| Citation: | Dryfoos, J. G. (2000). Evaluations of community schools: Findings to date. Washington, DC: Coalition for Community Schools. ED450204. |
Annotation:
This report summarizes data from available evaluations of community school initiatives and the growing body of evidence that indicates community schools are beginning to demonstrate positive effects on students, families, and communities that go beyond the expectations of traditional education reform. This summary uses the Coalition for Community Schools definition, which states that community schools are jointly operated through partnerships between the school system and community agencies in public school buildings; designed by students, families, and community members to operate seven days a week, year round; and offer activities and services that promote educational achievement and youth development. The author presented research data of 49 different community school program evaluations. In 46 of the reports, positive changes were noted in student achievement, generally in math and reading test scores, student behavior, and parent involvement. Comparing data from "An Educator's Guide to School Reform," the author concluded that "few whole school reforms have produced solid evidence of positive effects on student achievement." However, educators often consider and implement whole school reforms without having that information. Meanwhile, reformers seem to overlook the promising evidence that community schools is a model for increasing student achievement. It is important to note that, although promising, much of the community school evidence came from unpublished evaluation reports that tended to rely primarily on pre- and post-tests of participants.
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