Community School Planning & Design

A RESOURCE GUIDE FOR
UNDERSTANDING COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
Community School Planning and Design

October 2012

Prepared by:

Iris Hemmerich
Urban Strategies Council

Community School Planning and Design

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

Community School Planning and Design: Literature Review ................................................................. 6

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 6

Review ................................................................................................................................................ 6

1. Initial Steps for the Planning and Design of a Community School ........................................ 6

2. Core Components for Planning and Design........................................................................... 7

3. Planning and Design Structures ............................................................................................ 7

4. Scaling Up Community Schools ............................................................................................. 8

Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................... 9

1. Challenges ............................................................................................................................. 9

2. Promising Practices ............................................................................................................... 9

3. Concluding Remarks .............................................................................................................. 9

Community School Planning and Design: Annotated Bibliography ..................................................... 10

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

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

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

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

Community School Planning and Design: Literature Review

Introduction

The planning and design process is a foundational part of the community school strategy. It
provides a blueprint of the structure and core components of a successful community school
initiative and maps how those components will align with the community school vision. Prior
research on the planning and design process has helped expose the common obstacles that
schools, communities and partners face so that future leaders can be better prepared when
planning initiatives. We used four central research questions to guide the literature review of
community school planning and design:

1. What are the initial steps taken for planning and design?
2. What are the core components for the planning and design of community schools?
3. What are the planning and design structures for building community schools?
4. What strategies are used for scaling up community schools?

Previously published research on community school planning and design has been included as
part of this literature review. A compilation of research from 1993 to 2011 shows trends toward
more collaborative leadership and decision‐making structures in the community school
planning and design process. What seems to be lacking in research and scholarship is a more
detailed strategy of how to navigate political and financial constraints during the planning
period.

Review

1. Initial Steps for the Planning and Design of a Community School

The bulk of research suggests that in order to begin the initial planning and design process, a
group of leaders must convene and identify key partners and stakeholders. One of the most
crucial pieces of the initial community school planning process was identified as the
establishment of a collaborative leadership structure with key champions. The concept of key
champions was highlighted as essential to building trust and shared ownership of a community
school initiative. After establishing a collaborative leadership structure, most literature suggests
the school or school sites conduct a community needs assessment in order to fully understand
the needs and vision of community members. The community needs assessment is then used to
inform a shared community school vision as well as the strategic planning process1.


1
Children’s Aid Society. “Building a Community School, 3rd Edition.”  Children’s Aid Society, September 2001. Pages
63‐86, 104‐105. Web. 19 December 2011. <http://www.childrensaidsociety.org/publications/building‐community‐
school‐complete‐manual>.
6

2. Core Components for Planning and Design

The most iterated elements of planning and design include: the creation of a shared vision and
goals; building a collaborative team of critical community partners; an initial community needs
assessment; developing assessment measures; strategic financing; and the mapping of a
community school planning and implementation timeline.

Developing a results‐based vision was underscored as a critical means to utilize data findings to
measure the progress and alignment of a community school with its vision. A collaborative
team of community partners is essential for establishing and coordinating operational
elements, such as when services will be offered and at which locations. The community needs
assessment was a highlighted part of the planning process because it should inform the
foundational elements at community schools, including the governance structure and support
services. Furthermore, the development of assessment measures and tools is integral to the
evaluation of outcomes and can inform future improvement by pointing out strengths and
weaknesses as documented by the data. Strategic, diversified revenue streams were identified
as central to actualizing and sustaining the initiative as a whole. Moreover, the literature
suggested a community school planning and implementation timeline in order to hold leaders
accountable for all planning and implementation stages.
Professional Development and Technical Assistance (TA)
3. Planning and Design Structures

Although sometimes articulated in different rank order, the literature identified a number of
common design elements and planning processes. One common element was the gathering of
a task force of interested and influential partners to decide on whether or not the community
school strategy is appropriate and if so, what the next steps will be. During this process, new
partners are identified and eventually form a collaborative leadership body that establishes a
decision‐making structure, roles and responsibilities2.

