This paper focuses on the evolution of community schools from a grassroots organizing effort to a formal initiative in Philadelphia. The authors implemented a critical participatory action research project to examine the process and impact of the education organizing. We present two narratives to illustrate the potential and limitations of two…

As community schools grow in numbers, this article argues that the model needs to be interrogated in order to address the power imbalances that exist between non-dominant families and schools. This paper draws on a citywide study of parent interviews as well as public documents and interviews with key community school leaders in Baltimore to…

This study leverages data collected from a study of Baltimore's 21st Century School Buildings Program to understand the potential of a school facilities investment to catalyze community development. We leverage a school-community partnership typology to examine partnerships at 21CSBP schools in three neighborhoods. We found that schools provided…

Little research has focused on the extent to which community school principals approach family engagement efforts, specifically from an equity-centered perspective. This study examined how community school principals' leadership practices exhibited tenets of Community Equity Literacy. Results from interviews with 13 administrators and 19…

In this article, we explore community schools, as first theorized through community organizing, in relation to movements for racial justice in education to address the following question: How has educational equity been radically imagined by the community school movement in New York City to reframe how we understand success, meaningful school…

Full-service community schools (FSCSs) are designed to provide historically underserved students with more equitable educational experiences. Yet, the literature has given scant attention to how teachers help to fulfill the promise of these schools. Integrating two critical constructs in education--professional capital and culturally relevant and…

The privatization of public funds for education through school choice programs has fueled the expansion of virtual online charter schools. This redirection of funds contributes to the idea that virtual school success is comparable or even superior to the performance of traditional public schools. The schools most adversely affected are the schools…

School-community partnerships are currently in the forefront of place-based urban reform efforts. But the literature on these partnerships indicates a variety of models that require different commitments and resources. Through a close review of the literature, we developed a typology of four partnership categories organized from the least to the…

The purpose of this article is to investigate the multiple political histories that have coalesced to produce support for or resistance to the Oakland Unified School District's full-service community schools policy. It analyzes oral history interview data from eight stakeholders who represent the district's major constituencies to explore the…

For more than three decades, community schools have aimed to improve education and neighborhood outcomes in low-income, urban communities of color. In this article, we position community schools as a place-based reform strategy that pushes back on top-down accountability systems. While most research on urban school reform focuses on improving…

Presents the findings of a case study of a school that embodies the essential features of the community school model, and points out some of the reasons this attempted innovation purportedly failed to achieve its goals. (Author/JM)

A discussion of the educational problems of big-city school systems which defines the community school concept or philosophy, and emphasizes the role of an energetic school-home partnership composed of the community, parents, leaders, and educators. (JM)

Describes the conditions faced by urban Appalachians, with particular reference to educational outcomes, and outlines the philosophy and functions of the Lower Price Hill Community School in Cincinnati, Ohio. Assesses the school's impact on its students, and on local and state levels of educational attainment. (Author/FMW)