions2. Of the data systems used at community school sites, the Cincinnati Learning Partner Dashboard used by the Cincinnati Community Learning Centers3 stood out as a comprehensive tool for documenting disparities. Individual student data is disaggregated by multiple priority factors and assessed in relation to rates of participation in specific community school programs. This data disaggregation allows for the centers to evaluate not only individual student success, but the success of each respective community school program. Although the concept of equity is somewhat embedded in this approach, the Learning Partner Dashboard is not accompanied by an equity framework. 2. Target Populations The bulk of research referred to low-income people and people of color as the target populations in need of supports and services. In the equity tools and frameworks explicitly referring to school settings, “at-risk” students, low-income students and students of color were the most commonly targeted populations. The “at-risk” category, however, often served as an umbrella category that encompassed low-income students and students of color. For databases such as the Early Warning Indicator and Intervention Systems and the Cincinnati Learning Partner Dashboard, academic and behavioral indicators (such as standardized test scores, GPA and disciplinary referrals) were used to constitute the category “at-risk”. 3. Changes in Subpopulations Over Time None of the frameworks or tools discussed how to address student demographic changes over time. What many of the equity frameworks and tools did establish, however, was a set of indicators to determine which individual students experience disparate academic outcomes regardless of demographic shifts. The majority of these indicators did not base the “at-risk” category upon historically underserved populations. Instead, it seemed more prevalent to couple specific indicators with data disaggregation practices to identify disparities. The lack of documentation of demographic shifts, however, raises the question of how community schools will respond to a constantly evolving demographic landscape in which new knowledge and culturally appropriate supports must be accessed. 2 National High School Center. “Early Warning System High School Tool.” National High School Center, 2011. Web. 13 March 2012. <http://betterhighschools.org/EWS_tool.asp>. 3 Mitchell, Dr. Monica. “Community Learning Centers: Year in Review 2010-2011.” Cincinnati Public Schools, INNOVATIONS in Community Research, 2011. Web. 19 December 2011. <http://news.cincinnati.com/assets/AB1820921121.PDF>. 7 ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012
  • 9. 4. Addressing Disproportionality Both PolicyLink reports (“America's Tomorrow: Equity is the Superior Growth Model” and “California's Tomorrow: Equity is the Superior Growth Model”) identify people of color as being disproportionately left behind in the workforce. Furthermore, the reports identify people of color as earning disproportionately smaller incomes, accumulating disproportionately less wealth, and facing disproportionately smaller college-going rates4. The reports argue that in the near future, the U.S. will be (and California already is) predominantly people of color. PolicyLink argues that in order to advance economic growth, these disparities need to be addressed through an equity-driven growth model. The three areas of the equity-driven growth model are: 1) rebuilding our public infrastructure; 2) growing new businesses and new jobs; and 3) preparing workers for the jobs of tomorrow. Although referring to the economy and not community schools, the model is adaptable to community schools. The concept paper by Urban Strategies Council and the Promise Neighborhood Institute at PolicyLink attempts to adapt this model into equity-driven educational practices. It frames equity around the disproportionately high negative outcomes in achievement and graduation for students of color5. The paper borrows from the principles in PolicyLink’s framework for an equity-driven growth model and similarly argues that ignoring inequities in educational and health outcomes places everyone’s future success and well-being at risk. In this adapted framework, disproportionality is addressed through the embedding of equity into educational practices. This is described as taking place through: (1) defining equity and educating the community on its importance; (2) building data systems to support equity and effectively use data; (3) establishing explicit equity outcomes and accountability for achieving them; (4) engaging the community and ensuring leadership is representative of the community; (5) focusing on increasing equity and achievement; (6) applying targeted universalism6; and (7) continually assessing for and addressing equity. 