Conducting a community needs assessment was commonly identified as a critical part of driving
decisions about the planning and design structure. Schools gather previous data and learn what
services and programs are already in place in order to determine their strengths and the
resources they will need in the future3. This includes determining the range of activities and
target populations at school sites.

The community needs assessment usually informs the shared vision and goals developed by the
community schools collaborative leadership body.  The school, partners and stakeholders then


2
Melaville, Atelia. “Doing What Matters: The Bridges to Success Strategy for Building Community Schools.” Bridges
to Success, January 2004. Web. 19 December 2011.
<http://www.communityschools.org/assets/1/AssetManager/Doing_What_Matters.pdf>.
3
Children’s Aid Society. “Building a Community School, 3rd Edition.”  Children’s Aid Society, September 2001. Pages
63‐86, 104‐105. Web. 19 December 2011.
<http://www.childrensaidsociety.org/publications/building‐community‐school‐complete‐manual>.
7

assess their core competencies in order to identify gaps, manage expectations and direct
attention to areas with less capacity. These processes usually feed into the development of a
shared vision that lays that groundwork for carrying out a strategic work plan. The work plan
most often outlines the tasks (such as site‐level coordination and staffing, communication,
etc.), resources (availability, facilities, funding, etc.), and timeline needed to accomplish the
objectives as well as anticipated measurable results.

A number of literature pieces discussed the importance of embedding assessment measures in
all stages of planning and design. By establishing and integrating assessment measures into the
planning structure, leaders can constantly evaluate the impact of programs, services and
operational elements at each stage. Continuous, integrated assessment was underscored as
necessary for frequent improvement and revision.

4. Scaling Up Community Schools

While some research briefly discussed the importance of scale‐up, the most cohesive
community school scale‐up plan was put forward by the Coalition for Community Schools. The
Coalition identified six stages of scaling up, which include: (1) deciding to scale up; (2)
developing an operating framework; (3) planning for scaling up; (4) planning for sustainability;
(5) implementing systematically; and (6) continuing improvement and expansion4.  Stage one of
scale‐ up involves developing shared ownership, a motivating shared vision, and growing
capacity to broaden community support. Stage two focuses on shared ownership by developing
strategic leadership and a multilevel communication and accountability structure. This process
includes discussion of how to meet future needs, clarification of roles and responsibilities, and
planning for intermediary coordination.

The third stage involves developing a results‐based logic model to demonstrate how the inputs
function and lead to results. By stage four of scale‐up, planners have translated their shared
vision of a scaled‐up community school into a roll‐out strategy. The roll‐out strategy should
create a network of schools connected across the community, taking into consideration the
possibility of political and financial constraints on sustainable growth. Stage five involves site‐
level implementation of activities, policies and practices. Finally, the sixth stage of scale‐up
involves a comprehensive assessment of progress and revisions to strengthen the strategy.


4
Coalition for Community Schools. “Scaling Up School and Community Partnerships.” Coalition for Community
Schools, 2011. Web. 19 December 2011.
<http://www.communityschools.org/resources/systems_web_guide.aspx>.

8

Conclusion

1. Challenges

One of the most prevalent challenges in the literature on the community school planning and
design process was planning for political and financial constraints. A volatile political and
financial climate can impact the success of a community school initiative and is often difficult to
anticipate. For example, a federal or state funding program may be available one year but
defunded or eliminated the following year. A diversified pool of resources can help ameliorate
difficult circumstances, but alternative or back‐up plans should also be developed.

2. Promising Practices

Professional development and technical assistance were underscored as promising practices to
aid the planning process. The practice of frequent and rigorous assessment was emphasized as
an effective means to measure impact and alignment. In terms of strategic organization, a
collaborative leadership structure and the employment of a site level community school
coordinator were highlighted as promising practices.

