What is a Community School?
Community schools focus on building strong relationships with students and families and lasting partnerships with youth- and family-serving organizations to leverage the community assets that support school-wide improvement in academics, attendance, basic needs, family engagement, and social-emotional wellness.
Communities In Schools follows a set of community school principles developed by the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) whose years of education research have found that community schools can positively transform schools and students' education success. Click here to learn more about how CIS integrates the LPI's Four Pillars of a Community School.
“Research conducted by the National Education Policy Center and the Learning Policy Institute has shown that the Communities In Schools model has a positive impact on both short and long term student success indicators. Schools that have implemented the CIS model with fidelity have seen improvements in academic achievement, student attendance, student behavior, school culture and climate, and quality family engagement.”
Oakes, J., Maier, A., & Daniel, J. (2017). Community Schools: An Evidence-Based Strategy for Equitable School 3Improvement. Boulder, CO: National Education Policy Center. Retrieved August 21st, 2019 from http://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/equitable-community-schools
For the past ten years, Communities In Schools of New Mexico has played a central role as a leader in New Mexico’s community schools movement, both as a founding member of the New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED)'s Coalition for Community Schools, and by developing and advocating for the successful passage New Mexico's Full-Service Community Schools Act.
For the past ten years, Communities In Schools of New Mexico has played a central role as a leader in New Mexico’s community schools movement, both as a founding member of the New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED)'s Coalition for Community Schools, and by developing and advocating for the successful passage New Mexico's Full-Service Community Schools Act.
Communities In Schools of New Mexico provides a community school strategy and support model that are fully aligned with the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL)’s National Community School Standards, the Learning Policy Institute (LPI)’s ‘Four Pillars of a Community School', and the NMPED's Community School Strategy. With strong evidence to demonstrate impact, Communities In Schools is advancing equity, re-engaging students, and mitigating systemic disparities across New Mexico public schools.