Achieving Equity in Education Through Full-Service Community Schools

• In Event: Family, School, Community Partnerships Scholarship at This Moment in Time: Unveiling Our Path

Abstract

Full-service community schools are designed to improve the educational experiences and outcomes of historically underserved children and youth through integrated service provision, family engagement, and community development. In this paper the authors provide an overview of full-service community schools and discusses their relevance for improving the educational outcomes of racially/ethnically diverse and poor students. The authors begin by describing the main rationale for and characteristics of full-service community schools and then continue, describing how the theory of change of full-service community schools requires different approaches to professional practice in terms of instruction, leadership, and service coordination. The third aspect of this presentation presents empirical evidence showing the impact of full-service community schools on educational outcomes and other indicators of well-being. In the final section, the authors will describe challenges such as funding, monitoring and evaluation, and equitable community outreach and support that must be addressed if full-service community schools are to realize their transformative potential.

Authors

• Claudia Lucia Galindo, University of Maryland - College Park

• Mavis G. Sanders, University of Maryland - Baltimore County