Engaging Partnerships Through Urban Community School Councils

• In Event: Challenges and Hopes of University-Community Partnerships: Narratives of Community Engagement as Ethical Responsibilities

Abstract

This case study examined the work of community school councils (CSC) in five Midwest urban public schools and how they organizationally met the needs of the community school as they grapple with the functions and responsibilities of serving the whole child with a keen focus on learning. We reviewed the research on community schools and adopted Maier, Daniel, & Oakes tenants of high-quality community schools including 1) integrated support services, 2) expanded learning time opportunities, 3) shared leadership in developing family and community engagement, and 4) collaborative leadership and practice in creating a culture of shared responsibility and collective trust (Maier, Daniel, & Oakes, 2017).

This study sought to answer three essential questions: 1) What community school council practices support and align the site-level implementation of community schools? 2) What are the experiences of the community school councils in implementing the critical foundational components of the community school model: Collaborative Leadership, Focused Curriculum and Instruction, Family and Community Engagement, and Integrated, Supportive Student Environment? 3) Are additional foundational components of the community school model adopted by schools for successful implementation and sustainability?

For this inquiry, we used a community-based participatory action research approach as it assists community council members in extending their understanding of the needs of the schools as they communicated their assets and challenges (Stringer, 2007). We found this collaborative approach to research effective as it centers on building community capacity, which leads to realization and readiness for action through small-scale theorizing (Denzin & Lincoln, 1994). This method was used to pursue our research objectives (knowledge, understanding) to develop a meaningful understanding of the involvement of community stakeholders. The focus was on their decision- making and activities leading to improvements in social conditions as it engages "participants" as equals and full participants of the research by creating a "level playing field" where all stakeholders are valued (Stringer, 2007).

The summary of findings establishes an understanding of the CSC's roles and strategies they implemented to sustain their work. The themes and criteria selected from the research questions helped shape the findings, as we focused explicitly on the CSC practices and policies that support and align the site-level implementation of community schools. Consistent with the literature, four characteristics emerged from the data: 1) Collaborative leadership; 2) Family and community engagement; 3) Focused curriculum and instruction; and 4) Integrated, supportive student environment. Community school councils provide the deliberate space for ongoing collaborative engagement between educators, parents, service providers, and community partners in coordination and academic alignment of necessary supports for learning. The CSC process enhances collaborative school leadership, focused curriculum and instruction, and an integrated student supportive environment, all of which are tenets of the CSC engagement, and all demonstrated as necessary for actual school improvement.

Authors

• Monica A. Medina, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis

• Jim Grim, Indiana University - IUPUI

• Rita Brodnax, Brodnax’s Better Brains

• Gayle Cosby, Ivy Tech Community College