4 Truehaft, Sarah, Manuel Pastor and Angela Glover Blackwell. “America's Tomorrow: Equity is the Superior Growth Model.” PolicyLink, 2011. Web. 20 March 2012. <http://www.policylink.org/site/c.lkIXLbMNJrE/b.7843037/k.1048/Americas_Tomorrow_Equity_is_the_Superior_ Growth_Model.htm>. 5 McAfee, Michael, Junious Williams, Alison Feldman, Sarah Marxer, Rebecca Brown, Carla Dartis, Alicia Olivarez and Iris Hemmerich. “Concept Paper: Building an Equity Framework for Full Service Community Schools and Promise Neighborhood Schools”. Urban Strategies Council and the Promise Neighborhood Institute at PolicyLink, May 2012. Web. 20 May 2012. <http://www.urbanstrategies.org/programs/schools/docs/Equity%20Framework%20Concept%20Paper_5.9.12fina l.pdf>. 6 Targeted universalism is an approach coined by Professor john powell which suggests we use targeted strategies to reach universal goals. 8 ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012
  • 10. Conclusion 1. Challenges The main challenge in the area of equity frameworks and tools is simply that there is limited existing information. We have yet to discover a community school initiative that has developed and employed an equity framework as part of its strategy. The problem may be that existing community school initiatives are not transparent about this information on publicly accessible sites. After various phone calls to community school leaders, however, we find it more likely that the majority of community school initiatives have an implicit, rather than explicit, understanding of equity. Another challenge with embedding an equity framework into educational practices is committing to follow through with the necessary structural changes. For instance, schools must determine what kind of data they need to collect and whether it is the responsibility of the partnering agencies or school sites to perform data entry and analysis. This role may require a data manager who uses an equity lens to monitor student, program and service data and coordinate the access and shared use of data with agencies, schools, students and families. 2. Promising Practices The Early Warning Indicator and Intervention Systems have been identified as promising practices in the areas of academic intervention and parent engagement, which are important components of educational equity. Using this system to disaggregate student-level data has proven to be successful in tracking “at-risk” students and coordinating the appropriate support and interventions. The comprehensive disaggregation of data can also help community school leaders identify inequitable patterns and work to address them. In terms of an equity framework, the Urban Strategies Council and the Promise Neighborhood Institute at PolicyLink developed an initial framework for embedding equity into educational practices. The framework includes seven recommendations which have been previously listed under the section: ‘Review: 4. Addressing Disproportionality’. 3. Concluding Remarks The community school strategy strives to provide all children with the opportunities and support they need to be successful in school and in life. When designing the steps to accomplish such a mission, it is easy to neglect the systemic barriers, structural racism, cultural differences and unique histories that shape each child’s experience of the world. These are questions that are difficult to address but cannot be ignored at a time when particular groups of students are consistently underachieving relative to their peers. Without an equity framework to undergird the community school strategy, there is nothing to hold the school, its leaders and partners accountable to the advancement and success of those students left the 9 ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012
  • 11. farthest behind. An equity framework is necessary to ensure that children are provided with the specific, targeted support and interventions they need so that they may all succeed at high levels. 10 ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012
  • 12. Equity Frameworks and Tools: Annotated Bibliography 1. Equity Frameworks California's Tomorrow: Equity is the Superior Growth Model Truehaft, Sarah, Jennifer Tran, Chione Flegal, Ruben Lizardo, Judith Bell, and Manuel Pastor. PolicyLink. Web. 20 March 2012. <http://www.policylink.org/atf/cf/%7B97c6d565-bb43-406d-a6d5- eca3bbf35af0%7D/CA_ESGM_FINAL.PDF>. The PolicyLink report details an equity-driven growth model for California that can also be adapted to the community school strategy. The report makes the case that California’s new economic growth model needs to embrace the state’s changing demographics to people of color, and leverage its diversity as an economic asset. Four principles of implementing an equity-driven growth model were discussed and include: 1. Choose strategies that promote equity and growth simultaneously; 2. Target programs