Community school partnerships are integrated strategies that
leverage the investment in public schools with community
resources. Community school partnerships institutionalize
collaborative leadership and fill gaps to meet the cross-sector
needs of schools and communities.
The Center for Community School Partnerships creates shared
solutions for improving opportunities and services to ensure the
education, safety, health and well-being of school-age children
and youth. Our belief is that all students can thrive under the
right conditions, and that learning and youth outcomes should not
reflect differences in race, gender, income, and class.
Our strategy is to:
Develop practical and site-based approaches, many of which
are adaptableto other communities and situations, to build
capacity, coherence and economies of scale across community
school partnerships
Support the development and implementation of local school
and community policies to address the needs of school-age
children, families, and their communities
Link university knowledge with practitioner skills in ways
that increase the local community’s understanding of evidenced
based practices for strengthening education and youth outcomes
Promote and advocate for effective community school
partnerships at the local, regional, state and national levels.
Based in the School of Education CRESS Center, the Center for
Community School Partnerships (CCSP) is located on the corner of
First and A Street in Davis.
School of Education CRESS Center
UC Davis
One Shields Ave.
Davis, CA 95616
(530) 752-1277
CCSP STAFF
Renee Newton
Director, Community School Partnerships rnnewton@ucdavis.edu
(530) 754-4319
Joanne Bookmyer
Associate Director, Community School Partnerships
Director, Teacher Research
Through Community School Partnerships, the CRESS Center engages
in research, evaluation, and technical assistance to connect
schools and communities in ways that support student success and
well-being. Using a full-service schools model, our technical
assistance encompasses extended learning opportunities, health
services, family support and engagement, school infrastructure to
support collaboration, and data analysis.
“A community school is a place and a set of partnerships between
the school and other community resources. Its integrated focus on
academics, services, supports, and opportunities leads to
improved student learning, stronger families and healthier
communities. Schools become centers of the community and are open
to everyone – all day, every day, evenings, and week-ends.” – The
Coalition for Community Schools
Community schools “combine the rigorous academics of a quality
school with a wide range of vital in-house services, supports,
and opportunities for the purpose of promoting children’s
learning and development. The community-school unites the most
important influences in children’s lives – school, families, and
communities – to create a web of support that nurtures their
development toward productive adulthood.” – The Children’s Aid
Society
The community schools movement is a national initiative dedicated
to creating committed, lasting partnerships among schools and
their neighborhoods. In California this initiative is best known
as Healthy Start. Healthy Start brings schools, families,
neighborhoods, and public and private agencies and business
together to meet student and family needs. CCSP has served as the
Healthy Start Field Office since 1992, providing orientation
training and technical assistance to over 800 grantees.
The Coalition for Community Schools promotes five conditions for
learning that are necessary for community schools to work
together.
The school has a core instructional program with qualified
teachers, a challenging curriculum, and high standards and
expectations for students;
Students are motivated and engaged in learning – both in
school and in community settings, during and after school;
The basic physical, mental, and emotional health needs of
young people and their families are recognized and addressed;
There is mutual respect and effective collaboration among
parents, families, and school staff;
Community engagement, together with school efforts, promotes
a school climate that is safe, supportive, and respectful and
that connects students to a broader learning community.
Visit the Coalition for Community Schools to learn more about the
community schools movement.
