New Poll Indicates that the Public Sees Schools as the Centers of Community

A recent poll by the KnowledgeWorks Foundation in Ohio provides evidence that the public sees schools as the center of communities, offering more than just academic instruction during traditional school hours.

Forum Highlight

The Community Schools Work! National Forum is coming June 23-25. This week's highlight - learning institutes will provide participants with an in-depth look into successful community school strategies.

Lessons on Schools and Accountability

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In the recent Ohio's Education Matters poll, the KnowledgeWorks Foundation provides evidence that the public sees schools as the center of communities, offering more than just academic instruction during traditional school hours. According to the results, "Ohioans believe that everyone in the community should be more involved with local schools, and that schools should be community resources offering programs and services beyond the traditional school hours."

Key Findings
There is a significant amount of support for the idea of locating additional community resources and services in local school facilities. Among the key findings:

87% of respondents agree that "everyone in the community should be more involved with local public schools"; 84% supported community use of facilities during afternoon, evening and weekend hours for activities like health clinics, recreation activities, and parenting and adult education classes; 72% agreed that community services for adults like adult fitness, community activities and parenting classes should be located and provided within local public schools; 79% agreed that schools should offer mental health services for students; and 65% agreed that community social services for children like health services, dental services and after-school programs should be located and provided within local public schools.

As noted in the survey, "Traditionally, local school facilities have not functioned as the center of local communities. With limited hours of operation and few community services or events currently located in schools, most school facilities are not often used evenings and weekends. Survey respondents, however, expressed significant interest in broadening the use of these facilities. Increasing the use of school facilities would not only provide additional community resources, but may also have the added benefit of getting the community more involved in participating in and improving local schools."

The poll also provides useful information about:

The Coalition's 2002 National Forum, Community Schools Work! will feature nationally recognize speakers in the fields of education, youth development and community engagement. Forum participants will also hear from national and local intermediaries that are creating and expanding community schools all across America.

On Sunday, June 23, six learning institutes have been planned to provide an in-depth look into successful community school strategies. These institutes will walk participants through the different processes of getting started and going to scale, and will address all the challenges and opportunities that occur along the way. These 3-hour institutes will feature both local and national initiatives, featuring:

Local initiatives Schools Uniting Neighborhoods (SUN) Initiative, Portland OR. SUN is a county-led initiative working in cooperation with local school districts that is now operating in 15 schools. www.sunschools.org Schools and Communities Organized to Promote Excellence (SCOPE) Initiative, Central Falls, RI. Learn how this initiative has embedded itself in a densely populated poor suburban district and help to stimulate CommunitySchools Rhode Island. Bridges to Success - United Way of Central Indiana, Indianapolis, IN. BTS demonstrates how United Ways, with the school district and other community partners, can develop a large-scale community school strategy that is now working in 43 schools. Cincinnati, Ohio - Children's Defense Fund of Greater Cincinnati and Hamilton Family & Children First, Cincinnati, OH. Explore two strategic initiatives in Cincinnati that engage families and neighborhoods in planning new school facilities and making these new buildings community schools.

National initiatives Public Education Network National Community Schools Initiative, Washington, DC. This new initiative will be working in five urban communities across the country, including Lincoln, Nebraska, Buffalo, New York and Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is particularly noteworthy for its policy focus. Communities In Schools (CIS), Alexandria, VA. One of the nation's leaders in bringing community resources into schools, CIS will explore critical dimensions of the community development strategy it brings into schools.

For more information on the Community Schools Work! National Forum - including program updates, travel information and conference registration -- go to www.communityschools.org/conference.html or e-mail blackwellw@iel.org.

Low-income children need better-financed schools and more social support, along with better instruction. Richard Rothstein makes this argument in his analysis of the recent Education Trust report on "high-flying schools" in the New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/10/education/10LESS.html

Additional Information
Check out http://www.communityschools.org/ for more information on the Coalition's work and progress. 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.