Student Perceptions of an Award-Winning Full-Service Community High School

• In Event: School Turnaround and Reform (STaR): Community Schools

Abstract

Full-service community schools (FSCSs) are broadly viewed as a strategy to address the multiple challenges faced by low-income children and families that can create barriers to students’ learning. Several studies have investigated the perceptions and experiences of a variety of key stakeholders involved in this reform strategy. However, no studies to date have examined students’ perceptions and the impact of FSCSs on their educational experiences. Recognizing the importance of elevating students’ voices in research on school reform, this paper seeks to fill this gap. Specifically, it draws on student focus group data collected at an award winning FSC high school in an urban district in the northeastern United States to better understand how participants perceived and experienced the FSCS strategy.

Authors

• Mavis G. Sanders, Child Trends

• Claudia Lucia Galindo, University of Maryland - College Park