3. Concluding Remarks

Overall, the core of every planning and design structure appears to be cross‐sector
collaboration among the schools, partners and all other community stakeholders. A
collaborative leadership team can build shared ownership and accountability, which is an
important part of ensuring positive outcomes for children, families and the community.
Although most community school planning and design structures referenced initial planning
components such as the community needs assessment, the elements and order of the process
may vary in each initiative to fit the specific context of each community and its needs.

9

Community School Planning and Design:
Annotated Bibliography

Building Community Schools: A Guide for Action
Children’s Aid Society. Children’s Aid Society, 2011. Web. 20 March 2012.
<http://www.childrensaidsociety.org/files/upload‐
docs/NCCS_Building%20Community%20Schools.pdf>.

Section I of the report describes in depth the characteristics of community schools and explores
research supporting the community schools strategy. The section also provides case studies of
community schools, Children’s Aid Society (CAS) community school models, and core program
components along with a list of results to date. Section II details the building process and
explores the stages of development, process for creating the community school infrastructure,
sustainability and capacity building.

Exemplary sites (case studies):
1. Cincinnati Public Schools Community Learning Centers (CLCs), Cincinnati, OH (pg. 17)
2. CAS: Building Parent and Family Leadership Skills at CAS Community Schools (pg. 27)
3. CAS: Building our System Infrastructure (pg. 39)
4. Portland: Capacity Building Sustains and Grows a Countywide System (pg. 51)
5. CAS: Sustaining the Partnership at C.S. 61 (pg. 53)
6. CAS: Applying the Finance Project’s Framework (pg. 55)
7. Hartford Community Schools Initiative, Hartford, CT (pg. 59)
Models:
1. The Developmental Triangle (pg. 3)
2. Bryk’s Essential Supports (pg. 7)
3. Community Schools Framework for Student Success (pg. 19)
4. The Four Capacities in Community Schools (pg. 23)
5. The Non‐Linear Development of Community School Development (pg. 35)
6. CAS Community Schools Support Structure Chart (pg. 41)
7. Kent School Services Network (pg.45)
8. Stages of Development of a Systemic Community Schools Initiative (pg. 47)
9. Stages of Development (pgs. 68‐71)
10. CAS Community Schools Theory of Change (pg.
Tools:
1. Role of a Lead Partner in a Community School (pg. 65)
2. Community School Coordinator Sample Job Description (pg. 67)

10

Education and Community Building: Connecting Two Worlds
Jehl, Jeanne, Martin J. Blank, and Barbara McCloud. Institute for Educational Leadership, 2001.
Web. 19 December 2011.
<http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED458700.pdf>.

The report explores the issues in building relationships between schools and community‐
building organizations. Interviews and conversations with key leaders inform recommendations
and strategies to guide interactions. The sections of the report are broken down into: (1)
Starting Points; (2) Sticking Points; (3) Summary Points; (4) Building Relationships; (5) Rules of
Engagement; (6) Moving Forward; and (7) Stories of Four Communities.

“Starting Points” outlines the background of school and community involvement and “Sticking
Points” examines differences between school and community organizations. “Summary Points”
charts the rules of engagement in partnerships between educators and community builders and
“Building Relationships” describes strategies that have been successful. “Rules of Engagement”
offers specific recommendations and “Moving Forward” provides suggestions for expanding
and strengthening school and community relationships. “Stories of Four Communities” profiles
four sites where communities and schools are working together effectively.

Best practices: See “Building Relationships” and “Rules of Engagement” (pgs. 21‐28)
Exemplary sites:
1. Germantown Community Collaborative Board, Philadelphia, PA
2. Logan Square Neighborhood Association, Chicago, IL
3. Marshall Heights Community Development Organization, Washington D.C.
4. Chula Vista Elementary School District, Chula Vista, CA
Tools: Wall Chart of Education and Community Building: Rules of Engagement (pgs. 21‐
23)

Learning Together: The Developing Field of School‐Community Initiatives
Atelia Melaville. The Mott Foundation, September 1998. Pages 20‐82. Web. 19 December 2011.
<http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED427105.pdf>.

