A Community School (CS) is both a place and a set of strategic partnerships that promote student achievement, positive conditions for learning, and the well-being of families and communities. The CS strategy is intentionally aligned with Out-of-School Time (OST) programming.
Through the work of a community-based partner, the Lead Agency (LA) leverages unique community resources to meet needs with a focus on children and families. A full-time Community School Coordinator (CSC) at each school coordinates resources and partnerships that transform a school into a hub of integrated service delivery, creating one seamless access point to critical supports.
Community Schools Evaluation: A Three-Year Retrospective
In 2020, Family League commissioned Inciter to complete a three-year retrospective of its work in the City schools space. The report details findings from an evaluation of Family League-funded community schools in Baltimore City and school-specific programming, including Out-of-School Time (OST) programs, over three school years (2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20). Included in the evaluation are 44 community schools and 42 OST programs.
Key findings include:
- OST programs provide a safe and supportive environment for the students who attend them. Overall, students feel safe in their OST programs and report that the programs help them find better ways to fix their problems.
- Chronic absenteeism decreased among schools focused on Culturally Relevant programming and Newcomer Integration.
- Community Schools with strength in Early Childhood had the highest percentage of students demonstrating readiness in two of the three years of the evaluation period.
- Rates of students not being promoted to the next grade generally improved over the evaluation period across all maturity categories and strength areas.
Community Schools in Baltimore
Family League provides funding to 17 community-based partners (lead agencies) that support 43 community schools in Baltimore, serving over 20,000 students from prekindergarten through high school. Community Schools are guided by a bi-annual needs assessment and an annually developed Action Plan.
Out-of-School Time Programs
There is intentional alignment between Community Schools and Out-of-School Time (OST). There are 43 Family League-funded OST programs attached to 43 community schools, serving over 2,300 students from kindergarten through high school. Family League's comprehensive programs operate at minimum 10–12 hours per week throughout the school year with a 15:1 student-to-staff ratio. Youth have access to nutritious supper and snacks, diverse enrichments (STEM, art, sports), academic enrichment including college and career supports, and social-emotional support from caring staff. All comprehensive OST programs participate in a continuous improvement process through the Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality.
Resources & Reminders
Our monthly Resources & Reminders newsletter provides updates and connects our Community Schools and OST partners with useful resources.
Baltimore City Community Schools Steering Committee
Family League, along with Baltimore City Public Schools, co-chairs the Community School Steering Committee — a group assembled to oversee the formal designation process, partnership development, conflict resolution, and evaluation of Community Schools. Those interested in attendance should contact the Chief Program Officer.