Implementation Plan
CA CS Framework Overview
A community school is any school serving pre-Kindergarten through high school students through a “whole-child” approach, with an integrated focus on academics, health and social services, youth and community development, and community engagement. It is an equity-driven and assets-building school transformation program.
Adopted in 2022, the CA CS Framework identifies 4 Pillars of Community Schools, Key Conditions for Learning, Cornerstone Commitments, and Proven Practices as follows:
Pillars of Community Schools: Integrated Student Supports; Family and Community Engagement; Collaborative Leadership and Practices for Educators and Administrators and; Extended Learning Time and Opportunities
Key Conditions for Learning in a Community School: Supportive environmental conditions that foster strong relationships and community; Productive instructional strategies that support motivation, competence, and self-directed learning; Social and emotional learning (SEL) that fosters skills, habits, and mindsets that enable academic progress, efficacy, and productive behavior, and; System of supports that enable healthy development, respond to student needs, and address learning barriers.
Cornerstone Commitments of Community Schools: A commitment to assets-driven and strength-based practice; A commitment to racially just and restorative school climates; A commitment to powerful, culturally proficient and relevant instruction; and a commitment to shared decision making and participatory practices.
Proven Practices of Community Schools: Community Asset Mapping and Gap Analysis; A Community School Coordinator; Site-Based and LEA-Based Advisory Councils, and Integrating and Aligning with Other Relevant Programs.
The California Community Schools Framework is synthesized through the Overarching Values and operationalized through the Capacity-Building Strategies: A Developmental Rubric.
More information about these key concepts or community school components can be found at https://www.cde.ca.gov/be/ag/ag/yr22/documents/jan22item02a1.docx and at https://www.acoe.org/Page/2461, including the CA CS Framework.
Capacity-Building Strategies Overview
The S-TAC has launched the Capacity-Building Strategies: A Developmental Rubric to serve as a road map for both LEAs and school sites and is meant to enhance the adoption, implementation and sustainability of community schools. The Capacity-Building Strategies include a focus on:
- Shared Commitment, Understanding and Priorities
- Centering Community-based Learning
- Collaborative Leadership
- Sustaining Staff and Resources
- Strategic Community Partnerships
The Developmental Rubric can be accessed here, and is best used as a side-by-side companion document as grantees are completing this implementation plan.