The National Education Association Community Schools Institute: Equity and Innovation in U.S. Schools

• In Event: Developing Collective Leadership for School Improvement: The Importance of Partnership and Networks

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand how the National Education Association (NEA) uses improvement science to further equitable school reform via their Community Schools Institute, an organized effort supporting community school implementation across 39 states. Guided by research on Networked Improvement Communities and drawing from interviews with nineteen stakeholders, coupled with analysis of over 119 Institute documents, findings suggest the six-pillar strategy guiding the Community Schools Institute differs from other community school implementation efforts in its commitment to developing cultures of innovation necessary for lasting and deep change in school systems. By placing intentional focus on the structures and systems of community schools, the Institute has advanced a collective culture and created capacity for the work.

Authors

• Linda K. Mayger, The College of New Jersey
  Presenting Author

• Kathleen Provinzano, Binghamton University - SUNY
  Presenting Author