Part II of the report describes ten key features for mapping out school‐community initiatives:

1. Initiation;
2. Governance;
3. Site‐level coordination and staffing;
4. Financing;
5. Range of activities;
6. Location and availability of activities;
7. Intended participants;
8. Actual participants;
11

9. Accountability; and
10. Technical assistance.

The experiences, advantages and disadvantages of different school‐community structures are
discussed in each feature section. Furthermore, findings from community school initiatives are
included and provide examples of common practices and structures among community schools.

Exemplary sites:
1. Alliance Schools Initiative, TX
2. Beacon Schools, New York, NY
3. Birmingham Community Schools, Birmingham, AB
4. Bridges to Success, Indianapolis, IN
5. Caring Communities, MO
6. Children’s Aid Society Community Schools, New York, NY
7. Communities in Schools, Inc., Alexandria, VA
8. Community Education Centers, St. Louis, MO
9. Community Education Program, St. Louis Park, MN
10. CoZi Project, New Haven, CT
11. Family Resource and Youth Services Centers, KY
12. Family Resource Schools, Denver, CO
13. Full Service Schools, Jacksonville, FL
14. Healthy Start, CA
15. New Beginnings, San Diego, CA
16. New Visions for Public Schools, New York, NY
17. School‐Rased School Services Program, NJ
18. Readiness to Learn Initiative, WA
19. Vaughn/Pacoima Urban Village, San Fernando, CA
20. West Philadelphia Improvement Corps., Philadelphia, PA
Models: Evolving Connections of Major Approaches to Advocacy and Reform (pg.13)

Making the Difference: Research and Practice in Community Schools
Blank, Martin J., Atelia Melaville, and Bela P. Shaw. Coalition for Community Schools, Institute
for Educational Leadership, May 2003. Pages 49‐56. Web. 19 December 2011.
<http://www.communityschools.org/assets/1/Page/CCSFullReport.pdf>.

Chapter four from “Making the Difference: Research and Practice in Community Schools”
outlines four key elements that undergird successful local efforts to create community schools.
The four elements are:

1. A motivating vision;
2. Connected learning experiences;
3. Community partnerships; and
12

4. Strategic organization and financing.

The chapter explains the importance of these four elements in community school initiatives and
provides vignettes of community schools to show them in practice.

Best Practices: See four elements above and the following subsection
recommendations:
1. Connected learning experiences:
a. Clearly stated learning standards
b. Communication and joint planning among school and community partners
c. Alignment of learning opportunities with standards
d. A focus on research related to the conditions for learning
e. Professional development and technical assistance
2. Community partnerships:
a. A multi‐sector alliance at the community level
b. An effective planning and decision‐making mechanism at the school site
c. Focusing the school and partners on shared results
d. Continuous learning among partners
3. Strategic organization and financing:
a. Flexible funding
b. Use of community school coordinator
c. Shared school and community partner resources
d. Technical assistance
e. Use of adequate and accessible facilities
Exemplary sites:
1. Howe Elementary School, Green Bay, WI
2. North Middle School, Aurora, CO
3. East Hartford High School, East Hartford, CT
4. Northeast Elementary School, Ankeny, IA
5. Elliot Elementary School, Lincoln, NE
6. Schools Uniting Neighborhoods Initiative, Multnomah County, OR
7. Webster Open Magnet School, Minneapolis, MN
8. Marquette Elementary School, Chicago, IL
9. East Elementary School, Kings Mountain, NC
10. Carson High School, Carson, CA
11. Parkway Heights Middle School, South San Francisco, CA

13

Doing What Matters: The Bridges to Success Strategy for Building Community Schools
Melaville, Atelia. Bridges to Success, January 2004. Web. 19 December 2011.
<http://www.communityschools.org/assets/1/AssetManager/Doing_What_Matters.pdf>.

