School-Community Collaboration

Overview

School-community collaboration occurs when groups or agencies come together to establish an educative community. The educative community is composed of a multitude of educating entities such as school, home, places of worship, the media, museums, libraries, community agencies, and businesses (Drew, 2004). Everyone in the community is accountable for the quality of education.

The Community Collaboration Manual (The National Assembly, 1991) lists seven characteristics of successful collaborations: shared vision, skilled leadership, process orientation, cultural diversity, membership-driven agenda, multiple sector representatives, and accountability. Some common barriers to collaboration are differences in philosophies, organizational cultures, and operating practices (National Assembly, 2000).

School-Community Collaboration Is Needed

Schools do not exist in isolation and they cannot go it alone. To keep students in school their social, economic, and family needs, as well as their academic needs must be met. They need the support and help of the whole community. The often heard statement, “It takes a village to raise a child,” is very true. Volunteers and funding are two major ways that communities support their schools. Some of the initiatives that involve partnering with the community are School-to-Work Programs, drug abuse prevention programs, after-school centers, and parental involvement programs. Coordinating community collaborations to avoid duplication and keeping them focused on a common goal is a challenge.

Impact of School-Community Collaboration

Research on the impact of community collaboration is ongoing. Two major programs that have been studied are full-service community-schools and the Annie E. Casey Foundation New Futures initiative. Some of the positive results found at full-service community-schools are improved reading and math performance, better attendance rates, a decrease in suspension rates and a decrease in the dropout rate (Schargel & Smink, 2001, p. 201).

The New Futures initiative did show some interim steps that may lead to improved outcomes: increased awareness about the problems of at-risk youth; initiating a dialogue among leaders and community representatives; development of rich school-based information systems; and demonstrated how to build strong relationship between public and private sectors by combining leadership and money (Schargel & Smink, 2001, p. 202).

References

Drew, S. (2004). The power of school-community collaboration in dropout prevention. In F. P. Schargel & J. Smink (Eds), Helping students graduate: A strategic approach to dropout prevention (pp. 65-77). Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.

The National Assembly. (2000). 21st Century Community Learning Centers collaborative survey. Washington, DC: National Assembly National Collaboration for Youth.

The National Assembly of National Voluntary Health and Social Welfare Organizations. (1991). The community collaboration manual. Washington, DC: Author.

Schargel, F. P., & Smink, J. (2001). Strategies to Help Solve Our School Dropout Problem. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.

School-Community Collaboration Resources

NDPC Materials
The 15 Effective Strategies for Dropout Prevention Online Courses: Overview Course . (2017). National Dropout Prevention Center/Network. 

The 15 Effective Strategies for Dropout Prevention Online Courses: School-Community Collaboration . (2017). National Dropout Prevention Center/Network.

A School and Police Department Partnership . (2017). Solutions to the Dropout Crisis .

Increasing Support Systems for High-Potential At-Risk Learners in Rural Areas . (2017). Solutions to the Dropout Crisis .

Introducing Solutions to the Dropout Crisis Magazine . (2017). Solutions to the Dropout Crisis .

Community Education . (2014). Solutions to the Dropout Crisis .

Dropout Recovery Model for Youth: An Innovative Partnership Between a School District and City Government . (2014). Solutions to the Dropout Crisis .

Making Sense of the Evidence: A Review of Dropout Prevention Strategies . (2014). Solutions to the Dropout Crisis .

Journal of At-Risk Issues – Volume 18, Number 2   . (2014).

Strategies for Creating Socially Inclusive School Communities for ALL Students . (2013). Solutions to the Dropout Crisis .

Beyond the Bully Pulpit: The Mayor’s Role in Dropout Prevention . (2010).  Solutions to the Dropout Crisis .

Lambert, E. M. (2010).  Beyond the Bully Pulpit: The Mayor’s Role in Dropout Prevention . Effective Strategies .

Building the Foundation for School Success: Introducing The Parent-Child Home Program . (2010).  Solutions to the Dropout Crisis .

National Dropout Prevention Center/Network (2010).  Video: Parent-Child Home Program .

Successful Summers: The Role of High-Quality Summer Learning in High School Completion . (2010).  Solutions to the Dropout Crisis .

Service-Learning: A Dropout Prevention Strategy and MORE! . (2009).  Solutions to the Dropout Crisis .

Strategic Planning to Improve the Graduation Rate . (2009).  Solutions to the Dropout Crisis .

Keeping Youth In School – How Service-Learning Can Help! . (2008).  Solutions to the Dropout Crisis .

Middle College High School: A Meaningful Option . (2008).  Solutions to the Dropout Crisis .

