Special Education: The Community Schools Approach

Examines the core structural elements that define the community schools strategy including community school coordinators, systematic needs assessments, community partner recruitment and coordination, and collaborative, data-driven decision-making. Explores the community schools pillars and commonly implemented programs and strategies typically found in community schools, including early childhood, expanded learning, health/mental health, adult education, and community and economic development.

Asynchronous online; Open to GRAD and PACE students

This course will examine the core structural elements that define the Community Schools approach, including Community School Coordinators (CSC), systematic needs and asset mapping, community partner identification, recruitment, and coordination, as well as collaborative, data-driven decision-making. We will explore the Community Schools pillars and commonly implemented programs and strategies typically found in Community Schools, including expanded and enriched learning through mentorship, afterschool, and summer programming, health/mental health, adult education, and community and economic development. Students will learn about how these various structural elements are coordinated and integrated within Community Schools to promote flexibility, equitable community inclusion, and enhanced integration of student support and applicability. Further best practices, evidence-based approaches, and funding sources for various program areas will be discussed, and how they may vary across community and cultural contexts, including a focus on rural Community Schools implementation and evaluation. By the end of this course, students will 1.) Understand and be able to critically reflect on the Community Schools approach as it exists in various contexts and educational landscapes; 2.) Challenge assumptions regarding family-school-community partnerships, how they are implemented and sustained, as well as how various stakeholder groups are impacted by such collaborative efforts focused on safety, equity, and inclusion; 3.) Understand the roles of LEAs, SEAs, and University partners in implementing and evaluating school climate and culture reform efforts that impact youth and families, as well as ways in which the Community Schools approach might shape interprofessional and inter-organizational collaboration in support of positive student, family, and community outcomes; and 4.) Understand and develop Community School evaluation and action plans to assess the impact and future directions for Community School implementation, adaptation, and growth/sustainability for equity-focused, social-justice-oriented school climates, cultures, and student, family, and community development.