Part II of the Bridges to Success (BTS) guide details the governance and planning capacities
needed to support a BTS community school and the process for developing a strong
collaborative initiative. Part III explores scaling up community schools, including sections on
selecting expansion sites, deepening collaborative leadership, developing staff, and developing
financing strategies. Bridges to Success is a collaborative strategy aiming to improve outcomes
for children through developing community schools.

Best practices: See “Community‐Wide Governance: A Vision for Change” (pgs. 21‐34)
and “Sustaining the Vision” (pgs. 43‐51)
Exemplary sites:
1. Washington Irving Elementary School, Indianapolis, IN
2. George Washington Community School, Indianapolis, IN
3. Vandalia Elementary School, Greensboro, NC
Models:
1. The BTS Model: A Community School Strategy (pgs. 12‐14)
2. Appendix A: Site Team as a Coordinating Body (pg. 53)
3. Appendix C: Theory of Bridges to Success (pg. 55)
Tools:
1. Appendix B: School Readiness Assessment (pg. 53)
2. Appendix D: Four Phases of Site Team Development (pg. 56)
3. Appendix F: Community Readiness Assessment (pg. 58)

Schools as Centers of Communities: A Citizen’s Guide for Planning and Design
Bingler, Steven, Linda Quinn, and Kevin Sullivan. National Clearinghouse for Educational
Facilities, KnowledgeWorks Foundation, Council of Educational Facility Planners, International,
Building Educational Success Together, Coalition for Community Schools, 2003. Web. 19
December 2011.
<http://www.ncef.org/pubs/scc_publication.pdf>.

Part II of the guide outlines six design principles for initiating community schools. The six design
principles are:

1. The learning environment should enhance teaching and learning, and accommodate the
needs of all learners;
2. The learning environment should serve as a center of the community;
3. The learning environment should involve all community interests in the planning and
design process;
4. The learning environment should provide for health, safety and security;
14

5. The learning environment should make effective use of resources; and
6. The learning environment should be flexible and adaptable.

Part III includes case studies of the aforementioned design principles in action. Part IV details
various steps for getting started and organized, involving the community and developing and
implementing a master plan. The steps in each section map out the specific actions that need to
take place and the process for how they should be carried out.

Best Practices: See six principles above and Part IV (pgs. 44‐65)
Exemplary sites:
1. Gaylord High School, Gaylord, MI
2. The Ellen Lurie School, New York, NY
3. Center for Applied Technology and Career Exploration, Rocky Mount, VA
4. City Heights K–16 Educational Collaborative, San Diego, CA
5. Tenderloin Community School, San Francisco, CA
6. J. F. Oyster Bilingual Elementary School, Washington, D.C.
7. Noble High School, North Berwick, ME
8. Crow Island School, Winnetka, IL
9. Interdistrict Downtown School, Minneapolis, MN
10. High Tech High, San Diego, CA
11. Henry Ford Academy, Dearborn, MI
12. Met Center, Providence, RI
13. School of Environmental Studies, Minneapolis, MN

The Basics: Building, Assessing, Sustaining, and Improving Community Schools
Chu‐Zhu, Janice, María Fernández, Jane Quinn, Renée Nolte‐Newton, and Lisa Villarreal.
The John W. Gardner Center for Youth and their Communities, The Center for Community
School Partnerships and the Children’s Aid Society, 2009. Web. 1 July 2012.
<http://johnwgardnertestsite.pbworks.com/f/090323_Full_BASICS_toolkit.doc.pdf>.

