Teachers as Learners: Instructional Capacity in Community Schools

• In Event: Scaling and Sustaining Equitable Community Schools: Lessons From Kentucky

Abstract

Objective: This study explores how teachers in schools starting to implement full-service community schools access community assets to support classroom instruction. Studies on the role of teachers in full-service community schools have been relatively limited, despite teachers being well-positioned to create learning opportunities that connect instruction to students' lives and communities (Daniel et al., 2019). This gap presents a valuable area for research given the promising role of community school teachers in improving student outcomes (Sanders et al., 2021). By examining teachers' experiences and perceptions, this study seeks to understand the challenges and opportunities they encounter in leveraging community resources to enhance classroom instruction.

Perspective or theoretical framework: This study draws from the Community Schools Forward (2023) framework of essentials for community school transformation, which posits that the implementation of key practices generates conditions for student learning and development. One such key practice is rigorous, community-connected classroom instruction; that is, community schools and their teachers leverage community resources to expand and enhance students’ learning opportunities.

Data sources: Teachers across 40 schools and 20 districts participating in the Kentucky Community Schools Initiative were invited to complete an online survey. The survey included both open- and close-ended items designed to elicit teachers' perceptions and experiences regarding the use of community assets to support their classroom instruction and address students' needs.

Methods: Data analysis involves descriptive statistics for the close-ended items and thematic coding for the open-ended responses, providing a comprehensive understanding of the teachers' perspectives.

Results: Preliminary analyses identified areas of challenges and opportunities in teachers’ responses. Most teachers (97.6%; n = 246) agreed that it is important for them to access community resources to support their students’ outcomes. A majority also indicated that they know what community resources are available to support their students (87.7%; n = 221) and their instruction (78.6%; n = 196), and that they know how to access these resources (72.4%; n = 122), most often citing their school’s Family Resource and Youth Services Center Coordinator to connect with community partners and access resources. Over half of teachers (51.0%; n = 122) reported having accessed community resources to support their instruction in the past year; in fact, teachers expressed optimism about the transformative effects of integrating community assets for their students. Yet, the open-ended responses revealed that numerous teachers still expressed a desire to know how to identify available resources and key contacts, with many suggesting a repository of resources and more opportunities for collaboration with family and community members.

Significance: The significance of this study lies in its potential to uncover insights into the underexplored role of teachers within full-service community schools. Given the position of teachers to bridge the gap between families, communities, and classroom instruction, understanding their experiences is vital. Policymakers can use the study’s findings to develop initiatives that facilitate easier access to community resources, such as creating centralized repositories of community assets and fostering partnerships between schools and community organizations. Such policies can help optimize the role of teachers in community schools.

Authors

• Anastacia E. Cole, University of Kentucky

• Kristin Anne Finley, University of Kentucky

• Shannon O. Sampson, University of Kentucky