and investments to the people and places most left behind; 3. Assess equity impacts at every stage of the policy process; and 4. Ensure meaningful community participation, voice, and leadership. Furthermore, the report discussed three policy priorities for implementing an equity-driven growth model, which are: 1. Rebuild Our Public Infrastructure; 2. Prepare Workers for the Jobs of Tomorrow; and 3. Plan for Sustainable and Healthy Communities. America's Tomorrow: Equity is the Superior Growth Model Truehaft, Sarah, Manuel Pastor and Angela Glover Blackwell. PolicyLink, 2011. Web. 20 March 2012. <http://www.policylink.org/site/c.lkIXLbMNJrE/b.7843037/k.1048/Americas_Tomorrow_Equity _is_the_Superior_Growth_Model.htm>. Although referring to an equity framework for economic growth, the PolicyLink report details an equity-driven growth model that can also be adapted to the community school strategy. The report makes the case that an equity-driven growth model will grow new jobs and bolster long- term competitiveness while simultaneously ensuring that all (especially low-income people and people of color) have the opportunity to benefit from and co-create that growth. The three pillars of the framework for the equity-driven growth model are: 1. Rebuilding public infrastructure; 11 ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012
  • 13. 2. Growing new businesses and new jobs; and 3. Preparing workers for the jobs of tomorrow. Concept Paper: Building an Equity Framework for Full Service Community Schools and Promise Neighborhood Schools McAfee, Michael, Junious Williams, Alison Feldman, Sarah Marxer, Rebecca Brown, Carla Dartis, Alicia Olivarez and Iris Hemmerich. Urban Strategies Council and the Promise Neighborhood Institute at PolicyLink, May 2012. Web. 20 May 2012. <http://www.urbanstrategies.org/programs/schools/docs/Equity%20Framework%20Concept% 20Paper_5.9.12final.pdf>. The concept paper builds out an initial equity framework around full service community schools and promise neighborhood schools to address the disproportionate gaps in achievement and graduation among student subpopulations. The document identifies practices for an equity- driven approach to education, drawing heavily from the PolicyLink document “California’s Tomorrow: Equity is the Superior Growth Model”. An initial set of recommendations are developed that discuss how to embed equity practices into the development and implementation of full service community schools and promise neighborhood schools. A definition of equity as applied to full service community schools is also laid out. Best practices: Recommendations for embedding equity in full service community schools and promise neighborhoods: 1. Define equity and educate the community on its importance 2. Build data systems to support equity and effectively use data 3. Establish explicit equity outcomes and accountability for achieving them 4. Engage the community and ensure leadership is representative of the community 5. Focus on increasing equity and achievement 6. Apply targeted universalism 7. Continually assess and address equity Tools: Equity Framework for Full Service Community and Promise Neighborhood Schools Aligned with Equity Driven-Growth Model (pg. 5-7) 12 ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012
  • 14. 2. Equity Tools On Track for Success: The Use of Early Warning Indicator and Intervention Systems to Build a Grad Nation Bruce, Mary, John M. Bridgeland, Joanna Hornig Fox, and Robert Balfanz. Civic Enterprises, November 2011. Web. 13 February 2012. <http://www.civicenterprises.net/reports/on_track_for_success.pdf>. The report provides an overview of the Early Warning Indicator and Intervention Systems (EWS) research informed by conversations with teachers, district and state officials, nonprofits working with school systems to implement EWS, and leading researchers. It also outlines emerging best practices and policy recommendations, so that advocates for children can apply the best in data innovation to their work. EWS serves as an evaluation tool to aid the process of accelerating high school graduation rates, improving college and work readiness, and ultimately strengthening American competitiveness. The instrument uses “real time” or “near real time” data to identify students who are off track, so that educators can appropriately support them in advancing from grade to grade, and eventually in graduating from high school with their class. Emerging best practices are identified for the planning and implementation of EWS and include: 1. Put the student first. Data helps to identify students and craft interventions, but the success of the student is the ultimate goal; 2. Use research-based indicators and thresholds and respond to student behavior well before triggers for more intensive interventions are reached; 3. EWS can be implemented as