The BASICS toolkit (Building, Assessing, Sustaining, and Improving Community Schools)
documents the process, tools and resources used at community schools over a ten year period
to help other sites in their planning and development of community schools.  In 2003, the John
W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities (JGC) launched the Academy for
Community Schools Development (ACSD) to support five public schools in San Mateo County,
California in becoming community schools. The schools include: Fair Oaks School (K‐5); Hoover
Magnet School (K‐8); Kennedy Middle School (6‐8); Taft School (K‐5), and Cunha Intermediate
School (6‐8).

In each session topic, two items are provided: (1) a brief overview of the topic, rationale,
purpose, and what took place to give the reader a detailed account of what happened at each

15

of the eight sessions; and (2) agendas with materials and session tools detailing the process and
activities used to deliver the session content.

Exemplary sites:
1. Fair Oaks School (K‐5)
2. Hoover Magnet School (K‐8)
3. Kennedy Middle School (6‐8)
4. Taft School (K‐5)
5. Cunha Intermediate School (6‐8)

Revitalization by Design: A Guide for Planning and Implementing School Improvement
Projects through School Community Partnerships
Davis, Stephanie. Maryland State Public School Construction Program, June 2002. Web. 19
December 2011.
<http://www.communityschools.org/assets/1/AssetManager/140_RevitalizationbyDesign_MD.
pdf>.

The manual is intended as a guide for identifying, planning, implementing, and maintaining
large and small scale school improvement projects. It is intended to be used by parents,
teachers, students, school administrators, community organizations and residents. The sections
of the manual address: (1) key terms and concepts; (2) types of school improvement projects;
(3) creating the school improvement partnership; (4) planning a school improvement project‐
getting started; (5) planning a school improvement project‐design: (6) school improvement
project implementation; (7) marketing and promoting a school improvement project; (8) finding
funds and volunteers; (9) school improvement project tools; and (10) case studies.

Best practices: See following sections (pgs. 8‐16):
1. “Creating the school improvement partnership”
2. “Planning a school improvement project‐getting started”
3. “Planning a school improvement project‐design”
4. “School improvement project implementation”
5. “Marketing and promoting a school improvement project”
6. “Finding funds and volunteers”
1. Bladensburg High School Design
2. Shadyside Elementary School Master Plan
Tools:
1. Preliminary School Assessment Tool (pg. 17)
2. Consensus Tool (pg. 18)
3. Site Selection Tool (pg. 19)
4. Implementation Planning Tool (pg. 20)
5. Fundraising Plan Tool (pg. 21)

16

Integrating High Quality Academic Programs and Supportive Health, Social and Community
Services: Key Findings from a Listening Session Convened by the Center for the Study of Social
Policy for the U.S. Department of Education and the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative
Fine, Amy. Center for Study of Social Policy, February 2011. Web. 20 June 2012.
<http://www.cssp.org/publications/neighborhood‐investment/INTEGRATING‐HIGH‐QUALITY‐
ACADEMIC‐PROGRAMS‐AND‐SUPPORTIVE‐HEALTH‐SOCIAL‐AND‐COMMUNITY‐SERVICES.pdf>.

The report summarizes a Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) listening session for federal
agencies engaged in the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative. The listening session focuses on
the work of school districts and other educational leaders in place‐based initiatives that are
integrating high quality academic programs, supportive health and social services, and broader
neighborhood revitalization. Five exemplary place‐based education initiatives and their
capacity‐building approaches are detailed. The report also summarizes federal barriers related
to specific programs or policies, guiding principles and core capacities, and specific
recommendations for a more supportive federal role.

Exemplary sites:
1. Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation, IN
2. Providence Public School District, RI
3. Kalamazoo Promise, MI
4. Excellent Schools Detroit, MI
5. Harlem Children’s Zone, NY

Funding Stream Integration to Promote Development and Sustainability of a Comprehensive
System of Learning Supports
Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA. Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA. Web.
13 March 2012.
<http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/fundingstream.pdf>.

