Community Schools Initiative
Issue: Empowering & Educating Communities
Target Level of Office: Local
Policy Origin: City Council of Washington, D.C.
Link: www.YEONetwork.org/2013policy/?i=246
Summary Narrative of the Policy: This ordinance requires that the District of Columbia Office of
the State Superintendent of Education establish and administer a Community Schools Incentive
Initiative to award multi-year grants to incentivize the establishment of on less than five new
community schools within one of year of the act’s effective date.
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.
Policy
2014 Book
Local Level
77