Community Schools Certification: An Approach for Implementation
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| Title: | Community Schools Certification: An Approach for Implementation |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Emily Germain, Anna Maier, Daniel Espinoza, Jeannie Oakes, Learning Policy Institute |
| Source: | Learning Policy Institute. 2025. |
| Availability: | Learning Policy Institute. 1530 Page Mill Road Suite 200, Palo Alto, CA 94304. Tel: 650-332-9797; e-mail: info@learningpolicyinstitute.org; Web site: https://learningpolicyinstitute.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 53 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | Stuart Foundation |
| Document Type: | Reports - Research Tests/Questionnaires |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Community Schools, Certification, Program Implementation, College School Cooperation, Models, Holistic Approach, Secondary Education, Career and Technical Education, State Departments of Education, Career Pathways, College Preparation |
| Geographic Terms: | California, Florida, Georgia |
| Abstract: | Community schools organize in- and out-of-school resources and supports such as mental health services, meals, health care, tutoring, internships, and other learning and career opportunities that are tailored to the goals and needs of students and families. They also offer community-connected, student-centered instruction and cultivate a culture of safety, belonging, and care. This strategy brings educators, local community members, families, and students together to make collaborative decisions; prioritize student learning, well-being, and engagement; and turn schools into community hubs. A growing number of states are investing in community schools as a strategy to address long-standing social inequities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, greatly expanding the landscape of community schools. As community schools increasingly operate at scale, systems are seeking ways to support quality implementation across multiple school sites. This report describes one such approach: certification. This report profiles three organizational certification systems that might inform such a process for community schools. The first two are specific to community schools: the University of Central Florida Center for Community Schools (UCF Center) and the Office of Whole Child Supports at the Georgia Department of Education. Each has set up certification as a route to bring structure, consistency, and capacity-building to the implementation of community schools in their respective states and to offer validation of quality implementation. Additionally, in an approach similar to that for community schools, the Linked Learning Alliance has established a process to aid in the quality implementation of schools designed for a particular educational strategy that combines rigorous academics, career technical education, work-based learning, and comprehensive student support services all tied to the local community. |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | ED678894 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Community schools organize in- and out-of-school resources and supports such as mental health services, meals, health care, tutoring, internships, and other learning and career opportunities that are tailored to the goals and needs of students and families. They also offer community-connected, student-centered instruction and cultivate a culture of safety, belonging, and care. This strategy brings educators, local community members, families, and students together to make collaborative decisions; prioritize student learning, well-being, and engagement; and turn schools into community hubs. A growing number of states are investing in community schools as a strategy to address long-standing social inequities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, greatly expanding the landscape of community schools. As community schools increasingly operate at scale, systems are seeking ways to support quality implementation across multiple school sites. This report describes one such approach: certification. This report profiles three organizational certification systems that might inform such a process for community schools. The first two are specific to community schools: the University of Central Florida Center for Community Schools (UCF Center) and the Office of Whole Child Supports at the Georgia Department of Education. Each has set up certification as a route to bring structure, consistency, and capacity-building to the implementation of community schools in their respective states and to offer validation of quality implementation. Additionally, in an approach similar to that for community schools, the Linked Learning Alliance has established a process to aid in the quality implementation of schools designed for a particular educational strategy that combines rigorous academics, career technical education, work-based learning, and comprehensive student support services all tied to the local community. |
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