The Louisiana Department of Education pioneered the development of a comprehensive
system of learning supports that transforms its approach to providing student and learning
supports. The design (1) unifies the various interventions fragments and (2) ends the
marginalization of student and learning supports by (a) moving school improvement policy and
practice from a two‐ to a three component approach and (b) designating implications for
reworking the operational infrastructure at schools, districts, regional units, and the state
department. The department presents templates related to various promising initiatives for
meeting the state priority goals for education. The emphasis is in clarifying ways that federal,
state, and local funding sources can be braided to implement and sustain the initiatives
effectively. The templates offer a framework for district/school review of current and future
planning for improving integration of resources.

Tools: Comprehensive Learning Supports System Sample Funding sheet
17

Together We Can: A Guide for Crafting a Pro‐family System of Education and Human Services
Melaville, Atelia, Gelareh Asayesh and Martin J. Blank. U.S. Department of Education and U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, 1993. Web. 19 December 2011.
<http://www.communityschools.org/assets/1/AssetManager/TogetherWeCan_Guide.pdf>.

Part II of the guide details a comprehensive five stage process for realizing a community’s vision
to create a pro‐family system. The five stages are:

1. Getting together;
2. Building trust and ownership;
3. Developing a strategic plan;
4. Taking action; and
5. Going to scale.

Each stage describes major milestones, practices to avoid and vignettes of schools or
community based organizations that exemplify each stage of the process.

1. Ochoa‐Mission View Coalition, Tucson, AZ
2. New Beginnings, San Diego, CA
3. Collaborative Leadership Development Program, Fort Worth, TX
Models: Building a New System: A Five‐Stage Process for Change (pg. 21)
Tools:
1. Checklist:1 Process for Crafting a Pro‐family System of Education and Human
Services (Appendix A)
2. Checklist 2: Indicators of Systems Change (Appendix A)

Strengthening Partnerships: Community School Assessment Checklist
Blank, Martin J. and Barbara Hanson Langford. Coalition for Community Schools and the
Finance Project, September 2000. Web. 19 December 2011.
<http://www.communityschools.org/assets/1/AssetManager/csassessment.pdf>.

The assessment tool contains a series of checklists to aid school and community leaders in
creating and/or strengthening community school partnerships. The “Community School
Partnership Assessment” checklist helps assess the development of the community school
partnership. The “Community School Program and Service Assessment” checklist helps take
inventory of existing programs and services in or connected to your school that support
children, youth, families, and other community residents. The “Community School Funding
Source Assessment” checklist helps to catalogue the funding sources that support these
programs and services.

Tools: Three assessment checklists for strengthening community school partnerships
18

Scaling Up School and Community Partnerships
Coalition for Community Schools. Coalition for Community Schools, 2011. Web. 19 December
2011.
<http://www.communityschools.org/resources/systems_web_guide.aspx>.

The guide uses practice and research to describe the process of system‐wide expansion for
community schools during the planning, implementation, and sustaining stages. It provides
definitions and functions of structural elements for building community schools and provides
examples of community school sites, resources and tools. An overview of a six stage strategy
for effectively scaling up community schools is provided and includes the following elements:

1. Decide to scale up;
2. Develop an operating framework;
3. Plan for scale‐up;
4. Plan for sustainability;
5. Implement systematically; and
6. Continue improvement and expansion.

Best practices: See six stage strategy above (detailed in Part III)
Exemplary sites:
1. Chicago Community Schools Initiative, Chicago, IL
2. Cincinnati Public Schools Community Learning Centers, Cincinnati, OH
3. Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation, Evansville, IN
4. Local Investment Commission, Kansas City, MO
5. Community Partners for Student Success (COMPASS), Lehigh Valley, PA
6. Schools Uniting Neighborhoods (SUN), Multnomah County, OR
7. Community Schools Collaboration, South King County, WA
8. Tulsa Area Community Schools Initiative (TACSI), Tulsa, OK
Models:
1. Figure 4A: A Collaborative Leadership Structure for Community Schools (Part II: A
Framework for Scaling Up, The Structure of System Building)
2. Figure 5: Building a Scaled‐Up System of Community Schools (Part II: A Framework
for Scaling Up, Summing Up)
3. Figure 6: A Process for Building a 6‐Stage Scaled Up System (Part III: How to Scale Up
Community Schools Effectively: A Six Stage Strategy)
4. Figure 7: Results Framework (Tools)
5. Figure 8: Community Schools Results Based Logic Model (Tools)
Tools: See “Tools” section