early as the later elementary school years and should cover key transitions (i.e. sixth and ninth grade); 4. Record data from the simplest and most direct source possible; 5. Ensure data are entered by appropriately trained personnel following well-designed protocols. The quality and utility of a data system depends on the accuracy of the data stored within the system. Data must be consistently coded and coding protocols followed daily; 6. Use the advantages of technology to compile information into easy-to-understand data presentations. Transparency and usability should be the goals for these reports; 7. Explore issues of privacy. Ensure that children’s privacy is protected while also leveraging data to effectively promote their success; 8. Teach people how to understand and use data and provide follow-up coaching for data use. Provide training and professional development to help educators and administrators learn how to leverage the power of data effectively. Compose a “support list” of students, revise it every few weeks, and act on that data; 9. Provide local leadership for EWS. Every early warning indicator and intervention system needs a champion who will advocate for it constantly at the school, district or higher level; 10. Have a development and implementation plan and timeline; 11. Listen to the end-users and find out what they want before going too far. Convene focus groups and build up from a pilot; and 13 ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012
  • 15. 12. Integrate EWS into instructional improvement efforts and other student support services. High performing EWS link efforts to keep students on the graduation path with school-wide efforts to improve instruction. Best practices for advancing the field of EWS are identified as well as recommendations for policymakers trying to advance the use of EWS. Further resources for using EWS are provided in the Appendices. Best practices: See 12 best practices above Exemplary sites: 1. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri, MO 2. Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, TN 3. Chicago Public Schools, IL 4. Knox County Schools, TN 5. Philadelphia Education Fund, PA 6. Diplomas Now (U.S.) 7. Dropout Early Warning System, LA Models: The Civic Marshall Plan to Build a Grad Nation (Appendix I) Early Warning System Middle Grades Tool National High School Center, 2012. Web. 13 March 2012. < http://betterhighschools.org/EWS_middle.asp>. The National High School Center's Early Warning System (EWS) Middle Grades Tool enables schools and districts to identify students who may be at risk for academic failure and to monitor these students’ responses to interventions. It relies on student level data available at the school or district including indicators for attendance, course failures, and behavior to calculate potential risk for eventual dropping out. The intended purpose of the warning system is to support students with an increased risk of academic failure and get them back on track for academic success and eventual graduation. Links to other National High School Center Early Warning System resources are also provided on the web page. Tools: Early Warning System Middle Grades Tool Early Warning System High School Tool National High School Center, 2011. Web. 13 March 2012. <http://betterhighschools.org/EWS_tool.asp>. The National High School Center's Early Warning System (EWS) High School Tool enables schools and districts to identify students who may be at risk of dropping out of high school and to monitor these students’ responses to interventions. It relies on student level data available at the school or district including indicators for attendance, course failures, GPA, credit 14 ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012
  • 16. attainment, and behavior to calculate potential risk for dropping out. The intended purpose of the warning system is to support students with an increased risk of academic failure and get them back on track for graduation. Links to other National High School Center Early Warning System resources, such as the EWS Technical Manual, are also provided on the web page. Tools: Early Warning System High School Tool Learning Partner Dashboard Cincinnati Public Schools, 2009. Web. 20 January 2012. <https://partnerdashboard.cps-k12.org/strive/>. The Cincinnati Learning Partner Dashboard web page demonstrates how community schools and their partners can collect and analyze more comprehensive information on students. It provides an introduction to how the Dashboard functions and links to downloadable support and technical assistance resources. The intended purpose of the Dashboard is to ensure that students have access to coordinated and quality services to help them achieve success in school. Tools: Cincinnati Learning Partner Dashboard 15 ©Urban Strategies Council, October 2012