Richardson, I. A., & Turbeville, S. E. (2005).  Closing the Gaps: A Comprehensive Dropout Prevention Plan in a Rural School District . Effective Strategies .

Smink, J., & Schargel, F. P. (Eds.). (2004).   Helping Students Graduate: A Strategic Approach To Dropout Prevention . Larchmont, NY : Eye On Education.

Publications

Wood, L. & Bauman, E. (2017). How Family, School, and Community Engagement Can Improve Student Achievement and Influence School Reform Literature Review . Nellie Mae Education Foundation.

Mayoral Leadership and Involvment in Education: Action Guide for Success .

NLC Institute for Youth, Education, and Families Improving Public Schools Action Kit .

González-Rivera, C. (2014).  Bridging the Disconnect .     Center for an Urban Future.

Noel, A., Stark, P., Redford, J., & Zukerberg, A. (2013).  Parent and Family Involvement in Education, from the National Household Education Surveys Program of 2012 .     National Center for Education Statistics.

Swanson, C. B. (2009).  Cities in Crisis: Closing the Graduation Gap     . Bethesda, MD : Editorial Projects in Education, Inc..

US Conference of Mayors Best Practices Guide   . (2008).

Blank, M. J., Berg, A. C., & Melaville, A. (2006).  Growing community schools: The role of cross-boundary leadership   .

Martin, N., & Halperin, S. (2006).  Whatever it takes: How twelve communities are reconnecting out-of-school youth     .

40 Developmental Assets     . (2004).   Search Institute.

Deal, T. E., & Peterson, K. D. (2003).  Shaping School Culture: The Heart of Leadership . Wiley.

Jordon, C., Orozco, E., & Averett, A. (2002).  Emerging issues in school, family, & community connections . Austin, TX: : Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, National Center for Family & Community Connection with Schools.

Belenardo, S. J. (2001).  Practices and conditions that lead to a sense of community in middle schools . NASSP Bulletin , 85(2), 33-45.

UCLA Mental Health in Schools Training and Technical Assistance Center (2001).  After-school programs and addressing barriers to learning . Los Angeles : UCLA Mental Health in Schools Training and Technical Assistance Center, UCLA Department of Psychology.

Websites

Coalition for Community Schools

Communities In Schools

the nation’s leading community-based organization helping kids succeed in school and prepare for life

Kickstarting Education

With public education funding coming under increasing scrutiny, it can be difficult for teachers to insure that they are addressing basic educational needs, let alone find the capacity or space in their budgets to do something creative or original. So, like many artists that have chosen to trod the new territory of being independent, some teachers and other creative types have begun to turn to new sources of funding; in particular, crowd-sourced funding sites like Kickstarter. Educators can do the same.

Student support system key to Communities in Schools success

Communities in Schools of Cape Fear, NC, helps support students.

School-Community Collaboration – Related Webcasts

Archived Solutions to the Dropout Crisis  webcasts are available at the links below. Beyond the Bully Pulpit: The Mayor’s Role in Dropout Prevention . (2010). Solutions to the Dropout Crisis. 

Building the Foundation for School Success: Introducing The Parent-Child Home Program . (2010). Solutions to the Dropout Crisis.

Community Education . (2014). Solutions to the Dropout Crisis.

Dropout Recovery Model for Youth: An Innovative Partnership Between a School District and City Government . (2014). Solutions to the Dropout Crisis.

The 15 Effective Strategies for Dropout Prevention . (2011). Solutions to the Dropout Crisis .

Increasing Support Systems for High-Potential At-Risk Learners in Rural Areas (2017). Solutions to the Dropout Crisis.

Introducing Solutions to the Dropout Crisis Magazine . (2017). Solutions to the Dropout Crisis.

Keeping Youth In School – How Service-Learning Can Help! . (2008). Solutions to the Dropout Crisis.

Making Sense of the Evidence: A Review of Dropout Prevention Strategies . (2014). Solutions to the Dropout Crisis.

Middle College High School: A Meaningful Option . (2008). Solutions to the Dropout Crisis.

A School and Police Department Partnership . (2017). Solutions to the Dropout Crisis.

Service-Learning: A Dropout Prevention Strategy and MORE! . (2009). Solutions to the Dropout Crisis.

Strategic Planning to Improve the Graduation Rate . (2009). Solutions to the Dropout Crisis.

Strategies for Creating Socially Inclusive School Communities for ALL Students . (2013). Solutions to the Dropout Crisis.

Successful Summers: The Role of High-Quality Summer Learning in High School Completion . (2010). Solutions to the Dropout Crisis.

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