19

Addressing the Internal and External Barriers to Learning and Teaching. Louisiana’s
Comprehensive Learning Support System: The Design Document
Pastorek, Paul G. Louisiana Department of Education. Web. 13 March 2012.
<http://www.louisianaschools.net/lde/uploads/15044.pdf>.

The Louisiana Department of Education developed a Comprehensive Learning Supports System
in order to enable all students to have an equal opportunity for success at school. They adopted
a three component conceptual framework to guide the development of a comprehensive
learning support system at every school in Louisiana which includes:

1. An Instructional Component that provides guidance for best practices for effective
instruction;
2. A Management Component that guides best practices for site management and
administrative capacity; and
3. A Comprehensive Learning Supports Component that guides the coalescing of
resources to address barriers to student engagement in the classroom.

Models:
1. Exhibit 1: Barriers to Learning and School Improvement (pg. 5)
2. Exhibit 3: Six Learning Supports Content Arenas (pg.9)
3. Exhibit 4: Continuum of Interventions: Connecting Systems to Fit the Needs of All
Students (pg. 10)
4. Exhibit 6: What the Student Support Infrastructure Looks Like at Most Schools (pg.
12)
5. Exhibit 7: Integrated Infrastructure at the School Level (pg. 13)
6. Exhibit 8: Connecting Resources:  A Multi‐Site Mechanism for Connecting Schools in
a Feeder Pattern with Each Other, with the District, and with the Community (pg. 14)
7. Exhibit 9: Expanding the Framework for School Accountability (pg. 15)
8. Prototype for an Integrated Infrastructure at the District Level (pg. 19)
9. Prototype for an Integrated Infrastructure at the District Level with Mechanisms for
Learning Supports that are Comparable to Those for Instruction (pg. 20)
Tools: Exhibit 5: Combined Continuum and Learning Supports Content Arenas:  The
Framework for a Comprehensive Learning Supports Component (pg. 11)

20

Use of Funds Manual
Pastorek, Paul G. Louisiana Department of Education, February 2011. Web. 20 March 2012.
<http://www.louisianaschools.net/lde/uploads/16546.pdf>.

The purpose of the manual is to provide a general overview of the various uses of funds under
major state administered federal education programs. It provides information about: the
general considerations Local Education Agencies (LEAs) should take into account when
determining whether a cost may be charged to a particular program; the supplement not
supplant provision that applies to most state‐administered federal education programs; the
administrative considerations LEAs should take into account when integrating federal funds;
and program specific information about various state‐administered federal education
programs, their eligibility requirements, use of funds requirements and unique fiscal
requirements.

Cost Worksheet for Out‐of‐School Time and Community School Initiatives
Langford, Barbara Hanson. The Finance Project, September 2002. Web. 19 December 2011.
<http://76.12.61.196/publications/costworksheet.pdf>.

The “Cost Worksheet for Out‐of‐Time and Community School Initiatives” describes how to
develop an operating budget for community schools and provides sample worksheets to aid the
process. In order to make the initial case to potential funders, the report suggests the school
document its current financial status and develop realistic financial projections. The report
identifies two main cost areas: program costs and system‐wide infrastructure costs.

Tools: Operating budget worksheets

21

Community School Planning & Design

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Community School Planning & Design

Similar to Community School Planning & Design (20)

More from Urban Strategies Council

More from Urban Strategies Council (14)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Community School Planning & Design