Successes, Challenges, and Future Directions for an Urban Full Service Community Schools Initiative

Abstract

After receiving a multiyear federal grant, an urban school district and community agency that focused on family literacy implemented a comprehensive school reform initiative called Providence Full Service Community Schools (PFSCS). A host of community partners collaborated to develop the PFSCS model with the broad goal of strategically connecting teachers, families, afterschool programming, and community services, as a method for improving the well-being of students in participating schools and their families. This article compares findings from a baseline and 4-year follow-up study of the PFSCS, documenting changes in stakeholder perceptions about the project. In the follow-up study, respondents noted increased family engagement and improved climate in PFSCS schools, along with more school–community partnerships. Findings also suggested stakeholder perceptions had changed regarding the extent to which the PFSCS was expected to improve academic achievement. Specifically, although some stakeholders were disappointed that a direct link between the PFSCS and improved test scores had not been found, findings also indicated that overall, the community continued to value the work and desired to see the program expand.

Education-Centred Formal Wraparound Services in Support of School-Aged Students With Complex Support Needs: A Systematic Review

“…Interview methodology was employed in nine studies, three were multiple case studies, two used a mixed method, two included focus groups, and one incorporated direct field work. Stakeholders reported that the wraparound model (a) increased family support and engagement with the school (Anderson et al, 2017;Senior et al, 2016); (b) significantly improved school climate (Anderson et al, 2017;Anderson-Butcher et al, 2018); (c) resulted in more school-community partnerships (Anderson et al, 2017); and (d) enabled more positive transitions from juvenile justice or hospital (Maximoff et al, 2017).…”

Transformative school–community collaboration as a positive school climate to prevent school absenteeism

“…Schools and community agencies are traditionally important members of the school‐community collaboration. However, recent studies view parents and families as equal partners in the collaboration because of their critical role in their children's education (Anderson, Chen, Min, & Watkins, 2017; Bryan & Henry, 2012; Epstein & Sheldon, 2016).…”

“…Democracy is one of the core components suggested by critical and justice theories. It can be enhanced when the collaboration involves all partners in decision‐making (Sheldon, 2007), provides open and transparent communication between partners (Anderson et al, 2017), and provide fair decision‐making processes (Weiner et al, 2002). Zyngier (2011) also found that partners' empowerment was a critical component of successfully coordinating school–community collaboration.…”

“…School–community collaboration can be beneficial for reducing school absenteeism because it brings all stakeholders and resources together to provide high‐quality school‐based programs that meet students' multifaceted needs regarding school absenteeism (Anderson et al, 2017; Anderson‐Butcher et al, 2008; Epstein & Sheldon, 2002; Sheldon, 2007; Zyngier, 2011). In particular, out‐of‐school time (OST) programs that offer a variety of school‐based activities to support students' educational, social, physical, and behavioral outcomes has been demonstrated to be effective for increasing students' attendance and reducing their absenteeism (Hendron & Kearney, 2016; O'Donnell and Kirkner, 2014; Reid, 2012; Teasley, 2004).…”

“…More importantly, some studies show that the positive effects of OST programs can be strengthened when the OST programs are offered by strong school–community collaboration. Anderson et al (2017) found that effective school–community collaboration increased students’ educational outcomes because it facilitates family and community engagement in OST programs and makes a better connection between OST programs and school curricular goals. Similarly, Epstein and Sheldon (2002) found that school–community collaboration was effective for providing high‐quality OST programs through community resources, which motivated students to attend school regularly.…”