This policy agenda is the Institute for Educational Leadership’s inaugural Policy by the People agenda, which reflects the direct input via surveys and focus groups of hundreds of leaders across IEL’s networks that we engaged in 2020. These leaders span the roles of parents/family, youth age 18 and under, district leaders, nonprofit leaders, state and local government representatives, people with disabilities, and elected officials across dozens of communities in the United States.

60 Community Schools across Six Districts

The Schools Uniting Neighborhoods Initiative is a collaboration of city, county, state and school districts in Portland/Multnomah County, Oregon.

Walter T. Helms Middle School, San Pablo’s first FSCS initiative, is now the hub and model for the city’s FSCS initiative. The district presented a co-written district-wide full service community schools resolution covering five cities to the West Contra Costa Unified School District Board of Education in November 2012. The board unanimously passed a resolution to implement community schools beginning with its high schools that have school based health centers and two elementary schools, one with a dental clinic in operation.

Alignment in Purpose from the School to the Statehouse Around a Commitment to Community Schools

The goals of the CLC are to support student achievement, revitalize neighborhoods and maximize the community’s return on their financial investments. CLCs act as hubs for community services, providing access for students, families and community to health, safety and social services, as well as recreational, educational and cultural opportunities.

Full Service Community Schools Framework

Hayward’s framework for its community schools seeks to fulfill a common set of conditions for learning that ensures that students are engaged, safe, and healthy.

Cincinnati Public Schools is creating campuses that strengthen this link between schools and communities.

Members of the Hartford Community-School Partnership, which launched in July, 2008, are the Hartford Public Schools, the City of Hartford Mayor’s Office (including Hartford Office for Young Children and Office for Youth Services), and the United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut.