Schools as Centers of Community

By Geoff Zimmerman

Thirty years ago, when I first began teaching, I took great pride in having my own classroom. Today, I take even greater pride in being part of a community of learners that extends beyond my classroom walls.

—Linda Batz, Principal, Hunterdon Central Regional High School, New Jersey;
Excerpt from Schools as Centers of Community: A Citizen’s Guide For Planning and Design

In 2001, the Cincinnati city school district (CPS) adopted a policy that all schools will engage their communities in improving student achievement: “As centers in the community, the schools and their partners should foster strong collaboration, set high expectations, embrace diversity, and share accountability for results.”  Over ten years later, CPS Community Learning Centers act as hubs for community services, providing access for students and families to health, safety and social services, as well as recreational, educational, and cultural opportunities.

Over the last decade, the vision, planning, and implementation of Community Learning Centers have been built into a nationally recognized model by leaders now with the Cincinnati-based Community Learning Center Institute (CLCI).  CLCI is a national leader in leveraging public school facilities to become hubs of educational, recreational, cultural, health and civic partnerships.  From the CLCI web site, the five foundational elements of a community learning center strategy are: sustained community engagement, site-based governance, partnership networks, cross-boundary leadership, and on-site Resource Coordinators. 

Thirty-one CPS schools now have Resource Coordinators in them, thanks to support from United Way of Greater Cincinnati, Greater Cincinnati Foundation, CLCI, and The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation.

Using Data in the REFORM Process

Beginning in 2010, CPS launched a pilot with 16 of the lowest achieving CLC’s to demonstrate that resource coordination could be a strategy in school reform.  These 16 schools, known as Elementary Initiative schools, were already engaged in an intensive, data driven approach to analyze individual student needs and apply targeted intervention strategies to promote mastery of education skills.  The pilot sought to find out if the same process could be used with Resource Coordinators in aligning partners and resources to the educational goals of the schools. 

In the REFORM process, Resource Coordinators:

• Review the data (to understand how a CLC can assist in helping the school meet its goals),
• Engage the partners (partners and schools sign a MOU which includes a statement of goal alignment and expected outcomes),
• Focus on individual student needs (focus the right support on those who need it most),
• Offer support (meet with partners regularly to share and discuss progress),
• Reset to adjust intensity (take an in depth look at the data in the middle of the school year to refocus if necessary), and
• Measure for impact on student achievement (a comprehensive independent evaluation of the CLC data to understand impact of aligned resources on school goals)

The evaluation report from 2011 was conducted by local data partner INNOVATIONS in Community Research and Program Evaluation. Improved tracking practices have allowed for better accuracy and reporting of data, including the number and types of partnerships, as well as the number of students served by the partners.  CPS and INNOVATIONS are able to leverage a data management tool called the Learning Partner Dashboard to collect data on each student including their state test scores, attendance, and discipline referrals.  The Learning Partner Dashboard has been created through a unique partnership between the district, the Strive Partnership, Microsoft, and Procter & Gamble.

More than 320 partners served students across the district:

To address individual student needs, resources and services were provided to students with priority factors attending Pilot and CLC schools at higher rates than non-CLC schools. Priority is defined by factors that impact student achievement including OAA (Ohio Achievement Assessment) Math scores that are below proficient, and/or OAA Reading scores below proficient, and/or 5 or more Absences, and/or 5 or more Tardies, and/or 5 or more Behavioral Referrals.  The chart below shows students with priority factors receiving services.

Students receiving student support services, including Tutoring, Mentoring, College Access and After School, all showed positive academic trends from 2009-2010 to 2010-2011. The graph below shows trends for students receiving services compared to those not receiving respective services.

The annual evaluation of CLC performance is intended to sustain continuous improvement of these community hubs and optimize alignment of services with district priorities and student needs. It strengthens program accountability, sustainability and a shared sense of purpose necessary to both set and attain goals.