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In This Issue
November 9, 2001 Vol. I, No. 20

Building a Successful State Community Schools Strategy

State policy is critical in our efforts to build and sustain successful community schools. Voices for Illinois Children recently released a report that is an important tool for promoting and developing an effective state community schools strategy.

Welcome to Community Schools Online where we provide updates on developments in the community schools field and the work of the Coalition. Please forward this e-mail to interested partners in your network and to related listservs. If you wish to subscribe to Community Schools Online, register at http://www.communityschools.org/about.html#email. To unsubscribe, send an email to ccs-l-off@lists.iel.org.
Building a Successful State Community Schools Strategy
State policy is critical in our efforts to build and sustain successful community schools. Voices for Illinois Children is a statewide children's advocacy organization whose agenda includes working to establish healthy school-family-community partnerships. "Voices" recently released Community Schools in Illinois: Partnerships Promoting Academic Excellence and Lifelong Development, a report that recommends steps for aligning state policy with the goals of community schools.

The Illinois paper is a valuable model for what other advocates of community schools might want to develop in their own states. The Coalition would be pleased to assist with your efforts. Community Schools in Illinois: Partnerships Promoting Academic Excellence and Lifelong Development is published by the Voices for Illinois Children. To order copies of this report or to learn more about their work, visit www.voices4kids.org or contact: Voices for Illinois Children, 208 S. Lasalle St., Suite 1490, Chicago, IL 60604-1103. Tel: (312)456-0600.

Sharing, Supporting, and Demonstrating Goals for Education
Community Schools in Illinois emphasizes the shared goals between our vision for community schools and existing state education policies. The Voices for Illinois Children report highlights the similarities between community school goals and the aims of the Illinois State Board of Education and the Department of Human Services. Specifically, both groups share the vision that:
  • Children will receive the supports and services they need to come to school and be ready to learn.
  • Youth will be engaged in meaningful relationships with adults.
  • High expectations will be held for all.
  • Stakeholders will share accountability for results.
  • Resources will be integrated and used effectively.

This shared vision helps state policy makers and funders realize the links between their own goals for education and the distinct benefits of community schools for families, schools, and communities. Alignment toward common goals is an important aspect of building a successful community schools state policy strategy. According to Tom Houlihan, the new Executive Director of the Council of Chief State School Officers, alignment is a key priority for state education leaders.

Importance of State Policy for Community Schools
While community schools are designed locally to meet local needs, strong and supportive state policies are essential if they are to grow and thrive. State education agencies can play a particularly important role in supporting community schools by aligning existing resources and providing new resources to ensure the effectiveness of school-community partnerships. Together with partners from other state agencies, the State Education Agency can help to align various state programs in support of community schools.

With Congress poised to pass a new Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which is likely to include important changes in the Title I program for disadvantaged children and the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program, community schools advocates will have to focus even more attention on state policy and practice than they have in the past.

Key Elements of the Voice Report
The Voices for Illinois Children report represents an important tool for promoting an effective state community schools strategy. Its format and content can be used by leaders in other states to develop similar documents that can be presented to better make the case for community schools. Key elements of this report demonstrate:
  • Benefits of Community Schools for youth, schools, families and communities.
  • A framework for building successful Community Schools.
  • The positive outcomes of Community Schools nationally and in Illinois.
  • A graphic that illustrates the continuum for Community School growth. It shows the stages of development through which a community school can progress.

The recommendations made to the State Education Agency in this report can be used as a model for others. "Voices" suggests that the state of Illinois:
  1. Implement a statewide task force to identify the programmatic and administrative needs of, and opportunities for, community schools.
  2. Create a center for policy makers, educators, human service providers and other advocates to come together to advance their knowledge about community schools.
  3. Establish the Kids Share Endowment to fund community collaborations focused on the healthy development of children, youth, families and communities.

Coalition for Community Schools State Policy Strategy
The Coalition for Community Schools is currently working on The Community Schools Strategy: A Guide for State Policymakers. This report is intended to serve as a guide for elected officials and state agency executives. It will help policy makers understand the following:
  • What are Community Schools
  • Why policy makers should support the Community Schools approach
  • How state policies can support effective Community Schools

The policy guide is due to be released in early 2002. If you would like to offer your recommendations or have examples to share for this state policy strategy, please e-mail Will Blackwell at blackwellw@iel.org.

Additional Information
Check out http://www.communityschools.org/ for the newsletter and more information on the Coalition's work and progress. You can also contact Will Blackwell at blackwellw@iel.org to share important information involving community schools in your area and to learn more about their success across the nation.