Community Schools Act
Issue: Empowering & Educating Communities
Target Level of Office: State
Policy Origin: Tennessee State Legislature
Poilcy/Bill Number: House Bill 1846
Link: www.YEONetwork.org/2013policy/?i=242
Summary Narrative of the Policy: This bill authorizes and encourages local educational agencies
and schools to form community consortiums with a variety of community partners to establish a
community school or schools with an integrated focus on academics, health and social services,
youth and community development and community engagement that will lead to improved
student learning, stronger families, and healthier communities.
Relevant Talking Points & Important Information:
• According to our partners at the Coalition for Community Schools, “using public schools
as hubs, community schools bring together many partners to offer a range of supports
and opportunities to children, youth, families, and communities.” Partners work to: ensure
that children are ready to enter school; students attend school consistently; that children
are actively involved their classrooms and their community; that families are increasingly
involved with their children’s education; that schools are engaged with families and
communities while students are succeeding academically; and that students are healthy
– physically, socially, and emotionally – while attending, living, and learning in a safe,
supportive, and stable environment.
• A community school is a public and private partnership to coordinate educational,
developmental, family, health, and before school and after-school care programs during
school and non-school hours for students, families, and local communities at a public
school.
• Research shows that community schools have a powerful positive impact on students,
as demonstrated by increased academic success, a positive change in attitudes toward
school and learning, and decreased behavioral problems.
• Community schools are cost-effective because they leverage existing resources provided
by local, state, federal, and private sources and bring programs to the schools where the
students and their families – the community – are already congregated.
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State Level
Policy
2014 Book