Building and Sustaining a Community School System: Insights From Transformation Efforts in a Rural Setting

• In Event: Transforming Schools for Student Thriving: Scaling the Community Schools Strategy

Abstract

With their growing evidence base (Maier at al., 2017; Johnston et al., 2020), policymakers, educators, and community members have increasingly elevated community schools as a promising, equity-focused improvement strategy. In turn, historic fiscal investments have been made across the country to systemically grow community schools in local settings (Kostyo & Miller, 2023; Maier & Rivera-Rodriguez, 2023). This study investigates how local educational agencies (LEAs) supported by these historic investments engage in community school transformation. Specifically, it will examine if and how systematic changes in structure, practice, and process are spurred and the degree to which they support the development of high-quality community schools with a range of whole-child approaches at their foundation.

The study’s focus on the process of advancing systemic community school transformation is critical given the challenges that proposed reforms encounter in implementation and sustainability. Researchers have demonstrated how those advancing equity-oriented change often face institutional, normative, and/or political obstacles that compromise or inhibit reforms from taking hold (Mehta, 2013; Oakes, 1992; Payne, 2008; Tyack & Cuban, 1995). However, others have suggested that key factors (e.g., capacity-building, broad/ongoing engagement, policy infrastructure) can create conditions that enable impactful and sustained policy implementation (Coburn, 2003; Cohen & Mehta, 2017; Morel et al., 2019). Given the opportunities and challenges often surrounding reform, this study considers how LEAs enact change and navigate challenges to grow and sustain community schools.

It does so through a qualitative case study of community school transformation efforts in California, which has made a $4.1 billion state investment in their development and spread. Drawing upon interviews, observations, and documentary data, this presentation elevates findings from efforts underway in one rural setting—contexts where residents often face severe socioeconomic challenges as well as education-related issues (e.g., teacher shortages, constrained administrative capacity) that make community school transformation critical yet potentially difficult (Biddle & Azano, 2016; Herman & Sacks, 2022; Schafft, 2016).

Preliminary findings suggest that officials in the rural setting have developed and/or leveraged key structures and systems to grow community schools with the support of state investment. For instance, in the face of capacity constraints, local officials have taken a coalitional approach to growing community schools, leveraging a consortium of regional rural districts to manage and increase instructional supports and the provision of services across their schools. Local officials have also sought interagency collaboration at the county level, regularly convening district superintendents, the county supervisor, and representatives of county health agencies, among others, to help organize the pipeline of services. In addition, local officials have braided funding sources and sought additional personnel support (e.g., consultants) to meet financial and capacity constraints as they seek to take community schools to scale across the districts.

Findings from this case study surface important guidance for systems leaders as they seek to use funds to support the development and implementation of community schools. Moreover, its focus on change efforts—particularly in a rural context—makes contributions to the growing research on community schools and their instantiation and development in distinct geographic settings.

Authors

• Laura E. Hernandez, Learning Policy Institute

• Emily Germain, Learning Policy Institute